Dogma trailer

Dogma (1999)

I really, really, really wanted to watch "Dogma" in my room last night. Except that the TV that was given to me doesn't work at all. After hours of frustration and exhaustion I gave up.

That seems to be the running inspiration for my blogs. If I can't watch it, I think about it, I write about it to console myself.

Kevin Smith is one of my favorite idols. I absolutely adore him. I know I already mentioned him in my "Clerks" post but I'll mention again.

I don't think there is Kevin Smith movie I don't like. Well I know I hate "Cop Out" but I'm gonna ignore that.

I have to say that I know zilch about religious stories. I watched this movie about 5 to 6 times before I even thought to ask the relevance of these characters. For my own intents and purposes they were just funny magical beings. I know alot of controversy surrounded this movie when it came out from all the religious folks out there. Sigh. My stance is that if you believe strongly in your religion then no one can take that away from you. Alot of movies grossly exaggerate or misinterpret Buddhist ideals but I don't rush out and condemn those people. I just shrug and walk away.

Key word there: walk away.

In "Dogma", two earthbound angels (played by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) have plans use a loophole to get back into heaven. This would destroy the basic foundation of the world. Pretty much if God decrees something, it is done. It cannot be undone. Sounds like a physics problems waiting to disproved.

The solution is to enlist the help of the Scion. Which I believe is a blood relation of Jesus or something. The scion is Bethany who is aided by Metaron, another angel, played by Alan Rickman (Snape to the rescue!!!). They pick up more allies in the way including the awesome duo of Jay and Silent Bob.

The cast. The cast is a wonderful group of comedic glory. Alan Rickman was great as Metaron with his dry humor. There was also Selma Hayek as Serendipity. I think her role as the oracle. My favorite scene with her was when she's helping them all figure out how to destroy the demon. Oh! And Jason Lee as Azreal was just so cute! That was probably not meant to be funny but whatever.

My ultimate favorite cast member is the ever great George Carlin as Cardinal Glick. If you are familiar with George Carlin in anyway, then you should already be smiling.

I also love, LOVE who plays God.....which I will leave as a surprise. Hee, I am evil.

This may be lame but I was a tiny, tiny, tiny bit scared when I first watched it. There were some suspenseful and scary scenes. For the most part, the movie is full of comedy and fun. It's just a great silly movie.

"Dogma" was also my first Kevin Smith movie that I watched all the way through. I didn't watch "Clerks" until a few years later. So when I watched "Dogma" I was not familiar with Smith or his style at all. I was floored by the jokes and dry humor. I was also very attracted to turning an idea upside down and just twisting it about. I just love twisted things in general.

Alot of people are quick to say this movie is juvenile and the humor is vulgar. And it is. What I take away from this movie is the power of belief. The Scion is successful when she rediscovers her faith in God. I don't see how this is a negative image.

Which is something alot of people seem to overlook. There are alot of philosophical debates sprinkled through out the movie but they're no different from the ones that I have with me friends.

I have rewatched this movie countless of times. I enjoy it all the way through. It not only cheers me up but leaves me with a lighter step.

Is this a movie that will have me analyzing points of religion? No.
Will this movie be applauded for addressing religious debates in a respectable manner? HELL, no.
Will you come away with having your religious foundation crumbled? No. And if you, then they weren't that strong in the first place. I would recommend a priest/rabbi/monk/ furry animal

What is the point of this movie? For me, I love creative twistings of stories. I love epic retellings. I love the idea that there is a chance that I may be the only mortal person to save the world.

Ultimately, because I just love Kevin Smith movies. I can't explain it what that means. Just watch one. He has plenty of different varieties to choose from.

Advice: Don't take it too seriously. Enjoy!

Return to Oz -trailer-

Return to Oz (1985)

How can I forget one of my favorite Disney movies of all time?!??! what? What?

Most people have no idea that Dorothy returns to Oz. Many, many times. I believe there are about 30 or 40 books in the series. Only the first fifteen were written by the original author L. Frank Baum.

I LOVED this series when I was young, I believe elementary school age. I hadn't grasped the notion of chronological order so the sequence was off from what I remember. It didn't really matter. The stories were awesome. Just like the "Neverending story" book, these stories were dark. Very dark. And damn do I love my dark stories.

I haven't read the series since but I do remember the plot from the movie were similar to the novel. I have no idea from which one and which order but it doesn't really matter.

In "Return to Oz", Dorothy is having difficulty coming to grasps on reality and the world of Oz (wouldn't you, too?). She begins to have nightmares and becomes withdrawn. Her concerned aunt and uncle enroll her in a psychiatric program that touts a surefire method to cure Dorothy of her problems. It's a mental hospital during the early 19th century. It's shock therapy.

Luckily Dorothy is helped by a fellow patient and runs away during fiery rainstorm. At one point she falls into a raging river. She manages to climb about a wooden crate and falls asleep with exhaustion.

She wakes up washed upon a shore and a talking chicken. As she ventures deeper into land, Dorothy realizes that she has just came from Oz. But Oz has changed dramatically since she last left it.

While Dorothy has been gone, the Gnome King has found her slippers. The King has then used the power to destroy the land. For some reason I can't remember, the scarecrow has also been kidnapped.

Along her journey, she is allied with a creature with a pumpkin for a head, the lion, the scarecrow, a mechanical being named Tik-Tok. And a bed that an fly with a magical moose head.

Oh yeah, this Disney movie is warped, dark, twisted, and weird. My favorite kind of movie.

I haven't seen in a long time since my VHS copy was ruined. I remember being frightened at some parts, excited during the action sequences, and just in general awe.

Fairuza Balk played the role of Dorothy. That is too weird! Balk was later known to play one of the teen witched in " The Craft".I guess she kept the dark roles going.

I'm pleased to see that the costume design for the tin man and the lion were more close to the novel than the "Wizard of Oz". "Wizard of Oz" had some beautiful scenary and a talented cast but it did stray way off the descriptions from the book. As much as I loved hearing Judy Garland's voice, trying to believe that she was a young girl of about 12-14 years of age was a bit of a stretch.


It was weird that Disney made this movie. Disney made alot of dark movies during the seventies and the eighties. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was in '85. I think "Escape from Witch Mountain" was in '70 something. Gimme more darkness Disney!!!!

I still love this movie and it's on the top for my DVD wish list. It's a completely different style from "Wizard of Oz" done in 1939. "Return to OZ" isn't cut, shiny, or full of songs. It's gritty, dark, and full of adventure. I love both movies for their own reasons. I wish Disney continued to make more but I bet people were just turned off by the difference in style and not understanding that it was a series.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

I'm in a horror-rific mood. And I'm scared of the dark but damn am I drawn to the scary. Walking contradiction.

I was loading books onto my new bookcase (hooray!) when I came across my signed copy of a book by Ray Bradbury. I met the great author along with Forest Ackerman during an instore signing at the Mystery and Imagination bookstore in Glendale (great bookstore!) .It was also very significant since it was Ackerman's birthday and he was presented with a cake. At the time, I only knew of both legends in name but nothing else.

I learned that both men are gigantic geeks. As Ackerman and Bradbury reminisce about their childhood, you can easily imagine them as young boys playing around with monsters and toys. Both men loved their monsters and enjoyed creating horror even more. Ackerman helped create the Monsters magazine and opened up his home to the public to view his horror and sci-fi collection ( I believe it was called "The Ackermansion").


Ray Bradbury is a gifted storyteller of science fiction and horror. At the signing, I could just tell that the man loved to tell stories. When I'm down and low about my own writing skills, I remember the joy in his face as he recalled stories and just tap into my own love. Very inspirational man.

Bradbury has a looooong list of works but one that has stood out for me was "Something Wicked This Way Comes". As always, I read the book before watching the movie. This is one of the few times where both the book AND the movie were amazing and scary.

It is a story of two young boys as different as night and day but still have a strong friendship. They live in a small town that is suddenly treated to an arrival of a traveling circus. The boys are naturally curious and set about poking their noses around. This isn't a normal circus. The ringleader has ulterior motives than simple entertainment.

Circus. Already you know that something bad is gonna happen. In cinema, the common formula is circus= weird, unexplainable shit is gonna happen. When a circus called "Pandemonium Circus" led by the ringleader named "Mr. Dark" come rolling around, they're not going to hand you a shiny balloon with a smile. They're baaaaaaad.

It seems like a simple story of two boys getting in trouble with the circus. Boys will be boys. But there are layer upon layer of horror. Horror of humanity and desire. The chasm between youth and elder communication. The true core of friendship and love. Ultimately it is a story between the forces of Light and Dark.

When I read the book I was hooked. The movie had me clutching my blanket. Just like "Cat People", the horror is subtle with a precised focus. The atmosphere is heavy with ill intentions and the people exude barely disguised contempt and loathing for the townspeople.

The ringleader just scared the crap out of me. He has the ability to tattoo images at will upon his body. During one scene, he speaking to the father of one of the boys and shows him an image of his son. Then the ringleader slowly closes his fist and blood begins to ooze. Geez that was freaking scary!

Plus, I think it's so bad ass that the father, a librarian, is the defender of all that is good. Go librarians!!!

While I was watching the movie, I couldn't but wonder if R.L. Stine gleaned some ideas for his stories from the movie. Stine's "Goosebumps" were similar but Bradybury was way superior in execution and content.

These kind of horror stories are the ones that I love to watch. The ones that slowly grasp your ideas of safety and twist it away. Until your blithering and quivering mess of snot and tears. Then when the horror safely passes, then you can get up and rebuild your defenses.

Hopefully it'll be stronger.

Movie Trailer - 1983 - Something Wicked This Way Comes

Showgirls - Trailer