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darkest hour

Brilliant FACES PLACES Among Jonathan’s Favorites Coming to THE NEON!

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Hello Everyone!

We have had a terrific year with many big successes. Our two current attractions are garnering a lot of raves from critics and audiences alike, and I still hear people talking about other films from earlier this year like MAUDIE, THE BIG SICK, FLORIDA PROJECT, THEIR FINEST, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO, and LOVING VINCENT (we still intent to bring this film back for a handful of shows when we can squeeze them in). Thus it might be hard to believe that the best films of the year are still on their way to THE NEON. Among them is a little gem called FACES PLACES. If you’ve been here in the past month, you’ve seen the trailer for this enchanting and uplifting documentary. It will open this Friday and play for just one week! Don’t miss it! On Thursday of next week, we will have preview screenings of THE SHAPE OF WATER (one of the absolute best films of the year – and certain to be a “Best Picture” contender) and DARKEST HOUR (almost certain to win an Oscar for Gary Oldman).

Many folks have been asking lately for my favorites of the year. 4 films immediately come to mind. Films that stood out that I can’t stop thinking about…and can’t wait to see again. FACES PLACES is one of them. The other three haven’t yet played anywhere around us but will soon be on their way – THE SHAPE OF WATER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and A FANTASTIC WOMAN. I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop.

Synopsis for FACES, PLACES: “89-year old Agnes Varda, one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, and acclaimed 33 year-old French photographer and muralist JR teamed up to co-direct this enchanting documentary/road movie. Kindred spirits, Varda and JR share a lifelong passion for images and how they are created, displayed and shared. Together they travel around the villages of France in JR’s photo truck meeting locals, learning their stories and producing epic-size portraits of them. The photos are prominently displayed on houses, barns, storefronts and trains revealing the humanity in their subjects, and themselves. FACES PLACES documents these heart-warming encounters as well as the unlikely, tender friendship they formed along the way.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

If you need gift-giving ideas for the film lover in your life, we’ve got you covered. NEON gift certificates are available at our box office in denominations of $5 and $10. We also just got in a new batch of NEON t-shirts with our slogan “Good To The Last Frame” on the back. Hurry in and get ’em while you can!

We also are helping The Rubi Girls by selling their annual wall calendar. The Rubi Girls are a charity-driven comedic drag troupe in town, and 100% of all calendar sales will go back to The Rubi Girls and the causes they champion. Calendars are $15 each or 2 for $20.

Our FAMILY HOLIDAY FILM SERIES has just one film left. Admission is free for children 12 and under, and general admission is just $2. This Saturday, December 16 at Noon, we’ll wrap up the series with HOME ALONE – can you believe this comedy classic starring Macaulay Culkin is already 27 years old?!? Tickets are first come, first serve – available 45 minutes before the screening.

Mark your calendars and please help spread the word. CHAVELA, a beautiful, award-winning documentary about Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, will have two special screenings in late January. On Saturday and Sunday, January 27 & 28 at Noon, director Daresha Kyi (who grew up in Dayton and graduated from The Miami Valley School) will present her documentary and participate in a Q&A. Ticketing details will be available soon. To learn more about the film, please click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Thanks so much for your continued support.
We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Dec. 12 – Thursday, Dec. 21:

LADY BIRD (R) 1 Hr 33 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 12-14): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Friday (Dec 15): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Saturday (Dec 16): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday (Dec 17): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Monday-Wednesday (Dec 18-20): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Thursday (Dec 21): 3:00, 5:10
FINAL DAY – Dec. 21!

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE… (R) 1 Hr 55 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 12-14): 2:50, 5:15, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (Dec 15 & 16): 12:20, 5:00, 7:30, 9:55
Sunday (Dec 17): 2:20, 5:00, 7:30
Monday-Wednesday (Dec 18-20): 5:00, 7:30
Thursday (Dec 21): 5:00
FINAL DAY – Dec. 21!

FACES, PLACES (PG) 1 Hr 29 Min
Friday-Thursday (Dec 15-21): 3:00
Final Day – Dec. 21!

THE SHAPE OF WATER (R) 1 Hr 59 Min
Thursday (Dec 21): 7:30 – Preview Screening!

DARKEST HOUR (PG-13) 2 Hrs 5 Min
Thursday (Dec 21): 7:40 – Preview Screening!

HOME ALONE (PG) 1 Hr 43 Min
Saturday (Dec 16): Noon

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
Dec. 21 – SHAPE OF WATER
Dec. 21 – DARKEST HOUR
TBD Possibilities – NOVITIATE, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, PHANTOM THREAD,
FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL, A FANTASTIC WOMAN, 

 and the return of LOVING VINCENT

2 Big Hits at THE NEON – LADY BIRD & THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

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Hello Everyone!

The weekend after Thanksgiving is usually pretty soft at the box office…but not for us this year at THE NEON. Many thanks to all of you who have come to support our two big hits! Both LADY BIRD (which is now the best reviewed films ever on the RottenTomatoes site) and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI will stick around for another week! Visit each film’s official site be clicking the links above.  You can watch the trailers here:

 

If you haven’t been to THE NEON after dark in the past several days, you may not have seen that our parking lot has undergone some significant lighting work.  We know you’ll feel even better about parking your car there after sundown.  Many thanks to the City of Dayton and the Convention Center for seeing to these improvements!

If you need gift-giving ideas for the film lover in your life, we’ve got you covered. NEON Gift Certificates are available at our box office in denominations of $5 and $10. We also just got in a new batch of NEON t-shirts with our slogan “Good To The Last Frame” on the back. Hurry in and get ’em while you can!

We also are helping The Rubi Girls by selling their annual wall calendar. The Rubi Girls are a charity-driven comedic drag troupe in town, and 100% of all calendar sales will go back to The Rubi Girls and the causes they champion. Calendars are $15 each or 2 for $20.

Our FAMILY HOLIDAY FILM SERIES was off to a nice start this past weekend, and we still have two more family-friendly films to go. Admission is free for children 12 and under, and general admission is just $2. This Saturday, December 9 at Noon, we’ll watch the holiday classic – MIRACLE ON 34th STREET – starring a young Natalie Wood. On December 16 at Noon, we’ll wrap up the series with HOME ALONE – can you believe this comedy classic starring Macaulay Culkin is already 27 years old?!? Tickets are first come, first serve – available 45 minutes before each screening.

Mark your calendars and please help spread the word. CHAVELA, a beautiful, award-winning documentary about Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, will have two special screenings in late January. On Saturday and Sunday, January 27 & 28 at Noon, director Daresha Kyi (who grew up in Dayton and graduated from The Miami Valley School) will present her documentary and participate in a Q&A. Ticketing details will be available soon. To learn more about the film, please click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Though our two current attractions are much-loved and doing great business, I’m excited even more for films yet to come.  THE SHAPE OF WATER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, FACES PLACES and FANTASTIC WOMAN are favorite films of the year…and they’re still coming down the pike.

Thanks so much for your continued support.
We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Dec. 5 – Thursday, Dec. 14:

LADY BIRD (R) 1 Hr 33 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 5-7): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Friday (Dec 8): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Saturday (Dec 9): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday (Dec 10): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Monday-Thursday (Dec 11-14): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE… (R) 1 Hr 55 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 4-7): 2:50, 5:15, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (Dec 8 & 9): 11:40, 2:15, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55
Sunday (Dec 10): 11:40, 2:15, 4:50, 7:30
Monday-Thursday (Dec 11-14): 2:50, 5:15, 7:40

MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (NR) 1 Hr 37 Min
Saturday (Dec 9): Noon

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
Dec. 22 – SHAPE OF WATER
Dec. 22 – DARKEST HOUR
TBD Possibilities –
FACES PLACES
NOVITIATE
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
PHANTOM THREAD
The Return of LOVING VINCENT

LOVING VINCENT Opens Friday at THE NEON. Big Holiday Films On Horizon!

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Hello Everyone!

We’re moving forward this Friday with a film many of you have expressed great interest in seeing – LOVING VINCENT. This hand oil-painted film is absolutely stunning, but its engagement will be limited (we have 2 spectacular new films that need to open on Nov. 22). Hurry down – everything will have to leave (including FLORIDA PROJECT and GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN – click either title to visit that film’s official site) within the next couple weeks.

Synopsis for LOVING VINCENT: “The man was carrying nothing; his hands clasped to a fresh bullet wound leaking blood from his belly. This was Vincent van Gogh, then a little known artist; now the most famous artist in the world. His tragic death has long been known, what has remained a mystery is how and why he came to be shot. Loving Vincent tells that story.” LOVING VINCENT is told via animated oil paintings – all done by hand. Don’t miss this incredibly gorgeous experience!  To watch the trailer and learn more about the process, Click this LINK to visit the film’s official website.

“The ME/CFR Dayton Support Group is sponsoring a free screening of UNREST to raise awareness about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and resources within the Dayton area for support. When Harvard Ph.D. student Jennifer Brea is struck down by a fever that leaves her bedridden, she sets out on a virtual journey to document her story as she fights a disease that medicine forgot. FREE to the public (movie, parking, popcorn). Donations welcome at the door. This Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3:30.” To reserve your seat via FaceBook, please click this LINK. (details provided by event coordinator Jerry Leggett)

On Wednesday, November 15 at 7:15, The Jewish Community Center of Greater Dayton will host a special screening of the classic Gary Cooper film HIGH NOON at THE NEON. Speaking with the film will be the Pulitzer Prize-winner Glenn Frankel, author of HIGH NOON: THE HOLLYWOOD BLACKLIST AND THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN CLASSIC. Tickets are $9 each and are available via this LINK or by calling Karen at (937)610-1555.

The Dayton Holiday Festival, Mix 107.7 and THE NEON will present the return of the much-loved FAMILY HOLIDAY FILM SERIES. This year, we’ll look at 3 holiday gems over the course of the first three Saturdays in December. Admission is free for children 12 and under, and general admission is just $2. On December 2 at Noon, we’ll watch PRANCER – a film about a little girl who finds one of Santa’s injured reindeer. On December 9 at Noon, we’ll watch the holiday classic – MIRACLE ON 34th STREET – starring a young Natalie Wood. On December 16 at Noon, we’ll wrap up the series with HOME ALONE – this classic starring Macaulay Culkin is already 27 years old! Tickets are first come, first serve – available 45 minutes before each screening.

We’ve got a really strong line-up over the next several weeks.  We are slated to open both LADY BIRD and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI on November 22.  These 2 films are winning praise and Oscar buzz galore.  On December 22, we are slated to open THE SHAPE OF WATER (one of my absolute favorite films of the year with the incredible Sally Hawkins) and DARKEST HOUR.  Somewhere in between these dates, we hope to get to FACES PLACES (another of my favorites of the year – an absolutely charming, insightful and uplifting film) and possibly THE SQUARE.  Stay tuned!

Thanks so much for your continued support.
We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Wednesday, Nov. 8 – Thursday, Nov. 16:

THE FLORIDA PROJECT (R) 1 Hr 51 Min
Wednesday-Thursday (Nov 8 & 9): 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Friday & Saturday (Nov 10 & 11): 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:45
Sunday (Nov 12): 5:30, 7:45
Monday-Thursday (Nov 13-16): 5:10, 7:30

GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 1 Hr 47 Min
Wednesday-Thursday (Nov 8 & 9): 3:00, 5:20, 7:40
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Nov 10 – 12): 12:10, 2:30, 7:20
Monday & Tuesday (Nov 13 & 14): 3:00, 7:20
Wednesday (Nov 15): 3:00
Thursday (Nov 16): 3:00, 7:20

LOVING VINCENT (PG-13) 1 Hr 34 Min
Friday & Saturday (Nov 10 & 11): 12:50, 5:15, 9:40
Sunday (Nov 12): 12:50, 5:15
Monday-Thursday (Nov 13-16): 3:00, 5:15

UNREST (NR) 1 Hr 38 Min
Sunday (Nov 12): 3:30

HIGH NOON (PG) 1 Hr 25 Min + Discussion
Wednesday (Nov 15): 7:15

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
Nov. 22 – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI
Nov. 22 – LADY BIRD
Dec. 22 – SHAPE OF WATER
Dec. 22 – DARKEST HOUR
TBD Possibilities – FACES PLACES, THE SQUARE

 

TIFF 2017 – Day #8

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Hello Everyone,

I’m starting to slow down.  A bit exhausted and a little sore (eyes, butt, etc.), it was time to scale back to four screenings today. Tomorrow will be my last day, and I’ll see even fewer because I have a big event on the books.  Dayton-based producer Karri O’Reilly (who has worked on numerous feature-length films around the world including BLUE CAR and CAROL) has a film premiering tomorrow night – MY DAYS OF MERCY (which shot in Cincinnati) – and she has invited me to be part of the festivities.  You’ll get all the latest before I head out of town on Saturday afternoon.

My first film for today was FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL, directed by Paul McGuigan.  Starring Annette Bening and Jamie Bell, this is the story of movie star Gloria Grahame and the last of her May-December romances.  At first, I found Bening’s accent and whispy delivery a little hard to take, but I eventually accepted it and fell for the chemistry of her and Jamie Bell (who is absolutely darling in this film).  The film has a jumpy structure, and I fear that some of our regulars (who prefer linear storylines) might get a little confused regarding the timeline.  Regardless, I think this is a film that could do well for us – especially if Bening gets an Oscar nomination.

MUDBOUND, directed by Dee Rees (PARIAH), was my second film of the day.  This film will get a very limited release (NYC and LA) and then go straight to streaming service on Netflix…which is too bad – because it works really well on a big screen.  That said, I think it will still be a big award contender this year.  With multiple protagonists/narrators, this is the story of two families in the deep South during World War II.  The racial tensions are heavy, and the stories are so well developed – a white family and a black family are trying to do the best they can for their families as they farm their land and try to encourage their children to excel.  This film, though set 80 years ago, is very timely…and it will break your heart.

DARKEST HOUR, directed by Joe Wright, has a lot of Oscar buzz for Gary Oldman playing Winston Churchill.  This is a film about the weeks leading up to Dunkirk…which has been a very popular theme this year (CHURCHILL, THEIR FINEST, DUNKIRK, and some television too).  This film is very polished and has some really wonderful moments, but I don’t completely agree with the Oscar buzz.  Is it a complete transformation?  Absolutely!  But I think his performance borders on camp – as some of his choices are very hammy and singsongy.  So I’m guessing I’ll be in the minority on this one.

MARROWBONE, directed by Sergio Sanchez (THE ORPHANAGE), was my final film of the day.  This ghost story/thriller is in the vein of THE OTHERS and SIXTH SENSE – but is clearly made for a more tweenage crowd.  It’s the story of a group of kids who lock themselves away from the world after the death of their mother.  With lovely photography and successful moments intended to make your jump, it works on a certain level…but the story too conveniently leaves out important plot points so it can reveal them later – which feels like cheating.  I also felt like some of the revelations were trite while others were genuinely fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FaRYVCZZyo

Only one day of screenings left.  In some respects, those first movies I saw exactly a week ago seem so far away…but it also seems like I just got here yesterday.

I’m going to try and get a good night of sleep so I don’t scare people with bloodshot eyes tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan