Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Matinee

Having just arrived at their new home on a naval base in Key West, a young teen and his brother are taking the the latest Vincent Price double billing at the local theater. The trailer features the latest picture from scare maestro Lawrence Woolsey about a half man half ant being shown in the new format ATOMOVISION, and leaving the theater the two realize that Woolsey himself will be there promoting his film in two weeks! Now they along with rest of the town must get ready for the big event, all during the course of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Joe Dante's "Matinee" is a sweet, nostalgic, silly, and extremely fun throwback to monster movies and times of innocence passed. John Goodman is a lot of fun as the confident B movie man and Cathy Moriarty is just as good his his jaded leading lady/girlfriend. There are some half baked elements in the film that could have used more fleshing out, but when the film gets down to business in the premier of "Mant" (this movie within a movie is an absolute riot), the movie really soars in supremely funny and chaotic fashion.