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Oscar Winner A FANTASTIC WOMAN Opens Friday at THE NEON!

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Hello Everyone!

I’m very excited that we’re opening one of my absolute favorite films of 2017 this Friday – A FANTASTIC WOMAN. This beautiful film just won the Oscar for “Best Foreign Film,” and A.O. Scott of THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote, “The title of Sebastián Lelio’s new film might seem a bit on the nose. It’s a fantastic movie. Daniela Vega, the star, is fantastic in it…” If you still need to see Sally Potter’s new film THE PARTY, you’ll need to hurry. Thursday will be the last day for it at THE NEON. That said, I, TONYA just keeps on performing well. Though we thought Sunday would be its last day, we will bring it back for one show a day starting this Friday. The darkly funny and chilling THOROUGHBREDS will stick around for one more week.

Synopsis for A FANTASTIC WOMAN: “Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 20 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina’s birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion. The doctors and Orlando’s family don’t trust her. Orlando’s ex-wife forbids her from attending the funeral. And to make matters worse, Orlando’s son threatens to throw Marina out of the flat she shared with Orlando. Marina is a trans woman and for most of Orlando’s family, her sexual identity is an aberration, a perversion.
So Marina struggles for the right to be herself. She battles the very same forces that she has spent a lifetime fighting just to become the woman she is now – a complex, strong, forthright and fantastic woman.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

“Massie Creek Paddlers and Tomfoolery Outdoors present the 13th annual PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL on Thursday, March 22 at 7:30. Since 2006, The Paddling Film Festival has been showcasing the very best paddling films. The World Tour screens in more than 120 cities around the world. Join us for this year’s best paddling films. You’ll be inspired to explore rivers, lakes and oceans, push extremes, embrace the paddling lifestyle and appreciate the wild places.” Tickets are $11 each and are available via this LINK.

On Thursday, March 29 at 7:30, LeKeisha Nicole of Ambition Magazine is hosting a fun, special event at THE NEON. “Ambition Magazine is bringing Welcome Week vibes to Dayton for its 6th anniversary with a screening of Spike Lee’s SCHOOL DAZE in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the movie’s premiere. We’re just going to kick back and enjoy one another as we celebrate both anniversaries with food, friends and even a few vendors with some great products.” (from press release) Tickets are $8 each and available at THE NEON’s box office. You can also get tickets online via this LINK.

On Tuesday, April 3 at 7:30, there will be a one-time special screening of a film from Bosnia. “OUR EVERYDAY LIFE dramatizes the day to day lives of one family in Sarajevo the unsolved political situation and the economic hardships of postwar Bosnia. An entire generation of people in Bosnia, who are now in their forties, lost their youth in war, but today they are offered neither freedom, successful jobs, nor hope in their society. Their lives are stagnant. Appearing in numerous film festivals throughout Europe and North America and winner of many film awards, OUR EVERYDAY LIFE is a must see for people in the Dayton area who seek a clear and authentic understanding of the lives of people today in their sister city, Sarajevo, after the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. The highly acclaimed director, Ines Tanovic, who is from Sarajevo, will attend the screening to discuss the film and answer questions. This screening is made possible with a grant from the Faculty Endowment Board at Wittenberg University and is sponsored by Duh Bosne, a non-profit organization which publishes the bilingual online journal “Spirit of Bosnia / Duh Bosne.” Its mission is to preserve and honor the long-standing traditions of social and civil order that created Bosnia’s noble heritage.” (Keith Doubt) Tickets are $5.50 each and are available at THE NEON’s Box Office.

Dayton & Montgomery Public Health will kick off Minority Health Month at THE NEON on Saturday, April 7 from 10am until 1pm. In addition to providing Free Health Screenings, they will have a FREE screening of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS – starring Oprah Winfrey. Special guest Marsha Bonhart will host a post-screening dialogue about great minority pioneers in the health industry and how we can self-advocate for quality health care. Tickets for the screening will be first come, first served on the morning of the event.

Steve Heman has rented our space to premiere his new work on Sunday, April 8 at 5:00. “The 4th work by local experimental film-maker Steve Heman, WANT YES, NEED NO, is presented as a trailer to a non-existent film. In it, contemporary culture is reimagined in order to provoke an array of questions about our values, our sexual mores, and the nature of evil in our society. His work is best described as contemporary video art with roots in the non-narrative, avant-garde film tradition, combining in equal parts his background in music with his passion for words and imagery both poetic and theatrical. The effect his work produces is a kind of compartmentalization of words, music, and distinct images that willfully defies the conventional subservience of these elements in the narrative film tradition. Admission is free and seating is limited. Please arrive at THE NEON as early as 3:00 to reserve a seat. Also, please be advised this movie contains nudity and aberrant language. Attendees under 17 will be admitted with adult supervision. A Question and Answer Session will follow.” (Steve Heman)

So many of you have asked about Djuna Wahlrab’s film that was shot in Dayton…and we’re happy to announce that it will finally have a public screening on our big screen on Thursday, April 12 at 7:30. “WE’RE DOING FINE, a feature film written and directed by Dayton native and Stivers grad Djuna Wahlrab, is a story about an unlikely friendship between two people from Dayton, OH: one who left and one who stayed. When they first meet, their hometown seems to be all that Gertie and John share. But as each faces the loss of a single parent, they connect, gaining just enough confidence to hear, ‘Just keep going. You’ve got this. You’re doing fine.’ Shot entirely in the Dayton area by fellow Stivers grad Adam Miller and scored by R. Ring’s Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery, WE’RE DOING FINE also features songs by Dayton-origin bands such as Motel Beds, Heartless Bastards, Buffalo Killers, Lou Barlow, Real Lulu, Me Time and The Judy Blooms. Q & A to follow with the filmmakers.” Tickets, just $10 each, are now available at THE NEON’s Box Office. Click the image below to visit the film’s official site.

Thank you for your continued support!
We hope to see you this weekend,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Mar 13 – Thursday, Mar 22:

THOROUGHBREDS (R) 1 Hr 32 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Mar 13-15): 3:15, 5:30, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (March 16 & 17): 12:30, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday (March 18): 12:30, 5:10, 7:20
Monday-Wednesday (March 19-21): 5:20, 7:30
Thursday (March 22): 5:20

THE PARTY (R) 1 Hr 11 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Mar 13-15): 3:30, 5:15, 7:30
FINAL DAY – March 15!

A FANTASTIC WOMAN (R) 1 Hr 44 Min
Friday & Saturday (March 16 & 17): 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Sunday (March 18): 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20
Monday-Thursday (March 19-22): 3:00, 5:20, 7:40

I, TONYA (R) 2 Hrs
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (March 16-18): 2:30
Monday-Thursday (March 19-22): 2:50

PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL (NR) 2 Hrs
Thursday (March 22): 7:30

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
March 30 – THE DEATH OF STALIN
April 6 – ISLE OF DOGS
April 6 – LOVELESS
April 20 – FOXTROT
April 27 – YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
May 18 – RBG
TBD – LEISURE SEEKER

YOUNG KARL MARX, THE INSULT and OSCARS Galore at THE NEON!

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Hello Everyone!

This has been an incredibly strong Oscar Season at THE NEON.  We brought you THE FLORIDA PROJECT, FACES PLACES, LADY BIRD and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI before the holidays.  Then we brought THE SHAPE OF WATER, DARKEST HOUR, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, PHANTOM THREAD, I, TONYA and all the OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS.  It’s been one nominee to next…and Sunday will give us the winners!

We’re squeezing in two films that we initially didn’t think we’d have room to program. On Friday, we’ll open THE INSULT (a brilliant courtroom drama that’s nominated for “Best Foreign Film” at the Academy Awards) and THE YOUNG KARL MARX (for which A.O. Scott of The New York Times just wrote a glowing review). Audiences loved FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL, so we’ll hold it for limited screenings along with I, TONYA for one more week. If you still need to see the ANIMATED or LIVE ACTION OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS, Thursday will be your last chance to catch them at THE NEON!  And don’t forget about our FREE OSCAR PARTY this Sunday (more details below).

Synopsis for THE INSULT: Nominated for “Best Foreign Film” at this year’s Academy Awards! “In today’s Beirut, an insult blown out of proportion finds Tony (Adel Karam), a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser (Kamel El Basha), a Palestinian refugee in court.” A.O. Scott of THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote, “There is something undeniably exhilarating about the film’s honest assessment of the never-ending conflict between decency and cruelty that rages in every nation, neighborhood and heart.” Click THIS LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Synopsis for THE YOUNG KARL MARX: “In the mid-1800s, after decades ofthe scientific and economic marchof the Industrial Revolution has created an age of both new prosperity and new problems, a 26-year-old writer, researcher andradical namedKarl Marx embarks,with his wife Jenny,on the road to exile. In Paris in 1844 they meet young Friedrich Engels, the well-to-do son of a factory owner whose studies and research has exposed the poor wages and worse conditions of the new English working class who operate looms, printing presses and other engines of industry that enrich their owners while punishing laborers. The smooth and sophisticated – but equally revolutionary and radical – Engels brings his research, help and resources to provide Marx with the missing piece to the puzzle that composes his new vision of the world.” A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that the film is, “Both intellectually serious and engagingly free-spirited.”

It’s Almost OSCAR Time! This Sunday, you’re invited to THE NEON’s Annual Oscar Viewing Party! The pre-show begins at 7pm, and we will begin seating as close to 7pm as possible. (The actual Oscar ceremony traditionally begins at 8:30.) Completed ballots (which are now available in our lobby) must be turned in before the first Oscar is given. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PRIZES. You can reserve a spot and your place in line by dropping off your ballot when we open our doors on Sunday, March 4. One Ballot/Reservation Per Person! We’ll have fantastic prizes all night long, and our grand prize will once again be donated by our friends at Square One Salon & Spa with additional prizes from Always Ballroom and James Apesos M.D.

SAVE THE DATE! On March 22, Cliff Fawcett is bringing back the wildly successful PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL (formerly known as THE REEL PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL). This festival of short films that all take place on waterways around the world has garnered quite a following. More details soon!

Thank you for your continued support!
We hope to see you this weekend,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Feb. 27 – Thursday, March 8:

I, TONYA (R) 2 Hrs
Tuesday-Thursday (Feb 27-Mar 1): 5:10
Friday & Saturday (Mar 2 & 3): 11:50, 4:50, 9:40
Sunday (Mar 4):11:50, 4:50
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 5:10

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS: ANIMATION (NR) 1 Hr 23 Min
Tuesday (Feb 27): 3:15, 7:30
Wednesday & Thursday (Feb 28 & Mar 1): 5:20
FINAL DAY – March 1

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS: LIVE ACTION (NR) 1 Hr 39 Min
Tuesday (Feb 27): 5:15
Wednesday & Thursday (Feb 28 & Mar 1): 3:15, 7:30
FINAL DAY – March 1

FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL (R) 1 Hr 45 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Feb 27-Mar 1): 3:00, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (Mar 2 & 3): 2:30, 7:20
Sunday (Mar 4): 2:30
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 3:00, 7:40

THE YOUNG KARL MARX (NR) 1 Hr 58 Min
Friday & Saturday (Mar 2 & 3): 2:10, 7:20, 9:50
Sunday (Mar 4): 2:10, 7:20
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 2:50, 7:50

THE INSULT (NR) 1 Hr 53 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Mar 2-4): 11:40, 4:50
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 5:20

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
March 9 – THE PARTY
March 16 – A FANTASTIC WOMAN
April 6 – ISLE OF DOGS
April 6 – LOVELESS
April 20 – FOXTROT
April 27 – YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
May 18 – RBG
TBD – THE DEATH OF STALIN
TBD – LEISURE SEEKER

TIFF 2017 – Day #6

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Hello Everyone,

Today was a busy day.  I considered seeing 6 films, but I was backed up with NEON obligations (the weekly newsletter, emails, etc.), so I only saw 5…and then met a friend for a quick drink at a little gay industry soiree.  (I’m exhausted.)

My first film of the day was THE WIFE, directed Bjorn Runge and starring Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce.  This film opens with a husband and wife preparing for bed and awaiting big news.  Within the first few minutes, we find out that he has just been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the couple are off to Stockholm to receive the award.  Close’s reactions seem supportive but with reservation.  It’s clear that something more is simmering under the surface.  Though well done, this film is pretty simple. The handful of flashback scenes almost do the film a disservice – as they aren’t particularly well done (and performances don’t live up to Close’s).  I think this film will find an audience, but its slow pace and somber tone will mean a limited reception.

I, TONYA, directed by Craig Gillespie, was my second film of the day.  This film is based on actual interviews about Tonya Harding and the assault of Nancy Kerrigan.  The film is a mix of colorful characters, and on the surface it seems like fun.  That said, there are moments when characters break the fourth wall…and those moments made me feel that they were making light of the domestic violence in the film – and that was hard to stomach.  Overall, it’s a good film with an absolute standout performance by one of Dayton’s own – Allison Janney (people are buzzing about a supporting Oscar nomination).  I think many people will love this film, but I have some major reservations.  The film made headlines a couple days ago when  it got picked up for distributional after a festival screening.

BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE), a narrative feature about ACT UP PARIS, directed by Robin Campillo, was my third film of the day.  This tender and engaging film about a group of activists during the height of the AIDS epidemic had me rather emotional.  There tactics were rather non-traditional and a bit aggressive, but they were clearly responsible for the government taking notice.  Though there are a couple narrative arcs in the story, it’s the one about the young couple (one positive and the other negative) that will break your heart.

A much-hyped film that made its premiere at Sundance – THE DISASTER ARTIST, directed by James Franco – was my next to last film of the day.  This film is about the making of THE ROOM – a film that is regarded as one of the worst films ever made.  Franco plays Tommy Wiseau – the director of the terrible film…and his brother James plays Greg Sister – Wiseau’s friend, co-star and collaborator.  This movie works without knowing anything about the film on which it is based…but it helps.  Franco’s performance seems so weird and out-of-control – but it’s truly based on a terribly odd man.  This film is destined for cult status – much like THE ROOM itself.

My final film of the day was a documentary called SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD, directed by Matt Tyrnauer.  This is the story of a former Marine who opened a gas station in L.A. and catered to the sexual desires (either by himself or by finding and providing specific requests) of numerous Hollywood legends from the late 40’s to early 80’s.   Based in part on Scotty Bowers’ tell-all book about his time and clients at the gas station, this films starts off like a gossipy recount.  But then it turns into so much more.  Unapologetic and full of stories, Scotty is quite a character and the film is both hysterical and terribly sad.

I have 5 films slated for tomorrow, too.

Thanks for reading!

Jonathan