Posted by Toe at zeta-699.fuse.net on November 14, 1999 at 02:32:54:
Went to see Dogma tonight as a moral imperative as an atheist not to let right-wing factions do much damage (ok, it was spite. AND interest. And NOT Matt and Ben) For my first Smith film, I cannot begin to say how absolutely overwhelmingly FANTASTIC it was. I feel almost. . . respectful toward that old bugaboo religion, and the emotional impact of its larger human issues will be with me for a long time. This is a movie I would and WILL recommend to EVERYONE.
As for the reactions....went by myself after work (10:10 show in Cincinnati (yup, the Mapplethorpe town)suburb) and felt at the decrepit old age of 35 to stick out like a sore thumb. However theatre was PACKED at prob 90% capacity. Even before trailers I almost couldn't find a seat. Demos mostly male, under 25 or so (?.. I'm too old to tell anymore, LOL!). Maybe a third seemed to get all the self-referential bits so maybe most were there for the same reason as I. Most amazing thing...as the disclaimer came onscreen there was DEAD silence as eveyone read. Not a whisper, not a crunch, and then chuckles in complete unison at the poor stupid playtpus.
I'd REALLY like to see this build, like to see all the detractors hog-tied to watch it and THEN start bitching if they even still could. If nothing I've ever seen can make me feel this way about religion Kevin, this is overall the clearly most POSITIVE movie about GOD I've ever seen, although I can see where the Caths would take minor issue with their beliefs versus larger ideas that don't necessitate conformation to artificial bureaucratic...um....dogma. But doesn't faith boil down to ideas and not beliefs anyway?
Hoping tonight's crowd is firm barometer and HOLDS long enough to swing your way. Prove em all wrong, Kevin!