Kevin Smith is the king of the nerdy indie movie. From Clerks to the recently released The 4:30 Movie, his signature blend of lo-fi filmmaking and irreverent humor has lasted for 30 years, but not all of his works are equally well-known. Jay and Silent Bob may be movie icons, but one of Smith’s best movies has been left in obscurity. Now, 25 years later, that could all change, and a piece of lost media could have the theatrical and home release it so rightly deserves.
While appearing on That Hashtag Show, Smith spoke out about his underrated cult classic Dogma, the 1999 movie he made starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as two fallen angels trying to utilize a loophole to get back into heaven — even though it could potentially destroy all of creation.
For years, Dogma has been practically impossible to watch. The rights to the film were personally owned by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who showed zero interest in releasing it in any format, be it a special Blu-ray set or on Netflix. But recently, that changed.
“The movie has been bought away from the guy that had it for years and whatnot,” Smith said. “The company that bought it, we met with them a couple months ago. They were like, ‘Would you be interested in re-releasing it and touring it like you did with your movies?’ I said ‘100%, are you kidding me? Touring a movie that I know people like, and it’s sentimental and nostalgic? We’ll clean up.’”
So not only would Dogma be available to watch again at home, but Smith would tour it to theaters across the country, giving fans an opportunity to see the movie with the director who made it a quarter-century ago. However, it may not happen right on the anniversary. Re-releases, and especially tours, take time to plan.
“Right now, 2024 is our 25th anniversary this year,” he said. “November is when we came out. I think 2025 it looks like is when the movement is going to happen there. Back on home video, then back out in theaters, and I’ll tour it.”
Dogma is a controversial film, depicting god as a woman — and not just any woman but [spoiler alert!] Alanis Morrissette. Religious groups denounced the movie, and it’s now seen as a subversive work of satire that has only become more well-regarded now that it’s impossible to stream, not even as a digital purchase.
But this movie wasn’t ripped from streaming because of its content but because of rights issues. That scarcity is what put it in such high demand ahead of its re-release. To quote God herself — isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?
