Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Matinee 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Joe Dante's Matinee (1993) has been written about on our site by myself and my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov. Svet covered French label Carlotta Films' BD-50 release thirteen years ago while I reviewed Shout Select's "Collector's Edition" in 2018. To read our thoughts on the film and its Blu-ray presentations, please refer to the linked reviews above.

"Mant" and the producer/director.

Matinee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout Select's recent release of Matinee arrives in a two-disc 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray "Collector's Edition" that comes with a slipcover for the retail version. (My screener lacked a slipcover.) The UHD is presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). Director Joe Dante supervised and approved a 4K restoration from the original camera negative. This 4K scan served as the basis for each disc's transfer. We did not review Arrow Video UK's Blu-ray/DVD combo from 2016. I have Arrow's booklet, which states that an HD master was provided to London-based Hollywood Classics courtesy of NBC Universal. I believe that Shout's 2018 transfer is struck from the same master (possibly a 2K interpositive).

Before delving into the particulars of the new transfer, it is important to note first that Matinee has had at least two aspect ratios as part of its production, exhibition in theaters, and on home video. While MCA/Universal's VHS and the CLV LaserDisc were displayed in 1.33:1, there was another LD presented in 1.66:1. In a rectangular box on the rear of the "Letterboxed Edition" LD jacket, it says in small print that 1.66:1 is the AR on the "original camera negatives." This signifies that Matinee was likely shot in 1.66. The text in the box also states that 1.85:1 was the AR on the original theatrical prints. So, in other words, it was matted in that spherical ratio when projected. MCA/Universal misprints that the LD presentation is 1.85 when in fact it is 1.66. What likely happened in theaters was that portions of the top and bottom were masked while the sides were "opened up."

I have assembled a graphical comparison showing ten screen captures from the LD and a corresponding shot from the UHD, along with five identical frame matches from the Blu-ray towards the bottom of the Screenshots tab. While the framing differences are not overly significant in my sampling, you will notice a bit more info at the top and bottom that the 1.66 allows. The 1.85 adds more to the sides. Note: Image Entertainment reissued the 1.66 transfer on DVD in 1998 but incorrectly stated that ratio was shown on the 35 mm theatrical prints when in fact it was 1.85.

In one of the several 2017 interviews recycled on the Blu-ray, cinematographer John Hora remembers Dante overseeing the film to video transfer shortly after post-production was completed. So Dante was involved with the first video master for the home market back in '93 and this recent transfer, too. Daytime scenes (both exteriors and interiors) are quite bright on the UHD as they were on the LD. For example, you can see either natural or artificial light on Sherry's (Kellie Martin) hair while she applies Halloween decorations to a board in the school hallway (see Screenshot #s 32 and 34). There are a few scenes on the 4K where I think it's overly bright. For instance, the scene where Stan (Omri Katz) and one of his friends, played by George Carson, are talking in the cafeteria shows some brightness boosting and added warmth (compare #38 with #40).

Shout continues its recent outstanding track record for delivering rock-solid hues and rich color saturation. The Dolby Vision and HDR don't really begin to "pop" until twelve minutes in when B film producer/director Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman) and his leading lady, Ruth Corday (Cathy Moriarty), are at a gas station outside Cocoa Beach (see screen capture #5). Clarity and contrast show a generation gap in quality between the LD and UHD. For example, the viewer can't really read the titles on the posters in Dennis Loomis's (Jesse Lee) bedroom in LD frame grab #22. However, The Crawling Eye and Killers from Space are considerably more visible in #23. In addition, the scene where Mrs. Loomis (Lucinda Jenney) crosses the street to get Dennis is rendered as a proper deep focus shot in UHD frame grab #19 compared to LD frame grab #18, which makes it appear it was lensed with shallow focus (the right half of the shot is blurrier). The 4K transfer has really only one noticeable artifact. See the fleck on the chin of a male shopper in the middle of Screenshot #21.

In addition to a viewing of the UHD in my home theater, I also scrutinized the transfer on a 4K monitor with HDR. A filmic texture is consistently present throughout each shot for the full runtime. The most conspicuous levels of gradient detail stand out in two scenes on the UHD. For example, in the aforementioned scene in Dennis's bedroom where older brother Gene (Simon Fenton) enters, grain thickens, which is accented by the dim light. Ditto for the scene where Mrs. Loomis watches a home movie (projected in 16 mm) of her husband and one of her sons. You can at least partially spot some coarse grain in her reaction shot to the footage while Gene watches in the background (see Screenshot #6).

The feature carries average video bitrates of 82.2 Mbps on the Dolby Vision encode and HDR10 base layer. The UHD sports an overall bitrate of 95.9 Mbps. The BD-50 boasts a mean bitrate of 31002 kbps.

Screenshot #s 1-15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, & 40 = Shout Select 2024 4K Ultra HD BD-100 (1.85:1) (downscaled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 16, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 29, 32, 35, & 38 = MCA/Universal Home Video 1993 LaserDisc Letterboxed Edition (1.66:1)
Screenshot #s 27, 30, 33, 36, & 39 = Shout Select 2024 4K-scanned Blu-ray BD-50 (1.85:1)

For screen captures of the Carlotta Films' transfer, please click here. For my grabs of Shout's 2018 transfer, please click here.

Scream's standard twelve chapter selections are available for accessing scenes on both discs.

Matinee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream has supplied three audio options: a new Dolby Atmos mix (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), a previously issued DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround mix (3893 kbps, 24-bit), and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo track (2002 kbps, 24-bit). The Atmos track averages a bitrate of 3898 kbps and reaches a maximum bitrate of 5841 kbps. The Atmos mix is very good, although it doesn't deliver a lot of distinct objects in the back until the third act when patrons gather to watch Mant! in the Strand Theater. Up until that point in the film, military helicopters and jets flying over Smathers Beach create the most overhead sounds. Woolsey's "Rumble-Rama" produces a significant amount of bass and .LFE in the front of the sound stage.

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix that Shout made more than six years ago is the only 5.1 surround track on all the releases of Matinee. I discuss its sonic properties in my prior review.

Matinee was presented with both a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (e.g., in Los Angeles area cineplexes) and a matrixed two-channel Dolby Surround Stereo mix in various theaters throughout the US in 1993. I compared its presentation on my LaserDisc copy with the 2.0 option on the Shout discs. The PCM Stereo mix on the LD has excellent treble and strong fidelity. Music and ambience are frequently omnipresent on both front and back speakers. Bass is most prevalent during Rumble-Rama moments. Shout's 2.0 track sounds like it possibly underwent DRC and could be a downmix of the 5.1. Goodman's voice in the excerpted Mant! trailer sounds muffled compared to the LD where it's pretty crisp. Music and effects only occasionally stand out on the satellite speakers where they are audible semi-often. The LD clearly has a more robust track compared to Shout's 2.0, which sounds more compressed.

Jerry Goldsmith's ingenious score sounds warm and sometimes dramatic on the Atmos, 5.1, and LD stereo tracks. According to John Takis in the liner notes for Intrada's expanded soundtrack album, the original score was recorded by Bruce Botnick at The Hit Factory in London utilizing the Sony 3348 format digital recording system. Botnick made three-channel digital stereo mixes for the film.

Goldsmith re-recorded Max Steiner's "Theme from A Summer Place (1959)," which is reappropriated to underscore the boys' romantic yearnings for Sherry. (Goldsmith also composed his own cue for her character that's stylistically patterned after Steiner's theme.) Goldsmith was relieved that he did not have to compose special music for Mant!, which editor Marshall Harvey mentions in an archival interview. According to Takis, Dick Jacobs made a compilation of selected excerpts from various scores to sci-fi/monster films in 1959 that Dante later interspersed into Mant!. Takis found selections by William Lava (The Deadly Mantis), Henry Mancini (Tarantula), Hans J. Salter (Son of Dracula), and Herman Stein (It Came From Outer Space).

Optional English SDH are available for the feature on both discs.

Matinee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shout has ported over most, but not all, of the bonus features from its 2018 CE. The most significant omission is Matinee's "companion" film, the 17-minute Mant!. Also missing are Joe Dante's introductory comments to that featurette and the full trailer for Mant!. The latter is not on Shout's maiden Blu-ray, but is included on the Carlotta BD. (Both Mant! and its trailer originally appeared on Side Three of Matinee's letterboxed LaserDisc in CAV format. Those two extras were not included on the film's separate 1.33:1 LD edition.) Blu-ray.com member Vic Arpeggio asked Justin Beahm of Reverend Entertainment on his Instagram page why Mant! was excluded on Shout's new release. Beahm replied that a "rights issue" prevented its inclusion. Furthermore, Shout's old Blu-ray had Universal's SD trailer for Matinee but that's been left off here, too. New extras that Shout has recorded include a full-length commentary track with two film critics and interviews with two of the actors not interviewed for the '18 CE.

DISC ONE: 4K UHD

• NEW Audio Commentary with Film Critics Drew McWeeny and Eric Vespe - this feature-length track features McWeeny and Vespe in a pretty engaging chat about Matinee and Dante's work in general. One was a tour guide at Universal Florida during Matinee's original theatrical run and the other attended an anniversary screening for the movie last year at the Overlook Film Festival. There are very few gaps. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with Film Critics Drew McWeeny and Eric Vespe - this feature-length track features McWeeny and Vespe in a pretty engaging chat about Matinee and Dante's work in general. One was a tour guide at Universal Florida during Matinee's original theatrical run and the other attended an anniversary screening for the movie last year at the Overlook Film Festival. There are very few gaps. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Florida Daydream – Interview with Actress Kellie Martin (10:39, 1080p) - Martin recalls the audition process for Matinee while she was acting on the drama series, Life Goes On. Martin explains how she approached her role of Sherry. She remembers the pointers Dante gave her and offers recollections of acting with her friend Lisa Jakub and Simon Fenton. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Cold War Thing – Interview with Actor David Clennon (13:14, 1080p) - the veteran stage and screen actor opens by remembering a play he appeared in with Robert Picardo around the time of Matinee's production. Clennon recalls working with Dante, describing his personality traits and working method. He also reminisces about acting with Lisa Jakub, John Sayles, and Dick Miller. In English, not subtitled.

• Master of the Matinee – An Interview with Director Joe Dante (20:29, 1080p) - Dante goes into the writing process of Matinee, which dates back to when it was in development at Warner Bros. He describes the story and script ideas that Jerico Stone, Ed Naha, and Charles Haas brought to the project. Dante recollects the involvement and performances of John Sayles, Dick Miller, and Robert Picardo in the picture. This 2017 interviews repeats information from the 2011 interview preserved on this disc but adds new details. In English, not subtitled.

• The Leading Lady – An Interview with Cathy Moriarty (12:02, 1080p) - Moriarty describes Dante's personality and his directorial style. She recalls working with the teen actors and their parents on set. Moriarty has particular fondness for John Goodman and producer Michael Finnell. In English, not subtitled.

• MANTastic! The Making of a Mant (25:11, 1080p) - Mant/ant designer Jim McPherson delves into the creation and formation of the creature, miniature sets the crew used to film, Dante's creative ideas for Mant, and various "creature features" that inspired it. McPherson also does some show and tell with the ant sculpture as his display demo. We also hear from actor Mark McCracken, who plays Bill and Mant. He speaks about working with Rick Baker and acting in the Mant outfit. Both interviews are in English, not subtitled.

• Out of the Bunker – An Interview with Actress Lisa Jakub (16:17, 1080p) - the retired Canadian actress professes her love of Innerspace, which she wore out on VHS. Jakub describes Dante's style and cinematic worldview. She also gives a profile of her character of Sandra and tells of the research she did while making Matinee. Jakub also talks about her friendship with Kellie Martin and her acting memories with Simon Fenton. She also explains how acting helped prepare her for a career in writing. Jakub is a very good interviewee. In English, not subtitled.

• Making a Monster Theatre – An Interview with Production Designer Steven Legler (15:35, 1080p) - Legler starts out talking about his start in Hollywood with The Howling (1981) and then describes in considerable detail the sets constructed for Matinee. He also explains the research base he worked from while preparing to design the sets. In English, not subtitled.

• The Monster Mix – An Interview with Editor Marshall Harvey (11:39, 1080p) - Harvey reminisces about the period Matinee portrays and connects it to his adolescent memories. He also offers some anecdotes about filming in Florida, including scenes shot for Mant!. Harvey addresses the continuity challenges of integrating Mant! into Matinee. In English, not subtitled.

• Lights! Camera! Reunion! – An Interview with Director of Photography John Hora (21:13, 1080p) - Dante's frequent DP delivers a highly detailed, technical-heavy interview about filming Matinee. He describes all the filming locales in Florida and resource challenges that the production faced. Hora also describes the Disney-parodied CinemaScope film shown in Matinee. He also spends part of the interview explaining how he filmed Mant!. In English, not subtitled.

• Paranoia in Ant Vision – Joe Dante Discusses the Making of the Film (32:37, 1080p) - this video interview with Dante was conducted by Michael Henry Wilson. It was produced by Allerton Films and initially released in 2011 on Carlotta Films' BD-50. Dante discusses the writers who worked on different drafts of the script for Matinee and autobiographical items that show up in the picture. He also talks about Fifties movies he grew up watching as well as creature features that served as as both inspiration and influence. He additionally describes his admiration for Jack Arnold and William Castle. Dante also discusses Simon Fenton and Naomi Watts. The interview is in English, not subtitled.

• Vintage Making of Featurette (4:27, 480i) - Universal's EPK featurette for Matinee, which contains some behind-the- scenes footage. Interview snippets are shown of Dante, Clennon, and Moriarty. Presented in 1.33:1. In English, not subtitled.

• Behind-the-Scenes Footage Courtesy of Joe Dante (8:22, 480i) - great footage of Dante directing his actors on set and on location for scenes in both Mant! and Matinee. Spoken words are all in English, not subtitled.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes Sourced from Joe Dante's Workprint (2:21, upconverted to 1080p) - four brief deleted/extended scenes from Dante's workprint of Matinee. They appear in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors look fine, but print artifacts have not been expunged. In English, not subtitled.

• Still Gallery (4:03, 1080p) - a slide show containing a variety of photos depicting the making of Matinee. These include conceptual drawings and pictures of the Mant creature, crew members working on the sets, and the Strand Theater.

Matinee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Matinee is Joe Dante's most personal film and the best reviewed work in a storied career that's largely been underrated. Shout Select's 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo is a terrific set that's unfortunately missing Mant! and some minor extras found on other releases. Shout's 4K transfer on the UHD is a major upgrade over the HD transfer located on various Blu-rays in the 2010s. There are a couple scenes where it appears a bit too bright compared to the enclosed Blu-ray, which I will probably re-watch as well, as well as earlier releases. The presentation on the UHD is still by far the best the movie has looked since its relatively brief theatrical run. It would have been extra special had Shout also included a remaster of the 1.66:1 presentation, although that would have required an extra disc. (Shout released a number of Hammer titles in both 1.85:1 and 1.66:1 some years ago.) The new Dolby Atmos mix is quite good. Those who have speakers mounted on their ceilings toward the front of their home theaters should feel the effects of Rumble-Rama. The height channels in the back are occasionally used. I much prefer the Atmos and 5.1 tracks over Shout's 2.0, which pales in comparison to the stereo mix on the LD. The new commentary track is an engaging listen. The two recent interviews are fairly brief but still very good. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.