Matinee (1993) Universal/Comedy RT: 99 minutes Rated PG (language, mild violence and sensuality) Director: Joe Dante Screenplay: Charles S. Haas Music: Jerry Goldsmith Cinematography: John Hora Release date: January 29, 1993 (US) Cast: John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, Lisa Jakub, Kellie Martin, Jesse Lee, Lucinda Jenney, James Villamaire, Robert Picardo, Dick Miller, John Sayles, David Clennon, Lucy Butler, Belinda Balaski, William Schallert, Kevin McCarthy, Archie Hahn, Naomi Watts. Box Office: $9.5M (US)
Rating: ****
Sometimes you come across a movie nobody has ever heard of, and if they have heard of it, they haven’t seen it. One such movie is Matinee, a loving homage to the gimmick-filled horror movies of director William Castle in the 50s and 60s. Set during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, it centers on Gene Loomis (Fenton, The Power of One), a young teenager who lives on a Key West military base with his family. In the wake of JFK’s announcement of Soviet missiles in Cuba, soldiers (including Gene’s father) are deployed to a strategic location near Cuba.
With the possibility of total nuclear annihilation looming, the American people are terrified. That’s the perfect time for director Lawrence Woolsey (Goodman, Raising Arizona) to premiere his latest horror flick Mant! (“Half man, half ant, all terror!”) shot in “Atomo-Vision” and presented in “Rumble-Rama”. Woolsey is a total ham and knows how to put on a show. And what a show it’s going to be! He even hires a couple of bit-part actors to stand in front of the theater and warn people about the corruptive influence of Woolsey’s movies on their children. What better way to stir up interest in the upcoming preview showing? He’s also outfitting the theater with several gadgets intended to make the audience part of the show. It’s like when Castle outfitted theater seats with a device that would deliver a mild shock to viewers while they watched The Tingler. All the kids in town are looking forward to Saturday afternoon when Woolsey himself will present the schlocky movie, one that could only scare very small, impressionable children.
Meanwhile, while the town citizens are in a panic over the Soviet missiles, Gene and his friend Stan (Katz, Hocus Pocus) are more concerned with getting dates for the show. Stan asks Sherry (Martin, Life Goes On), a popular and prissy girl whose jealous ex-boyfriend Harvey (Villemaire, Gate 2) has just been released from prison. He convinces Stan he’d be better off if he cancelled his date. Gene is kind of interested in Sandra (Jakub, Mrs. Doubtfire), an outspoken free-spirited girl who gets detention for refusing to take part in an air-raid drill arguing it would be useless in a real nuclear situation.
The movie-within-the movie is very well done (featuring cameos by Schallert and McCarthy); it’s exactly like all those cheesy sci-fi/horror epics of that particular time. In my opinion, it’s the best part of Matinee. It has its tender moments too like when Gene assures his frightened little brother that their father isn’t in any real danger (a little white lie) and the monsters on the screen aren’t real.
Dante nails the time period right down to the smallest detail whether it’s a couple of boys listening to a forbidden Lenny Bruce record or panicked citizens emptying grocery store shelves in expectation of a nuclear disaster. It’s a time that would change America forever. Dante presents it in a fun and entertaining way without being disrespectful. Goodman gives the best performance of his career. He’s absolutely believable as a small-time director with big-time aspirations. Moriarty (Neighbors) is hilarious as his actress girlfriend. Dressed as a nurse, she makes each patron sign a faux waiver absolving the theater and filmmaker of any responsibility should the viewer faint or be scared to death. She’s in the movie-within-the-movie too.
I was especially impressed with young Jakub. She’s a feisty little lady, her character. She’s completely believable as a young girl being raised by progressive parents who believe in free speech (they even let her call them by their first names). Martin is also quite good as the naive girl who thinks she’s totally experienced after dating Harvey. She represents the ideal young lady of the early 60s in direct contrast to Jakub who represents the independent woman of the near future. Several of Dante regulars show up in this movie too- e.g. Dick Miller, Robert Picardo, Kevin McCarthy and Belinda Balaski.
Matinee is one of the best smaller films of the 90s. It’s a sin it didn’t get a fair shake at the box office. By the time it was released, younger audiences had no point of reference to appreciate the humor in the movie. Hell, it takes place before I was born and I understand what Dante was getting at. Of course, I’m not your average moviegoer. I’ve seen several of Castle’s old movies on cable and home video. I didn’t get to experience them in a theater, but I get the idea. These gimmicks were just stunts to fill seats.
Matinee is a labor of love for Dante whose body of work also includes Hollywood Boulevard, The Howling and the two Gremlins movies. His appreciation for these cheesy old flicks is on clear display. He manages to take the viewer back to a simpler, more innocent time when the height of technology was whatever silly gimmicks showmen like Woolsey came up with. He contrasts it with the real life horror going on around the kids to great effect. I absolutely LOVE this movie. It’s brilliant, beautiful, funny and knowing. It’s a real treat for anybody who loves movies.
