• We’ve finally got a full transcription of that Premiere interview with Kevin Smith & Chris Rock, so click HERE to read it.
• You may have noticed the date change at the top of the page, but here’s official notice: The Chasing Amy Canadian DVDhas been pushed back 2 weeks to October 12th (Exactly one month before Dogma!). No reason was given for the delay. You canstill place your order through DVD-Depot if you’re interested in one. Sorry, no confirmed details on what exactly is andis not on the disc yet.
• The Editing Room, famous for their abridged Star Wars movie script, have now created one for Clerks. It’s a parody ofsorts that supposedly summarizes the whole film in just a few pages. If you’ve got a few moments, it’s amusing enough to beworth a read. Check it out.
• Nolan Reese has conducted an interview with Don May Jr., which is now up at www.dvdnightmare.com. He mentions his company’s upcoming release of A Better Place a few times, so you may wanna check it out.
• In case ya wanna ask him why the hell he crossed his arms so darn much, Mallrats’ Jeremy London will be chatting onlineHERE at 7 PM EST tonight, in support of his new show, “Journey To The Center Of The Earth”.
• Finally today, “E! Entertainment” just said entuthiastically that tomorrow they’ll have many images from Dogma, and then they showed the one with Matt and Ben at the airport, one with Salma and Chris sitting in the bar, and one with Linda Fiorentino. This will be on the E! News Daily program we assume.

• A scooper for AICN managed to sneak a digital camera into last night’s screening in Toronto. The picturehttp://www.newsaskew.com/wp-admin/edit.php?page=POC_Cache/poc-cache.php
  Plugin Caches are spoilerish, so they have been blurred for for protection…

I just got back from the Dogma after party at the Toronto film fest. The film premiere was cool although only Kevin, Scott Mosier, and Jason Lee were there…and Harvey Weinstein.

I’m a huge Kevin Smith fan but unfortunately this movie wasnt too great. It has some good moments and poignant dialogue, but those are often shattered by Silent Bob and Jay who should never have been written in as major characters. They do nothing but ruin great dialogue with completely inappropriate humour. The movie lost it’s wit and sarcasm with the unhealthy dose of toilet humour. Chris Rock is great as the 13th apostle, and Linda Fiorentino is a great angsty descendant of Jesus. I cannot say that I liked Matt and Ben as the avenging angels simply because their pairing is an unneeded indie film inside joke.

While the film flip flops between toilet humour and much needed religious criticism, it loses its direction…. until the end. Alanis plays god in a fantastic scene that appears to be from the ‘Dogma’ that kevin wanted to make………………. before getting tied down with the obligatory “Jersey Trilogy” references.

I snuck in my digital cam to get some snaps for the net… here they are!

Buddy Christ

Chris Rock & Linda Fiorentino

• Here’s something kinda cool…While visiting the offical Dogma site (www.dogma-movie.com),one of our scoopers discovered if you right-click your mouse and and choose “PLAY” after the little animation is done, you’ll start a little slide show of sorts showcasing some of the stars from the movie. Go check it out!
• Listed below are a few new articles just added to our Dogma Press Pages. Make sure you check there for all the latest articles and reviews.

• Finally today, here’s a couple of fan-made pics courtesy of Bobo The Slaveboy.

• We thought we’d break in with this early morning update just to alert you to a few tidbits on the Dogma Trailer as well as a possible location of the new Dogma website! Check back later for a larger update, if anything else is going on, that is…

• A new box office weekend is upon us, and, with shades of the Star Wars prequel, TONS of fans are going to the movies to see…A TRAILER! That’s right, requests are pouring in (as well as some information) on which flicks the Dogma trailer will be playing with this weekend! Well, here’s the verdict: It looks like your best bet is with the new supernatural KevinBacon flick “Stir Of Echoes”, which is getting a good buzz anyway. So, not only is it probably the flick to see this weekend, but you’ll get to see that incredible full-length Dogma trailer in all its widescreen glory, too. Keep in mind now that JUST because the Dogma trailer is “chasing” Echoes, that’s not an absolute guarantee that you’ll get to see it. Some theater owners will remove or shelve the trailer to play it at a later time.

Here’s a quick description:

Did ya see that!?!? So did we! Looks like the official website may not be www.viewaskew.com/dogma as we’d originallythought, but www.dogma-movie.com. We stopped by. Looks like a shell is up right now, with a simple yet effective animationon the front and the latest press. We think this is gonna be a damn cool site when it all goes online. Check it out!

More updates later…

• Looks like the Lions Gate website links to us in a few places, which is cool. They also have a neat “Movie Review Query Engine”, which seeks out an enormous amount of publications online for movie reviews. This may be a better place to go for Dogma reviews when the flick is released, since there’s no way in hell we’re gonna have the time to repost them ALL. Keep in mind that we, along with this search engine, will find both positive and (if any…hehe) negative reviews. We like to hear both sides, but at the same rate only want to print well-written reviews for the flick. More of this as November 12th approaches.
• Four Color Review have posted their review of DareDevil #8, the last in Kevin’s first series with the book.
• The Austin Chronicle’s Fall Preview calls Dogma “the most anticipated movie of the season”. You can read the full article HERE.

• The official “A Better Place” page has just added 6 new exclusive shots from the flick, as anticipation of the DVD release continues to build. Surf on over for full size shots of these and lots more.

• Dogma news continues to dominate News Askew today, as we’d expected it would this week with all the big announcements. I’m gearing up for my Toronto trip, really looking forward to not only catching the flick and the festivities, but just to a nice weekend in the city. It’ll be nice to get out of Pennsylvania for a couple of days. As for other stuff, we’re doing all NewsBites today, cuz most of it’s short and sweet. Don’t mistake that for unimportance, though — This stuff’s definitely worth a read. Be sure and surf Dogma Rumor Control’s press section for full versions of some of the articles mentioned below, as well.

• We’ve added a few mirrors to the list where the Entertainment Tonight Dogma footage can be found. Hits were still twice as high as usual yesterday and continuing into today, so the mirrors we’ve got are really helping. We should have enough to satisfy the demand now, so thanks to Pete, Mark, and Saidar for the latest mirrors. ALL the mirror links and a TON more Dogma related files can all be found on our ever-expanding Dogma: RC Downloads page.
• Affleck’s latest piece in Vanity Fair’s getting a lot of press. We don’t have a local copy of it yet, but there’s of course a Dogma plug in there, and Ben’s a cool guy, so we’ll definitely have the full text for ya as soon as we can get a hold of it.
• Many websites have been reporting the Dogma acquisition…Another Universe states, “The film should hit 1,500 screens in late October or early November. Trailers began running last weekend in front of American Pie.”. If that’s true, the film’s going to have a HUGE release, as we’d hoped…And there’s a tipoff for spotting the trailer. No idea if you can still FIND“American Pie” in theaters, but we have NO IDEA what flicks, if any, the Dogma trailer’s guaranteed to play with this weekend.We suggest calling your local theater and asking which flick(s) the Dogma trailer’s tied to this weekend. They’ll know.
• Catch another “Chasing Amy” screening…This one’s on Sunday night at 8:00 PM at Cal Arts in Valencia, CA, at the Bijou theatre.

• The New York Times ran a piece on people who collect rare toys and items just to re-auction them on web sites at higher prices…And the Jay figure made the cut! Check him out in the lower left-hand corner.
• We’d mentioned that Humble & Fred show appearance for Kev tomorrow…And we just wanted to let you know that was justtentative. An e-mail from the gang states they’re not sure if Kevin can make it in or not, but it’s possible. Just wantedto give ya the heads-up. The show airs early, between 5 am and 9:20 am, and is available online in Real audio, so getthose work PC’s with the headphones hooked up! You can access the feed HERE.
• The Hollywood Reporter states that Lions Gate may actually be looking for a buyer. As far as we know, THIS IS UNTRUE.The last we heard from Lions Gate was, as the quote at the end of this piece says, that all is financially well with the studio. We atleast wanted to print the story since a lot of you were writing in with your concerns about its relation to Dogma. All wecan say is not to worry, the flick WILL be out on time…Here’s the article that was run, though. Please take this with agrain of salt. If we hear there’s any truth to this, we’ll let ya know:

• Finally today, in an article about the Toronto Film Festival, by Roger Ebert:

• Well, we’re sure that 95% of you aren’t surprised, but it’s now OFFICIAL! Lions Gate has announced that they’ve acquired Dogma and will release the film. This is something we’ve been sort of sitting on, since the good folks at Lions Gate have been in direct contact with us for the past few weeks now as things have developed. At any rate, this is GREAT news for the film, and quite timely as well, with the flick making its North American debut this weekend in Toronto, as well as the trailer going nationwide this weekend.

We’ve got the full text of the press release directly ahead, or you can download the studio’s official copies of the thing in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

Congratulations to everyone involved, this is exciting news! We’re looking forward to what we hear is going to be an amazing release campaign from Lions Gate — Dogma’s on its way!

LIONS GATE ACQUIRES “DOGMA”

Kevin Smith Film Starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman and Chris Rockto be Released this Fall

SEPTEMBER 8, 1999, Toronto — Lions Gate Films has acquired North American rights to “Dogma,” the eagerly anticipated comic fantasy from acclaimed filmmaker Kevin Smith, it was announced today. The film, which stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, and Smith himself, will be released wide this fall.

“What else can I say except that I’m ecstatic,” said Kevin Smith, writer and director of ‘Dogma’. “The Lion’s Gate guys did top-notch work last year with ‘Gods and Monsters’ and ‘Affliction’, and I have every confidence that they’ll do the same if not better with ‘Dogma’. I give these guys props for standing behind our flick, and giving audiences a chance to see a pretty funny pro-faith film.”

“I’m thrilled that Lions Gate is handling the film,” said Harvey Weinstein, who along with his brother Bob, personally acquired the film from Miramax in April. “I know they will do a great job, and we are looking forward to a very successful release of the movie.”

“We are very excited to have acquired a film with so much potential to succeed on a big scale, both artistically and commercially,” said Lions Gate Films president Jeff Sackman. “We have been building our distribution company steadily with the precise goal of gaining an opportunity like this.”

Mark Urman and Tom Ortenberg, co-presidents of Lion’s Gate releasing, began pursuing “Dogma” after seeing the film at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The film, which was a hit at the French festival, will also play at the Toronto and New York Film festivals in the coming weeks.

Urman said, “‘Dogma’ is the ideal addition to our ever-evolving slate, and like all of our previous hits, it too is the work of a brilliant writer/director with a wholly original point of view.”

“We are extremely excited by ‘Dogma’s’ possibilities,” added Ortenberg. “Not only will it allow us to use our proven skills, it will also enable us to do things people haven’t seen us do before.”

In “Dogma” Affleck and Damon play fallen angels whose scheme to re-enter Paradise threatens to destroy the world. Standing in their way is a woman having a crisis of faith (Fiorentino), who is assisted by a winged messenger of God (Rickman), a hitherto unknown Thirteenth Apostle (Rock), a heavenly muse (Hayek) and two unlikely prophets, Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith).

A View Askew production, “Dogma” was produced and co-edited (with Smith) by his longtime partner, Scott Mosier. Laura Greenlee is co-producer, Robert Yeoman (”Drugstore Cowboy”) is director of photography, Robert Holtzman is the production designer and Abigail Murray is the costume designer. Special visual effects are by Station X Studios.

LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORP. (AMEX/TSE:LGF) develops, produces and distributes a targeted range of film and television content. Via four operating divisions-motion pictures, television, animation, and studio facilities-the distinctive Lions Gate brand is recognized as a symbol of quality entertainment throughout North America and around the world.

Lions Gate Films received two Academy Awards for its 1998 releases, “Gods and Monsters” (Best Adapted Screenplay, Bill Condon) and “Affliction” (Best Supporting Actor, James Coburn). Current and upcoming titles on Lion Gate’s release slate include Don McKellar’s award-winning apocalyptic romance, “Last Night,” Francis Veber’s Cesar-winning French comedy sensation, “The Dinner Game,” and Francois Girard’s “The Red Violin” starring Samuel L. Jackson. The company’s most recent acquisitions, Peter Greenaway’s “8 1/2 Women,” starring John Standing, Polly Walker, Amanda Plummer and Toni Collette, and Errol Morris’ “Mr. Death,” will have their North American premieres as Special Presentations at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival. Alison Maclean’s, “Jesus’ Son,” starring Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton, Holly Hunter, Dennis Hopper and Denis Leary, screened at the 1999 Telluride Film Festival and will screen at both the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival. The company recently wrapped production on Mary Harron’s “American Psycho” starring Christian Bale and will release the film on April 7, 2000.

We think that Lions Gate is a perfect choice for handling the flick, and couldn’t be happier. After all the controversy, it seems that things really did work out best for the film and everyone involved. What a long, strange trip it’s been…

• Vincent Pereira checked in with us during the wee hours of the night yesterday (the guy’s nocturnal, what can we say) with a great scoop — Hot off the drawing board, here’s the proposed concept for the BACK of the upcoming A BETTER PLACESpecial Edition DVD! Click the pic for a much larger, clearer version.

Along with that, here’s the latest on the disc’s production: Vincent has been spending almost all of his waking hours makingsure that this DVD is perfect. Because of all the extra care he’s putting into it, the possible release date has slipped alittle bit — They’re now looking at a Winter release date, but hopefully before Christmas, so it’s not much later thanexpected, anyway. And this is going to be worth the wait. Check this out: Vincent says:

Those of you saw what Vincent did when he helped in the production of the Mallrats disc, so you know that he’s going to doan amazing job with the release of his first film on DVD. Whatever the release date turns out to be, we’ll be anxiouslyawaiting the finished product.

• Garth Franklin over at Dark Horizons picked Dogma as one of his Top picks for the upcoming Fall movie season:

By the way, Garth’s in Australia, and we still haven’t heard about any Australian release date for the film yet. EntertainmentTonight DID air the Dogma footage on today’s edition in Australia, though, so that’s a good sign.

• Chalk up another newspaper for that Dogma must-see list, too: The Denver Post lists the flick in their 25 must-see movieslist for the fall (though we wonder how many movies are actually getting released in the fall–If we start seeing “The 100Top Movies To See This Fall” type articles, we’re getting skeptical).
• Remember the very cool Project Pocketwatch, which detailed a growing collection of original artwork based on Kevin’sSuperman Lives script and actor choices? Well, the FINAL SHOT of the project was posted today. Congrats to Pocketwatch ona job well done with all of this. We’re very impressed. It’d be a great time to surf over to the project site and downloadeach picture to save as a collection. We will.
• On their webpage, the German distribution company Kinowelt has announced that they’d like to distribute Dogma in Julyof 2000. No idea on how legit this is, but those of you in Germany can breathe a sigh of relief in the fact that it lookslike the flick is at least being pursued for a release, and not too far off, either!
• Dogma UK Release Info: Anyone else noticed that the 26th is a Sunday? Turns out Dogma may NOT hit theaters in the UKon that very day, but possibly the 24th, the Friday before. It’s a confusing time with the holidays and all, but Film Fourhas admitted that nothing was confirmed for either date, but they hoped it would be over the Festive period “some time, possibly before that”. More news as we hear it.