• Synapse Films Followup: Vincent contacted us yesterday with some reassuring news about Synapse’s DVD release date issues. They’ve all been due to oversights not on Don May’s part, but on unreliable sources providing inferior prints, unavoidable delays in recording commentaries, etc. Rather than release a bad product on time, May always opts to delay the production of the discs until everything is PERFECT. We like that. Related to that, Vincent tells us that yes, he and Don DO have a release date in mind for “A Better Place”, and that it’s coming along nicely. There’s still quite a bit of work to be done, though, including the insertion of additional scenes, the commentary, and a possible remix. Therefore, IF a date is announced, it will likely be later than expected, just to allow for that extra cushion. Vincent also states that he’d have no problem falling back on a release date a month or more if it means he can produce a superior product. So, in a nutshell: “A Better Place” WILL be worth the wait, similar to the wait for Mallrats. We’ll just all need to be patient.
• The newest issue of ‘Premiere’ presents a blurb about “Dogma”, which may contain some MINOR SPOILER MATERIAL about the theme of the flick’s ending, so skip down to the next bullet NOW if ya don’t wanna see it:

We don’t know where this comes from, really. Here’s why: The UNCUT version of Dogma we saw? It wasn’t bloody! It wasn’t THAT violent! And, get this…It has NOTHING to do with Columbine! If ANY piece of violence is going to be related back to Columbine now, even when it’s not school-related…well…we just don’t get it. Our opinion though? Kevin won’t touch a thing. At least, we hope not. After losing an hour and change, we’d hate to see even another SECOND go!

• Nothing new here, especially if you read our Wizard World coverage a couple weeks back, but Another Universe has done their own summary of the Marvel Knights panel:

• Another glowing review for a View Askew DVD! The August 10th issue of The DVD-DAILY Magazine is currently available online at their issue archive site, praises Clerks. Check it out.

• Is anyone else worried about Dogma’s release date? Sure, we’re happy to finally have one, but we couldn’t help but think that Dogma’s month to shine would have been October. There’s ALWAYS going to be competition out there at the box office, but we wonder if this release date choice is just a time factor, to give Lions Gate time to build a campaign, or rather just a business decision. It looks like Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow” may see release on the EXACT same day as Dogma, a film which has its own cultish status due to Burton himself (though not NEARLY as attention-getting a cast as Dogma’s, if you ask us), plus you’ve got the new Bond flick just one week later (which ya know is going to take the number one slot THAT week, no matter how good or bad a film it is. Hey, if “Wild Wild West” can be number one at the box office, ANYTHING can, remember that.) But we digress. The point is, Dogma’s a damn fine film, and one that deserves to be seen by a large audience theatrically. There’s no doubt in our minds that, once Dogma hits home video down the road, it will become a cult favorite like the Jersey trilogy, top the charts, and receive much praise. We’re just hoping for this flick to be the big, mainstream, high box-office breakout feature that Kevin deserves so much.

So we ask…Lions Gate, Weinsteins, & Crew Askew: Perhaps you’d consider bumping Dogma up a couple weeks? At least releasing in the major cities a few weeks prior to going wide? You’ll please the eager fans as well as increase chances for some big box office before the onslaught of other genre films that risk stealing Dogma’s audience. Or even better, rush out a release on September 1st, when possibly one of the worst films to ever see wide release, “The Astronaut’s Wife”, streets. Wow, we can smell the money from here. But seriously, for us, October’s wide open except for “Fight Club”, and a sure-fire win for Dogma. As the weeks go by, it just seems like things are gonna get more crowded out there.

Dogma is a fantastic, highly original, entertaining film, and thus has that Blair Witch word-of-mouth potential going for it. It’d be great to hit the ground running and build a solid following for the flick before it gets lost in the Bond’s explosions and Burton’s latest.Something to think about, anyway.