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IMDbPro

Matinee

  • 19931993
  • PGPG
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
11K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
12,093
35
John Goodman in Matinee (1993)
text os
Play trailer1:53
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDrama
A small-time film promoter releases a kitschy horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis.A small-time film promoter releases a kitschy horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis.A small-time film promoter releases a kitschy horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
11K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
12,093
35
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writers
      • Jerico Stone(story)
      • Charles S. Haas(story)
    • Stars
      • John Goodman
      • Cathy Moriarty
      • Simon Fenton
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writers
      • Jerico Stone(story)
      • Charles S. Haas(story)
    • Stars
      • John Goodman
      • Cathy Moriarty
      • Simon Fenton
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 74User reviews
    • 100Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos2

    Matinee
    Trailer 1:53
    Matinee
    Matinee
    Trailer 0:31
    Matinee

    Photos184

    John Goodman, Robert Picardo, Kellie Martin, and Omri Katz in Matinee (1993)
    Omri Katz in Matinee (1993)
    Simon Fenton in Matinee (1993)
    Lisa Jakub in Matinee (1993)
    John Goodman in Matinee (1993)
    John Goodman in Matinee (1993)
    Kellie Martin, Omri Katz, and James Villemaire in Matinee (1993)
    John Goodman, John Sayles, Simon Fenton, and Dick Miller in Matinee (1993)
    Kellie Martin in Matinee (1993)
    John Goodman and Simon Fenton in Matinee (1993)
    John Goodman, John Sayles, and Dick Miller in Matinee (1993)
    Joe Dante in Matinee (1993)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Goodman
    John Goodman
    • Lawrence Woolsey
    Cathy Moriarty
    Cathy Moriarty
    • Ruth Corday…
    Simon Fenton
    Simon Fenton
    • Gene Loomis
    Omri Katz
    Omri Katz
    • Stan
    Lisa Jakub
    Lisa Jakub
    • Sandra
    Kellie Martin
    Kellie Martin
    • Sherry
    Jesse Lee Soffer
    Jesse Lee Soffer
    • Dennis Loomis
    • (as Jesse Lee)
    Lucinda Jenney
    Lucinda Jenney
    • Anne Loomis
    James Villemaire
    James Villemaire
    • Harvey Starkweather
    Robert Picardo
    Robert Picardo
    • Howard the Theater Manager
    Jesse White
    Jesse White
    • Mr. Spector
    Dick Miller
    Dick Miller
    • Herb Denning
    John Sayles
    John Sayles
    • Bob
    David Clennon
    David Clennon
    • Jack
    Lucy Butler
    Lucy Butler
    • Rhonda
    Georgie Cranford
    • Dwight
    Nick Bronson
    • Andy
    Cory Barlog
    Cory Barlog
    • Stan's Friend
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writers
      • Jerico Stone(story)
      • Charles S. Haas(story) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For "Mant," the movie-within-the-movie, Joe Dante cast actors who had actually appeared in 1950s-era science fiction movies. These included Kevin McCarthy, Robert Cornthwaite, and William Schallert.
    • Goofs
      The aircraft shown flying along the beach are A-4 Skyhawks, which flew with the US Navy and Marine Corps from 1956 until 2003. Marine Attack Squadron 242 (VMA-242)based at Cherry Point, NC deployed to NAS Key West, Fla during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, therefore the aircraft shown are the actual models flown during the time depicted in the movie.
    • Quotes

      Gene Loomis: Y'know, it's hard to believe you're a grown-up.

      Ruth Corday: No kidding.

      Lawrence Woolsey: You think grown-ups have it all figured out? That's just a hustle, kid. Grown-ups are making it up as they go along, just like you. You remember that, and you'll do fine.

    • Crazy credits
      After the credits are complete, we are treated to a quick snippet from "MANT" with the Cathy Moriarty character pining, "Oh, Bill".
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Matinee/Alive/Body of Evidence/Sniper (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      The Lion Sleeps Tonight
      Written by Hugo Peretti, Albert Stanton, George David Weiss & Luigi Creatore

      (based on a song by Solomon Linda and Paul Campbell)

      Performed by The Tokens

      Courtesy of the RCA Records label of BMG Music

    User reviews74

    Review
    Top review
    Memorable and funny
    This movie explores the marketing and the premier of a B-movie horror flick by a virtual one-man studio (remember American International?) in, of all places Key West during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    I think this was intended to be a vehicle for John Goodman as the B-movie "impresario" Lawrence Woolsey (great casting!), with Cathy Moriarty also excellently cast as the jaded B-movie starlet and Woolsey's companion. Simon Fenton plays a young, wide-eyed, horror movie addict who is also a military kid, whose father has just been assigned to the naval blockade around Cuba. The cast also includes Dick Miller from the Gremlin series, and many other B-movies since the 1950's including the original Shop of Horrors.

    Matinee is quirky, and the "movie within a movie," called "Mant" (half man, half ant), is about a silly accidental "mutation" of a man into a rather large insect The movie contains a good sampling of all the plot devices (on screen and off screen) used in these sorts of movies. The now-hilarious atomic horrors depicted in "Mant" are juxtaposed against the real-life horrors of the nuclear missile crisis, with interesting effect.

    Matinee also offers a lot of not-so-subtle counterpoints between the atmosphere and common wisdom of the era (anybody remember Civil Defense drills? Bomb shelters? The "four" basic food groups?), and its stark comparison to what we know/think today. When this movie was made, the cold war was just over, and a look back to the pervasive feel throughout the 50's and 60's and its worrying about the "bomb" and anti-commie lingo makes the people of this era look supremely paranoid and silly, until one thinks about how even this has changed since the movie was made (think post 9-11: who's silly and paranoid now?).

    The movie is enjoyable on many levels, although I feel the comparisons between the 60's and "today" could have been made a bit more subtle. As a counterpoint, my wife, who was never a fan of the horror movie genre, dislikes this movie--she also disliked "Ed Wood" for the same reason.

    All in all, it's a wonderful movie that I'm glad to have in my VHS collection.
    helpful•24
    0
    • lar3ry-imdb
    • May 29, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 29, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Matinée
    • Filming locations
      • Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Renfield Productions
      • Falcon Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $13,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,532,895
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,601,015
      • Jan 31, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,532,895
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1(original & negative ratio)

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