Cast and Crew:   Jerry Goldsmith (Original Music); Cathy Moriarty, Lisa Jakub, Kellie Martin, Robert Picardo, John Sayles, Belinda Balaski, Naomi Watts, Kevin McCarthy

What It’s About: At the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, matinée film producer Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman) comes to a Key West town with his latest horror opus Mant about, what else, a half-man, half-ant.  Young horror film junkie Gene Loomis (Simon Fenton), who is dealing with the Missile Crisis hysteria, adolescent crushes, and a dad who’s in the Navy, can’t wait to see the film.

Why Watch it Today?: John Goodman’s Woolsey is clearly modeled on the great matinée filmmaker/showman William Castle, who died today in 1977.  The film is a tribute to the times of director Joe Dante’s youth, from Woolsey to the Cold War hysteria, to the many references to the horror/sci-fi films of the 1950s and 1960s, but Goodman’s version of Castle as a small-time big-dreamer with a heart of gold and advice for Gene steals the show. 

Where to Get It:  iTunes, Netflix or Amazon