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A Look At This Year’s Oscar Nominees

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Hello Most Metro!

I love good cinema.  And for all of my college years and days in retail, Oscar season was a time for speculation and preparation for watching (and cheering and jeering) the event on the big night.  But for most of the last 18 years, I have been so consumed with preparing for THE NEON’s Annual Oscar Party, I’ve hardly stopped to think who would win and who would lose.  That is until Dayton Rotary stepped in.  For the last four years, I’ve been asked to give a short presentation regarding the upcoming Academy Awards.  This forces me to reflect on the year’s nominees and to think about who will take home Oscars.  Below are some of my thoughts regarding this year’s big contenders.

Amy Adams – 6th Oscar nomination (5 supporting, 1 lead).

Marina de Tavira – 1st Oscar nomination, lots of accolades in Mexico.

Regina King – 1st Oscar nomination…lots of TV accolades.

Emma Stone – 3rd Oscar nomination…won for LA LA LAND.

Rachel Weisz – 2nd Oscar nomination…it’s been 13 years since nomination for CONSTANT GARDNER.

WHO WILL WIN?  This year’s “Best Supporting Actress” Oscar will almost certainly go to Regina King.  Her performance in IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK is heartbreakingly wonderful.  I recently heard King speaking on NPR’s “On Point” about how she rarely watches her own work…but a friend convinced her she had to see this film on the big screen.  Within the first five minutes, she knew this Barry Jenkins film was something special…and it turns out that I was just a few rows behind her at The Toronto International Film Festival.  (If King doesn’t get it, Adams is a good second bet.)

 

 

Mahershala Ali – 2nd Oscar nomination…won for MOONLIGHT!

Adam Driver – 1st Oscar nomination…has won awards for GIRLS on TV.

Sam Elliot – 1st Oscar nomination EVER.  Hard to Believe!!

Richard E. Grant – 1 Oscar nomination (though years of brilliant work).

Sam Rockwell – 2nd Oscar nomination…won for THREE BILLBOARDS…

WHO WILL WIN?  Mahershala Ali appears to be the favorite at this time, but Sam Elliott could sneak in and get it.  (That said, I’m rooting for Richar E. Grant.)

 

Yalitza Aparicio – 1st Oscar nomination, 1st film role ever!

Glenn Close – 7th Oscar nomination (4 leads, 3 supporting)

Olivia Colman – 1st Oscar nomination (lots of TV accolades and will be the Queen in next season of THE CROWN)

Lady Gaga – 1st Oscar nomination

Melissa McCarthy – 2nd Oscar nomination (1st was for BRIDESMAIDS)

WHO WILL WIN?  It’s Glenn Close’s turn.  The nominations show a diverse canon of work (DANGEROUS LIAISONS, FATAL ATTRACTION, ALBERT NOBBS, WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, THE BIG CHILL)…but the brilliance doesn’t stop there – what about 101 DALMATIANS, PARADISE ROAD and more!  The upset in this category would be Lady Gaga…who does have a lot of fans and support in the business (but I think it would be a posthumous “slap in the face” to Judy Garland – who did not win for her incredible work with this role).

Christian Bale – 4th Oscar nomination…won for THE FIGHTER

Bradley Cooper – 7th Oscar nomination (3 of these nominations are for this film)

Willem Dafoe – 4th Oscar nomination…recent nomination was for last year’s FLORIDA PROJECT, 1st nomination was in 1987 for PLATOON

Rami Malek – 1st Oscar nomination (lots of accolades for TV’s MR. ROBOT)

Viggo Mortensen – 3rd Oscar nomination

 

WHO WILL WIN?  This is a tough one.  Many folks are banking on Christian Bale (think of that range – from EMPIRE OF THE SUN as a kid to THE MACHINIST to BATMAN to Dick Cheney).  The other big contender is Rami Malek – who has garnered a lot of love this award season.  I’m going with Bale.

 

ROMA has one big thing going against it.  Netflix!  Will the Academy be kind to a film that has been released by a company that wants to completely change the way films are consumed by the public?  Netflix knew they had to get this film into cinemas in order for it to get serious Oscar consideration…and we played it at THE NEON because I consider it the best film of the year.  But Netflix rarely wants cinemas to play their films…they want consumers to subscribe to their service.  They are not team players and the integrity of how a film is viewed is low on their list of priorities.  Big corporate profits over artistic integrity seems to be the order of the day…even when filmmakers ask for their films to get more theatrical exposure.  So we’ll see what happens…do members of the Academy care about all of this…or will they base their votes on the power of this film?

THE FAVOURITE divided our audience at THE NEON like no other film this year.  We had people see it numerous times and we had people complain that the film was “pornographic” or “stupid” or “wasn’t funny at all.”  It’s my opinion that this very dark comedy has a lot to say about the lengths people will go to gain power…and it also speaks about the disconnect by many of those in power and the people they represent.  I think it’s a brilliant film (although one with a very grim worldview).

A STAR IS BORN – this is the 4th version of this story.  The 1937 version won a special award for its use of color and also won a “Best Screenplay” Oscar.  The 1954 Cukor version (with Garland) did not win any Oscars (and is the strongest version of this story).  The 1976 version with Streisand won “Best Song”…and this latest version will also win Gaga an Oscar for “Best Song.”

One special note about the other nominees is that Hannah Beachler, a woman who grew up in Centerville and attended Wright State University for Motion Picture Production, is the first ever African American to be nominated for “Best Production Design.”  BLACK PANTHER has broken a lot of barriers this season, and it’s exciting to see Beachler get such wonderful recognition (she’s had an incredible career – working on such wonderful films as FRUITVALE STATION, MOONLIGHT and many more…including Beyonce’s LEMONADE).

A couple quick notes:

It’s hard to believe that this is Spike Lee’s 1st Oscar nomination!

Alfonso Cuaron is nominated for 4 Oscars this year…not only did he write and direct ROMA, he also shot and produced it.  All four of these roles have received recognition.

Foreign films have received a lot more love than usual this year.  In addition to ROMA’s 10 nominations,  COLD WAR received 3 nominations (WARNING…BIG PLUG AHEAD…COLD WAR is currently playing at THE NEON), NEVER LOOK AWAY has two nominations, and BORDER is nominated for “Best Makeup.”  And speaking of foreign films (ANOTHER BIG PLUG), CAPERNAUM, one of my absolute favorites of 2018, opens this Friday at THE NEON.

WHO WILL WIN?  The only way ROMA won’t win this year would be for “political” (aka Netflix) reasons.  I feel pretty confident that it will win regardless.  But if it doesn’t, the Oscar could go to GREEN BOOK – a film that despite some controversy, has received a lot of awards and admiration this season.

Neon Movies on Fifth Street. Photo by Lew Hann

As for our Oscar Screening Party...as always, it’s FREE!  The Academy Awards will be screened in our large auditorium this Sunday, February 24 – and you could win awesome prizes throughout the night…including our grand prize from our friends at Square One Salon & Spa. Ballots are available in our lobby and must be turned in before the first award is presented.  We hope you’ll join us!  We’ll be seating as close as possible to 7:00pm for the pre-show.

Hope to see you soon at THE NEON,

Jonathan

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