Tiger Beat Magazine

February 1993

Pages 28 and 29

COME TO A "MATINEE"

Making A Movie Is Harder Work Than You'd Think. "TIGER BEAT" Was Invited To The Set Of The New Film "Matinee" Starring KELLIE MARTIN. Here's An Inside Peek!

Poor Kellie Martin! The star of "Life Goes On", dressed as 'Sherry' in a 60's era dress with an elaborate ribboned 'do, is about to be kidnapped be her "ex-boyfriend Harvey" (actually handsome actor James Villemaire) for the tenth time. James holds a knife to Kellie's throat and while reciting a nonsense line of poetry drags her toward the backstage door of the movie theater where "Matinee's" main action takes place.

Slowly the pair back out, as cameramen, production assistants, and other movie folks hover out of the camera's view. Kellie screams as she and James scuffle down the stairs to the door. Bump, bump, bump . . . James drags her out, the door slams.

The scene looks perfect. "Cut" yells the director. "Do it again." "Matinee" which opens this month, is a coming of age comedy, about a group of teens in 1962, at a time when the world was poised on the edge of nuclear war, and an afternoon of movie mayhem that changes their lives.

It stars Kellie, as flirtatious 'Sherry', former "Eerie Indiana" star Omri Katz as popular kid 'Stan,' and British newcomer Simon Fenton in the pivotal role of 'Gene,' the lonely horror movie buff who brings them all together. Also "Roseanne" star John Goodman plays horror movie maker "Lawrence Woolsey."

"Playing Sherry is fun," says Kellie, when the scene is finally com- pleted to the director's satisfaction (after 12 takes!) and the teenaged cast members of "Matinee" sit down for lunch and a chat with TIGER BEAT. "It's completely different from what I've been doing for the last three years."

"Sherry's just a basic high school tramp," says Kellie with a grin as she munches an apple. "Sherry loves boys, she loves life. Harvey was her first boyfriend and now she's after Stan. She's not dumb, but she wants boys to think she's an airhead."

Out of her pink dress, but still wearing a big bow in her hair, Kellie seems relaxed. "Sherry always wears pink," she says. "I don't even look like myself! It really helps you get into character though."

Kellie's not the only one outfitted in funny looking clothes for the film. Although Omri wears a purple 'Grateful Dead' tie-dyed shirt at lunch, a few mintues before, TIGER BEAT spotted him on the set in a truly ugly pair of pants. "It's weird because I'm pretty used to modern clothing," he says with a shrug. "I've got to wear like, plaid shirts for this."

Despite the old clothes, all of the cast agree that they're thrilled to be a part of "Matinee".

"This has really been fun," says blond, cute Simon, who speaks with a bit of a British accent.

When Simon plays 'Gene', a typical kid in love with the movies, he sounds pure American. "I studied the (American) accent with a dialect coach for two weeks before I got out here," he says.

Kellie and another co-star, 13-year-old Lisa Jakub, who plays rebellious 'Sandra' in "Matinee" giggle and explain if you really want to catch Simon's British accent in full force, you have to call his hotel room early in the morning when he's not quite awake yet!

Despite the long hours on the set, the teenaged cast obviously have become best friends. "Omri and I play tennis a lot. He always beats me but I'm going to beat him before we wrap," says Kellie. "I also bike ride with Lisa."

Has the fun she's had making "Matinee" made Kellie want to leave "Life Goes On" to pursue making movies exclusively? Kellie shakes her head. "To be perfectly honest, I like doing TV better," she says. "You usually only do three takes of a scene. At the most, maybe 10 takes."

However Omri, who began his career on the nighttime drama "Dallas," enjoys making movies and working to get a scene exactly right. "Movies are just more fun to make," he says. "You film so quick for TV. I would do a TV series again, but it would have to be good for my career. Doing this movie is a step up," he says happily.

Before long, the "Matinee" publicist came by to tell the young cast it's time to get back into costume for that afternoon's scene. So the kids sign a few TIGER BEAT T-Shirts, pose for a few pics and thank us for coming by.

Check out "Matinee" playing at a theater near you this month!

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Teen Beat March 1993

Pages 12 and 13

The Teen Beat Times Vol. 16 NO. 1

SNEAK PREVIEW

"MATINEE"

Last May, the folks at Universal Studios called up Teen Beat to invite us to the set of their new movie, "Matinee". Of course, we said we'd be there! Editorial Assistant Jane Checkett grabbed her sunscreen and hopped on the next plane to Orlando, Florida to get the behind-the-sceens scoop and to visit with the teen cast, which includes British babe Simon Fenton, Kellie Martin, Omri Katz, Lisa Jakub, and James Villemaire.

"Matinee" is a dark comedy about a group of friends who spend a day at the movies and learn, in one comically terrifying afternoon, the true meaning of love and friendship. The setting is Key West, Florida in 1962, just at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Gene (Simon) is a lonely teen who absolutely loves horror movies. When Gene's dad, who's in the Navy, is sent on a secret mission, Gene suddenly becomes a hero at school, and everyone wants to be his friend, including Stan, the popular kid (played by Omri); Sherry, the flirt (played by Kellie) who likes Stan at the same time she's dating an older, slightly dangerous boy (played by James); and Sandra, the rebellious smart girl (played by Lisa).

When the famous shock filmaker Lawrence Woolsey (John Good- man of 'Rosanne') comes to town to show his latest creation, 'Mant - Half Man, Half Ant -- All Terror!', Gene becomes obsessed with the movie, and wiles his time away helping Lawrence showcase his horrifying new flick. One Saturday afternoon at a "matinee" of 'Mant', while the world is on the verge of nuclear disaster, Gene and his friends spend a day that will change their lives forever.

LUNCH TIME WITH THE CAST!

When Jane arrived at the set of "Matinee" at Universal Studios, which for that day's scenes was a recreated old-fashioned movie theater, she watched a scene in which Kellie's character, Sherry, is kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, Harvey (James). In this scene, James' character is supposed to be sort of deranged because Sherry broke up with him. While Harvey is dragging Sherry away, he's wearing a half man, half ant costume and reciting some crazy, senseless poetry that he wrote for her. After shooting the scene, the cast met up with Jane for lunch. They had lots to say, so grab some popcorn and tune in!

Teen Beat: You all have to look very 60's for this movie. Whats that like?

KELLIE MARTIN: It's 1962. My hair has a flip and then a poof! I wear really thick eyeliner. I don't look like myself at all. The first day they made me up, I didn't know who it was in the mirror. But it's great because it helps me get into character. And my character always wears pink.

Teen Beat: Is it hard to work in costume?

JAMES VILLEMAIRE: Today it was particularly difficult, but I guess if you're any good you've got to use what happens and work off that.

KELLIE: Like part of his costume fell off and I tripped over it, but it worked for the scene.

Teen Beat: James, your character was reeling off some wacky things in this scene!

JAMES: Yes, this kid is fueled on poetry and I guess, for me, that's his redeeming quality.

KELLIE: It's because he recites poetry that my character, Sherry, thinks he's the greatest. Even when he kidnaps her, she's annoyed and scared, but he's reciting poetry and that's still endearing to her.

Teen Beat: Describe your characters.

JAMES: My character Harvey Starkweather, is a romantic at heart. He loves only one girl. And she keeps him alive -- she's his only hope, so he sets his sights on her. But he can't be delicate -- he's like a bull. Of course, she's going to run away from him.

KELLIE: I play Sherry. She loves boys and she loves life. Harvey is her first boyfriend, but now she's after Stan. This is all during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the only thing I don't like about her is that she doesn't deal with what's going on.

OMRI KATZ: She's basically an airhead! {Laughs}

KELLIE: She just wants people to think she's an airhead because she thinks guys like that. I love her because she's fun and completely different from Becca, who I've been playing for three years {on "Life Goes On"}.

SIMON FENTON: One thing about my character Gene, is he never seems to get involved with people. He's really into himself and quiet. I'm completely the opposite. I'm kind of an outgoing person.

LISA JAKUB: I play Sandra, Gene's girlfriend. She's very strong- willed, the rebel of the group. She protests the bomb and everything else she can think of. She's pretty dark, but she lightens up by the end of the movie. She's very smart, too.

OMRI: My turn? Stan, I guess, is the leader of the guy's group. He's a real happy person. He's open with his friends, but he's got, like, a split personality. On one side he pretends to be really cool, a ladies man. But, when it really comes to it, he's shy.

Teen Beat: In "Matinee," your characters are watching a horror movie. Do any of you like scary flicks?

OMRI: I used to like the Freddy Krueger "Nightmare On Elm Street" movies, stuff like that.

KELLIE: I like suspenseful movies.

After chatting with the cool cast, Jane got a VIP tour of Universal Studios, and was totally psyched to go on "Kongfrontation," the "E.T. Adventure" and the "Funtastic World Of Hanna Barbara". The scariest ride was "Kongfrontation" -- It feels like you're really going to get gobbled up when a huge (but fake, of course!) King Kong swoops down on you as he's wreaking havoc on a replica of New York City! What Great Fun!
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10 STARS READY TO SOAR THIS SEASON

Omri Katz learned acting at the master’s knee. For the last eight seasons, he played J.R. Ewing’s son, John Ross Ewing III, on Dallas opposite veteran actor Larry Hagman. “I worked a lot with Larry and I got to know him the most. He jumps around the set, and he’s very funny”, says the 15-year-old, who got his start doing commercials. Dallas is TV history now, but Katz has found a new town to call home: Eerie, Indiana, NBC’s sitcom about a teenager with an overactive imagination who sees all sorts of horrors in the shady streets of his small town. Maybe J.R. is lurking somewhere in the leafy shadows.