Patricia Clarkson

TIFF 2014 – Day #9

September 13, 2014 By Jonathan McNeal

Friday, September 12, 2014

Hello.

Thanks for coming back to check out my last day of screenings at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Even though I didn’t see as many as I have during some years, I had a great time and managed to see 30 films, visit with lots of people in various aspects of the industry, and attend a couple fun parties.

My first film today was Susanne Bier’s A SECOND CHANCE. I was first introduced to Bier’s work at my first TIFF back in 2002. That’s where I saw OPEN HEARTS (her film from the Dogme Movement) and I fell in love…BROTHERS, AFTER THE WEDDING, the Oscar winning IN A BETTER WORLS – all great films. Bier is truly a gifted storyteller, but this new film is just too over-the-top for me. A veteran police officer and his wife are new, proud parents…but when the baby dies in the night of SIDS, the cop decides to swap his dead child with a mistreated baby from an ill-kept apartment to help nurse back his terribly depressed wife. This film is like a more cinematic, 2-hour episode of LAW & ORDER: SVU. Though the craft is there, the story and the script seem too big and even trite at times. Though I was engaged and wanted to see what happened, I was ultimately disappointed. (The lead actor, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is from GAMES OF THRONES. I’m sure there will be added appeal due to his presence.)

I usually only name films that I finish. If I walk out early, I don’t feel a review is warranted. That said, I watched the first 20 minutes of a movie today to kill some time. My plan was to leave early because I needed to get to a different screening. The movie was X + Y, and I was truly engaged (Sally Hawkins is in it, so that adds to the allure). I wish I could have finished it, but I wanted to get to ST. VINCENT in time.

ST. VINCENT is Bill Murray’s most recent film. It’s the story of a grumpy, older man who ends up babysitting his new next door neighbor’s kid when he gets home from school. Murray takes the kid to the race tracks, teaches him to defend himself on the playground and adds a few new colorful words to his vocabulary. Though a little “easy” sometimes, this film is a crowd-pleaser.

My last film of this year’s fest was LEARNING TO DRIVE – a film starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. What a perfect way to end the fest! This is a film about a middle-aged woman who has just been left by her husband. Feeling even more trapped in her life by not being able to pick up and go visit her daughter, she finally takes the driving lessons she needs in order to get a license. Clarkson is luminous in this film, and her chemistry with Kingsley is spectacular. Clarkson attended the Q&A, and she told this audience that this is a film she’s been trying to make for 9 years. It’s touching, it’s very funny, and it’s a liberating film in regards to finding and taking control of yourself. I hope it finds distribution!

After the screening, I met up with a childhood friend who now lives in Buffalo. It’s been 5 years since I saw him last, and it was so great to catch up.

Thanks so much for checking in on my TIFF experience. It’s been a great year, and I’m going to miss this wonderful city.

In the next few days, I’ll try to upload a few photos I took on my phone and come up with a mini-recap.

All the best,

Jonathan

Thriller THE EAST and Several New Events at THE NEON!

June 21, 2013 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

Response has been quite mixed for BEFORE MIDNIGHT. Some of you agree with me and think it’s one of the year’s best films…others think it’s “too chatty and boring.” If you haven’t seen it, we hope you’ll come and decide for yourself. It will stick around for another week. On our other screen, we will open a new thriller called THE EAST.

Be sure to keep a look-out for MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, the contemporary retelling of The Bard’s famous play – directed by Joss Whedon. It could open as soon as next week!

Synopsis for THE EAST: “An elite private intelligence firm contracts ex-FBI agent Sarah Moss to infiltrate a mysterious anarchist collective, The East, suspected to be responsible for attacking major corporations. Sarah goes undercover, but as she gets closer to the action and the organization’s leader, her commitment to her task begins to waver.” (taken from Metacritic.com) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site. This film stars Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page and Patricia Clarkson (one of my all-time favorite actresses).

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“Start Freedom Dayton is at it again – this time with a screening BORN INTO BROTHELS, the 77th Oscar winner for Best Feature Documentary. Come see the movie and stay for the post-screening discussion led by Melinda Haggerty, Ohio’s Director of Children’s Initiatives, the juvenile justice arm of the Office of Mike DeWine. Advance tickets are available at Peace on Fifth for $7.50 (located at 508 E. Fifth Street). Tickets on the day of the show will cost $10 at THE NEON.” (Peace on Fifth press notes.) Born into Brothels is the chronicle of two documentary filmmakers and their time in Sonagchi, Calcutta and the relationships they developed with children of prostitutes who work the city’s notorious red light district.

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On Saturday, July 6, THE NEON will host the premiere of Meladi McNair’s new film THE OMISSION. “Marissa tries to hide from her friends that she is in an unfortunate, yet common situation that afflicts many young adults. A violent, controlling relationship. Three flashbacks paint her birthday bash as the platform for a series of unfortunate events in which five long-time friends learn of her situation, and turn on each other… THE OMISSION, a dark, abuse awareness film debuts at 3 pm on July 6. The film was written and directed by Dayton’s own Meladi McNair; a Journalist and social-conscious author, artist and filmmaker. She is also the author of the anti-bullying book, ‘The Vexing.’ Tickets are $5 each.” (taken from press notes)

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Here’s a note from American Pi, a store just a block from THE NEON: “Victory Film Group and Made in the USA Films present a 90 minute documentary that explores the rise and fall of U.S. manufacturing. Josh Miller sets out on a journey in which he attempts to live off of USA made products for 30 days. Can he do it!? During Josh’s journey he talks with locals to find out if ‘Made in the USA’ really means anything anymore. If not, what does that mean for the future of our country? Come find out when you join us on the MADE IN THE USA: THE 30 DAY JOURNEY. To obtain tickets online, visit the site. Our site says they are $10 but for a they are FREE. TICKETS MUST BE RESERVED via the website, at our location or via phone (click this LINK for the site). FREE price will reflect during checkout. We do have a VIP package so that viewers can get DVD and photos with Josh etc. and that price is $20.” Check out American Pi’s official site.

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“AMU is the story of Kaju, a twenty-one-year-old Indian American woman who returns to India to visit her family and discover the place where she was born. The film takes a dark turn as Kaju stumbles against secrets and lies from her past. A horrifying genocide that took place twenty years ago turns out to hold the key to her mysterious origins.” The India Foundation will present this special screening of AMU on Saturday, July 13 at Noon. Tickets will be $5 each.

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There’s another potential Gathr screening on the horizon. Once again, 50 tickets need to be reserved in order for the screening to be locked down. The movie is BACK TO 1942, and it’s an epic film set during a drought in China’s Henan province in 1942. The tentative screening is scheduled for July 17 at 7:30. Click this LINK to reserve your ticket.

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See you soon!

All the best,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri. June 21 – Thur. June 27:

BEFORE MIDNIGHT (R) 1 Hr 48 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Monday – Wednesday: 3:00, 5:20, 7:45
Thursday: 3:00, 5:20

THE EAST (PG-13) 1 Hr 56 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:15, 7:45

BORN INTO BROTHELS (R) 1 Hr 31 Min
Thursday: 7:30

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.
June 28 – MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
TBD – LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED
July 12 – 20 FEET FROM STARDOM
July 26 – THE WAY WAY BACK
TBD – GINGER AND ROSA
TBD – KON TIKI
TBD – FROM UP ON POPPY HILL
TBD – IN THE HOUSE

CAIRO TIME, A Coen Bros ReMake, and Lots More!

October 28, 2010 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone.

We’re moving things along at THE NEON. If you still need to see NEVER LET ME GO or IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, you only have Thursday (10/28) to catch them with us (www.neonmovies.com). On Friday, we start two new films – A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP – based BLOOD SIMPLE – a Coen Brothers film (which will only play for one week) and CAIRO TIME – starring one of my all-time favorites – Patricia Clarkson (which may only play for one week).

Synopsis for CAIRO TIME: “A married magazine editor falls for one of her husband’s old acquaintances while vacationing in Cairo in this romantic drama from writer/director Ruba Nadda. Juliette (Patricia Clarkson) is a magazine editor who is happily married to Mark (Tom McCamus), a Canadian diplomat. Their kids are all grown up, and they’ve planned a three-week vacation in Cairo together when Mark gets delayed in the Palestinian territories and Juliette is left to navigate the Egyptian capitol alone. In order to ensure his wife’s safety until he arrives, Mark asks his former security officer and longtime friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig) to be her guide though the city. He never imagined that they would fall in love, but the more time Tareq and Juliette spend together the more difficult is becomes for them to deny their intense attraction to one another.” (Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide)

Synopsis for A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP: “Wang is a miserable yet cunning noodle shop owner in a desert town in China. Feeling neglected, Wang’s wife secretly goes out with Li, one of his employees. A timid man, Li reluctantly keeps the gun the landlady bought for ‘killing her husband later’. However, not a single move they make escapes the boss’s notice, and he decides to bribe patrol officer Zhang to kill the illicit couple. It looks like a perfect plan: the affair will come to a cruel but satisfying end… or so he thinks, but the equally wicked Zhang has an agenda of his own that will lead to even more violence.” (Sony Pictures Classics)
This film is based on BLOOD SIMPLE – a film by The Coen Brothers. It was directed by Yimou Zhang – director of RAISE THE RED LANTERN, HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS.

The Living City Film Fest continues next week with a rare 35mm print of a Peter Bogdanovich classic starring Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd! Here are the remaing films in the Jeff Bridges retrospective:
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (sponsored by Chisano Marketing) – Nov. 1 at 7PM
THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (sponsored by Jeff Martin Florist) – Nov. 8 at 7PM
RANCHO DELUXE (sponsored by CityWide Development) – Nov. 15 at 7PM
Single tickets will be $8 each available before each show.

“REVELATION, the award-winning short film by writer/director Will Graver, will have its local premiere Saturday, Oct. 30, at 3:30. The majority of the film was shot on the campus of Wright State University last year and features local talent. In the zombie-filled world of the film, two young people seek shelter on a large college campus where they find a mysterious man living alone in the campus tunnels. Everyone must decide who can be trusted as they struggle to survive the zombie threat.
‘This is a zombie movie with a message,’ said Graver. ‘It’s a social commentary focusing on the importance of human interaction in times of need.’
REVELATION has been an official selection at various film festivals, including Scotland’s Deep Fried Film Festival. It won the award for ‘Best Zombie Film’ at the 2010 Fright Night Film Festival in Louisville, KY.
The premiere will begin at 3:30 p.m. with several locally produced short films. The 28-minute Revelation will be followed by a 15-minute documentary about its production and a Q&A session. The event should last about an hour and a half. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at The Neon box office.” (taken from WSU media release) To watch the trailer for REVELATION, visit http://revelationzombie.com/ .

“In conjunction with a concert taking place at Gilly’s featuring Dave Greer’s Classic Jazz Stompers (the concert takes place on November 12), Cityfolk presents Brigitte Berman’s 1981 documentary on jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke – BIX. Bix was a gifted composer, magnificent cornetist and doomed alcoholic (he died at 28) who battled those demons at a very inopportune time, the prohibition era of bootleg ‘hooch.’ He looms, with Louis Armstrong as one of the two most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s. The movie captures interviews with boyhood friends from his hometown of Davenport, Iowa, and key musical collaborators such as Hoagy Carmichael.” (taken from Cityfolk press notes) This film will screen on Wednesday, November 3 at 7PM. Admission will be free!

On Thursday, November 18 at 8PM, New York director Gary Beeber (a Dayton native) will bring his movie DIRTY MARTINI AND THE NEW BURLESQUE to town – “a feature-length, independent documentary that explores the outrageous world of the performers who created the ‘new burlesque’ scene in New York City. Get to know Miss Dirty Martini and her friends Julie Atlas Muz, World-Famous *BOB*, Bambi the Mermaid, Tigger!, Scotty the Blue Bunny, and many other cult stars. The movie’s seductiveness comes from its sexy acts as well as its dark exploration of the performers’ struggle to pay their bills, quest for stable love relationships and inability to envision the future after burlesque. The relationship between sex work, burlesque and feminism are discussed. As a classically trained dancer, Dirty Martini has struggled since childhood to overcome criticism of her size. Like Bette Midler, she began her career as part of the downtown drag scene where she
was accepted for her talent. She went on to develop her act in the East Village drag clubs where the gay community appreciated her glamour and kitsch.
Dirty Martini redefines female beauty and allows other women, of all shapes and sizes, to feel uninhibited in expressing their raw sexuality.” (taken from press notes) In addition to the documentary, Beeber is also rounding up regional Burlesque stars to put on a show for attendees. More details will be available in the coming days, but for now you can check out a teaser trailer by clicking HERE. Advanced tickets for this event will cost $15 – and will be available this weekend at THE NEON’s box office. Tickets on the day of the show will be $20.

For the past several weeks, many of you have been asking about WAITING FOR SUPERMAN. Please help us spread the word that this important film will begin its run on November 5th.

We hope to see you very soon.

Take care,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for October 29 – November 4:

YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER (R) 98 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:50, 5:10, 7:20
Monday – Thursday: 5:10, 7:20

A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP (R) 95 Minutes
Friday – Thursday: 3:00, 9:30

CAIRO TIME (PG) 90 Minutes
Friday: 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Saturday: 1:00, 5:30, 7:30, 9:40
Sunday: 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Monday: 3:10, 5:20, 9:40
Tuesday: 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Wednesday: 3:10, 5:20
Thursday: 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40

REVELATION (NR)
Saturday: 3:30

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (R) Minutes
Monday: 7:00

BIX (NR) 116 Minutes
Wednesday: 7:00PM