‘Dogma’ Looking for Public’s Blessing

There have been death threats against the director, Kevin Smith; hundreds of protesters showed up outside Lincoln Center in New York at an early screening; and New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani--when not busy lambasting the Brooklyn Museum of Art--has repudiated the film. This is the week that “Dogma” finally arrives in theaters across America, leaving it for the public to decide if the film is simply comic entertainment or out-and-out Catholic bashing. Catholic League spokesman Patrick Scully said that while the league, the nation’s largest Catholic religious and civil rights group, won’t be sponsoring any protests outside theaters once the film opens Friday, it will continue to keep up the pressure on Hollywood to stop portraying Catholicism in what it sees as a negative light. The film stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as two fallen angels who are trying to get back into paradise and Linda Fiorentino as a mortal doing her best to stop them. The movie makes references to such things as the crucifix being too somber, and a cardinal is portrayed as a buffoonish character hoping to market Jesus as a friendlier, hipper figure to appeal to young people. The Catholic League has shipped petitions with 300,000 signatures to Disney Chairman Michael Eisner, demanding that his company sever all ties to Miramax Films, which had originally purchased the film (Miramax is owned by Disney). Disney rejected such a move, but, responding to the pressure, Miramax chiefs Harvey and Bob Weinstein put up $14 million of their own money and bought back the film from Disney. So instead of Miramax, Lion’s Gate, which has released such smaller, independent films as “Gods and Monsters,” “Affliction” and “Red Violin,” will be distributing “Dogma” on about 1,200 screens nationwide. Lion’s Gate said it doesn’t foresee any trouble when the film debuts.

A ‘Grace’ Note From Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds, who would remind you that when she was making movies, the man and the woman had to have separate beds, guest stars again this week on the NBC sitcom “Will & Grace,” reprising her role as Grace’s (Debra Messing) meddling, free-speaking mother. When we last saw Bobbie Adler, she was trying to marry up the show’s two main characters, failing to comprehend that her daughter is heterosexual but Will (Eric McCormack), her roommate, is gay. In Tuesday’s episode, airing at 9 p.m., Reynolds’ newly enlightened character tries to line up a handsome man for Will. At 67, Reynolds admits that the evolving content standards of network television--which have been challenged this season by a woman-to-woman kiss on Fox’s “Ally McBeal” and the use of a four-letter word on CBS’ “Chicago Hope”--leave her a bit disturbed. “Do I think it’s gone a bit too far? I think it has,” says Reynolds, who has been spending most of her time on the road lately, touring a one-woman variety show. Even “Will & Grace”? “Fortunately, it is funny, and it has its younger audience,” she says. “It’s not my audience, but then I don’t think most shows are for my generation. We don’t even get half of it.”

Rage Ready to Do ‘Battle’ With Santana

Will Santana’s “Supernatural” lose some of its magic this week? The veteran rock band has already logged a surprising three weeks at No. 1 on the nation’s album charts with a CD that pairs Carlos Santana and his band with younger performers (including Lauryn Hill, Everlast and Dave Matthews) to appeal to new fans. And in the case of “Smooth,” with Matchbox 20 singer Rob Thomas, the approach delivered a big-time hit song. That song is still doing well on the radio, but that won’t be enough to retain the No. 1 slot when the new SoundScan sales totals arrive Wednesday. That’s because Rage Against the Machine appears poised to storm the charts with its long-awaited album, “The Battle of Los Angeles,” according to leading retailers. “Rage is doing great . . . in three days, we sold more copies than we expected to sell the entire first week,” says Gary Arnold, a vice president of the Best Buy chain. Arnold estimates that Rage will sell more than 400,000 copies nationally during the first week--which would more than double the best week’s tally posted by “Supernatural.” “But it’s been a real thrill to see how well Santana has been doing, and he continues to do very well,” Arnold said. “This has been a huge achievement.”

--Compiled by Times Staff Writers