Search - Dogma [Special Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Adult Humor, Profanity Movie Release: 1999 DVD Release: 06/26/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 8 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 6 Genres: Comedy, Road Movie, Satire, Religious Comedy See Also: Dogma [Widescreen/Fullscreen], Dogma [Fullscreen], Dogma [Blu-ray], Dogma [UMD for PSP]

Would you believe that the last living descendent of Jesus Christ is a woman working at an abortion clinic in Illinois? And that she's been sent on a holy mission with two minor characters from Clerks and Mallrats as her guides? Prepare to suspend any and all disbelief as you watch the religious satire Dogma, the fourth film from writer/director Kevin Smith. Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) has been disappointed in life and has found her faith severely tested after her husband leaves her when she discovers she cannot have children. So Bethany is all the more puzzled when she's approached by Metatron (Alan Rickman), a grumpy angel. Metatron wants her to help him stop Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon), two fallen angels who were ejected from paradise, have escaped from exile and are heading to New Jersey. If they are able to pass through the arc of a certain church, it will prove God is fallible and the world will come to a swift end. Bethany has no idea what to do or why she's been given this project, but she heads out anyway, with her assigned assistants Jay (Jason Mewes), an appallingly rude former dope dealer and self-styled ladies man, and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). Along the way, Bethany picks up more helpers, including a celestial muse named Serendipity (Salma Hayek) and Rufus (Chris Rock), who claims to have been the 13th apostle and that Jesus owes him 12 dollars. Boasting a huge supporting cast -- including George Carlin, Jason Lee, Janeane Garofalo, Bud Cort, and Alanis Morissette (as God) -- Dogma proved to be highly controversial even before its release. Miramax Pictures, owned by Disney, financed the film, but several weeks before Dogma's world premier at the Cannes Film Festival, they announced they would not release the picture and intended to sell it to another distributor (which would turn out to be Lions Gate Films). Director Smith, however, has always contended that Dogma is a film about the importance of faith, if not organized religion. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ben Affleck - Bartleby
George Carlin - Cardinal Glick
Matt Damon - Loki
Linda Fiorentino - Bethany
Salma Hayek - Serendipity
Jason Lee - Azrael
Jason Mewes - Jay
Alan Rickman - Metatron
Chris Rock - Rufus

Previously released on DVD as a no-frills disc, Columbia TriStar Home Video has thankfully re-released Kevin Smith's controversial satirical religious fantasy, Dogma, as a two-disc special edition. The DVD is thoroughly excellent and a prime example of what the format is really capable of. Disc one contains the digitally mastered film in its original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 (Smith's first film in scope), anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs. The picture is superb and seems identical to the transfer on the no-frills release. The film, which has been given an expansive 5.1 Dolby Digital boost, also seems identical to the previous disc's audio. The film's audio is also available in English, French, and Spanish two-channel Dolby Surround. The audio and visual quality of this disc is worth the price alone, but fortunately there is a lot more included, namely two commentary tracks. The first track is the more breezy, loose, and damn well funny, with Smith and stars Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, producer Scott Mosier, and View Askew partner-in-crime Vincent Pereira all delivering the goods. The track is hilarious, though it is also filled with some interesting production anecdotes and more. The track is also equipped with a great little addition called "Follow the Buddy Christ." By clicking on the said option in the "Special Features" menu, a blinking image of Buddy Christ will occasionally appear in the lower right corner of the screen. Hit enter on your remote control and two small screens will appear at the bottom of the screen showing Smith and crew relentlessly chain-smoking while recording the commentary track. A fun little option. The disc's second commentary track includes Smith, Mosier, and Pereira giving a more production-detailed history of the trouble-plagued shoot, sans the Buddy option. Though it lacks the former track's anarchic feel, the second one is even better, as it chronicles the frustration of making the ambitious, yet still low-budget film. It must also be noted that, though both tracks are filled with sometimes brutally frank comments, some of the names have been bleeped to protect the not-so-innocent. But for all of disc one's digital treats, the real fun kicks in with disc two. Containing a plethora of visual goodies, including 100 minutes of deleted footage (the quality of which has been intentionally downgraded) with intros by Smith and Pereira, cast and crew outtakes and bloopers, storyboards to three major scenes, talent files, theatrical trailer, and a link to the View Askew website, the extras easily make this a must-have disc. The DVD also contains some rather funny animated menus and even better hidden extras. By going to the last page in the "Scene Selections" on disc one, viewers can hit the number 3 key on their remote controls twice and get a little surprise; on disc two, they can go to the last page in "Deleted Scenes" and press the number 2 and 4 keys on the remote; another little surprise awaits. ~ Derek Hill, All Movie Guide