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AUSTENLAND Opens at THE NEON + New Event News!

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austenland_xlgHello Everyone,

I’m back from Toronto, and I had a wonderful time. The film culture in Toronto – especially with the addition of the TIFF Bell Lightbox and their year-round programming – is phenomenal. In all, I saw 32 films at this year’s festival (out of 300+ options), and I met some great people. Now it’s back to focusing on Dayton’s film culture! There are some fun announcements below.

This Friday, we will open a new romantic comedy based on the popular novel – AUSTENLAND. On our other screen, we will hold BLUE JASMINE and BLACKFISH for one more week…in addition to an encore screening of The Big Lens Film Festival. For remaining showtimes for this week, visit our official site at www.neonmovies.com.

Synopsis for AUSTENLAND: “Jane Hayes is obsessed with all things Jane Austen. But when she decides to spend her life savings on a trip to a resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect gentleman suddenly become more complicated than she ever could have imagined.” (taken from Sony Pictures Classics) Click HERE to visit the film’s official site.

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Due to the previous SOLD-OUT screenings, WSU’s Annual Big Lens Film Festival is returning to THE NEON for one more night. “The 21st Annual Big Lens Film Festival will play Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 at the THE NEON…Every year, Big Lens screens a selection of the very best short films to come from the Wright State University Motion Picture program, and this year is no different! Ranging from documentary to narrative, these six films cover a wide variety of subjects and emotions. Tickets, just $7 each, are now available at THE NEON. Some films may contain adult content.” (taken from Big Lens press release)

And speaking of film festivals, THE DAYTON LGBT FILM FESTIVAL is heading into its 8th year. The dates are set for October 11-13, and the line-up is fantastic. The committee has been working on this year’s festival since April, and we’re currently in the process of securing guest artists (and getting the website 100% ready). The official site should be ready by the end of the week, but you can visit our Facebook Page to get a glimpse of what’s happening. At the very least, be sure to check out the trailer for REACHING FOR THE MOON – it’s certainly NEON-hit material.

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Thanks for your continued support!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri, Sept. 20 – Thurs, Sept. 26:

BLUE JASMINE (PG-13) 1 Hr 38 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 5:10, 7:20
Monday: 3:10, 7:40
Tuesday: 3:10
Wednesday & Thursday: 3:10, 7:40

BLACKFISH (PG-13) 1 Hr 23 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 3:10, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 5:30

AUSTENLAND (PG-13) 1 Hr 37 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30

THE BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL (NR)
Tuesday: 7:30

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.
Sept. 27 – SALINGER
TBD – THE HUNT
Oct. 4 – ENOUGH SAID
Oct. 11 – THE PATIENCE STONE
Oct. 18 – INEQUALITY FOR ALL
Oct. 25 – WADJDA
Nov. 22- KILL YOUR DARLINGS
Nov. 22 –DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
TBD – CUTIE AND THE BOXER

THE SPECTACULAR NOW Opens & BLUE JASMINE Continues at THE NEON!

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The_Spectacular_Now_4Hello Everyone,

Wow! What an incredible weekend! FilmDayton had some nice crowds over the weekend (their line-up was awesome), and BLUE JASMINE became one of our biggest openings of the year! Many thanks to all of you who came out. We were busy, and it felt great!

If you still need to see THE WAY WAY BACK, you only have a couple more days. In addition, I hope many of you will come down for our special 4-day engagement of IN THE HOUSE – one of my absolute favorite films of the year (only a few people turned out on Monday). Thursday will be the last day for both films, and you can see their schedules on our official site – www.neonmovies.com. While BLUE JASMINE will certainly stick around, we have another hot, new film opening this weekend – THE SPECTACULAR NOW. This film has garnered high praise from The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Variety, Chicago Sun-Times and many more. We hope you’ll support it!

Synopsis for THE SPECTACULAR NOW: “This is the tale of Sutter Keely, a high school senior and effortless charmer, and of how he unexpectedly falls in love with “the good girl” Aimee Finecky. What starts as an unlikely romance, becomes a sharp-eyed, straight-up snapshot of the heady confusion and haunting passion of youth – one that doesn’t look for tidy truths.” (taken from A24) This film stars Shailene Woodley – she played a daughter to George Clooney’s character in THE DESCENDANTS. She’s really wonderful. Click this LINK to visit the official site.

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“James Booker, the ‘Piano Prince of New Orleans,’ is resurrected in Lily Keber’s superb new documentary film – BAYOU MAHARAJA: THE TRAGIC GENIUS OF JAMES BOOKER. The documentary features concert footage, eyewitness accounts of the outrageous Booker in action and reflections from fellow New Orleans musicians Harry Connick Jr., Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Aaron Neville and others. 2013’s most talked-about music documentary, the movie captures the essence of this underappreciated virtuoso. Meet Lily Keber at THE NEON when she introduces her film and leads a Q&A session following the screening.” (taken from VSOP Press Notes) This film will play one time only – Wednesday, September 18 at 7:30. Tickets are already on sale at THE NEON’s box office.

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I’m sad to announce that THE NEON has lost a good friend. Harish Trivedi of The India Foundation passed away earlier this month. He was such a lover of film, and he provided the community with a wealth of knowledge and passion for Indian cinema. He was a great collaborator, and his spirit and drive were infectious. He will be greatly missed.

Unfortunately, Saturday’s screening of SALMA has been cancelled. We hope it will be rescheduled for a future event, but no further details are available at this time.

Thanks for your continued support!

We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri, Aug. 30 – Thurs, Sept. 5:

BLUE JASMINE (PG-13) 1 Hr 38 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30
Monday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15
Tuesday – Thursday: 3:10, 5:20, 7:30

THE SPECTACULAR NOW (R) 1 Hr 35 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:40, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Monday: 12:40, 3:00, 5:15, 7:40
Tuesday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:40

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.
TBD – BLACKFISH
TBD – THE HUNT
Sept. 13 – SALINGER
TBD – THE PATIENCE STONE
TBD – AUSTENLAND
TBD – WADJDA
Oct. 18 – ENOUGH SAID
Oct. 18 – INEQUALITY FOR ALL
TBD – CUTIE AND THE BOXER

BLUE JASMINE, IN THE HOUSE, FilmDAYTON & More Great News at THE NEON!

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pic_giant_081613_SM_Blue-Jasmine-Woody-Allen_Returns_0Hello Everyone,

We’ve got so much happening over the next week…I’m absolutely certain that there is something for everyone at THE NEON! In addition to FilmDayton‘s great line-up (including gems like IN A WORLD, SHORT TERM 12 and REMOTE AREA MEDICAL), we will open one of the most talked about indies of the year – Woody Allen’s BLUE JASMINE (featuring one of the most outstanding performances of Cate Blanchett’s incredible career). And it doesn’t stop there. Next Monday through Thursday, we will bring one of my favorite films of the year – Francois Ozon’s IN THE HOUSE – for a 4-day run!

Next Friday, August 30, we will open a coming of age story that critics and audiences alike are loving – THE SPECTACULAR NOW.

Synopsis for BLUE JASMINE: “After everything in her life falls to pieces, including her marriage to wealthy businessman Hal, elegant New York socialite Jasmine moves into her sister Ginger’s modest apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself back together again.” (taken from Sony Classics) Click THIS LINK to visit the official site.

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Synopsis for IN THE HOUSE: “Sixteen-year-old Claude insinuates himself into the house of fellow high school student, writing about his family in essays that perversely blur the lines between reality and fiction for his jaded literature teacher. Intrigued by this gifted and unusual student, Germain rediscovers his taste for teaching, but the boy’s intrusion sparks a series of uncontrollable events.” This was one of my Top 3 Films at last year’s Toronto Film Festival…it stars Fabrice Luchini and Kristin Scott Thomas. Be sure to check out the trailer below.

house

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The FilmDayton Festival is ready to go! Film screenings will take place at THE NEON, but the festival is about a whole lot more. Check out their complete line-up on their official site.
Films/Events at THE NEON are:
Friday, Aug. 23 at 7:00 – IN A WORLD
Friday, Aug. 23 at 9:00 – FLICK MY CLIP COMEDY SHORTS
Friday, Aug. 23 at 11:00 – FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHT
Saturday, Aug 24 at 11:00am – WYSO SCREENLESS SCREENING
Saturday, Aug 24 at 1:00 – JACK, JULES, ESTHER AND ME
Saturday, Aug 24 at 3:30 – SHORTS BLOCK #1
Saturday, Aug 24 at 6:00 – SUNDOG FESTIVAL (FREE!)
Saturday, Aug 24 at 8:30 – SHORT TERM 12
Sunday, Aug. 25 at 1:00 – SHORTS BLOCK #2
Sunday, Aug 25 at 3:30 – REMOTE AREA MEDICAL
Sunday, Aug 25 at 6:00 – BIG WORDS
Sunday, Aug 25 at 8:00 – FilmDayton AWARDS

As an FYI, Tickets to both screenings of WSU’s BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL are completely sold out!

In next week’s week’s newsletter, I’ll have more details about VSOP’s special screening of BAYOU MAHARAJA: THE TRAGIC GENIUS OF JAMES BOOKER – slated for Wed, Sept. 18 at 7:30.

We’ve got so much going on!
We hope to see you soon!
All the best,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri, Aug. 23 – Thurs, Aug. 29:

BLUE JASMINE (PG-13) 1 Hr 38 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:10, 5:20, 7:30

IN THE HOUSE (R) 1 Hr 45 Min
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 7:45

THE WAY WAY BACK (PG-13) 1 Hr 43 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: NO SCREENINGS
Monday – Thursday: 5:30

THE FILMDAYTON FESTIVAL
Friday: 7:00, 9:00, 11:00
Saturday: 11:00am, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30
Sunday: 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:00

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.
Aug. 30 – THE SPECTACULAR NOW
TBD – THE HUNT
Sept. 13 – SALINGER
Sept. ? – BLACKFISH
TBD – THE PATIENCE STONE
TBD – AUSTENLAND
TBD – WADJDA
Oct. 18 – ENOUGH SAID
Oct. 18 – INEQUALITY FOR ALL
TBD – CUTIE AND THE BOXER

I’M SO EXCITED – Almodovar’s Latest & BIG LENS News at THE NEON!

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PHCaCbRqUQwuGG_1_mHello Everyone,

Tomorrow (Fri, Aug 16), we will open the new film from my favorite director Pedro Almodovar – I’M SO EXCITED. This film is a return to the tone of his earlier work. It’s a sex farce that’s more in the vein of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN than ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, but it’s certainly not without social commentary. Even though Almodovar’s work runs the gamut in regards to stories and themes, you can always tell his work by the incredible design and color palette.

Synopsis for I’M SO EXCITED: “A very varied group of people are in a precarious situation aboard a plane flying to Mexico City. A technical failure (a kind of justifiable negligence, even though it sounds contradictory, but that’s what human actions are) has endangered the lives of the passengers on Peninsula Flight 2549. The pilots, hardened, experienced professionals are striving, along with their colleagues in the Control Center, to find a solution. The flight attendants and the chief steward are atypical, baroque characters who, in the face of danger, try to forget their own personal problems and devote themselves body and soul to the task of making the flight as enjoyable as possible for the passengers, while they wait for a solution. Life in the clouds is as complicated as it is at ground level, and for the same reasons, which could be summarized in two: sex and death.” (taken from Sony Classics) Click this LINK to visit the official site.

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The FilmDayton Festival is ready to kick off next weekend with the opening night film of IN A WORLD! Film screenings will take place at THE NEON, but the festival is about a whole lot more…and it’s scheduled for August 23-25. Check out their line-up on the official site.

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And speaking of FilmDayton, WSU’s Annual Big Lens Film Festival will kick off the festival this year. “The 21st Annual Big Lens Film Festival will premiere on Thursday, August 22nd at the THE NEON…Every year, Big Lens screens a selection of the very best short films to come from the Wright State University Motion Picture program, and this year is no different! Ranging from documentary to narrative, these six films cover a wide variety of subjects and emotions. There will be two screenings shown concurrently, one at 7:30pm and one at 8:00. Following the screenings, there will be a Q&A with the filmmakers, emceed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julia Reichert. Tickets to either screening are $7 each, and are now available at THE NEON. Some films may contain adult content.” (taken from Big Lens press notes)

The India Foundation is also gearing up for another special screening. “When Salma, a young Muslim girl in a south Indian village, was 13 years old, her family locked her up for 25 years, forbidding her to study and forcing her into marriage. During that time, words were Salma’s salvation. She began covertly composing poems on scraps of paper and, through an intricate system, was able to sneak them out of the house, eventually getting them into the hands of a publisher. Against the odds, Salma became the most famous Tamil poet: the first step to discovering her own freedom and challenging the traditions and code of conduct in her village.” The India Foundation Celebrates One Hundred Years of Indian Cinema with this month’s selection – SALMA – the critically acclaimed documentary by Kim Longinotto – Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 12 noon. This is the first public screening in Ohio and outside the festival circuit!

We’ve got so much going on!
We hope to see you soon!

All the best,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri, Aug. 16 – Thurs, Aug. 22:

I’M SO EXCITED (R) 1 Hr 30 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Monday – Wednesday: 3:15, 5:30, 7:45
Thursday: 3:15, 5:30

THE WAY WAY BACK (PG-13) 1 Hr 43 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30
Monday – Wednesday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30
Thursday: 3:00, 5:15

WSU’S BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL (NR)
1 Hr 30 Min + Discussion
Thursday: 7:30 (large auditorium), 8:00 (small auditorium)

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.
8/23 – BLUE JASMINE
8/26-29 – IN THE HOUSE
8/30 – BLACKFISH
TBD – THE HUNT
9/13 – SALINGER
9/? – THE SPECTACULAR NOW
TBD – THE PATIENCE STONE
TBD – AUSTENLAND
TBD – CUTIE AND THE BOXER
10/18 – INEQUALITY FOR NOW
10/18 – ENOUGH SAID
TBD – WADJDA