Hello Everyone,

Cate Blanchett & Robert Redford! Need I say more? If you’re like me, you’re already invested! Tomorrow (Oct. 30) we open TRUTH – the new film starring these two incredible actors! (In the coming weeks, I’ll hopefully have more details for you about CAROL – the film with Blanchett I’ve been anticipating for more than a year.) If you still need to see EXPERIMENTER or COMING HOME, you’ll need to hurry. Today is the last day for both of these films at THE NEON. If you need showtimes for today, please visit our website – www.neonmovies.com Showtimes for the upcoming weekend/week are below.

I’ve recently had several people ask me why movies aren’t sticking around longer…customers are wondering why wonderful films (like COMING HOME and PHOENIX and MERU) are leaving after such short runs. Simply put, it almost always means films aren’t performing well. We haven’t had a hit in quite a while, and the independent industry is feeling this across the board. As I write this, distributors are frantically changing their distribution strategies for upcoming films – opening dates are shifting (some forward, some backward), and some titles may disappear entirely from our “Coming Soon” list. These date moves make it all the harder on small venues like THE NEON to effectively market upcoming engagements. I truly appreciate you keeping your eyes on this newsletter (and even our website and facebook) for the latest developments.

Synopsis for TRUTH: “On the morning of September 9, 2004, veteran CBS News producer MARY MAPES (Cate Blanchett) believed she had every reason to feel proud of a broadcast journalism job well done. By the end of the day, Mapes, CBS News, and the venerable CBS News anchor DAN RATHER (Robert Redford) would be under harsh scrutiny. The evening before, 60 Minutes II had aired an investigative report, produced by Mapes and reported on-air by Rather, that purported to reveal new evidence proving that President George W. Bush had possibly shirked his duty during his service as a Texas Air National Guard pilot from 1968 to 1974.” (taken from Sony Classics) Stephen Holden of THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote, “TRUTH is a gripping, beautifully executed journalistic thriller about the events that ended Dan Rather’s career as a CBS anchorman.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Don’t forget that we’ve just opened MEET THE PATELS!
Synopsis for MEET THE PATELS: “A laugh-out-loud real life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an almost-30-year-old Indian-American who enters a love triangle between the woman of his dreams…and his parents. This hilarious and heartwarming film reveals how love is a family affair.” (taken from Alchemy Releasing) VARIETY calls the film “Sharp” and “Riotously funny.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

On Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7:30, Dayton native Tann Moore is bringing a selection of short films to town. “The Dayton Onyx Cinefest (D.O.C.) is a cinefest designed to broaden the horizons of local artists by bringing the culture of film to the African- American arts community and consumers of African-American entertainment in Dayton, Ohio. The fest’s goal is to encourage, educate and enhance the fine-arts related careers of emerging and established local filmmakers of color through a public exhibition and eventual competition program. The desire is to be instrumental in the process of discovering and launching independent films and filmmakers by bringing them to the attention of the public and broader industry. Additionally, attendees will have access to informational seminars and workshops covering a variety of topics including: independent film production, writing for independent film, and will have access to online tutorial programs designed to inform and educate local actors.” Tickets are $20 each and are available via the official site or at THE NEON’s Box Office.

On Sunday, November 15 at 3:00, The Dayton International Peace Museum will have a special screening of SEEKING THE TRUTH IN THE BALKANS. This screening is in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, and tickets will be on a first come first serve basis on the day of the screening for a requested minimum donations of $10. “In the 1990s, the former state of Yugoslavia devolved into chaos as various segments of the country declared independence, inflaming age-old ethnic tensions and the worst genocide to occur in Europe since World War II. During the midst of the conflict, the UN Security Council created the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The ICTY was the first international criminal tribunal since Nuremberg. Now, 23 years later as the ICTY is wrapping up its cases, this prize-winning documentary explores the legacy of this landmark experiment in international law and asks if truth, peace, justice or reconciliation were attained by interviewing over 100 persons most impacted by the decisions of the Tribunal. The trailer for the film can be seen by clicking this LINK.

“Up And Running of Dayton has partnered with Trails in Motion to bring exciting films and documentaries about trail running to the Dayton Area on Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30. All proceeds from this event will go to Girls On The Run of Dayton. Each year, the TRAILS IN MOTION FILM TOUR brings a collection of the finest trail running films to passionate audiences around the world. Trails in Motion strives to present a varied montage of high quality film content from dynamic film makers in this genre, and also aims to develop a global community that brings together like minded trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts in a visual celebration of the sport. All hosted by people who love to share this ‘dirty art’ with their local running communities.” (taken from press notes) Tickets, just $12 each, are available at THE NEON’s box office, at Up And Running stores in Dayton and Troy or via this Speedy Feet LINK.

I’ve already had a handful of requests regarding this year’s holiday film selections. I will announce this year’s line-up in next week’s newsletter!

Thanks for your continued support!
Hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Friday, Oct. 30 – Thursday, Nov. 5:

TRUTH (R) 2 Hr 5 Min
Friday & Saturday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:15
Monday – Thursday: 2:45, 5:15, 7:45

MEET THE PATELS (PG) 1 Hr 18 Min
Friday & Saturday: 1:10, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday: 1:10, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20
Monday – Wednesday: 3:10, 5:15, 7:20
Thursday: 3:10, 5:15

DAYTON ONYX CINEFEST (NR)
Thursday: 7:30

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)
Nov. 6 – LABYRINTH OF LIES
Nov. 13 – SUFFRAGETTE
Nov. 25 – BROOKLYN
TBD – ROOM
Possible Titles: SPOTLIGHT, THE DANISH GIRL, CAROL, TRUMBO, YOUTH

room_poster Hello Everyone.

Today was a rough start. One of the boys at IndieWire threw a little party last night, and I got in very, very late…so getting out of bed at 6:30 was a challenge. But I made it…and managed to squeeze in a nice nap mid day. So everything worked out fine.

First off, I saw THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY, directed by Matthew Brown. This is a film about an Indian mathematician whose theories revolutionized his field…and the his hardships in having them heard due to racial tensions in England. The movie stars Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons, and this is certainly Patel’s most subtle and best role since SLUMDOG. Though I found some material a little hokey, it’s ultimately a solid period piece that will be a crowd-pleaser. (There is not yet a trailer for this film.)

the-man-who-knew-infinity

ROOM, directed by L Abrahamson is fantastic. This is the story of a young woman and her son who are being held captive in a small garden shack. The little boy turns 5 early in the film, and the “Room,” his mother and the man who visits regularly (their captor) are the only things the boy knows of the world. Though they have television, he’s been raised to believe that everything there is make-believe. I had quite a response to this film. My entire body was trembling during the scene when the boy’s mother created a plan for the boy to escape. I haven’t had this type of bodily response to a film in a long, long time. (I’m not going to tell you anything more about the plot. Just trust me…it’s great.)

I SMILE BACK, directed by Adam Salky, was next on the list. Sarah Silverman is getting a lot of praise for this brave, raw performance – and it’s well-deserved. This is the story of a married mother of two who is battling mental illness and substance abuse. It’s a gritty film, and the story is actually simple. Though performances are strong across the board, and I think the film is well done, there was something keeping me from really connecting.

My final film of the day was MISS SHARON JONES!, directed by Barbara Kopple. This documentary is about the legendary singer and her battle with Cancer. Kopple is one of a handful of directors who had a film premiere at the very first Toronto Film Fest (then known as “The Festival of Festivals”) – the film was HARLAN COUNTY, USA, and it went on to win the Academy Award. This film is full of great music and Jones’ soaring spirit. During industry screenings, audience response is quite minimal…this one was followed by a nice round of applause. (I’ll soon be acquiring some Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings music.)

USA - MUSIC - Sharon Jones