Matinee (1993)

A small-time film promoter releases a kitschy horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Director:

Joe Dante

Writers:

Jerico Stone (story) (as Jerico), Charles S. Haas (story) (as Charlie Haas)

Stars:

John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Goodman	...	Lawrence Woolsey
Cathy Moriarty	...	Ruth Corday / Carole
Simon Fenton	...	Gene Loomis
Omri Katz	...	Stan
Lisa Jakub	...	Sandra
Kellie Martin	...	Sherry
Jesse Lee Soffer	...	Dennis Loomis (as Jesse Lee)
Lucinda Jenney	...	Anne Loomis
James Villemaire	...	Harvey Starkweather
Robert Picardo	...	Howard the Theater Manager
Jesse White	...	Mr. Spector
Dick Miller	...	Herb Denning
John Sayles	...	Bob
David Clennon	...	Jack
Lucy Butler	...	Rhonda

Storyline

A showman introduces a small coastal town to a unique movie experience and capitalises on the Cuban Missile crisis hysteria with a kitschy horror extravaganza combining film effects, stage props and actors in rubber suits in this salute to the B-movie.

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Plot Keywords:

film within a film | movie theatre | cuban missile crisis | b movie | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

Lawrence Woolsey presents the end of civilization as we know it. Make that... Proudly Presents!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language, and for mild violence and sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 January 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Matiné

Filming Locations:

Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$9,532,895

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Renfield Productions, Falcon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR Dolby

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Jerico Stone saw that he received only a story credit for Matinee (1993) along with screenwriter Charles S. Haas, but Haas got sole screenplay credit due to the rewrites he did to Jerico's original script, Jerico would, much aggrieved, later litigate unsuccessfully against the Writer's Guild for a screenplay credit.

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Goofs

Gene and Jesse are shown watching a television program when it is interrupted by the bulletin of President Kennedy announcing the presence of the missiles in Cuba. They also show surprise at the interruption. The actual broadcast of the President's address took place at 7pm on October 22nd, and preempted the start of any regularly scheduled programs. It had also been widely announced in media outlets earlier and throughout the day that the President was going to be making an important address at 7pm, and the networks had their news anchors on the air several minutes before the address commenced. So it is highly unlikely that the address would have interrupted the middle of a program as shown, or that anyone watching would have been surprised by the interruption.

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Quotes

General Ankrum: [referring to the giant creature climbing the building] What in creation do you call that thing?
Ruth Corday: Bill...

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Crazy Credits

After the credits are complete, we are treated to a quick snippet from "MANT" with the Cathy Moriarty character pining, "Oh, Bill".

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Connections

References The Wolf Man (1941)

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Soundtracks

Johnny Angel
Written by Lee Pockriss & Lyn Duddy
Performed by Shelley Fabares
Courtesy of Rhino Records

User Reviews

Funny, Purely Cinematic and Fantastic.

This has to be the most under-rated, under-valued and criminally under-seen film of all time. Funny, touching, nostalgic in a good way, a wonderful tribute to the very joy of film itself and, the clincher, a cast of kids that never get on your nerves. And even in any of the Coen Brother's films he has been in, John Goodman has never bettered his performance from this movie. If you love the movies, you'll love this film. See it; then see it again and again. It really is the undiscovered artistic masterpiece of the 20th Century.