# Matinee (1993 film)

Matinee is a 1993 film about a small-time film promoter who releases a horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
    Directed by Joe Dante. Written by Charles S. Haas.

## Lawrence Woolsey

* Herb's an interesting guy. He used to be kind of, uh... dishonest: shakedown artist, strong arm. Someone sent him to collect money from me just when I needed an inexpensive actor. Isn't it fun to know these things about your favorite stars?
* [to theater staff] I know some of you have never been in the motion picture business before, and some of you have been at it a long time. But I want all of you to look at the faces out here during this picture. There's gonna be room in their heads for only one thought: "Don't let it get me!" They know we can't hurt 'em, but they're still gonna be scared half to death. And all of you, when you thread the projector, when you tear the tickets, when you sell the jujubes, you're all a part of it. And just when it gets the worst, when they're sitting there and their hearts are going like trapped animals out here in the dark, we save them. And they say, "Hey, it's all right! Thank God! Hey, can I see that again?" P.S., No, they can't. We clear between shows.

## Other

* Dr. Flankon: [to Carole] Young lady, human/insect mutation is far from an exact science.

## Dialogue

    Howard: The country is on red alert. People are already scared.
    Lawrence Woolsey: Exactly! What a perfect time to open a new horror movie. Think of it, my friend. Millions of people looking over their shoulder, waiting for God's other shoe to drop, never knowing if each kiss, each sunset... [Woolsey steps on a malted milk ball] ...each malted milk ball might be their last.
    Gene Loomis: Y'know, it's hard to believe you're a grown-up.
    Ruth Corday: No kidding.
    Lawrence Woolsey: You think grown-ups have it all figured out? That's just a hustle, kid. Grown-ups are making it up as they go along, just like you. You remember that, and you'll do fine.
    Ruth Corday: [referring to her transformed husband] He's not a monster, he's a shoe salesmen.
    General Ankrum: Would you let that fit you in a pump?
    Lawrence Woolsey: [describing his movie-making philosophy] A zillion years ago, a guy's living in a cave. He goes out one day, Bam! He gets chased by a mammoth. Now he's scared to death, but he gets away. And when it's all over with, he feels great.
    Gene Loomis: Well, yeah, 'cause he's still living.
    Lawrence Woolsey: Yeah, but he knows he is. And he feels it. So he goes home, back to the cave, the first thing he does, he does a drawing of the mammoth. And he thinks, "People are coming to see this. Let's make it good. Let's make the teeth real long, and the eyes real mean."
    [Animated sequence of roaring woolly mammoth, squashed at end by Woolsey's hand]
    Lawrence Woolsey: Boom! The first monster movie. That's probably why I still do it. You make the teeth as big as you want, then you kill it off, everything's okay, the lights come up...
    Store Clerk: [breaking up fight between Mr. Elroy and another customer over a box of Shredded Wheat] Gentlemen, please!
    Shredded Wheat Man: [grabbing the box] That's my Shredded Wheat!
    Mr. Elroy: Is there any more in back?
    Store Clerk: There's no more Shredded Wheat in back. There's no more Shredded Wheat in the entire Keys, and one of you will have to go to the Atomic Destruction with no damn Shredded Wheat!

## Taglines

* Lawrence Woolsey presents the end of civilization as we know it. Make that... Proudly Presents!
* [from TV spot] Monster movies, the end of civilisation, your first date - some things will always be scary!

## Cast

* John Goodman — Lawrence Woolsey
* Cathy Moriarty — Ruth Corday / Carole
* Simon Fenton — Gene Loomis
* Omri Katz — Stan
* Lisa Jakub — Sandra
* Kellie Martin — Sherry
* Jesse Lee — Dennis Loomis
* Lucinda Jenney — Anne Loomis
* James Villemaire — Harvey Starkweather
* Robert Picardo — Howard, the Theater Manager
* Jesse White — Mr. Spector
* Dick Miller — Herb Denning
* John Sayles — Bob
* David Clennon — Jack
* Lucy Butler — Rhonda
* Belinda Balaski — Stan's Mom
* Naomi Watts — Shopping Cart Starlet

## External links

* Matinee quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* Matinee at Rotten Tomatoes
* Matinee at Mojo