Marty (Greg Vorob) and Doug (Dan Conrad) are tired of the same old religions that try to convince weak-minded individuals that there is an afterlife or some other, abstract reason for their existence, or that exploits its members. So, they quickly come to terms with the idea of creating their own religion that does, well, something very similar. As the two friends begin to develop this new-fangled religion, the process proves to be a bit more trying than they had expected, but the journey is full of life and comedy. This is the process by which Marty and Doug’s New Religion is born.
It appears that the purpose of Marty and Doug’s New Religion is to poke fun at current religions and to expose the issues that are present within them. Now, I’m not a genius, but I’d imagine that the very concept of this series--considering the fact that a vindictive Jesus (Ian Campbell Dunn) exists throughout its course--will aggravate and anger a lot of people. I’m not one of those people, as I often feel that very few things are off limits and that the purpose of cinema, whether you agree with it or not, acts as a way to express to the world the beliefs of many. Marty and Doug’s New Religion intends to blow the roof off of current religions (*cough cough* Christianity), and if you’re easily offended, I’d encourage you to avoid this short series.
With all of that being said, and the obvious parties being warned of potentially being offended, there is a unique approach toward satire present throughout Marty and Doug’s New Religion that make the series entertaining. Much of the humor present in the usual satire is somewhat subtle, causing viewers to read between the veritable lines. Marty and Doug’s New Religion, however, pulls no punches and comes right out and says how all involved feel about religion.
Part of being open and honest regarding their opinions is being a bit over the top with the acting. Everything in Marty and Doug’s New Religion is exaggerated, and honestly, I think the series is better off as a result. I enjoyed cringing at some of the ridiculous jokes or the constant digs at Christianity (because even I know, having gone to Catholic school for years and having a decent grasp on the practice that there are glaring flaws in said religion). The comedy, regardless of how ridiculous, lands on its feet, and that comes primarily as a result of Vorob and Conrad. Their collective ability to create comedy out of thin air presents viewers with no choice but to appreciate the dialogue and the less-than-subtle comedy. Every once in a while you come across a duo that feels less like co-workers with chemistry and more like friends. While I can’t speak to the construct of Conrad and Vorob’s relationship outside of cinema, they are an example of a team that works so well together that it seems unlikely that they aren’t friends outside of filming. They understand one another and are able to build off of the other’s sentiments, and even their flaws (though there certainly aren’t many).
For a low-budget short series, the quality is as would be expected. Marty and Doug’s New Religion won’t blow anyone’s mind cinematically, but these shortcomings certainly don’t ruin the series. I’m impressed by the amount of content the writers, Vorob, Conrad, and Marc Seidenstein, are able to fit into less than an hour, and their points are easily understood and cohesive. Sure, there’s some additional work that could have been done during production, but the overall product is something quite entertaining.
Directed by Dan Kowalski.
Written by Dan Conrad, Marc Seidenstein, and Greg Vorob.
Starring Greg Vorob, Dan Conrad, Ian Campbell Dunn, Lisa Peart, Felix Gardon, Molly Montgomery, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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