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Matinee
1992
It's 1962 and 15-year-old horror film fan Gene Loomis (Simon Fenton) is the new kid in a small Key West town; the Cuban Missile Crisis is happening in his own backyard; an intriguing girl (Lisa Jakub) is actually looking his way, and best of all, master showman Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman) is in town promoting his latest sci-.. Read more
| Starring | John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz |
|---|---|
| Director | Joe Dante |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Matinee
It's 1962 and 15-year-old horror film fan Gene Loomis (Simon Fenton) is the new kid in a small Key West town; the Cuban Missile Crisis is happening in his own backyard; an intriguing girl (Lisa Jakub) is actually looking his way, and best of all, master showman Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman) is in town promoting his latest sci-fi horror flick. Gene and his friends eagerly gather at the local theatre for the debut of MANT!, a terrifying tale of one man's mutation into a demonic ant. At the theatre they experience the thrill of a lifetime, as the threat of nuclear war looms overhead. John Goodman is at his uproarious best as the larger-than-life horror promoter who revels in the creation of one-of-a-kind shock and terror as the nation waits for its fate to be revealed. MATINEE is a masterful homage to B-movie science fiction classics of the 1950s and '60s that ingeniously combines science fiction shock and suspense with the real life horror of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
| Starring | John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, David Clennon, Robert Picardo, John Sayles, Jesse White, Naomi Watts, Lisa Jakub, Lucy Butler, Lucinda Jenney, Jesse Lee, Kellie Martin |
|---|---|
| Director | Joe Dante |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 34 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Jun 2003 Production year: 1992 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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A glorious mix of American Graffiti, Stand by Me and The Fly, this super coming-of-age saga from Joe Dante (director of Gremlins and the Spielberg-produced fantasy Small Soldiers, among others) is a tender paean to growing up in the early 1960s, using the twin backdrops of nuclear bomb paranoia and “Atom Age” monster flicks. It's also a loving tribute to legendary producer/director William Castle, the schlock showman responsible for gimmick B-movies such as The Tingler and House on Haunted Hill. Charming John Goodman is the Castle clone launching his new giant insect horror film Mant in Key West during the Cuban missile crisis, and it's the contrast between fake movie scares and real-life ones that makes Dante's nostalgic inferno such an engaging delight.
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An enjoyable celebration of the nuclear-inspired, gimmicky horror movies of the 50s, brilliantly parodied; but it is hampered by a teen romance, presented without apparent irony, which might have been lifted from any drive-in movie of the period.
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Most helpful member's review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
John Goodman on top form
No-one seems to know this film, which is a crying shame.
John Goodman is well cast as the film director, luring his audiences to the cinemas using the latest in 1960's technology (hmm) and a guy in a rubber suit. He really does make the movie. Hats off to you sir, a fine performance!
Set in the cuban missile crisis, there isn't really a whole lot of plot, or any lesson to learn from this film. But the characters are strong and well played, and it's a nice little film for the family.
(I'd love to see more of the movie- within-a-movie. 'Mant' looks like a rather hilarious little B-movie...) -
Most recent members' review
View all -
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
John Goodman on top form
No-one seems to know this film, which is a crying shame.
John Goodman is well cast as the film director, luring his audiences to the cinemas using the latest in 1960's technology (hmm) and a guy in a rubber suit. He really does make the movie. Hats off to you sir, a fine performance!
Set in the cuban missile crisis, there isn't really a whole lot of plot, or any lesson to learn from this film. But the characters are strong and well played, and it's a nice little film for the family.
(I'd love to see more of the movie- within-a-movie. 'Mant' looks like a rather hilarious little B-movie...) -
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