THE BUZZ.

Byline: - Daily News Wire Services

Pragmatic about `Dogma': Miramax honchos Harvey and Bob Weinstein don't seem to be having much trouble finding a distributor for ``Dogma.'' The duo bought the controversial religious satire from Miramax parent Disney so the studio could duck fire from the Catholic League. The comedy had a midnight screening last week at the Cannes Film Festival. Ten minutes after the closing credits, execs from MGM/UA, Lions Gate and Artisan started negotiations to pick up the flick. Two more studio heads have asked for screenings this week.

Saving Chatty Cathy: Oh, that naughty Steven Spielberg. The director, who brought you those raw depictions of carnage in ``Saving Private Ryan,'' used to terrorize his sister by cutting the heads off her dolls and serving them for dinner.

Spielberg's mom, Leah Adler, told ``CNN NewsStand: People Profiles'' on Tuesday night: ``In an array of sliced tomatoes (Spielberg would announce), here's ... Chatty Cathy!'' Maybe the young tyke was working out some of the anger he had toward his grandfather. ``I was ashamed of my grandfather calling me by my Hebrew name, Shmuel, which is not the most romantic of Hebrew names,'' the movie mogul says. ``Moses, I would have preferred.''

`Animal' attraction: Willem Dafoe is in negotiations to star in ``Animal Factory,'' the second feature to be directed by actor-director Steve Buscemi. Dafoe would star as a veteran convict who shows a prison newcomer the ropes.

``Animal Factory,'' to be produced by Elie Samaha's Franchise Pictures, is based on a novel by Edward Bunker, an ex-con whose books have served as the basis for such well-known features as ``Straight Time'' and ``Runaway Train.''

The film, in which Buscemi may take a small role, will shoot in August in either Canada or Philadelphia.

The story, which Bunker also scripted, shows how a young man, sent to prison in an unjustly harsh sentence, can become the product of that rough environment. It also deals with his relationship with an older con, who teaches him how to survive.

Steiger joins `Producer': Veteran actor Rod Steiger has joined the cast of ``The Last Producer,'' starring and directed by Burt Reynolds.

Other cast members of the low-budget indie flick include Benjamin Bratt, Robert Costanzo, Lauren Holly, Charles Durning and Ann-Margret.

As the title implies, the film is about a Tinseltown producer (Reynolds) in the midst of his celluloid swan song. Steiger portrays a cop who helps Reynolds bring the project to the big screen.