Joe Dante is a true enthusiast for classic sci-fi and horror films. His affection for the genre shines through in every film he's made. Matinée may be the best example of that, because this lovingly crafted homage to classic schlock merchant William Castle not only succeeds as an entertaining feature, but also as a knowing commentary on the changing attitudes of our time.
Set in 1962, during the peak of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Lawrence Woolsey (the ever engaging John Goodman), a director of schlocky horror and SF films, has come to Key West, Florida, to promote his latest film, MANT. Undeterred by the looming tension, Woolsey intends to use it to his own advantage to encourage people that MANT is a once in a lifetime experience.
For 14 year old Gene, one of Woolsey's biggest fans, his arrival is a far more important event than the CMC, while most of the townspeople are swept up by the paranoia and increasing tension. Eager to attend the matinée of MANT, Gene goes along with his best friend Stan (Eerie Indiana's Omri Katz) and his younger brother Dennis. But when the gimmicks Woolsey has cooked up for the preview get out of control, the people in the cinema believe World War III has finally broken out, and chaos erupts.
Matinée may be Dante's most good-natured film since Explorers, and also one of his truest to date, because of Dante's own affection for the genre that is clearly mirrored in Gene's character. Gene is a horror/SF aficionado, he collects all the classic magazines, and when Woolsey comes to town, he makes every effort to meet him.
John Goodman gives one of his best ever performances, clearly enjoying himself immensely, chewing on the scenery, he almost seems like a carnival barker announcing his presence to the world. This feeling is perfectly complemented by Jerry Goldsmith's charming musical score.
Joe Dante obviously feels a kinship to Woolsey's character, who in turn was modelled on William Castle. Woolsey may be a bit of a con man, who employs tactics such as wiring electrical buzzers to the seats to make the audience jump on cue, or hiring people to condemn the film when actually they work for him. This works on the level of reverse psychology, ensuring that people will attend the screenings. But Woolsey is also a man who enjoys his work, and takes pride in it. I get the same impression about Dante. He is a man in love with the SF/horror genre, and although his films only do moderate business at best, it is clearly a genre he feels most at home in.
Cathy Moriarty also proves a scene-stealer as Woolsey's long-suffering girlfriend Ruth Corday. She doesn't share his enthusiasm for his films, although she is totally professional when she stars in them. She is also a good sport when asked to pose as a nurse at cinema screenings, having people in the audience fill out health forms in case they suffer heart attacks from the scares on show.
MANT, the film within the film, is a classic example of inspired lunacy. Looking like King Kong blended with The Fly, it shows that Joe Dante really knows his stuff in this field with the cheesy lines, the hammy special effects and the total absurdity they represent. The events on film are also nicely juxtaposed with what is going on in the real world. With the CMC raging out of control, the events of MANT seem to reflect what is actually going on, and is a good trick on Dante's part, tying in his trademark genre in-referencing to the plot.
Most importantly, that despite the building chaos, Dante never loses focus of his characters. Things never become mawkish between Gene and his friends, not even when they're going out on first dates. Matinée also captures perfectly the era, such as the insane Duck and Cover program, and people buying bomb shelters to prepare for the end of the world. Matinée may be the closest Dante has ever come to making a serious film.
But it never loses it's sense of fun. It's quite a touching film really, because it shows how the world has become too cynical for it's own good. Where we can't appreciate anymore the simple pleasures of hired people in monster costumes running through the theatres. Matinée is a film that celebrates the cinema experience, and Dante wants to share that experience with us.
An underrated gem of a bygone era.
Set in 1962, during the peak of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Lawrence Woolsey (the ever engaging John Goodman), a director of schlocky horror and SF films, has come to Key West, Florida, to promote his latest film, MANT. Undeterred by the looming tension, Woolsey intends to use it to his own advantage to encourage people that MANT is a once in a lifetime experience.
For 14 year old Gene, one of Woolsey's biggest fans, his arrival is a far more important event than the CMC, while most of the townspeople are swept up by the paranoia and increasing tension. Eager to attend the matinée of MANT, Gene goes along with his best friend Stan (Eerie Indiana's Omri Katz) and his younger brother Dennis. But when the gimmicks Woolsey has cooked up for the preview get out of control, the people in the cinema believe World War III has finally broken out, and chaos erupts.
Matinée may be Dante's most good-natured film since Explorers, and also one of his truest to date, because of Dante's own affection for the genre that is clearly mirrored in Gene's character. Gene is a horror/SF aficionado, he collects all the classic magazines, and when Woolsey comes to town, he makes every effort to meet him.
John Goodman gives one of his best ever performances, clearly enjoying himself immensely, chewing on the scenery, he almost seems like a carnival barker announcing his presence to the world. This feeling is perfectly complemented by Jerry Goldsmith's charming musical score.
Joe Dante obviously feels a kinship to Woolsey's character, who in turn was modelled on William Castle. Woolsey may be a bit of a con man, who employs tactics such as wiring electrical buzzers to the seats to make the audience jump on cue, or hiring people to condemn the film when actually they work for him. This works on the level of reverse psychology, ensuring that people will attend the screenings. But Woolsey is also a man who enjoys his work, and takes pride in it. I get the same impression about Dante. He is a man in love with the SF/horror genre, and although his films only do moderate business at best, it is clearly a genre he feels most at home in.
Cathy Moriarty also proves a scene-stealer as Woolsey's long-suffering girlfriend Ruth Corday. She doesn't share his enthusiasm for his films, although she is totally professional when she stars in them. She is also a good sport when asked to pose as a nurse at cinema screenings, having people in the audience fill out health forms in case they suffer heart attacks from the scares on show.
MANT, the film within the film, is a classic example of inspired lunacy. Looking like King Kong blended with The Fly, it shows that Joe Dante really knows his stuff in this field with the cheesy lines, the hammy special effects and the total absurdity they represent. The events on film are also nicely juxtaposed with what is going on in the real world. With the CMC raging out of control, the events of MANT seem to reflect what is actually going on, and is a good trick on Dante's part, tying in his trademark genre in-referencing to the plot.
Most importantly, that despite the building chaos, Dante never loses focus of his characters. Things never become mawkish between Gene and his friends, not even when they're going out on first dates. Matinée also captures perfectly the era, such as the insane Duck and Cover program, and people buying bomb shelters to prepare for the end of the world. Matinée may be the closest Dante has ever come to making a serious film.
But it never loses it's sense of fun. It's quite a touching film really, because it shows how the world has become too cynical for it's own good. Where we can't appreciate anymore the simple pleasures of hired people in monster costumes running through the theatres. Matinée is a film that celebrates the cinema experience, and Dante wants to share that experience with us.
An underrated gem of a bygone era.