We’ve got a lot of films to get to in the next two weeks…so we’re moving right along. We’re cleaning house this week so we can open THE PROM and BILLIE this weekend…(though THE PROM has a preview screening tonight). These new films are only scheduled for one week because we have MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, THE MIDNIGHT SKY, and the new film from our hometown Oscar-winning directors Julia Reichert & Steve Bognar – 9 TO 5: THE STORY OF A MOVEMENT – all set for next week!
In our Virtual Cinema, we’ve got a lot going on. ENDING DISEASE (a powerful documentary with a local tie) and ANOTHER ROUND (a fantastic Danish narrative starring Mads Mikkelsen) are two new films that start this weekend. ZAPPA, which is wrapping up its in-person engagement, will move to our Virtual Cinema on Friday.
In the past few days, we’ve read several notes about virtual films that our patrons are loving. Mickey wrote, “WOW. Just streamed WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONand it absolutely blew me away. Best movie I’ve streamed from you yet, and one of my favorite movies of the entire year period. If you have an interest in early rock n’ roll, the anti-war movement of Vietnam, women’s rights movement, gay rights movement, the late 60’s, Nixon’s ouster, etc., I can’t recommend this movie enough. Bravo.” And moments later, Corey wrote, “My wife and I rented MODERN PERSUASION through The Neon last night, and we loved it! We had not heard of the film until your newsletter, and my wife loves Jane Austen anyway! So thank you!!!!” And raves about THE DONUT KING have been aplenty. We love hearing your responses to our Virtual Engagements. Please keep ’em coming! Details about these virtual films and more are available on the virtual page of our website.
NEW IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENTS:
Synopsis for THE PROM: “Dee Dee Allen (three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (Tony Award winnerJames Corden) are New York City stage stars with a crisis on their hands: their expensive new Broadway show is a major flop that has suddenly flatlined their careers. Meanwhile, in small-town Indiana, high school student Emma Nolan (newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman) is experiencing a very different kind of heartbreak: despite the support of the high school principal (Keegan-Michael Key), the head of the PTA (Kerry Washington) has banned her from attending the prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa (Ariana DeBose). When Dee Dee and Barry decide that Emma’s predicament is the perfect cause to help resurrect their public images, they hit the road with Angie (Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman) and Trent (Andrew Rannells), another pair of cynical actors looking for a professional lift. But when their self-absorbed celebrity activism unexpectedly backfires, the foursome find their own lives upended as they rally to give Emma a night where she can truly celebrate who she is.” (Netflix). Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
Synopsis for BILLIE: “Billie Holiday had one of the greatest voices of all time and changed the face of American music. She was a woman of breath-taking talent and global popularity while also stirring controversy. She started a notable rebellion singing “Strange Fruit” which exposed the realities of Black life in America and earned her powerful enemies. Raw, emotional and brutally honest, Billie is filled with never-before-heard interviews from musical greats like Charles Mingus, Tony Bennett, Sylvia Syms and Count Basie.” (Greenwich Entertainment) Click the image below to watch the trailer.
NEW ENGAGEMENTS IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA:
Synopsis for ENDING DISEASE: Available Starting Dec. 4. “ENDING DISEASE follows the amazing personal stories of patients from the first generation of FDA approved clinical trials using stem cell and regenerative medicine to attempt to cure the most vexing diseases and conditions known to humanity: Cancer, HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injury, eye disease and more. ENDING DISEASE shows how stem cell and regenerative medicine are fundamentally changing medicine from treatments to cures.” One subject of this film is former Wright State basketball player Ryan Custer seen in the photo below. We truly appreciate the folks at DAYTON DAILY NEWS writing a great story about Custer in Sunday’s paper. If you missed the story, it’s HERE. This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device or via your Roku or AppleTV. For additional information regarding accessibility of the film, please visit this Eventive HELP page. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
Synopsis for ANOTHER ROUND: Available starting Dec. 4! “There’s a theory that we should be born with a small amount of alcohol in our blood, and that modest inebriation opens our minds to the world around us, diminishing our problems and increasing our creativity. Heartened by that theory, Martin and three of his friends, all weary high school teachers, embark on an experiment to maintain a constant level of intoxication throughout the workday. If Churchill won WW2 in a heavy daze of alcohol, who knows what a few drops might do for them and their students? Initial results are positive, and the teachers’ little project turns into a genuine academic study. Both their classes and their results continue to improve, and the group feels alive again! As the units are knocked back, some of the participants see further improvement and others go off the rails. It becomes increasingly clear that while alcohol may have fueled great results in world history, some bold acts carry consequences.” This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device as well as via Chromecast or via an HDMI cable attached to your television. For additional notes regarding connectivity, you can visit the film’s Help Page HERE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
Synopsis for ZAPPA: Available virtually starting Dec. 4. “With unfettered access to the Zappa family trust and all archival footage, ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time. Alex Winter’s assembly features appearances by Frank’s widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank’s musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White and others.” This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device or via your Roku or AppleTV. For additional information regarding accessibility of the film, please visit this Eventive HELP page. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
CONTINUING IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA
Synopsis for WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: “WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION follows a compelling cast of characters as their lives connect and intersect during the rise of the legendary radio station that became both a player in and a platform for the explosive rock ‘n roll counterculture, passionate anti-war movement, and burgeoning civil rights, women’s rights, and gay rights movements…The material includes never before exhibited film shot by Andy Warhol and cinema vérité pioneer Ricky Leacock, images from notable photographers including the late Peter Simon, brother of singer Carly Simon, and Jeff Albertson, as well as aircheck audio from memorable on-air, in-studio moments.” This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device as well as via Chromecast or via an HDMI cable attached to your television. For additional notes regarding connectivity, you can visit the film’s Help Page HERE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
To read more about all the films that are still available in our Virtual Cinema, please visit our WEBSITE. Several films like THE DONUT KING and MONSOON and RECON are still available. Here’s a LINK with a video I made about how Virtual Cinema works.
Wanna know what titles we’re planning in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On Dec. 9, we’ll open a documentary about the very first days of the COVID outbreak in Wuhan – 76 DAYS – it’s really powerful! On December 11, we will offer a WONG KAR WAI RETROSPECTIVE – full of remastered gems including a personal all-time favorite – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. Also on December 11, we’re glad that we can finally bring THE LIBRARY THAT DOLLY BUILT – a film we had planned to play in April before global shutdowns. In January, we’ll have 2 incredible docs…the first is the Sundance winner ACASA MY HOME and the second is a documentary with which we’ll hopefully partner with Veteran and environmental organizations – THE PEOPLE VS. AGENT ORANGE. More titles are on the way…stay tuned!
This holiday season, we’ve had several people ask about gift cards. Gift cards are available at our box office in any denomination during our traditional operating hours. If you’d prefer to mail a check, we can certainly mail a gift card back to you (or its final destination) – just email us at theneon@msn.com for specific instructions. That said, though still the perfect option for the NEON Lover in your life, gift cards are only available for in-person transactions (in-person screenings, concessions, merchandise, etc.). We’ve had a couple people ask about gift cards for Virtual Engagements. Unfortunately, distributors and various platforms handle all monetary transactions for our virtual engagements…processing credit card payments for those films doesn’t go through us. But I have a creative fix! For people who want their loved ones to watch movies through our Virtual Cinema, I’d suggest buying a VISA/MASTERCARD pre-paid gift card and insisting they use it for our films. You could package it with movie candy in a popcorn container and lead them to our site with the correct link. In fact, for a few dollars, we could even help you with the packaging (i.e. see below)…just shoot us an email and we can figure something out. (We also have a handful of t-shirts left…and a limited number of zip-up, fleece hoodies are on the way!)
We just booked two films that have me quite excited. HERSELF is slated for Dec. 30 – one of my absolute favorite films of the year. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, the feature directorial debut of Regina King, is slated for January 8. I’ve not seen it yet, but I’ve heard nothing but great things.
Jonathan McNeal, a graduate of Wright State's Motion Picture Production program, has been managing THE NEON in downtown Dayton since the Fall of 2001. Having grown up in a small town in northeast Ohio, the idea of an independent movie theater that showed hard-to-find films seemed like something that could only be found in a major metropolis. Upon moving to Dayton in the early 1990's, finding THE NEON was a was like finding a new home.
McNeal's film work includes the documentary of Dayton's beloved drag troupe - THE RUBI GIRLS. The doc premiered in San Francisco in 2003 and played across the country and as far away as Australia. The film continues to be played at night clubs and on college campuses as an educational and outreach tool.
McNeal himself has been a part of the performance troupe since 1997.
