- The Catholic League‘s got yet ANOTHER bone to pick, apparently…Just so Donohue doesn’t get bored, we suppose. Here’s the latest, according to the IMDB:
Catholic League Takes Aim At New Flick
The Catholic League has targeted Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s AllAbout My Mother (1999) (Todo Sobre Mi Madre) and Almodóvar himself in its latest blast at what it perceives to be an anti-Catholic bias among filmmakers. All About My Mother (1999), which had been the odds-on favorite to win the Golden Palm award at Cannes this year but lost to the Belgian film Rosetta (1999) (Almodóvar won the best director award), is due to open in art houses this weekend. In a statement, Catholic League president William Donohue said on Wednesday that for twenty years, Almodóvar has been “bashing Catholicism,” adding that he is “a devout homosexual.” Donohue continued: “Those who like Catholic-bashing movies can now pick this weekend to see either All About My Mother (1999) or Dogma (1999). Those interested in bigoted films that attack other religions will, as usual, be disappointed.”
- Kevin appeared on Mancow‘s morning radio show this morning. Though the DJ had badmouthed Kev a bit (so we heard) a few weeks ago, he was very kind today (naturally). According to our scooper, Kevin had some great things to say, and Mancow pulled that “I used to want to be a minister” bit out again.
- Kevin has a small article in the Dec. 9th Rolling Stone with Christina Ricci on the cover. It’s on page 32 and titled “Kevin Smith Director of Dogma” under the heading “Raves.”
What are his raves, you wonder? Cereal, Sting’s “Fill Her Up,” “A Man for all Seasons,” “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” by Alan Moore, “Law and Order” reruns, and finally, abject honesty.
- Chris Rock‘s career continues to blossom…Hot off the heels of his latest stand-up special, Dogma’s success, and the Emmy-winning series, he’s now signed on for a new flick:
Chris Rock in Beatty remake
Chris Rock is teaming up with the makers of “American Pie” for an updated version of the 1978 Warren Beatty movie “Heaven Can Wait.”
The IGN Movies site says Rock, currently seen in “Dogma,” will team up with Chris and Paul Weitz for the film, to be entitled “I Was Made To Love Her.”
“Heaven Can Wait” was in turn a remake of the 1941 film, “Here Comes Mr. Jordan”.
Rock will play a comedian killed by a bus but blocked from entering heaven by saintly bureaucrats, who send him back to Earth in a new host body — apparently a woman’s, according to IGN.
Complications arise when Rock falls in love — with his host body.
In “Heaven Can Wait”, Beatty played an NFL quarterback whose untimely death is reversed when he is sent to live in the body of an eccentric millionaire.
Thanks to Jam!, Popcorn, and IGN movies for the story.
- Catch Kevin on Larry King Weekend on Saturday from 9:00 – 10:00 PM EST in the States. It’s playing in international markets, too, so check the schedule HERE for your local airtime!
- Finally, this piece from Jam! Movies summarizes today’s deal announcement, the Clerks series, the Charlie Rose interview from last night, which was quite good — and apparently they liked our prediction about the DVD, though it was on NEWS ASKEW, guys! Ah well, same difference these days:
Filmmaker Kevin Smith’s independent film “Clerks” is heading to the small screen as an animated series, as part of a new deal with Miramax studios.
The cartoon version of Smith’s 1994 low-budget debut, which was recently nominated by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 funniest films of all time, is to air on ABC in March, and it’s just one of the many projects expected under the new pact with Miramax.
Hot on the heels of a big opening weekend for his latest film, the religious satire “Dogma,” the director’s View Askew productions announced the deal at their website, Thursday.
The three-year deal, which replaces one that was to expire at year’s end, will allow Smith and his producer Scott Mosier to work together on Smith’s projects. The deal also allows for Smith to write and produce other projects, and for Mosier to produce on his own.
“This deal is the equivalent of mom and dad letting us convert the attic into our own sweet ‘Johnny Bravo’-like pad,” Smith announced at the site.
The decision to stick with Miramax may raise a few eyebrows. After financing “Dogma,” Miramax sold the distribution rights to the film to Canadian-owned Lion’s Gate, for fear the film’s irreverent look at religion would make a target of Miramax’s parent company, Disney.
But Smith made it clear there’s no ill will between View Askew and Miramax.
“We have nothing but love for our non-biological mother and father — the brothers Weinstein — and hope they never kick us out or tell us to get a job.”
Meanwhile, Smith’s appearence Wednesday night on Charlie Rose’s high-brow talk show might end up on the “Dogma” DVD, according to the View Askew website.
In addition, Smith will appear on Larry King’s CNN talk show on Saturday night, while the screenplay for “Dogma” is scheduled to arrive in stores Monday, the website said.
Despite generally positive reviews and strong box-office, “Dogma” got a big thumb’s down from the U.S. Catholic Conference, which rated the film “morally offensive.” View Askew has posted the religious organization’s opinion of the film:
“Because of anti-religious buffoonery, intense violence, sexual references, substance abuse, assorted vulgarities, profanity and recurring rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O — morally offensive … “Dogma” is a sophomoric religious satire in which a heavenly messenger persuades the last descendant of Joseph and Mary to leave her job in an abortion clinic and set out to stop a pair of fallen angels from regaining heaven by means of a plenary indulgence. The unfunny proceedings rely on a mindless mix of irreverence and absurdity in poking fun at biblical characters and Christian stereotypes.”
