History Film / Matinee

->''"Grownups don't know what they're doing either, kid. That's the real hustle."''
-->-- '''Lawrence Woolsey'''

** Mysic/JerryGoldsmith's awesome score includes themes from ''Film/SonOfDracula'', ''Film/ItCameFromOuterSpace'', ''Film/{{Tarantula}}'', ''Winged Death'', ''Film/TheDeadlyMantis'', ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'', and ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon''.

* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Extensive (and oppressive) RealitySubtext for those who remember the UsefulNotes/ColdWar and how close the world came to annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

** Lawrence Woolsey is a ShoutOut to the [[DancingBear Funhouse Horror]] stylings of Creator/WilliamCastle. His personal introduction trailers which feature his cigar and silhouette are a nod to Creator/AlfredHitchcock, who is he is mistaken for earlier.

* MeaningfulName: Harvey Starkweather was named after the spree killer Charles Starkweather.

* MixAndMatchCritters: Bill, the title character of ''MANT!'', mutates into a half-man, half-ant creature after he and an ant are exposed to radiation while he is being by the dentist Dr. Grabow.

* MythologyGag: Creator/RogerCorman and Creator/JoeDante regular Dick Miller were staples of the B-movie of the 50's.

** Lawerence Woolsey is a ShoutOut to the [[DancingBear Funhouse Horror]] stylings of Creator/WilliamCastle. His personal introduction trailers which feature his cigar and silhouette are a nod to Creator/AlfredHitchcock, who is he is mistaken for earlier.

** ''MANT!'' is a completely recreated 50s-style B-Movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2Lbhwl23M Excerpts]] of it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT8hzyE_CRI exist]] online.

* CastingGag: William Schallert, Robert Cornthwaite and Kevin [=McCarthy=], who play three of the actors starring in ''MANT!'', each appeared in 1950s science fiction films.

* ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch: In-universe with Citizens For Decent Entertainment protesting against ''Mant''. [[spoiler: It is, of course, a stunt to drum up publicity.]]

** The ''MANT!'' character General Ankrum is named after the character actor Morris Ankrum.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: The Scientist lectures Bill about how atomic energy is turning him into an ant.
-->'''Scientist:''' And that's not all. You'll grow... ''(tsk tsk)'' get bigger!
-->'''Dentist:''' I'm ''sorry'', Bill!

-->-- '''Scientist''', ''[[ShowWithinAShow MANT!]]''

* BalefulPolymorph:
** Bill.
** The man who got turned into a shopping cart. [[TheyFightCrime He fights crime]].

* BMovie: the film is an {{homage}} to the Creator/WilliamCastle B-Movies with Emergo, Percepto and the like. Goodman plays Woolsey, an {{expy}} of Castle whose previous work was ''Film/TheTingler'' and involved shocking people in their seats. Actors are hired to work the crowd before and during the show.

* DullSurprise: The actors in "MANT!"

* ExcitedShowTitle: "MANT!"

* LaymansTerms: A RunningGag with the scientist, who constantly feels the need to explain mundane terms.

* MeaningfulName: Harvey Starkweather.

* MrExposition: TheProfessor in MANT. Also, the Dentist:
-->'''Dentist:''' X-rays, Carol. A form of radiation. An ant must have bitten Bill when he was getting his teeth x-rayed... Anyway, the ant's saliva must've gotten into Bill's bloodstream and gone straight to his brain -- just as the radiation, ''[[YesButWhatDoesItDo which is measured in units called Röentgens]]'', was released!!

-->'''Dentist''' ''(shrugs)'' "...'''''MANT!"''''' (ScareChord)

-->'''Carol:''' Do you really think these atomic weapons could change Bill back?
-->'''General:''' You like to talk, Doc. You tell her!
* MixAndMatchCritters: Bill aka MANT!

* MythologyGag: Creator/RogerCorman and Creator/JoeDante regular Dick Miller (who also worked with Corman) were staples of the B-movie of the 50's.

* NukeEm: the Generals want to do this to Bill. "Once you let that atomic genie out of its bottle... there's no turning back, gentlemen!"

* TheProfessor: The Scientist in MANT! is a classic embodiment of the trope. He's also the OnlySaneMan.
* RealLifeRelative: In-universe. Woolsey's girlfriend Ruth is Carol in the movie.
* RealitySubtext: In-universe. The film-within-a-film is all about the [[ILoveNuclearPower horrors created]] by nuclear testing. Meanwhile, nuclear war seems imminent.

** The Movie Within A Movie, ''MANT!'' is filled with references to ''Film/TheFly1958'' and ''Film/{{Them}}''.

** The Key West Strand Theater has several vintage posters including ''Confessions of an Opium Eater'' with Creator/VincentPrice and ''Film/WhatEverHappenedToBabyJane''.

** Also ''The Shook Up Shopping Cart''.
* TheSixties: The Cuban Missile Crisis plus cheesy Saturday matinee movies.

* ThinkOfTheChildren: Herb and Bob pretend to be part of the League of Decent Entertainment in order to stir up ticket sales for "MANT!"

* TorchesAndPitchforks: The people in ''MANT!''

* {{Nostalgia}}: Much like Rob Reiner with ''Film/StandByMe'' (set in 1959), you can tell Dante grew up in the period the film is set, as the early '60s are lovingly depicted in one of the few communities in the US (Key West) that still retains a similar vibe.

* MyEyesAreUpHere

* DuelingMovies: TheSandlot, another nostalgic film set in 1962 was released mere months after this one.

'''''Matinee''''' is a 1993 {{Dramedy}} film directed by Creator/JoeDante. Set in Key West, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}} during the [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfTheColdWar Cuban Missile Crisis]], Gene and his little brother Dennis live on the military base with their mother while their father is deployed in the Navy. Amidst the growing paranoia of the impending nuclear destruction, movie producer Lawrence Woolsey (Creator/JohnGoodman) comes to town to premiere his latest creature feature ''[[ShowWithinAShow MANT!]]'' and uses his unique brand of showmanship to play off of people's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2Lbhwl23M fears.]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/matinee.jpg]]

'''''Matinee''''' is a 1993 {{Dramedy}} film directed by Creator/JoeDante. Set in Key West, Florida during the [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfTheColdWar Cuban Missile Crisis]] Gene and his little brother Dennis live on the military base with their mother while their father is deployed in the Navy. Amidst the growing paranoia of the impending nuclear destruction, movie producer Lawrence Woolsey comes to town to premiere his latest creature feature [[ShowWithinAShow "MANT!"]] and uses his unique brand of showmanship to play off of people's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2Lbhwl23M fears.]]

** The Movie Within A Movie, ''MANT!'' is filled with references to ''Film/TheFly1968'' and ''Film/{{Them}}''

** JerryGoldsmith's awesome score includes themes from ''Film/SonOfDracula'', ''Film/ItCameFromOuterSpace'', ''Film/{{Tarantula}}'', ''Winged Death'', ''Film/TheDeadlyMantis'', ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'', and ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon''.

** ''The Shook Up Shopping Cart'' is a parody of the Disney Family Comedies of the time in the vein of ''The Shaggy Dog''. Gene refers to it as "One of those [[Film/TheAbsentMindedProfessor Flying Rubber Professor Movies]]".

[[quoteright:275:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/70912_290_3588.jpg]]

** The Movie Within A Movie, ''MANT!'' is filled with references to ''TheFly'' and ''Film/{{Them}}''

* BMovie: the film is an {{homage}} to the William Castle B-Movies with Emergo, Percepto and the like. Goodman plays Woolsey, an {{expy}} of Castle whose previous work was ''Film/TheTingler'' and involved shocking people in their seats. Actors are hired to work the crowd before and during the show.

** Aside from Lawrence Woolsey being one to William Castle, Harvey Starkweather is one to the teenaged spree murderer ''Charles'' Starkweather, [[ItMakesSenseInContext which makes sense when you think about it]].

** Lawerence Woolsey is a ShoutOut to the [[DancingBear Funhouse Horror]] stylings of William Castle. His personal introduction trailers which feature his cigar and silhouette are a nod to Creator/AlfredHitchcock, who is he is mistaken for earlier.

** ''The Shook Up Shopping Cart'' is a parody of the Disney Family Comedies of the time in the vein of ''The Shaggy Dog''. Gene refers to it as "One of those [[{{Flubber}} Flying Rubber Professor Movies]]".

* CastingGag: Several B-Movie Alumni are cast such as William Schallert and Robert Cornthwaite.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Dante regulars Robert Picardo and Dick Miller as the nervous theater manager and one of the actors hired to "protest" MANT!, respectively.
** [[InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers Kevin McCarthy]] as The General in "MANT!"
** Creator/NaomiWatts and [[Series/EerieIndiana Mr. Radford]] get upstaged by a shopping cart in one of the movies-within-a-movie.

* RealLifeRelative: InUniverse. Woolsey's girlfriend Ruth is Carol in the movie.
* RealitySubtext: The film-within-a-film is all about the [[ILoveNuclearPower horrors created]] by nuclear testing. Meanwhile, nuclear war seems imminent.

* TenMinutesInTheCloset: Or, in this case, 10 Minutes In The Bomb Shelter.

* StandardFemaleGrabArea: Both in MANT! and during Harvey's kidnapping of Ruth and Sherry.
* StandardSnippet: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

'''''Matinee''''' is a 1993 {{Dramedy}} film directed by Creator/JoeDante. Set in Key West, Florida during the [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfTheColdWar Cuban Missile Crisis]] Gene and his little brother Dennis live on the military base with their mother while their father is deployed in the Navy. Amidst the growing paranoia of the impending nuclear destruction, movie producer Lawrence Woosley comes to town to premiere his latest creature feature [[ShowWithinAShow "MANT!"]] and uses his unique brand of showmanship to play off of people's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2Lbhwl23M fears.]]

* [[TenMinutesInTheCloset 10 Minutes In The Bomb Shelter]]

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: The Dentist at the end of ''MANT''.

** DarkerAndEdgier: "Let's put [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily some teeth]] on this thing and make it ''even scarier!"''
* AtomicHate: most folks in the '60s seem to realize that the UsefulNotes/ColdWar is JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope.
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: MANT!

** {{Nostalgia}}: Much like Rob Reiner with ''Film/StandByMe'' (set in 1959), you can tell Dante grew up in the period the film is set, as the early '60s are lovingly depicted in one of the few communities in the US (Key West) that still retains a similar vibe.
* AxCrazy / KnifeNut: Harvey Starkweather.
* BalefulPolymorph: Bill.

* {{Beatnik}}: Sandra (who Gene has a crush on) and her parents even moreso.

** ActorAllusion: The actors who play Herb and Bob are forgotten veteran B-movie actors both in-story and out.

* UsefulNotes/ColdWar: got hot.

* [[{{Delinquents}} Delinquent]]: Harvey Starkweather of the big haired, leather jacket, wallet stealing variety.

* {{Expy}}: Aside from Lawrence Woolsey being one to William Castle, Harvey Starkweather is one to the teenaged spree murderer ''Charles'' Starkweather, [[ItMakesSenseInContext which makes sense when you think about it]].
** Poor Bill. He is ''TWO'' in the ShoutOut section.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Dante regulars Robert Picardo and Dick Miller as the nervous theater manager and one of the actors hired to "protest" MANT!, respectively.

* HonorBeforeReason: Woolsey is willing to pay off Harvey for Sherry's safety when he needed the money for his bill collectors.

* [[ShowWithinAShow Movie Within A Movie]]: MANT! Is a completely recreated 50s-style B-Movie. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2Lbhwl23M Exerpts]] of it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT8hzyE_CRI exist]] online.
** Also "The Shook Up Shopping Cart".

* [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar Nuclear Nightmare]]: Gene has 'em. It is during the Cuban Missile Crisis time period, so it's pretty understandable.

* [[SeeminglyWholesomeFiftiesGirl Seemingly Wholesome Sixties Girl]]: Sherry. Though she makes it clear on she's eager to get racy.

** The Movie Within A Movie, "MANT!" is filled with references to ''TheFly'' and ''Film/{{Them}}''
** MANT!'s {{Tagline}} "Half Man, Half Ant, All Terror!" is a parody of the Tagline from ''Film/RoboCop1987''.

** "The Shook Up Shopping Cart" is a parody of the Disney Family Comedies of the time in the vein of ''The Shaggy Dog''. Gene refers to it as "One of those [[{{Flubber}} Flying Rubber Professor Movies]]".

* StupidEvil: Harvey Starkweather, The Greaser, who also turns out to be a kidnapper.

* StylisticSuck: MANT!, also Harvey's poems and "Shook Up Shopping Cart" (what mercifully little we see of it).

* [[ThoseTwoGuys Those Two]] [[ThoseTwoBadGuys (Bad?) Guys]]: Herb and Bob, who give Harvey a lesson in not assuming.
* TorchesAndPitchforks: The people in "MANT!"
* TouchOfTheMonster: The poster for "MANT!"

-->'''Scientist:''' "And that's not all. You'll grow... ''(tsk tsk)'' get bigger!"
-->'''Dentist:''' "I'm ''sorry'', Bill!
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Sandra recognizes the futility of nuclear drills and paints a grim picture of the effects of radiation. She is also a crusader for social justice, familiar with Gandhi and the plight of Negroes in the United States.
** This is probably thanks to her parents, who seem just a little out of place.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Dante regulars Robert Picardo and Dick Mill as the nervous theater manager and one of the actors hired to "protest" MANT!, respectively.

'''''Matinee''''' is a 1993 {{Dramedy}} film directed by Creator/JoeDante. Set in Key West, Florida during the [[ColdWar Cuban Missile Crisis]] Gene and his little brother Dennis live on the military base with their mother while their father is deployed in the Navy. Amidst the growing paranoia of the impending nuclear destruction, movie producer Lawrence Woosley comes to town to premiere his latest creature feature [[ShowWithinAShow "MANT!"]] and uses his unique brand of showmanship to play off of people's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2Lbhwl23M fears.]]

* AtomicHate: most folks in the '60s seem to realize that the ColdWar is JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope.

* ColdWar: got hot.

* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Extensive (and oppressive) RealitySubtext for those who remember the ColdWar and how close the world came to annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

* [[ColdWar Nuclear Nightmare]]: Gene has 'em. It is during the Cuban Missile Crisis time period, so it's pretty understandable.

** NaomiWatts and [[Series/EerieIndiana Mr. Radford]] get upstaged by a shopping cart in one of the movies-within-a-movie.

* MuggingTheMonster: Harvey vs. Herb and Bob, the "decency" committeemen who turn out to be tough-guy second-string actors on the run from TheHollywoodBlacklist.

* MuggingTheMonster: Harvey vs. Herb and Bob, the "decency" committeemen who turn out to be tough-guy second-string actors on the run from TheHollywoodBlacklist.