Sam Panico
Supposedly, this is a made for TV movie, but there is enough violence and f-bombs that I wonder. Perhaps our friends in Canada are allowed to swear that much. That said - they seem so polite, I kind of doubt it.The movie starts with a movie within a movie (can I say movie again in this sentence) ending with a murder in real life that echoes the movie (I can say it again). And that movie has a scene in it which is a complete ripoff of Kevin Bacon's death in the first Friday the 13th.That tragedy shuts the town and the theater down, My Bloody Valentine-style. Yet when the theater opens up again, people start dying again. And oh hey - say hello to William B. Davis, who the Cigarette Smoking Man from The X-Files, playing a horror director.This is the directorial debut of Richard Martin, son of Laugh-In's Dick Martin. And now you know. That said, of all the Canadian horror I have watched, this was the most boring. So perhaps you should avoid this one.
TheBlueHairedLawyer
9/10, I'll bet you never suspected anyone to rate this film 9/10. It's extremely low-budget, has out-of-date soundtrack and cheap special effects. But that's what I love about it! I'm a big fan of Canadian slasher films, from My Bloody Valentine (filmed in my hometown in 1981), to The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, American Gothic, Prom Night, Black Christmas, The Paper Boy, Happy Birthday to Me... alright, you get the picture.Matinée takes place on the opposite side of Canada from where I am, out in British Columbia. It's your average slasher plot, but still manages to be captivating and original, with some nostalgic soundtrack and great acting, surprising for a low-budget film. My favorite actor, William B. Davis (The Cigarette Smoking Man on the X-Files), was the minor but effective role of Heath Harris, a popular horror director and estranged father of one of the main characters.I understand that there is varying popularity between movies, but Matinée is much better than it's given credit for! Sure it's not perfect by any means, but given what they had to work with I really enjoyed it. The Canadian scenery was beautiful and dreary, perfect for a horror film, and although it definitely didn't scare me, it was entertaining and at times funny, at times creepy, everything I love about these 80's slasher classics.
gavin6942
Two years ago the local movie theater had a horror film festival, during which a local teen was murdered at the same moment and manner as the on screen character. Now another horror movie festival is set to happen, and some people feel history will repeat itself.I was fairly amused with the film starting out with the Kevin Bacon death scene from "Friday the 13th" (though without Bacon himself and the movie renamed "Murder Camp"). This seemed to bode well for how the rest of the film would go.And then, well, the film goes nowhere... we have a few amusing scenes with a guy dancing on a skateboard, and you get to see a blonde, curly mullet and Major Briggs from "Twin Peaks". But, yeah, being made-for-TV it is pretty tame and not the bloody slasher it should be.
lost-in-limbo
This made-for-TV Canadian production was an acceptably entertaining, if predictable whodunit thriller using horror references (posters and images) and backdrop tools (horror movie festival) to suck in genre fans. Well those novelties do amuse. As it is, it holds your interest, but can be plodding and flat with its flabby material covering the conventional basics and having an overly talky script. You got the usual red herrings (the movie geek, weathered cop, seamy newspaper reporter, repressed mother, two rebellious teens and the list goes on
and on) and dramas (forbidden love to lurking secrets) in a more bounded by reality than most stalk and slash items that are screening at the movie festival. However some certain plot aspects seem to be just there or just non-effective (like the police investigation). Everything is done in a subdued manner (from the minor list of off-screen killings to the performances) and drills out a sombre vibe. Disposable performances are passable and there are some recognisable faces in the way of Don S. Davis and William B Davis that add some class. Director Richard Martin slack handling doesn't build much in the way of suspense or etches much style. Despite being steadily well presented (the score is competently suited), it's wooden all round and shows it TV origins.
AD
