A well-acted, very entertaining film.

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

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.

A coming of age movie that I had hopes for, it just came across as fake. Saw on TCM.

In Matinee, director Joe Dante pays loving tribute to the low-budget monster movie of the 1950s and early 60s. Set in the Florida Keys at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, movie mogul Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman), a cross between the gimmicky William Castle and exploitation master Samuel Z. Arkoff, arrives in town with his latest film in tow, Mant, the story of a monster who is half ant and half human. Despite the fact that Matinee is short on both laughs and plot, it is a lot of silly and colorful fun, especially for those whose guilty pleasures are titles like The Amazing Colossal Man and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

A bore! John Goodman almost saves 'Matinee', he's good, but not quite. I personally didn't care for the characters of Key West and their stories, especially the parts with those portrayed by Kellie Martin, Omri Katz and James Villemaire. The story shoots off into quite a few directions, but I was genuinely not into any of it apart from the scenes with Goodman's Woolsey. The 'film within a film', 'Mant!', is great though - it actually amused me a fair bit, which was a stark contrast to what the real comedy (or lack thereof) achieved. I appreciate what it was going for, but I just didn't dig the vast majority of it unfortunately.

Not enough to add up to a movie.

This is also very much b-movie territory. I quite liked that its a film within a film, set in the time of the Cuban missile crisis, highlighting peoples anxiety and concern about a potentially atomic/nuclear war that could potentially have had catastrophic consequences worldwide. I liked the way the director of the film within the film, 'Mant' (half man, half ant - ahhhh!) was very enthusiastic about making his new 'flick' very much an atmospheric watch to those in the audience, with effects added to the cinema seats themselves and on screen, to fool people into thinking what their seeing could be real. Of course this makes me think of the more modern trend for things like IMAX, only back in the time this is set, that wasn't so much the general idea, better and larger screen size and quality of visual images, moreso the surround sound and other miscellaneous effects were. Its amusing at times, it did make me laugh and while its somewhat sobering due to the plot and what some characters say, overall I thought its a well thought out film that I would recommend. This perhaps belongs in a similar genre/category as 'Mars Attacks!' which was also quite b-movie(ish), only, sadly, Tom Jones doesn't appear in this. There was one character I thought looked similar to Elvis but he had a different name. Anyway, this is a good film of its type and yes, I'd recommend it, especially if your a John Goodman film, as he's a good fit for the main/central character I reckon.

Matinee is that rare movie that manages to be both corny and creepy. Corny because it plays the pipe organ of Boomer nostalgia with ham fists. Dante can be forgiven for wanting to revisit his formative years as an avid moviegoer and precocious film commenter, but his avatar is too much of a cipher to connect with. I wonder if this was direction or the child actor's lack of charisma? Speaking of children, this is where it gets super creepy. How old are these kids? The characters portrayed are presumably middle schoolers, and the main couples are all portrayed by actual minors. In any case, one girl rhapsodizes about her liberating carnal relationship with an older man as she comes on strong to a more reticent peer. It's supposed to be funny but comes across as inappropriate because I can't help but thinking here is a child being hypersexualized by a middle-aged director. It reminds me of the infamous conversation Lucas and Spielberg had about Marion's backstory in Raiders of the Lost Ark (look it up). I'm no prude, and I realize this might put me in the camp of the scolds portrayed in the film who protest the indecency of Hollywood, but really it is pretty cringey watching kids put into sexual situations, as when--SPOILER ALERT--two youngsters start going at it hot and heavy because they think it is their duty to repopulate what they take to be a decimated planet. Again, played by actual minors. Ick. There are some funny bits in here. Dante knows how not to overplay a joke, and the humor works best when it's subtle. Goodman delivers and Cathy Moriarty shines, but other than those two the performances are either rote wooden or hammy exaggerated. The movie within a movie Mant--which is what drew me here in the first place--is the best bit, playing as both spoof and homage of '50s giant radiation monster flics; the irony is it's better written and more entertaining than the purportedly "A" picture that brackets it. In the end, this movie feels pandering. Movies about movies and moviegoing tend to do well with movie lovers, which perhaps partly accounts for the generally high ratings this movie earns. It also strikes a weird jingoistic note. Produced soon after the fall of the Soviet Union and in the wake of the first Iraq invasion, there's an air of smug triumphalism about the ending, as if to say we came close to annihilation but things would be better from now on and the movie's last frames are of American military hardware flying over a beach, which is presumably meant to be reassuring but struck me as ominous. Two stars might be generous. I hope to never think of this film again.

A movie that people who like Hollywood history, moviemaking, behind the scenes will find this much more appealing than regular audiences. Interesting since not many movies have shed a light on the gimmicky side of Hollywood, but offers very little in terms of performances, characters, laughs. 🤯Cory Balrog!!!!!!!!!! He was a Child Actor! 🤯

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

This movie was a very underrated and quite funny in places. When this came out, it was an abrupt bomb. It didn't deserve to be. Actually it was really well off. But, it came out in January, and well...this was something that wasn't reliable then. If this had opened in the fall, it probably would've done something. Quite an excellent entertaining piece, and John Goodman shines as always as the rest of the cast are. If you don't like love stories, atomic bombs, giant ants, or youthful glee, then I don't know what to tell you. It rocks. Check it out. I guarantee you'll like it.

A classic Joe Dante Movie: strange and with young actors

Matinee transcends its slightly clunky storyline - a William Castle type B-movie producer descending on a Florida Keys movie-house to tap into the very real paranoia triggered by 1962's Cuban Missile crisis - by very accurately reproducing the look and behaviour of that period, and keeping it light. John Goodman is terrific casting, Jerry Goldsmith's score perfectly pitched, and the excerpts from "Mant!" so hilariously spot-on you'll wish it could be full-length.

What I would give to see the entire run of MANT... As Kubrick knew, the only proper response to the shocking madness of absolute nuclear apocalypse is an equal yet opposite level of sheer comedic absurdity. With the threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the knowledge that no bomb shelter or cowering under tables will prevent catastrophe looming in the film's background—eventually overtaking the foreground and above ground, as well—what is there to do but find a little respite in the comforting darkness of a movie theater? A coming-of-age love letter to escapism and the affective, illusory power of cinema, Dante perfectly balances the touching earnestness of mid-century adolescence with the impending menace wrought by modern technology. One way or another, whether the bomb or the final curtain will be what drops in the end, to signal the end, the result is an absolute riot of screaming children.

A movie for movie lovers

Is there anything more satisfying as a film fan than discovering a forgotten gem? How about a forgotten gem that expresses a bleeding heart love for cinema? Matinee is a fantastic nostalgia trip about the Cold War & the opportunity movies provide for anyone looking to escape reality, while coming out more fully understanding it. Dante walks this balance through honesty about the time, & a whole heap of loving humor about suburban paranoia. And if Dante doesn't film "Mant" before he dies, I'll be very sad.

Dante's film is a beautiful love letter to films of the 50's and 60's, equally as impressive with the social commentary on film-makings genesis and flaws. Goodman is truly superb, he's charismatic and plays the audiences emotions throughout. The supporting cast and child actors are all good, great dynamics and make the films drama entertaining.

One of Joe Dante's, the guy behind the "Gremlins" series, lesser known efforts. It's a cool story where we follow John Goodman as Woolsey, a horror director that never seem to get as known as he'd like. The world is in the middle of the Cuban missile crisis and everyone is on the edge of they're seats, so it seems like the perfect time to add some suspence to an already exciting film. He directs "Mant!" a film about a man bitten by an radient ant... Effects like vibrating scenes, smoke, thunder and pyro into the movie theatre are a nice idea, combined with staged nurses that make sure everyone put their names to a paper in case of a viewer heart attack. The don't want to get sued, you know. At the same time some young kids are trying to impress girls at school - as everyone knows this is not easy business, but being a tough guy at the movies might help. The blend of the several plots here are very good. We see several minutes of "Mant!" but also what's going on behind the scenes when it's time for the big premiere. A film in the film, get it? Time flies and this is very enjoyable. Pretty funny film and I like both the characters and actors here. Solid stuff. A b-movie tribute in a neat packaging. 7 out of 10 Bill's.

Fun homage to the horror genre, but it's quite an inventive storyline in its own right.