UHD Review Matinee – UHD Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[t1g3r5fan]

Let’s dig into Matinee. Beginning his career working under the legendary Roger Corman, Joe Dante first started editing trailers for New World Pictures before getting his big break as a director with his second film Piranha (1978). Since then, he has made a name for himself with melding humor and 1950’s B-movie aesthetic with films like The Howling (1981), Gremlins (1984), Explorers (1985) and Innerspace (1987). One of his more underrated movies is Matinee, an ode to the B-movies of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Previously released on DVD by Universal and on Blu-ray by Shout Factory (reviewed by HTF’s Todd Erwin here), the latter has given the movie its UHD Blu-ray debut here.



Matinee (1993)



Released: 29 Jan 1993
Rated: PG
Runtime: 99 min




Director: Joe Dante...

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[Todd Erwin]

One of the bizarre notes on the making of the film in John Hora’s interview was how Universal Orlando (when they were still a working film studio) didn’t have a lumber department and the sets had to be built with “leased” lumber, so as soon as they were finished with a set, it was immediately disassembled, which made reshoots virtually impossible.

 

[Wayne Klein]

What a great movie from Dante. A pity that audiences didn't go see it.

 

[Todd Erwin]

What a great movie from Dante. A pity that audiences didn't go see it.

Universal has even admitted they had no idea how to market this film, even though executives at the time really liked it. They basically just dumped the film in theaters with little fanfare in early January.

Another fascinating story was how this was going to be an independent film, but since Dante's offices of Renfield Productions was on the Universal lot, Universal kept advancing them development money while Dante's company waited for their investor to come through with the money. The investor never came though, and Universal had advanced so much money at that point that they went ahead and financed it, I think on the condition that they shoot at their new Orlando studios. This film and Ron Howard's Parenthood were the first major films shot at their Orlando facility, IIRC.