With 'Dogma's' re-release, director Kevin Smith's prayers for his cult classic have been answered

For much than a 4th century, manager Kevin Smith has tried to resurrect “Dogma,” his spiritual satire astir 2 fallen angels looking to get backmost into heaven. Recently, his prayers for the 1999 drama were yet answered.

On Thursday, the movie got a theatrical re-release crossed 1,500 AMC Theatres screens successful grant of its 25th anniversary. Technically, the milestone was past year. But the 2nd coming of a movie that brought america 1 of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s champion on-screen collaborations and an A-list comedic ensemble — including George Carlin, Chris Rock, Janeane Garofalo and Alan Rickman — not to notation the meme-worthy, winking “Buddy Christ,” warrants a long-awaited hallelujah.

“It’s got a bully bequest to it,” Smith said of the film. “It’s go the ‘umbrella film’ for me. The umbrella movie is the movie that nary substance what you do, adjacent if you marque s— that radical don’t like, they won’t crucify you — pun intended — due to the fact that you made a movie that they like.”

“To me, it plays similar a kid truly trying to observe his religion aft having grown up successful a religion wherever each Sunday, everyone seemed to beryllium mourning it. ... It’s a emotion missive to spirituality,” Kevin Smith said astir “Dogma.”

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Though the sparkling play of Smith’s vocation is mostly defined by 1994’s “Clerks” and 1997’s “Chasing Amy,” his 4th film, “Dogma,” steeped successful irreverence and hilarity centered astir his erstwhile Catholic faith, is inactive considered 1 of his classics. The movie debuted astatine Cannes successful 1999. He returned to the renowned movie festival past month, erstwhile the drama played successful the Cannes Classics section, conscionable days earlier sitting down with The Times connected camera to sermon “Dogma’s” whirlwind re-release. In the interview, the director, writer and histrion recounts however the movie was saved by filmmaker and histrion Alessandra Williams, who raised wealth to bargain the movie from Miramax earlier this year, decades aft it was acquired and shelved by disgraced shaper Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein sold Smith’s film, on with a trove of others, to Williams to assistance wage for his ineligible defense, Smith said.

In collaboration with Iconic Events, the movie has since been remastered successful 4K for its screening circuit and is being shown successful prime AMC theaters. Smith is well-seasoned erstwhile it comes to touring his aged films, pairing the screenings with Q&As and stand-up performances passim the unrecorded presentations. It took small clip for him to publication a sold-out, 20-city circuit aimed astatine getting fans fired up to travel spot “Dogma” erstwhile again nether overmuch antithetic (and safer) circumstances.

“Even with getting radical alert of the movie this clip around, it’s not arsenic fraught with peril arsenic it was backmost successful the day,” Smith said, referring to the decease threats, protests and 400,000 pieces of hatred message helium said the movie garnered from Christian extremists who denounced what they believed to beryllium the film’s mockery of their faith.

“You Jews amended instrumentality that wealth you stole from america and commencement investing successful flak jackets,” Smith said portion closing his eyes and reciting 1 of the letters from memory. “We’re coming due to the fact that we’re coming successful determination with shotguns. Signed, Your Brothers successful Christ.”

Though the contention of the movie has decidedly waned, the inspiration down the movie remains steadfast, Smith said. “To me, it plays similar a kid truly trying to observe his religion aft having grown up successful a religion wherever each Sunday, everyone seemed to beryllium mourning it. So I deliberation [people hopefully spot it] for what it is. It’s a emotion missive to spirituality.”