Kevin Smith wrote the screenplay for Dogma before his 1994 DIY hit Clerks came out, but it took several more movies and a stint in the Hollywood meat grinder before he felt ready to make the film. At the time of Clerks , Smith was an unknown from the New Jersey suburbs who had shot a feature with his friends for practically nothing; five years later, he was an industry veteran with the scars to prove it. He had undergone the humiliation of rewriting aborted superhero flicks for Hollywood producers who sought to capitalize on his unique voice. He’d directed his ill-fated (but low-key wonderful) comedy Mallrats and the widely acclaimed Chasing Amy . He’d also been an executive producer on Good Will Hunting , which won Oscars for his pals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, both of whom h

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