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Matinee

Play trailer 1:56 Poster for Matinee PG 1993 1h 39m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 42 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurs and the menace of nuclear war looms over the American South. Low-budget filmmaker Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman) is in Key West, Fla., debuting his new film "Mant!" and thinks the prevailing mood of fear surrounding the premiere is perfect to stir up some excitement. A group of local teenagers (Simon Fenton, Lisa Jakub, Kellie Martin) prepare for the film's opening night, experiencing small crises of their own.
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Matinee

Matinee

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Critics Consensus

Smart, funny, and disarmingly sweet, Matinee is a film that film buffs will love -- and might even convert some non-believers.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 02/24/2023
4/4
Love. Laugh. Shriek. Cry. Make every second count. Most of all, live. The life lessons Dante was imparting 30 years ago are as vital now as they ever were then, making Matinee a modern classic ripe for rediscovery. Go to Full Review Peter Stack San Francisco Chronicle 01/11/2023
3/4
John Goodman is delightful in this sweetly amusing '60s-era comedy... Despite some incoherence in the plot, the film is genuinely charming and generous with its humor. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 06/02/2022
3/4
The glory of Dante’s comedy in this movie and others–as aided and abetted by his usual production team, producer Michael Finnell, cinematographer John Hora, and screenwriter Charlie Haas–is that it suggests poetic parallels without insisting on them. Go to Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal 01/30/2023
3/5
"Matinee" is a fun time. But when you couple such a resolutely uncommercial idea with a filmmaker whose résumé illustrated clear disinterest in compromising his idiosyncratic paranoia, you might wish the film leaned a little harder into its nuclear wind. Go to Full Review Diane Carson KDHX (St. Louis) 01/19/2023
Throughout Matinee, director Dante delivers this retro 60s world in a thoroughly entertaining, brisk 99 minutes. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 09/21/2022
4/4
When Woolsey loses himself in one of his many speeches about the power of movies, the importance of escape, and the joy it brings him to realize these notions for his audience, we sense this is exactly how Dante feels, and that joy is instantly catching. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Noel L Sep 11 Either I missed the plot or this is a total popcorn flick See more Samuel O Jul 8 One of my favorite films of all time :) See more Nick O May 31 This loving tribute to William Castle style horror flicks of the 50’s and 60’s has that unique Joe Dante blend of heartwarming weirdness and monster kid-o-vision, making it unforgettably comforting. See more Richard W @rdwoolf 06/23/2024 A well-acted, very entertaining film. See more Alec B 01/10/2024 A complex and hilarious nostalgia piece. I love the "Mant" sequences which are perfectly goofy. See more Joel H 11/03/2023 Matinee felt more like a coming attraction preview than an actual movie. I was surprised when I realized the movie was almost over and nothing had really happened yet. And then, when things finally started happening, it didn't quite feel like enough to justify an entire movie. Perhaps Joe Dante was just looking to create a sense of nostalgia for those who were kids during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Or maybe this was a love letter to the sensational tricks people used to pull to get audiences back in the theaters after televisions became common. Either way, I kind of liked the fake films more than the actual one. See more Read all reviews
Matinee

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Cast & Crew

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Joe Dante

Director

John Goodman

Lawrence Woolsey

Cathy Moriarty

Ruth Corday

Simon Fenton

Gene Loomis

Omri Katz

Stan

Lisa Jakub

Sandra

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Matinee

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Matinee

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Movie Info

Synopsis In October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurs and the menace of nuclear war looms over the American South. Low-budget filmmaker Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman) is in Key West, Fla., debuting his new film "Mant!" and thinks the prevailing mood of fear surrounding the premiere is perfect to stir up some excitement. A group of local teenagers (Simon Fenton, Lisa Jakub, Kellie Martin) prepare for the film's opening night, experiencing small crises of their own.
Director
Joe Dante
Producer
Michael Finnell
Screenwriter
Charles S. Haas
Production Co
Universal Pictures, Renfield Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 29, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.9M
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Surround
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