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Matinee
1993 99 min United States of America PG 6+
★7.3
Comedy, Drama
Director: Joe Dante
Trailers
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Description
A showman introduces a small coastal town to a unique movie experience and capitalizes on the Cuban Missile crisis hysteria with a kitschy horror extravaganza combining film effects, stage props and actors in rubber suits in this salute to the B-movie.
Budget:
$14M
US Gross:
$9.53M
Worldwide:
$9.53M
Starring
John Goodman
Actor
Cathy Moriarty
Actor
Simon Fenton
Actor
Awards
1 win total
Key opinion
Matinee is widely regarded as a charming, nostalgic tribute to 1960s B-movie culture and the showmanship of producer Lawrence Woolsey. While some viewers find the character subplots wandering or uneven, most agree that John Goodman’s magnetic lead performance and the affectionate recreation of theatrical gimmicks create a warm, entertaining experience.
| Acting | John Goodman delivers an anchoring, perfectly cast performance as the charismatic and faded B-movie producer. | |
| Production | The production design succeeds in affectionately recreating 1960s theater culture and the specific, campy aesthetic of low-budget monster movies. | |
| Direction | Joe Dante’s direction effectively balances the lighthearted parody of horror tropes with the underlying tension of the Cuban Missile Crisis. | |
| Theme | The film functions as a bittersweet exercise in nostalgia that resonates most strongly with audiences who appreciate the cultural history of mid-century cinema. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative balance is disputed: some appreciate the whimsical blend of coming-of-age comedy and meta-cinema, while others find the secondary character subplots distracting or underdeveloped. | |
| Ending | Opinions on the film's structure are divided, with some viewers finding the resolution of the plot to be patchy and anticlimactic. |