A Cool, Dry Place (Drama, color, PG-13, 1:37)

By Lael Loewenstein

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) – The story of a single father coming to terms with his responsibilities, “A Cool, Dry Place” is the kind of plodding, conventional fare usually reserved for TV movies.

Only the marquee status of lead Vince Vaughn would seem to justify the film’s limited theatrical release, but an utter lack of publicity and fanfare from Fox 2000 points to a short, forgettable run, with video prospects a more bankable probability.

Vaughn plays Russ Durrell, a lawyer trying to raise his 5-year-old son following the unexpected departure of his wife, Kate (Monica Potter).

Eighteen months into his single-parent stint, Russ is finally learning to juggle son Calvin (Bobby Moat), his law work and his high school basketball coaching. He’s also beginning to appreciate the subtle charms of rural Kansas, for which he forsook a demanding Chicago job when Kate left.

At last ready to rejoin the social arena, Russ meets the comely young veterinarian’s assistant Beth (Joey Lauren Adams), who takes an instant liking to Calvin.

But just when Russ and Beth get comfortable, the estranged wife appears, as suddenly as she left. Although her feelings for Russ are unclear, Kate has definite plans to reassert her presence in Calvin’s life.

Russ, for his part, is torn between his enduring feelings for his son’s mother and his affection for Beth.

When a lucrative job in Dallas emerges, Russ senses the career he temporarily sacrificed for Calvin is about to get back on track.

Here, Jean Lepine’s lensing none too subtly plays up the distinctions between small-town Kansas (actually rural Ontario, Canada) and slick, steely Dallas. Whereas the sprawling, amber-lit wheat fields of bucolic Kansas look positively inviting, the Dallas sequences feel angular, cramped and harshly lit.

Helmer John N. Smith (”Dangerous Minds”) has a straightforward, if not particularly inspired, approach to the material and the actors.

Vaughn does what he can with the part, but his unimpassioned demeanor obscures the vulnerability that would have made Russ a more empathetic character.

One craves the tenderness of Tom Hanks’ widower dad in “Sleepless in Seattle” or the sentimental journey of Dustin Hoffman’s divorced father in “Kramer vs. Kramer,” but Vaughn’s Russ doesn’t feel as lived-in as those memorable performances.

And given Vaughn’s recent turn as Norman Bates, two scenes — one in a shower, another at a motel — are unintentionally funny.

Supporting thesps Potter and Adams play their underwritten roles as sympathetically as Matthew McDuffie’s script will allow. Music by Curt Sobel is unobtrusive and, like the rest of the film, not especially memorable.

200 Cigarettes takes place on New Year’s eve of 1981, but don’t expect a comedy that spoofs the 80s a la “The Wedding Singer.” Instead, the movie is an esemble piece that follows a bunch of people looking for a good time in New York City. It has a great soundtrack and some rather funny scenes. Casey Affleck plays a punk rocker with a shy, sensitive side while brother Ben(and Askew regular) is the funniest character in the film. Take one part Shannen Hamilton and 1/4 Holden (think the “she loves me” scene in Amy) and the rest is Ben himself and you get a very funny bartender. As for the rest of the cast, some interesting performances by Christina Ricci and Gabby Hoffman as cheesy Long Island chicks, as well as a comedic turn by Courtney Love. So, it’s only been a month since the last new years but this movie brings back the memories, for better of for worse.

Entertainment Weekly’s giving the film lots of buzz, mainly because of the hot young ensemble cast featured in the flick, containing the Affleck brothers, of course (which is why we brought it up in the first place!).

Just wanted to drop you a line, as I just came back from the new Secret Stash (which I am lucky enough to say is two blocks from my apartment). It was their first day open, and when I got there I was greeted by both Mewes and Flanagan, Jay and Fanboy themselves. I went back to my apartment and brought back my Jay doll, which Jason gladly signed for me (a real class guy). The store looks FANTASTIC! For anyone who’s ever been in the old Stash, it was a hole in the wall compared to this place. Alot of time was obviously spent in creating this new View Askew mecca, and it should do very well there. There’s tons of comic books and VA stuff for sale of course, and I even saw a few things behind protective glass and covered in sheets. I tried to bribe Walt for a peek, but he held his ground. (Kevin trains his VA army well.) There is at least one prop from Dogma visible on the wall. It’s a prop from Mooby’s, which i recall is a fictitious fast food place in Dogma. That’s about all I caught on my first pass through, but believe me, I’ll be back there again soon. I hope this news whets your appetites.

A brief bit of DOGMA

I know that the most loyal Smith fans are probably aware of this, but alot of “just interested types will find this news worthy. Sooooo bear with us if you get Kevin’s news letters, etc… remember not everyone does….

DOGMA’s post-production is “intense” to meet the deadline for the Cannes Film Festival in May. After that, Miramax should release it to us non-French washfolk in the Fall of 1999 (remember Miramax’s schedule for “Pulp Fiction”–exactly the same.) Hopefully “Dogma” will make some sort of impact at Cannes and take the five month publicity build-up to insure a box office success.

At the same time, Kevin Smith mentions that the budget for “Dogma” is less than “Mallrats” but more than his other two flicks.

No doubt the most intense part of this is Howard Shore’s scoring of the picture…As Kevin says, the pic has a TON of cues and it’s gonna take some tight work to get all of it in place in time. No word on the digital effects for the film, but plenty of time’s gone by since the workprint was edited together, so we hope that enough time has passed to get that stuff pretty much taken care of. We’ll keep ya posted.

“Though she negotiated hard for balance in her life, Morissette does not duck career challenges. Her global tour continues through 1999. She’s open to outside projects like Uninvited, the grammy-nominated tune she contributed to the hot City of Angels soundtrack. Her role as God in Kevin Smith’s upcoming Dogma sparked a desire to act and direct. Also on the drawing board: a quasi-autobiography, a novel, a screenplay, painting, traveling and having babies.”

Said dude is Howard Shore, the man who scored (amongst other things) ‘Silence of the Lambs’ and ‘Nobody’s Fool’, and who was the musical director on ‘SNL’ for the first five years (even created the theme). We’ve had a spotting session already, and Howard’s starting his process. I’ve got all the faith in the world in him (I was a big fan of the ‘Nobody’s Fool’ score).

Definitely sounds like a win to us! As for some more info on the film’s old “temp” track:

There were cues from anything and everything: ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘Nixon’, ‘The People vs. Larry Flynt’, etc. Song-wise, we’ve got some old 50’s/60’s era standards (‘Magic Moments’ leaps to mind, as does ‘Never on a Sunday’). Mosier was the music man this time out (you can thank him for the Ween), and I thought he did a stellar job for the temp.

The temp track was definitely a hoot. We also noticed a few 80’s classics, some Batman & other Elfman-like music, and even a temp scene from “Event Horizon” stuck in there. The temp stuff was so good, it almost felt like the finished film when we watched it. Must have been a lot of fun laying it all down.

You’re all a bunch of fucking whiners.

Just kidding.

Anyhoo, here’s the info on the event, as we’ve all come to know it. It IS going to be the VR Tour thing (or as someone suggested ages ago, the ‘Tour de Farce’). Everything will be as explained in the last posting on the matter. All that’s left to impart are two important dates to circle on the ol’calendar.

Ready?

The event will be held on Saturday, March 6th (that’s the first Saturday in March). Come to Red Bank, stay as long as you’d like, but know that the tour and the Stash time total to about four hours (unless you hang out and wait for all the tours to be done; then you can come back into the Stash). The cost is the aforementioned $30.00, which’ll include the tour (which goes to more than just Quick Stop, and’ll be hosted by the likes of me, O’Halloran, or Mewes), hang-time in the Stash as it won’t be seen for months, and a shirt to commemorate the day (which, if I’m feeling really saucy, will bear b.buster’s quote about paying $30.00 bucks to see a convenience store on the back; let it never be said that I don’t give back to the fans… even the closeted ones). Inside the Stash, the stuff you’ll see and the people you’ll meet will be…

Well, I ain’t spilling it here. Show up and find out. I’ll say only that you won’t be disappointed.

Now, the other important date: Thursday, February 4th.

That’s the day after tomorrow. It’s when we’ll take the orders. The phones open at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are limited to two per order. Credit card payments only. Be prepared to hear a busy signal all day. We’ll go until all the tix are sold. When you get through, you’ll be given a confirmation number, and told what time your tour is scheduled to depart (and remember – you have to take the tour BEFORE you can get into the Stash that day).

That’s all folks. Feels like it’s going to be fun. Hope you all agree.

And for the record, on the subject of my ego…

It’s actually very, very small (ego mirrors dick-size, I’m told, not stomach-size). Saying that I don’t want to hear any whining about this event had little to do with ego, and a lot to do with how short life is. I can take a shot. Hell, I can take a lot of shots (my hide isn’t made out of toilet paper). I just didn’t feel like reading boo-hoo-ing about this event, after going over all the scenarios,and concluding that this one was the most orderly and manageable.

So for the Hawks and Crakeheads of the world who contribute snarky asides about a ‘new board’ and ‘EGO’, let’s not confuse the issue. This is a freespeech board (unless you get on here and resort to adolescent name-calling and sniping). Well-thought-out and insightful criticism is usually welcome. But when it’s aimed at something I’m trying to do for you, it’s bothersome. I won’t claim absolute altruism in regards to said event (that would mean fronting the bill for the shindig myself), but I will say that there are about twenty six other things I could be doing with the Saturday that’d pay better, and accomplish a lot more for myself than putting aside a day for what I think is a pretty nifty meet-and-greet. Give a little credit where it’s due, for Heaven’s sake. I don’t ask for much, but I will ask to be thought of as more than just a pirate who sits around dreaming of humiliating shit to put the fan-base through. I think I’ve proved on numerous occasions that I’m all about the fans. But shit, aren’t we allowed to have a little fun together sometimes, without some negative nancies crowingabout how lousy a guy I am?

Just looking for an ounce of consideration and respect here. I extend it to all of you; I’d hope you’d return it in kind.

*phew!*

My vent concluded, I’d urge ya’ll who’ll call to give your dialing fingers a good night’s rest on Wednesday eve. They’re going to need it for Thursday morn.

Best o’ luck, and God save you.

We hope to be on hand to meet and greet some or all of you at the event…Sounds like it’s gonna be a blast – Look forward to seeing those of you that are lucky enough to get tickets there! Anyway, dial fast, and good luck. Hopefully this site helped get you a jump on things.