Dogma - Carlinism

“You people don’t celebrate your faith; you mourn it” – Salma Hayek as Serendipity (Dogma)

The movie Dogma (written and directed by Kevin Smith) was released on November 12, 1999. This film follows two fallen angels on their journey as they try to get back into heaven through a loophole in Catholic Dogma, after they had been cast out by God. Because all earthly existence is based on the fact that God is infallible, for them to re-enter heaven would prove God wrong “thus negating all existence”. (Metatron, Dogma) The voice of God charges a woman (the last scion) and two prophets with the task of stopping them. Dogma, according to Kevin Smith, was “aimed at open-minded Catholics, using two gun-toting, sinner slaying angels to satirize zealots who see violence as a path to heaven”. (View askew)

Dogma was the center of controversy since before its release. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights were disgusted with the manuscript and promptly convinced Miramax Films (subsidiary of Disney) to drop it. Though originally set for release in November of 1998, the film was pushed back when they realized the insurmountable controversy surrounding it. (View Askew) There were organized protests in many countries that also contributed to the delay in the release of the movie as well as death threats against Kevin Smith and the other people involved. (View Askew). Prior to the release of the movie the Catholic League also compiled and distributed an “anti-dogma” booklet which contained quotes from Kevin Smith and the film itself. (Sacre Bleu)

The protests and death threats continued full force after the film was released. Kevin Smith decided it would be fun to join in! He and his friend Bryan Johnson participated in a protest at a theatre in New Jersey. Smith’s sign read “DOGMA IS DOGSHIT”. A news crew showed up to film the chaos. There they filmed an interview with Smith who refused to give his real name. (Wikipedia)

The film received over 300,000 pieces of hate mail. (Wikipedia)

George Carlin appeared in the film as Cardinal Glick. This character is the founder of the “Catholicism WOW” movement which is the whole reason the fallen angels may have a chance to get back into heaven.

   “His whole world view as it were inspires this movie, and I thought it was important to have Carlin involved because
   he’s one of the bastard fathers of the whole thing. He really dug on the idea of playing a Cardinal. He knew that it
   wasn’t just a joke and he wanted to show what’s at the heart of Glick – who is a salesman but is also totally sincere.
   George turned out to be one of the most professional performers I’ve ever worked with giving 150% all the way”
   – Kevin Smith (View Askew)

"You are the producer of Dogma right? Well, you need to stop it. Do not sell it or show it. Fire the actors, burn the scenery and scripts. Let the footage already made, everything, be destroyed. If you have already sold it, take it back. Use the force of a legal lawsuit if neccessary. Please. It is a horrible, evil, blasphemous movie against our Holy Mother Mary. End it now - you are making a very powerful someone very very VERY VERY very angry. That someone is God - I urge you to destroy the movie 'Dogma'. Please do this... your souls depend on it.

May God have sweet mercy toward you -
Mt. Pleasant, SC"


   Taken directly from Kevin Smith's website:
     http://www.viewaskew.com/dogma/hate/sept23nf.html

   For more hate letters visit: http://www.viewaskew.com/dogma/hate/oct21.html

Carlinism

Dogma: The Film

The Story...

The Hate Mail