Matinee

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1:56

Matinee

PG

Released Jan 29, 1993

1h 39m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

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.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 24, 2023

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Peter Stack

San Francisco Chronicle

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.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 11, 2023

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

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.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 2, 2022

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

"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.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 30, 2023

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Diane Carson

KDHX (St. Louis)

Throughout Matinee, director Dante delivers this retro 60s world in a thoroughly entertaining, brisk 99 minutes.

Jan 19, 2023

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

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.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 21, 2022

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Noel L

Either I missed the plot or this is a total popcorn flick

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

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Samuel O

One of my favorite films of all time :)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

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Nick O

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/31/25

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Richard W

A well-acted, very entertaining film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/24

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Alec B

A complex and hilarious nostalgia piece. I love the "Mant" sequences which are perfectly goofy.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

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Joel H

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/03/23

Full Review

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Joe Dante

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John Goodman

Lawrence Woolsey

Cathy Moriarty

Ruth Corday

Simon Fenton

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Matinee: Trailer 1

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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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