In October 1962, in Key West, Gene Loomis and his younger brother, Dennis, live on a military base with their mother Anne while their father is away on a U.S. Navy submarine.  At a local movie theater one afternoon, Gene and Dennis see a promo for an exclusive engagement of producer Lawrence Woolsey’s sensational new horror film, entitled Mant!  Woolsey is scheduled to appear in-person at the theater the following Saturday.  After the boys return home to the base, the Loomis family watches President Kennedy deliver a speech confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.  Meanwhile, arriving in Florida with his actress girlfriend, Ruth Corday, Woolsey finds the fearful atmosphere created by the ongoing crisis as being perfect for hosting Mant!’s premiere.