Back to the Well: Best Sequels of All-Time

It's back.

After two years of collecting dust, At The Movies is busting out of it's shell an is returning to give insight no one wants to hear. But hey, isn't that what all movie critics do.

But after all of my money dried up from my sports writing endeavor, I've decided to return to my first love: cinema.

Okay maybe the money hasn't dried up on the sports writing, in fact it's what inspired me to come back to At The Movies, my first adventure into the world of published writing. But there is an undeniable pull for me to return to it.

Plus it fits the theme of filmmaking. A tradition as old as the cinema itself, the sequel is a crutch almost all Hollywood producers rely on to continue to great story of the first film -- and to make a TON of money in the process.

Let's be blunt and call the kettle green: sequels are a cash grab. It's producers without the creative mind of storytellers king back to the well. But as many times as it has failed and as dreadful it is to hear a sequel to a great film is coming, there have been notable exceptions to the rule that all sequels are terrible.

Here are a few examples of filmmakers who have fallen on the sequel sword and out smarted creative suicide and actually reinvented the wheel.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

George Lucas was known for creating one of the best sequels of all-time when in 1980 he released the follow up to 1977's breakout hit Star Wars. The footnote (and irony) to this story is George Lucas is also one of the first filmmakers -- or at least one of the most notable ones -- to overdo the sequel (see the 1 sequel and three prequels to follow Empire).

But putting all of Lucas' future missteps out of mind for a moment, 1980's Empire Strikes Back is one of the best sequels to date and in the eyes of many Star Wars fans the best film of the saga.

Director Irvin Kershner was asked to step in and direct the picture after Lucas suffered health issues post Star Wars. Lucas was in charge of basically everything on the first film and it took it's toll on the young filmmaker. Lucas had final say on what happened within the film, but Kershner directed a script written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan (who would collaborate with Lucas three more times).

What resulted was a beautiful character film set with the backdrop of the Star Wars Universe. The film is one of the best Sci-Fi films ever made but it features little action outside of three major sequences. Apart from the Battle on Hoth, The Chase of the Millennium Falcon and the Lightsaber duel at the end of the film, the film centers around the characters and their emotions. There is Luke Skywalker, dealing with the weight of becoming the last hope for the Jedi. There is a love story between Han Solo, the renegade bad boy, and Princess Leia. Plus there is Darth Vader who unbeknownst to the audience upon first vexing is tasked with hunting down his son and either turning him to the Dark Side or killing him.

It's a deep film that far exceeds the first film and is still the best of the entire saga. It's a nearly flawless film and that's saying something considering sequels to action films are far from respectable.

Aliens

If The Empire Strikes Back was a surprise success, James Cameron's 186 sequel to the Ridley Scott helmed Alien was a step further.

The typical formula for a sequel is to have a first time which does great at the Box Office and then create a second film to try to double your money even when the first film wraps itself up. Aliens appeared to be that very thing. But James Cameron has made a career on visually satisfying films like Avatar and Titanic. Aliens was one of his first attempts to hone his craft and he did a damn fine job doing that.

The film takes place 57 years after the conclusion of the first film with Ellen Ripley in stasis. She is revived and questioned about why her crew is dead and just what exactly the Alien that attacked them all was. Ripley learns that the planet in which the Alien was discovered by her crew is now a space colony. When communication is lost with the colony a crew of marines, accompanied be a reluctant Ripley, investigate.

You can pretty much fill in what happens from there. But what didn't happen is what the film is largely remembered for. The film avoids falling into cliche and returning to the well and instead teas the events of the first film a step further and elaborate more on just what the hell this Alien is.

Of course there are multiple Aliens in this film hence the plural title.

It's a cleaver film that never gets stale and never really retreads on itself. Like Star Wars it was followed by two unnecessary sequels which goes to show even if you perfect the first film the second time around, the formula doesn't always work.

Plus it satisfied the producers initial drive of making more coin. Aliens outgrossed the original film $131 million to $104 million.

The Godfather Part II

This is the film that perfected the sequel. Anytime a film moves into sequel stage, the immediate comparison is to Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 masterpiece The Godfather Part II.

It goes against every grain of the sequel while still satisfying every stereotype. It was made to make more money. It was not necessary at all but some how it fit perfectly and seamlessly into the Godfather mythology.

Micheal Corleone is now the Godfather of the Corleone family and after the events that concluded the first film (Michael executing all the heads of the other five family's), he's moved his business out west to Las Vegas and to gambling. Micheal also heads to Cuba after a failed assassination attempt leaves him gunning for his life.

But the story has a subplot occurring at the same time, albeit almost 100 years prior, revolving around rise of Vitto Corleone, Micheal's father and predecessor as Godfather. This is where the film gets good and innovative.

It seamlessly shifts between the two stories, one in a modern America told in English, the other in a rising America told in Italian.

Another area where the film deviates from all other sequels is it was an award winner. It was the first time two different actors won the Academy Award for playing the same character (Marlon Brando won in 1972). I mean the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won six including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor. Robert DeNiro was virtually unknown at the time he won the award as he was three years away from mainstream success when he collaborated with Martin Scoresese in Taxi Driver.

The Godfather Part II set the bar for all sequels to follow it. It broke down stereotypes and built up brand new standards for what a tasteful sequel should include. Like all great films it was plagued by a sequel to the sequel (the much hated third film in a franchise) but even that broke standards by not only coming nearly 20 years after the second film but it too was nominated for Best Picture.

There's a reason The Godfather is regarded as the greatest films of all time but the biggest reason it's so well renowned is because of the sequel, The Godfather part II.

This Is The End: The Best Filom Endings Ever

So many things will be missed about writer's workshop as we come to the end. The blog will continue, but the class must stop. Things that will be missed are the incredible stories that were told. I had no clue there was so much talent in one school. Megan's smell in the morning will also be missed. Her tardiness not so much, but the scent of true talent will stick with me for a long time, if not forever. The end of writers workshop isn't fully here yet, so it si impossible to judge whether it will be entertaining or a let down. Someone once said they were 100% into something, then the end came and deflated all the hype. Well the following movies won't disappoint. Beware, there be spoilers ahead and thee have been warned. Arrgh. (Pirates Of The Caribbean will not be appearing on the list. Please excuse my childish pirates accent for it's the coffee I drank, not me)


Pulp Fiction

Vincent id dead! Wait, Vincent is alive? Quentin Tarantino showed his brilliance in 1994's Pulp Fiction when he killed the very likable Vincent Vega played by John Travolta. We are shocked by this, his death is so quick and the reasons for it are still debated today (Did Bruce Willis get scared by the pop tart popping out of the toaster? Or was it revenge for Vincent mouthing off to him earlier?) But in almost the very next scene, Vincent is alive again. It's Tarantino time bending at it's best. He kills your favorite character in the middle of the movie, but because the ending is really the beginning, he's alive. Brilliant writing.

Jaws

We don't see the shark for 2/3 of the movie. Then we see it, it eats every one's favorite sea scoundrel Quint, then gets blown up by Marty while he tries to stay afloat on the sinking ship. Steven Spielberg proved he knew how to make a suspense/action movie and deliver on the goods at the end.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The words will be remembered forever, synonymous with Star Wars. "No, I am your father." The biggest twist ending in cinema history occurred at the end of George Lucas' 1980 Sci-Fi classic The Empire Strikes back. It was such a secret that when it was filmed, they used different lines and re-dubbed the actual lines in post-production. The lines spoken live at the shoot were, "No, Obi-Wan killed your father." Even that would have been a massive twist (and not entirely a lie), which goes to show just how golden Star Wars really is.

The Godfather

The whole movie has been a slow, romanticized look at organized crime. But the end shows just how truly violent that world is. After gaining the throne to the Corleone family business, Michael (Al Pachino) now has a target on his back. The only way to stay alive? Shoot first. The scene will forever be classic. As Michael's sister's daughter is being baptized and as Michael stands by as her Godfather, the film cuts from the church to various family leaders being executed. Michael gets on top by literally killing the competition. Classic Godfather.

The Departed

I want to strongly advise that if you haven't seen The Departed STOP reading this right now and go see it. I am going to spoil the movie and it's one of those movies where the ending truly pays off.









The Departed had one of the best endings to a film I have ever seen in theatres. It had me up until the end and I literally jumped out of my seat and shouted "WHAT THE HELL!?" at the top[ of my lungs. Well i would have if a wasn't so paralyzed by what had happened. Leo DiCap is a Massachusetts State police officer who goes undercover into Frank Costello's gang to try and gather evidence to prosecute him and lock him up. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) recruits Matt Damon at a young age, takes him in and sends him to the Staties to be his rat on the inside. It's classic case of cat an mouse and mouse which ends with both Leo and Matt discovering each other's identity, but after Frank has been killed. Leo cuffs Matt, only to be shot in the head in the elevator by another man Frank had on the inside. Leo's buddy comes down in the next elevator and sees the carnage and is shot. Matt gets the cuffs off, takes the gun and shoots his buddy, thus tying up all loose ends that could point him out as a rat. I won't spoil the whole ending in case you haven't watched it but got curious and read ahead but it is by far the best ending I've seen in a long time.

Honorable Mention

Shutter Island
Reservoir Dogs
Training Day
Blade Runner
Layer Cake
Return Of The Jedi



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Going To Miss Me: The Best Road Movies of All-Time

Nothing is better than packing up, getting in the car and just driving. Well i suppose watching someone do it would be pretty fun too. Road trip movies are as present in film today as they ever were. But only a select few are worthy enough of multiple viewings, and the convented title of "Best Road Movies of All-Time"

Thelma & Louise

Directed by Tony Scott, this Tarantino-eqsue tale tells of Thelma and Louise (wouldn't have guessed if I hadn't told you) who are on the run from the law. They travel across the country and one point encounter a young Brad Pitt in one of his first memorable screen roles.

Dumb and Dumber

Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carey) come into possession of a briefcase that belongs to a woman Lloyd drove to the airport and fell in love with. They travel to what they believe is Aspen, Alaska (Which thanks to not learning the geography of the world till elementary school I thought was actually in Alaska until about 3rd grade). It turns out the briefcase has thousands of dollars in it and the hilarity ensues. The defining movie in both Daniels and Carey's careers.

Overnight Delivery

This indie dram-com from 1998 stars Paul Rudd as a college student who believes his girlfriend (Reese Witherspoon) has been unfaithful to him while away at college. So he goes out, gets drunk, takes a few pictures with some strippers and sends it to her. He wakes up the next morning and realizes his mistake and goes across the country chasing down the Fed Ex truck before it reaches it destination overnight. Not the best made of movies, and one can tell after watching it Kevin Smith wrote some of the dialogue, but it's still a nice guilty pleasure

National Lampoons Vacation

Probably THE road movie. This 1983 Chevy Chase vehicle went from a fun time at the movies, to a cinema classic. The Griswold's plan a vacation across the country to visit Wally World. Their adventure takes them to the ghettos of St. Louis to Kansas where Clark's (Chevy Chase) wife's brother Eddie lives, all the way to California. When they arrive at Wally World early, and after a celebratory run through the parking lot, they find out that Wally World is closed for two week due to maintenance. Clark buys a fake gun and forces the security guard (John Candy) to take them on all the rides. Every road trip movies looks first at National Lampoon's Vacation as the blueprint for the perfect road trip movie.

My Own Private Idaho

Not your typical road movie, but what Gus Van Sant film is a typical anything? The film follows the story of two friends, Mike (River Pheonix) as a gay street hustler in search of his mother and Scott (Keeanu Reeves) who is Mike's best friend and fellow hustler. Mike and Scott go on a journey to find Mike's mother in Italy. Scott is set to inherit his father's fortune but Mike has little to live for. He ends up finding out that the woman he is searching for left for the united States some time ago. Scott falls in love with a girl and leaves Mike to find his own way home. It's a truly depressing movie with a sad story and sad end. The bright side was that River Pheonix won multiple awards for his role and set up the foundations for a promising career. This story too, also had a sad ending.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

A far strecth from My Own Private Idaho, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back takes our two favorite heros across the country to stop the production of film based on the comic book characters Bluntman and Chronic, which were based off them. Lost yet? You have to be a hardcore Kevin Smith fan or a hardcore stoner to find this humour funny. Kevin Smith calls it his "$20 Million inside joke film" reference his past films and having the characters reappear. Ben Affleck appears as himself and Holden McNiel from Chasing Amy, Jason Lee appears as Banky Edwards from Chasing Amy AND Brodie Bruce from Mallrats. Brian O' Halloran and Jeff Anderson appear as Dautne Hicks and Randal Graves from Clerks and there is appearances from Chris Rock, George Carlin, Jamie Kennedy, Will Ferrel, Judd Nelson, James Vander Beek, Jason Biggs, and Mark Hamil in a role in which we finally get to hear Luke Skywalker swear. The film is exactly what it appears to be, a goofball comedy that is both entertaining, and a satirical comedy. It's not a classic, and the only awards it won were Razzies, but true Kevin Smith-ians will enjoy it.

Honoarable Mention

Borat: Cultural Learnings To Make Better Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Easy Rider
Tommy Boy
Road Trip
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Mad Max
No Country For Old Men

Photos Courtesy of:
www.imdb.com
www.bbcmedia.com

A Lesson in Morals: Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

The world had already turned in it's verdict on what they thought of Beavis and Butt-Head. Most enjoyed their adolescent charm and mischief, but others were offended. The consensus was positive enough for MTV to gree light a Beavis and Butt-Head movie. What was delivered was some of the most satisfying Beavis and Butt-Head moments ever drawn. But what message did it send?


In December of 1996, movie goers around the globe lined up to see their heroes in their big screen debut. Beavis and Butthead Do America follows the chuckling dynamic on a quest to find their stolen TV. What ensues is their mistaken identity as hitmen, unknowingly coming into possession of a biological weapon and becoming fugitives from the law. The F.B.I is chasing what they believe to be criminal terrorist masterminds across the country, for Beavis and Butt-Head's stupidity (like turning on switches inside the Hoover Dam trying to change the TV channel on the security monitors only to knock out the power creating a diversion) seem like devious plans. It all ends when Butt-Head catches the weapon as it is tossed in the air, thus becoming a hero. Beavis and Butt-Head display many themes which are actually the basis for good morals. They prove time and time again that friendship is stronger than anything that comes between it. They also never put anything above each other, including girls. The fact that they simply can't attract them is beside the point. It is never clear whether Beavis and Butt-Head are borthers, cousins, Friends or anything of the sort. They do encounter their fathers however, who are exact copies of them save for the fact they are forty years older, fat and bald. They still talk about 'scoring with chicks' and rock and roll music which conveys another theme, never get old. Yes these men are forty years old, fat and bald, but they're happy. They live how they want to live (ride motorcycles through the desert), do what they want to do (rodey for Motley Crue) and are perfectly happy with their lot in life.


Beavis and Butt-Head are the exact same way; they show you don't need a lot of money, a high class glossy job or even a fancy home (although they have concluded numerous times that this would definitely get them to 'score'). They show through their stupidity, through their laziness that in fact all you need a the will to do something and someone to be by your side. This is perhaps the most ironic part of Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, they teach us a lesson, whether it be always stay loyal to your close ones, never stop having fun or never leave your house because crazy stuff happens. The simple fact that these two characters can teach us something about ourselves is enough to make it an animated classic.

Photos Courtesy of:

www.mtv.com

British Cinema Classic: Hot Fuzz

After making a name for themselves with the 'Cool Britannia' TV show Spaced, and following the success of Shaun Of The Dead, Writer/Director crew Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and Nick Frost embarked on their next parody mission: the buddy cop genre. Fueled with cracking British wit and dynamite comedic dialogue, the three gave the world probably it's greatest creation to date: Hot Fuzz. Hot Fuzz is so much more than a comedic take on the cliched buddy cop genre. SO much more than it in fact not only becomes what it mocks, it becomes a classic example of it.


In 2006, Hot Fuzz was released to the world. Hoards of Spaced and Shaun of the Dead fans raced to the cinema's to catch the newest film from their favourite trio. But the film almost gets lost in the fan boy hype and passed along as another frat boy brand humor movie. The film follows Sergeant Nicholas Angel(Simon Pegg) who is so good at his job as a cop in London that the force, which he has made look bad by out doing them so enormously, votes to have him oved to a small village far from the city lights. The village is Sanford and it is the typical small village where veryone knows everyone and it is almost like the rest of the world doesn't exist. Angel soon fines that Sanford's crime rate has been at zero for going on ten years now and his skills are obsolete. He arrests, then unwillingly becomes the friend of the police chief's son, Danny Butterman, who idolizes Nicholas. Nicholas soon finds that Danny's perception of what a cop does has been molded by cop films such as Point Break and Bad Boys II. When members of the community begin to be murdered and the people of the village pass it off as accidents, Nicholas and Danny dig for the truth. What they discover is the village's most influential people are members of a cult like neighborhood watch squad who 'take care' of outsiders who threaten their way of life, or as they put it "the grater good".


Hot Fuzz works, much like the film Scream, on numerous levels. It's first level is to simply take it as a buddy cop movie and then dismiss it. This is foolish for the film offers so much more. The next level is the film homages. Hundreds of cop films are referenced or parodied in Hot Fuzz from obscure French films such as 'The Bitch' to more modern Hollywood films like Bad Boys II (which Danny asks Nicholas a number of times if he's seen), Die Hard and Point Break. The next level is the acting. Most parody films feature over the top, hammed up acting merely for laughs. Hot Fuzz makes it audience roll on the floor with it's sharp dialogue and witty deliveries. Simon Pegg plays Nicholas Angel as the straight man all the way through, never having his character come to the realization that he is no longer in London and instead in a small village some hundreds of miles away. Even the bumbling character of Danny isn't played over the top, but rather innocently. Timothy Dalton also appears, returning to form playing the sinister ring leader, the owner of the village's Wal Mart-esuqe supermarket.


Never once does Hot Fuzz go over the edge or try to be a slapstick movie. Even the editing gives it a gritty, serious feeling. This is clearly the niche that Pegg, Wright and Frost have carved out for themselves as Spaced and Shaun of the Dead are made in identical fashion. The film is so revered that even Quentin Tarantino did an audio commentary track on the films Blu Ray release. The film was obviously made by three guys that love each other and what they do. It's not often that an action movie comes out of Britain that is this good and this universal. Not since the glory days of Guy Ritchie has British cinema been this good. Hot Fuzz is without a doubt a British Cinema Classic.

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www.ign.com

Classic '99: Office Space

Mike Judge will forever be known for his creation of adolescent slackers Beavis and Butt-Head, but what comes to mind immediately after the mention of Beavis and Butt-Head, is Office Space. Although it bombed at the box office,and was initially dubbed a massive failure, Office Space has become a cult classic and still resonates in today's society.


Inspired by his Milton animated skits written for Saturday Night Live in the early 90's, it tells the tale of work-place angst and shows us the true meaning of relaxation. Released in February of 1999, Mike Judge's second feature film follows Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) who is seeking a way to escape his mundane existence where his wife is cheating on him, he hates his job, and generally hates life. But when he is in a couple's hypno-thereapy session, Peter gets hypnotized. Before the therapist can snap Peter out of it, he dies leaving Peter in a state of pure nirvana. Peter is reborn, living life the way he wants; not going to work when he doesn't feel like it, going fishing, and just relaxing. Even amid millennium layoffs at his company, Peter lives how he wants to. The ironic bit is his work improves with this new style and he goes as far as getting promoted. His promotion comes at the expense of the firing of his friends Samir, who is enraged by his treatment at work and the constant mispronunciation of his name ("it sounds exactly how it looks, Nagheenanajar") and Micheal Bolton, his want to be gangster-despite-the-fact-he's-a-software-code-ecryptor friend who is enraged by the fact everyone who comes by points out his name is the exact name of jazz musician Michael Bolton ("the name was fine until the assbag came along and ruined it."). They conjure a plan to steal fractions of pennies from the company's bank transactions, only to find the next day Micheal missed a decimal and they have instead stolen over $300,000.


The brilliance in Office Space is it's a true escapist film. Everyone can relate to Office Space wheter they think so or not. Be it school, an office of anything in life, there are times you just want to get away. Peter lives out this fantasy, but Mike Judge shows us consequence. This makes Office Space a classic. It takes us on this dream fantasy where we don't show up work when we don't want, bit still get promoted. The entire third act of the film is the ripple effect of consequences by Peter care free attitude and now his friends are suffering consequence too. Peter loses his friends, his new girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston) and is burdened with the stress of thinking he has to now go to prison. It all turns out fine in the end when Peter returns the $300,000 check and a confession note exempting Samir and Micheal and taking full blame. The building is burned down overnight by another disgruntled employee (the memorable Milton) because "They took my stapler." Office Space's story is backed by great casting in Ron Livingston (Who went on to star in Band Of Brothers), Jennifer Aniston (who was already an established star due to Friends), David Herman (who joined MadTV) and of course Stephen Root (of King of The Hill and Dodgeball fame) as Milton and Gary Cole (Very Brady Movie and Talledaga Nights) as the classic Bill Lumburgh with the now infamous line "Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and have to ask you to come in on Saturday." Office Space has had new life on home video, selling over 4 million copies and attracting millions of viewers to it's TV showings. Filled with classic moments, from Peter forgetting the cover on his TPS Reports and being told six times he forgot by six diffrent people, to the destruction of the "PC Load Letter" copy machine in the middle of a field set to Geto Boys, Office Space is truly a classic and was on of the first films to kick off a great year in Cinema.

Classic '99: Dogma

Kevin Smith and the 90's go together as good as peanut butter and chocolate. At the start of the decade, he was just an overweight college dropout from Highlands, New Jersey who liked obscene jokes and comic books. By the end of the decade he was one of the top Independent filmmakers of the 20th Century. He blasted onto the scene with 1994's cult classic Clerks, followed it up with another Indie cult film Mallrats and then introduced us to one of the best films of the 90's Chasing Amy. Smith was finally back on top, the question was will his next film be a success, or another flop? His answer was Dogma, his comedicly apocalyptic take on Catholicism.


The film follows two former angels exiled to Wisconsin, Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki(Matt Damon), who find a loophole which would allow them back into Heaven. Unbeknownst to them (and herself) a Anomaly is on Earth who has the power to stop them. Her name is Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), who is a divorced woman working at an Abortion Clinic in Illinois. An angel visits her and tells her of her destiny and that she will soon come into contact with two Prophets, one of who doesn't talk, and the other who "never shuts up". She is saved from a mugging by Jay and Silent Bob and discovers they are the prophets to which she replies, "You gotta be kidding me". She is also aided by the "13th Apostle" named Rufus(Chris Rock) who claims he was left out of The Bible because he was black. Her final aid is Serendipity (Selma Hayek) who they find at a strip club. Their journey takes them back to New Jersey where Bartleby and Loki are attempting to enter a Church promising the forgiveness of all sins upon entry. Since God had banished the two, them getting back in would prove God wrong thus ending all existence.


The film was viciously attacked upon (and even long before) its theatrical release by many church groups. They claimed the film was a vile, vulgar attack on religion and the Catholic Church. The film was never meant as a serious biography of religion, after all the tag line to the movie was "This Fall, Get Touched By an Angel". Kevin Smith and producer Scott Mosier received mountains of hate mail, even receiving death threats to which Smith, a lifelong Catholic, responded as saying it "wasn't very Christian." Upon watching the film though, one can see how this is quite the opposite of what was perceived. The film actually encourages faith and religious values. I learned more about religion from watching Dogma then I ever did in Sunday school. The fact that five very different characters, different genders, colors, size and creed, can come together to save the world is actually very enlightening. The film shows that you don't have to be a devout Catholic or Christian or Hindu or Buddhist to be loved by your god. Jay vulgarly curses throughout the entire film, yet is saved at the end. Bethany has lost her faith at the movies start, citing she needs actual physical proof of a god to believe, and is actually a descendant of Christ. Dogma questions religion, then gives the best 'proof' it can. At one point Rufus says "Religion isn't perfect. Look at the Bible, we only see the good stuff. Jesus is 18, then all of a sudden he's 33. What happened in between then? It didn't fit with what they were teaching. No one has the whole picture, so there will always be doubt." A common theme in the movie was having your faith cup refilled every so often. Dogma is, like it characters, an uncanny film that actually encourages faith, rather than attack it. It just does via vulgar sex and fart jokes.

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