Praise be.
Kevin Smith’s “Dogma” is headed back into theaters this summer.
Smith is partnering with Iconic Events for a nationwide screening of a 4K restoration of his long-unavailable religious satire on June 5, as part of its 25th anniversary. Dubbed “”Dogma: Resurrected, A 25th Anniversary Celebration,” the screening will serve as the culmination of a live tour that will see Smith stopping in various cities, screening the film and hosting live Q&As. The tour begins at The Grove in Los Angeles on Easter Sunday, April 20. (As the press release pointed out – yes, this is also 4/20.)
Other stops on the tour include San Diego, Phoenix, Seattle, Minneapolos, Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Boston, New York City and Philadelphia, before wrapping up at Smith’s own movie theater – Smodcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.
“Bless me, Father — for I have cinema! God bless Iconic Events for granting my fourth (and perhaps best) film a religious re-release! Praise the Lord and pass the popcorn for the second coming of ‘Dogma!’” Smith said in a statement.
“’Dogma’ holds a special place in my heart and I’m thrilled that fans will once again get to see it the way it was meant to be experienced — on the big screen,” Mark Rupp, CFO/COO and co-founder of Iconic Events Releasing, said.
If you’ve never seen “Dogma,” which is fair considering it has been fairly hard to see in recent years, it follows a pair of murderous fallen angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon), who discover a way to get back into heaven — but in doing so they threaten all life on Earth. The movie has a ridiculously wonderful cast, which also includes Linda Fiorentino, Jason Lee, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock and, of course, Jason Mewes and Smith as Jay and Silent Bob.
When the movie was first released, it was denounced as blasphemous by the Catholic League, with organized protests popping up wherever it played. Still, it was a sleeper hit, making $43.9 million on a budget of only $10 million and earning some solid reviews, including one from Roger Ebert, who gave it three-and-a-half stars out of four.
For more information, visit www.DogmaMovie.com; tickets for a screening near you are available here.
