Customer Reviews

Dogma: A Screenplay

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I'm in the precarious situation of not having seen the film but having read the screenplay about four times through already. So treat this as a pure book review.

Kevin Smith's writing is entertaining, often very clean (only seldom lapsing into the hyper-verbose ball and chain that many screenwriters like Shane Black fall victim to). Dogma may be one of the few screenplays which a non-film person will be able to read just as a dramatic work. The dialogue sometimes gets to be as dense as in a novel, which leads me to wonder how much of the script ended up on the cutting room floor, but the concepts are intriguing and the characters highly charged. Unfortunately the last portion of the plot is incredibly dense and hard to follow. But as befits a Kevin Smith film/screenplay, once you buy into his sense of humour, Dogma is very entertaining indeed, without the cranial deficiency that so many indie screenplays suffer from.

This is some of Smith's best work. If you like smart, intelligent films (as opposed to jim carrey saying "Allll-righty then" 50 times in one movie), then this is for you! Proposing interesting points about Lewis Carol and the validation of religion through his writings. As well as controversial issues towards the Bible (claiming Moses was a drunk, Jesus could hear Joseph & Mary having sex, the existence of a 13th apostle, and a BLACK Jesus). Don't buy this book if you don't have a sense of humor towards religion! Otherwise, you'll laugh your butt off! I can't wait for the movie to be released in late 1999!

This screenplay is the best that I have ever read. Kevin Smith does a masterful job of weaving religous fact and fiction into a story that's both funny and thought provoking. It is my opinion that "Dogma" is Kevin Smith's best work yet. The dialogue is great, and even though a lot of the more dense stuff ended up on the cutting room floor, it still didn't clutter up the screenplay at all. I wish that they would have kept Jay and Silent Bob singing the theme from "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" in though. Oh well, maybe in the special edition DVD. This is a great read for Kevin Smith fans, aspiring screenwriters, or just fans of movies in general. Hats off to Kevin Smith for writing one of the great screenplays of all time.

... you'll like the screenplay. If you haven't seen the movie, you'll probably still really like the book.

For fans of dogma, the best part of this book is the little bits of dialogue that were cut from the movie, but are still in the screenplay. I've found that this actually makes the movie just a bit better, as it allows you to get just a bit more insight into the characters and plot. It's also nice to be able to catch the couple of bits of dialogue that you may not have been able to catch 100% of in the movie.

If you haven't seen the movie, watch it as soon as you finish the book. But on the plus side, the book is a laugh out loud funny read, with a great plot, characters you actually care about, and a message worth thinking about.

The only thing better than the script was the casting. It still can't hold up against Raisin Arizona but what can? This comedy is also a thinker and gets into religion which smart authors avoid. But Smith can pull it off with his "don't take everything so seriously" attitude. The dialogue is witty and rapid fire. It sells itself, hence the reason this tubby lunch box was able to recruit such an all star cast. So all of that being said, what the hell was Jay and Silent Bob strike back? The only analogy I can come up with is Caddyshack and Caddyshack 2. I hope he has more movies focusing on storyline rather than characters in the future. The guy is obviously very talented to go from a clerk at Blockbuster 10 yrs ago to starring with Hollywoods elite. It's good to see someone make it on creativity and determination.

At the moment, "Dogma" happens to be my favorite Kevin Smith movie. It's got comedy, action, adventure, and it even makes you think at times too. Is it controversial? Yes, but I think mainly because it is so misunderstood and that too many people take the movie way too seriously. I think Smith said it best when he said that it is ridiculous to get so heated over a movie with a rubber poop-monster in it. Nonetheless, I think it's a brilliant movie with a very smart and creative script.

Which is why I was happy to get my hands on "Dogma: a Screenplay." Now, you can relive the movie over and over again without being anywhere near a DVD or VHS player! "Dogma: a Screenplay" is 149 pages of hilarity and more.

The story is primarily about two banished angels who find a loophole on how to get back to Heaven. Only problem is that if they do this, they will prove that God was wrong and that everything that exists will come undone. Now, it is up to an abortion clinic counselor who is low on faith and her band of "unlikely heroes" to stop them before they undo history and destroy the universe.

Kevin Smith is dead-on when it comes to dialogue structure, and you can tell that's what he does best. He gives his characters life and authenticity, and gives you a reason to either care for or despise them. Smith allows the story to unfold through his characters with ease and comfort. As soon as you read the first few sentences, you're hooked. You'll want to keep reading until it's done... and then you'll want to read it again!

"Dogma" is indeed my favorite Kevin Smith flick at the moment. I think it has all of the right ingredients and doesn't miss any opportunities to entertain and amaze us. Will the film (script) upset people. Yes, most likely. Especially those who are religiously sensitive. Then again, think back to what Kevin Smith said about how pointless it is to allow a movie to get you so upset (especially one with a friggen' rubber poop-monster!). I recommend "Dogma: a Screenplay" to anybody who is a fan of Smith's, or who just loves a great script with outstanding dialogue and characters.

This is quite possibly the best screenplay written. Kevin Smith explores so many themes and ideas it is hard for the regular person to comprehend. I have read the screenplay at least four times and have seen the movie over a million. It is a great read and is recommended to everyone.

I found this book to be extremely entertaining. I found a script of it floating around on the Internet, and being a HUGE Kevin Smith fan, I couldn't stop reading. I give this my highest recommendation. I'd refer it to anyone. If you want to know where to get a copy of the script, you can email me at barnes_098@yahoo.com.

I found a copy of this over the internet and thought it was Kevin Smith's best writing ever! More Jay and Silent Bob, More laughs, and hey Ben Affleck and Matt Damon play two renegade angels-Can you get any better then that! Buy the Book and See The Movie!

As it is described, "Dogma is a comedic update to the world's bestselling book, the Bible!" It's an amazing story, and the aforementioned script is wonderful, because it is well paced, interesting, and funny.In the story, two renegrade angels (Matt & Ben) are banished by God (ALANIS!) to Wisconsin. They find a loophole that would erase their sins and get them back into Heaven. HOWEVER, that would cause the end of existance! So, Metatron (Alan Rickman) contacts the last Scion Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) and with help of the 13th apostle Rufus (Chris Rock) and the Muse Serendipity (Salma Hayek) they must stop these angels (and Jay and Silent Bob are there to help, of course!) The story is hilarious and the movie which will come out in the fall will be superb. Alanis is shooting in Pittsburg as God, and Kevin and everyone loves her!