Matinee (1993)

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

Director:

Joe Dante

Writers:

Jerico (story), 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

Woolsey International Pictures is an homage to American International Pictures, one of the most prolific producers of low-budget sci-fi and horror movies that was once home to both Roger Corman and Samuel Z. Arkoff. Its library is now controlled by MGM. The name of the company is even more of an obvious homage to Woolner Bothers Pictures, run by Lawrence, Bernard, and David Woolner, who later went on to form Dimension Pictures.

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Goofs

The LP "The First Family" is seen in the record rack to the right of the phonograph when the boys are removing the Lenny Bruce LP from the record player. "The First Family" was recorded in October, 1962, the same time that the Cuban missile crisis was going on, and it had not yet been released.

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Quotes

Ruth Corday: He's not a monster, he's a shoe salesmen.
General Ankrum: [referring to her transformed husband] Would you let *that* fit you in a pump?

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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 Beast with a Million Eyes (1955)

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Soundtracks

The End Of The World
Written by Sylvia Dee & Arthur Kent
Performed by Skeeter Davis
Courtesy of the RCA Records label of BMG Music

User Reviews

You Gotta Have a Gimmick!

Certainly John Goodman portraying Lawrence Woolsey as a film director bent on all kinds of creative devices to lure audiences in to see his sci-fi/horror movies is a homage to the King of Gimmicks himself, William Castle. This movie is not great by any standards, but it sure is a lot of fun. It is a trip down memory lane for many. Although I am not old enough to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis nor William Castle movies premiering, I am given a pretty accurate feel of the times through Matinee. The best part of the movie, however, is the movie within a movie....MANT...the story of a man that is half-man and half-ant. The scenes of this film alone are good enough reason to see Matinee. The one scene where the Mant character throws an ant farm to the ground and yells "You're free, You're free" is hilarious. The movie characters are also made up of old sci-fi stars Kevin McCarthy(Invasion of the Body Snatchers), William Shallert(Hundreds of films it seems), and Robert Cornwaithe(The Thing). Also look for John Sayles and Dick Miller in smaller roles hamming it up. Goodman is larger than life in his portrayal, much the same way that Castle was. And certainly, we in the audience that are great genre fans dream what it would have been like to help William Castle...I mean Lawrence Woolsey...make a picture.