Directed by Joe Dante, "Matinee" is a comedy/satire that blends schlock horror, teen coming-of-age, and nostalgia of the early nineteen sixties. John Goodman plays huckster producer-director Lawrence Woolsey who is in-person at the Strand Theater in Key West, Florida. He is showcasing his latest movie "Mant," a half-man half-ant beast formed from radiation following an atomic blast. Woolsey's girlfriend is Carole (Cathy Moriarty of "Raging Bull' fame).
It is the fall of 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. US President John F. Kennedy appears on national television to warn Americans about the emergency that can escalate into thermonuclear war with the Soviet Union. American jet fighters and helicopters fly overhead. People panic and binge buy food and argue in the supermarkets. Schools practice "Duck and Cover" in case of bomb attack. Actually each of the students were supposed to duck under each person's desk. As the maneuver was not meant to ward off radiation, the outburst of the diminutive dark-haired girl Sandra (Lisa Jacub) is not exactly correct.
Meanwhile there is the Loomis family that consists of a Mom Anne (Lucinda Jenny), Dad and two boys who live on the nearby military base. Dad is on a "secret mission": He is on one of the ships blockading Castro's Cuba. The older boy Gene (Simon Fenton) constantly teases his younger brother Dennis (Jesse Lee) with horror tales.
Woolsey figures it is a great time to promote his movie with gimmicks. They include "Atomo-vision" and "Rumble-Rama." He live-wires theater seats and sets up additional equipment to scare people. Along the way there are several subplots involving teenagers, like pretty Sherry wanting to date Stan, but they are generally unessential to the "plot." The climax is a hoot as things do not always go the way as planned. But we do get to see a movie within a movie, "Mant!"
Goodman's role mimics that of old time shrewd producer-director William Castle (1914-1977), known for his gimmicky innovations like "Emergo," which is a glow in the dark skeleton inside the movie house. Castle did wire selected seats for mild electric shocks to theater goers. He also insured audiences with Lloyds of London should anyone die of fright! He even hired some folks to scream in the theaters. Some of his productions and directions include "Macabre" (1958), House on Haunted Hill (1959), the creepy "Homicidal" (1961), and "Strait-Jacket" (1964) with Joan Crawford. He also produced, but did not direct, "Rosemary's Baby" (1968). Its budget was $3.2 million, but the box office take was ten times that much. Castle knew how to make a buck.
It is the fall of 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. US President John F. Kennedy appears on national television to warn Americans about the emergency that can escalate into thermonuclear war with the Soviet Union. American jet fighters and helicopters fly overhead. People panic and binge buy food and argue in the supermarkets. Schools practice "Duck and Cover" in case of bomb attack. Actually each of the students were supposed to duck under each person's desk. As the maneuver was not meant to ward off radiation, the outburst of the diminutive dark-haired girl Sandra (Lisa Jacub) is not exactly correct.
Meanwhile there is the Loomis family that consists of a Mom Anne (Lucinda Jenny), Dad and two boys who live on the nearby military base. Dad is on a "secret mission": He is on one of the ships blockading Castro's Cuba. The older boy Gene (Simon Fenton) constantly teases his younger brother Dennis (Jesse Lee) with horror tales.
Woolsey figures it is a great time to promote his movie with gimmicks. They include "Atomo-vision" and "Rumble-Rama." He live-wires theater seats and sets up additional equipment to scare people. Along the way there are several subplots involving teenagers, like pretty Sherry wanting to date Stan, but they are generally unessential to the "plot." The climax is a hoot as things do not always go the way as planned. But we do get to see a movie within a movie, "Mant!"
Goodman's role mimics that of old time shrewd producer-director William Castle (1914-1977), known for his gimmicky innovations like "Emergo," which is a glow in the dark skeleton inside the movie house. Castle did wire selected seats for mild electric shocks to theater goers. He also insured audiences with Lloyds of London should anyone die of fright! He even hired some folks to scream in the theaters. Some of his productions and directions include "Macabre" (1958), House on Haunted Hill (1959), the creepy "Homicidal" (1961), and "Strait-Jacket" (1964) with Joan Crawford. He also produced, but did not direct, "Rosemary's Baby" (1968). Its budget was $3.2 million, but the box office take was ten times that much. Castle knew how to make a buck.