Dogma: Special Edition DVD Review

Title: Dogma: Special Edition

Region: One

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy

Stars: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Janeane Garofalo, George Carlin, Alanis Morissette, Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, and Kevin Smith

Writer: Kevin Smith

Director: Kevin Smith

Feature length: 128 minutes

Extras: Audio Commentary Track With The Cast And Crew, Bonus! Follow The Buddy Christ Feature, Technical Commentary With The Director And Crew, Three Storyboard Scenes, 100 Minutes Of Deleted Scenes With View Askew Crew Intros, Web Link, Cast And Crew Outtakes, Jay And Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, Talent Files, Theatrical Trailer

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English, French, and Spanish Dolby Surround 2.0

Subtitles: English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Subtitles

Packaging: Double Alpha Keep Case Within A Cardboard Slipcase

Chapter Stops: 28

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound And Stereo Surround Sound

Year of Theatrical Release: 1999/DVD Release: 2001

Theatrical Distributor: Lions Gate Films

Home Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: R

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

Every few years a film comes out that people begin to freak out about because it offends their personal convictions and later when the film is released to home video if not sooner, people take a look at what they thought or feared was some unbearable act of sacrilege only to realize (hopefully) that it is no big deal at all. "Dogma" was the latest film to earn the fire of protest only to reveal itself as a satire on religion. The film was to be Writer/Director Kevin Smith's second film after "Clerks," but he chose to wait on it because he did not feel he had matured enough as a filmmaker at that time to bring his vision in a way that would bring more dignity to the material. The idea to wait was wise because in this general theatrical form, "Dogma" is one of Mr. Smith's best films since "Clerks," which for me is still my favorite of all of his efforts.

That is not to say the film does not have any flaws. It has a lot of excessive moments and a cast almost too big for its own good, but since this is an edited down theatrical version from Kevin Smith's original longer cut, it is difficult to judge with any degree of certainty what might have been had a longer version of the film been presented. This might be Kevin Smith's "Brazil" for lack of a better comparison in that the script is definitely clever and witty, the performances fit the material, and the ambition behind the making of the film was to create something that no one had ever made before. The movie is a lot like a graphic novel being bought to life on film.

The story is pretty simple; two fallen angels discover a loophole to get back into Heaven that will have cataclysmic consequences on existence, as we know it unless a motley group made up of mortal and other earthly people stop them. The film features solid performances from Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon as well as the big screen return of Jay and Silent Bob with Jason Mewes having some of the best dialogue in the feature. There are also a ton of supporting and cameo roles from Alan Rickman, Salma Hayek, and Jason Lee among many others. Overall "Dogma" is not Smith's best film, but it is a good Kevin Smith film and fans of his productions will probably enjoy this latest feature the most.

Columbia TriStar is releasing a two-disc special edition of "Dogma" featuring a fantastic anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 transfer. The transfer is excellent with no grain, compression artifacts, and color bleeding. The colors are vibrant and blacks are deep. The DVD features an equally great English Dolby Digital 5.1 Soundtrack that manages to capture all of the various effects without overcastting the dialogue and score. English, French, and Spanish Dolby Surround 2.0 Soundtrack options are also included along with English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Subtitle options.

There are two Audio Commentary Tracks featured on the first disc as well. One offers a feature entitled “Follow The Buddy Christ” in which one can view two small pictures within the main picture styled videotaped segments from the commentary track as it was being recorded during certain sequences in the film. The commentary track can also be listened to without having this feature enabled. Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Jay Mewes, and other members of the View Askew Crew participate. The commentary is mix of anecdotes with many portions bleeped out for reasons not officially stated and the track is scene specific at times as well. A second audio commentary featuring Kevin Smith and Crew Members from the production covers the technical aspects of achieving the effects seen in the film on the limited budget and how certain scenes were achieved and why certain scenes ultimately did not work out as planned and were scrapped.

The menus on disc one and two are made up to mimic the bizarre product placement posters and objects seen in the background throughout the film. The scene selection menus feature full motion images from the film and there is a feature entitled “Ms. Harriet Wise – My Opinion” that pokes fun at the extreme religious right reaction to the film and the character pops up frequently in the transitions with remarks with various objections to the films and warnings. There is a joke in which you also have a choice to watch the film on one side of the “Buddy Christ” or not to watch it in which case you will be given various instructions for your penance. The surfaces of the two discs and the insert also feature artwork in the same style as the interactive menus.

The second DVD features 16 deleted scenes that total to approximately 100 minutes of film footage. Each scene is introduced by Kevin Smith with others at times and the scenes are presented in a videotaped (2.35:1) aspect ratio so the picture quality is not the same as the feature film cut. Many of these extended sequences are quite funny and I wish they were reedited back into the film or that viewers were given a choice of seeing a longer version or the theatrical cut using the seamless branching capabilities that DVD Videos and their players can and have performed on such titles as Artisan’s “T2: Ultimate Edition” or Fox’s “The Abyss: Special Edition.” Fans will still be happy to see these scenes since some have never before been screened since early film festival showings.

There are 13 minutes of outtakes as well that have a better picture quality than the deleted scenes and are also presented in a (2.35:1) aspect ratio. There are 3 storyboard segments as well and a full framed (1.33:1) theatrical trailer. The feature entitled “Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash Spot” is a shameless videotaped commercial for Smith’s New Jersey comic book shop and there is a web link to the View Askew website as well. The talent files are divided into characters who portray Saints or Sinners, but the navigation is a bit cumbersome since the default setting upon clicking a choice brings you to a selection that if you’re not careful may skip past one’s biographical and film credit information that the viewer could be reading. The shit monster from the film appears in the transitions between the menu choices on the second disc.

An insert with an essay by Kevin Smith is included within the DVD keep case and the artwork outside the keep case, but beneath the plastic is made to give the illusion of a holy book. The case comes within a cardboard slipcase with nicely rendered graphic novel styled artwork.

"Dogma: Special Edition" will debut on June 26, 2001 on DVD from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and while it took more than a year to finally become available, the final product was definitely worth the wait and is a must purchase for Kevin Smith fans.

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