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BIRDMAN (with Amazing Cast & Stellar Reviews) Opens Friday at THE NEON!

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hr_Birdman_1Hello Everyone,

Audiences are loving all three of our current attractions, but if you still need to see PRIDE or MY OLD LADY, you’ll need to move quickly. PRIDE will screen for the last time tonight (Wednesday) and MY OLD LADY will screen for the last time on Thursday afternoon. ST. VINCENT is sticking around. If you need a refresher about any of our current films, please visit our website at www.neonmovies.com

On Friday, we’re excited to open BIRDMAN – a film by the brilliant Mexican director Alejandro G. Inarritu, director of AMORES PERROS, 21 GRAMS, BABEL and BIUTIFUL. This new film, which has garnered 100% reviews from some of today’s most esteemed critics, has also garnered a lot of great press for the lead performance by Michael Keaton.

Synopsis for BIRDMAN or (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE): “BIRDMAN is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. ” Also starring Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts. Click on this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

VSOP Music & Film is bringing HARLEM STREET SINGER – THE STORY OF REVEREND GARY DAVIS to THE NEON for a one-time screening on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30. “The film tells the story of the blind, self-taught musician Reverend Gary Davis. It chronicles his hardscrabble life and the profound impact he made on musicians eager to explore his technique – a homegrown guitar style forged from ragtime, gospel and blues. In addition to archival footage and interview segments with Bob Weir, Jorma Kaukonen, John Cohen, David Bromberg, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and others, the film features newly recorded versions of songs Davis was closely identified with performed by a band led by Woody Mann. Blues and jazz historian (and frontman for the Classic Jazz Stompers) Dave Greer will lead a Q&A following the screeing.” (taken from VSOP Press Notes) Tickets will be $8 each and available starting Oct. 22 at THE NEON’s box office.

Next week, I’ll announce our line-up for the Annual Family Holiday Film Series – presented by The Dayton Holiday Festival & The Downtown Dayton Partnership. Films will screen at Noon on December 6, 13, & 20 – and the price is absolutely amazing. Stay tuned!

Thanks so much for your continued support!

We hope to see you soon,

Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Friday, Nov. 7 – Thursday, Nov. 13:

BIRDMAN (R) 1 Hr 59 Min
Friday & Saturday: 11:50, 2:15, 4:45, 7:15, 9:45
Sunday:11:50, 2:15, 4:45, 7:15
Monday – Thursday: 2:45, 5:15, 7:45

ST. VINCENT (PG-13) 1 Hr 42 Min
Friday & Saturday: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50
Sunday: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Monday – Tuesday: 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Wednesday: 2:50, 5:10
Thursday: 2:50, 7:45

HARLEM STREET SINGER (NR) 1 Hr 16 Min + discussion
Wednesday: 7:30

COMING SOON:

(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)

Nov. 14 – WHIPLASH
Nov. 28 – THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Dec. 5 – CITIZENFOUR
Dec. 19 – THE IMITATION GAME
Jan. 9 – FOXCATCHER
TBD – FORCE MAJEURE

ST. VINCENT (Starring Bill Murray) & PRIDE (With Amazing British Cast) Start Friday at THE NEON!

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pride_ver3Hello Everyone,

If you’ve liked films like BILLY ELLIOT and THE FULL MONTY, I’m pretty certain you’re going to absolutely love PRIDE. The standing ovation at the screening I attended in Toronto was invigorating, and the film is more than just warm and charming – it’s inspiring. I hope you’ll come and support it this weekend. In addition to PRIDE, we will open the new Bill Murray comedy – ST. VINCENT. This film was also a crowd-pleaser when I saw it in Toronto, and I think Dayton audiences will like it as well. If you still need to see THE SKELETON TWINS, LOVE IS STRANGE, MY OLD LADY or THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY, you only have until Thursday to see them at THE NEON. Visit www.neonmovies.com for this week’s remaining showtimes.

As a reminder, we will have a special preview screening of ST. VINCENT on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8:00. Regular ticket prices will apply…and we’ll have some fun prizes to give away!

Synopsis for PRIDE: “PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story. It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all.” This film stars some real heavyweight British actors like Imedla Staunton, Bill Nighy, Dominic West and Paddy Considine. Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Synopsis for ST. VINCENT: “Maggie (Melissa McCarthy), a single mother, moves into a new home in Brooklyn with her 12-year old son, Oliver. Forced to work long hours, she has no choice but to leave Oliver in the care of their new neighbor, Vincent (Bill Murray), a retired curmudgeon with a penchant for alcohol and gambling. An odd friendship soon blossoms between the improbable pair. Together with a pregnant stripper named Daka (Naomi Watts), Vincent brings Oliver along on all the stops that make up his daily routine – the race track, a strip club, and the local dive bar. Vincent helps Oliver grow to become a man, while Oliver begins to see in Vincent something that no one else is able to: a misunderstood man with a good heart.” Click on this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5BVn-eyAxA

By now, many of you are familiar with Gathr and Tugg – platforms used to bring films to town that might not otherwise screen in our market. When you visit these sites, you can reserve a ticket that will help bring the film to THE NEON. If not enough tickets are reserved, the screening doesn’t go forward and your card is never charged. Here are 2 upcoming films that are attempting to come to town:
CULTURE HIGH, a film about the modern day marijuana debate – Wed. Nov. 5 at 7:30 – LINK for CULTURE HIGH
PENTON, a film about the American icon and motorcycle pioneer (this is an encore screening due to the sold-out success of the screening a month ago) – Thursday, Nov. 6 a 7:30 – LINK for PENTON

VSOP Music & Film is bringing HARLEM STREET SINGER – THE STORY OF REVEREND GARY DAVIS to THE NEON for a one-time screening on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30. “The film tells the story of the blind, self-taught musician Reverend Gary Davis. It chronicles his hardscrabble life and the profound impact he made on musicians eager to explore his technique – a homegrown guitar style forged from ragtime, gospel and blues. In addition to archival footage and interview segments with Bob Weir, Jorma Kaukonen, John Cohen, David Bromberg, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and others, the film features newly recorded versions of songs Davis was closely identified with performed by a band led by Woody Mann. Blues and jazz historian (and frontman for the Classic Jazz Stompers) Dave Greer will lead a Q&A following the screeing.” (taken from VSOP Press Notes) Tickets will be $8 each and available starting Oct. 22 at THE NEON’s box office.

Thanks for your continued support!

We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Friday, Oct. 24 – Thursday, Oct. 30:

PRIDE (R) 1 Hr 57 Min
Friday & Saturday: 12:00, 2:20, 4:50, 7:15, 9:45
Sunday: 12:00, 2:20, 4:50, 7:15
Monday – Thursday: 2:45, 5:15, 7:45

ST. VINCENT (PG-13) 1 Hr 42 Min
Special Preview screening Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8:00!
Friday & Saturday: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50
Sunday: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Monday – Thursday: 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)

Nov. 7 – BIRDMAN
Nov. 14 – WHIPLASH
Nov. 28 – THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Dec. 19 – THE IMITATION GAME
Jan. 9 – FOXCATCHER

Gaggle of Stars in New Movies at THE NEON!

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the-two-faces-of-january-posterHello Everyone,

We’re holding both LOVE IS STRANGE and THE SKELETON TWINS for one more week, but we’re going to add two new films into the mix. On Friday, we will open a film starring Dame Maggie Smith, always loved by our regulars, in MY OLD LADY – also starring Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas. In addition, we will open a stylish adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith thriller – THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY – starring Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, and Oscar Isaac. All of these films will end their runs on Thursday, Oct. 23…so hurry down if you want to see them. Visit www.neonmovies.com for this week’s remaining showtimes.

Synopsis for MY OLD LADY: One Week Only! “Mathias Gold (Kevin Kline) is a down-on-his-luck New Yorker who inherits a Parisian apartment from his estranged father. But when he arrives in France to sell the vast domicile, he’s shocked to discover a live-in tenant who is not prepared to budge. His apartment is a viager – an ancient French real estate system with complex rules pertaining to its resale – and the feisty Englishwoman Mathilde Girard (Maggie Smith), who has lived in the apartment with her daughter Chloe (Kristin Scott Thomas) for many years, can by contract collect monthly payments from Mathias until her death.” (taken from Cohen Media) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Synopsis for THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY: One Week Only! “Screenwriter Hossein Amini (The Wings of the Dove, Drive) makes a stylish directing debut with this sleek thriller set in Greece and Istanbul, 1962, and adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel. Intrigue begins at the Parthenon when wealthy American tourists Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his young wife Collete (Kirsten Dunst) meet American expat Rydal (Oscar Isaac), a scammer working as a tour guide. Instead of becoming his latest marks, the two befriend him, but a murder at the couple’s hotel puts all three on the run together and creates a precarious bond between them as the trio’s allegiance is put to the test.”

On Sunday, Oct. 19 at 5:30, Jeff Akers has rented one of our auditoriums to locally premiere his new short film ILLUMINATION. “Jeff Akers Films, a subsidiary of NJP Media Network, is pleased to announce the release of the riveting new short film ILLUMINATION, which brings to light the mindset of an unbeliever who continues to deny that God is real. The film is set in current reality but personifies new age technology and the power it can have on those in control of it. ILLUMINATION stars veteran actor Shane Willimon, as well as newcomers like Chedrick Cohens, Kenya Permenter, and Darrell Brown who bring this film to life with their skill and believability on screen. Director Jeff Akers plans to screen the film in Greenville, SC and Dayton, Ohio where the majority of it was filmed, he will also enter the production into numerous Christian-based film festivals. ‘This film will not only surprise people, but it will have them thinking on a completely different level,’ he stated. Akers plans to leave you pining for more compelling films and industrials that change your thinking and re-shape your awareness.” (taken from press notes) Akers will attend this screening, and tickets are $5 each – available at THE NEON.

Many thanks to everyone who came out for The Dayton LGBT Film Festival. We had 3 sold-out screenings, and audiences seemed quite enthused by the selections and Opening Night Party. We’re still tabulating the audience award winners…so click this LINK for the festival’s Facebook page later this weekend to find out the latest.

On October 24, we are opening two new films – PRIDE (which is exceptional) and ST. VINCENT (in which Bill Murray is a scream). That said, we just booked a special preview of ST. VINCENT for Thursday, October 23 at 8:00 – where we will have some fun giveaways! Tickets will be available for this special screening by the weekend.

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

SHOWTIMES for Friday, Oct. 17 – Thursday, Oct. 23:

THE SKELETON TWINS (R) 1 Hr 33 Min
Friday & Saturday: 5:10, 9:30
Sunday – Thursday: 5:10

LOVE IS STRANGE (R) 1 Hr 34 Min
Friday & Saturday: 1:00, 5:15
Sunday: 1:00
Monday – Thursday: 5:15

MY OLD LADY (PG-13) 1 Hr 47 Min
Friday & Saturday: 12:30, 2:50, 7:15
Sunday:12:30, 2:50, 7:15
Monday – Thursday: 2:50, 7:15

THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY (PG-13) 1 Hr 36 Min
Friday & Saturday: 3:00, 7:30, 9:40
Sunday: 3:00, 7:45
Monday – Wednesday: 3:00, 7:30
Thursday: 3:00

ILLUMINATION (NR) 30+ Min
Sunday: 5:30

ST. VINCENT (PG-13) 1 Hr 43 Min
PREVIEW SCREENING!
Thursday: 8:00

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)
Oct. 24 – PRIDE
Oct. 24 – ST. VINCENT
Nov. 7 – BIRDMAN
Nov. 14 – WHIPLASH
Nov. 28 – THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Dec. 19 – THE IMITATION GAME

Critically Acclaimed LOVE IS STRANGE Opens at THE NEON!

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Love-is-StrangeHello Everyone,

Taking a cue from national trends, we didn’t have the highest hopes for ALIVE INSIDE…but it’s a film we believed in and hoped would find an audience. Unfortunately, those trends proved to be right in line with the film’s performance in Dayton. That said, people who saw it can easily understand why this inspiring film won the audience award at Sundance. Unfortunately, Thursday was the last chance to see it at THE NEON. On Friday, we open a wonderful new film with two of the best male performances of the year – LOVE IS STRANGE. We will also hold onto the much-loved, darkly funny sibling drama THE SKELETON TWINS. Visit www.neonmovies.com for this week’s remaining showtimes.

Synopsis for LOVE IS STRANGE:Rated 97% FRESH on Rottentomatoes.com. “After nearly four decades together, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower Manhattan. But when George loses his job soon after, the couple must sell their apartment and – victims of the relentless New York City real estate market – temporarily live apart until they can find an affordable new home. While George moves in with two cops (Cheyenne Jackson and Manny Perez) who live down stairs, Ben lands in Brooklyn with his nephew (Darren Burrows), his wife (Marisa Tomei), and their temperamental teenage son (Charlie Tahan), with whom Ben shares a bedroom. While struggling with the pain of separation, Ben and George are further challenged by the intergenerational tensions and capricious family dynamics of their new living arrangements.” (taken from Sony Pictures Classics) This film was directed by Ira Sachs – a director who has visited Dayton and worked directly with WSU motion picture students…he has also been quite kind to The Dayton LGBT Film Festival over the years. Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

“Next Wednesday, October 8 at 7:30, there will be a one-time screening of AMERICAN WINTER immediately followed by a moderated discussion with the producer Harry Gantz. This screening is sponsored by the City of Dayton, Ohio CDC Association, and CareSource. ‘For countless middle-class families who have experienced job loss or an unexpected financial setback, the American Dream has become an American nightmare. Working families, seemingly on a path toward economic security, have discovered how quickly they can slip from the middle class into poverty. The film presents an intimate snapshot of the state of the nation’s economy as it is playing out in the lives of many American families.’ (From American Winter notes) A must see for those working with those in poverty and those involved in the formation of policy that impacts the community’s safety net services! Admission is $5 and open to the public. THIS JUST IN: Tickets to this screening are sold out!  If you’d like to be put on a waiting list, contact  amy.riegel@daytonohio.gov.” (taken from press notes).

On Sunday, Oct. 19 at 5:30, Jeff Akers has rented one of our auditoriums to locally premiere his new short film ILLUMINATION. “Jeff Akers Films, a subsidiary of NJP Media Network, is pleased to announce the release of the riveting new short film ILLUMINATION, which brings to light the mindset of an unbeliever who continues to deny that God is real. The film is set in current reality but personifies new age technology and the power it can have on those in control of it. ILLUMINATION stars veteran actor Shane Willimon, as well as newcomers like Chedrick Cohens, Kenya Permenter, and Darrell Brown who bring this film to life with their skill and believability on screen. Director Jeff Akers plans to screen the film in Greenville, SC and Dayton, Ohio where the majority of it was filmed, he will also enter the production into numerous Christian-based film festivals. ‘This film will not only surprise people, but it will have them thinking on a completely different level,’ he stated. Akers plans to leave you pining for more compelling films and industrials that change your thinking and re-shape your awareness.” (taken from press notes) Akers will attend this screening, and tickets are $5 each – available at THE NEON.

The Dayton LGBT Film Festival is right around the corner, and we have 4 guests who will attend screenings this year. Lisa Hass, lead actress and writer of THE FOXY MERKINS, is flying in from NYC. Director Drew Van Steenbergen will join the writer and star of ALONE WITH PEOPLE – both flying in from L.A. Chinonye Chukwu, writer and director of A LONG WALK, is now part of the Motion Pictures Department at WSU and a recent Dayton transplant. Tickets for the Opening Night Film – THE WAY HE LOOKS – are going quickly…take a look at the brand new trailer for this wonderful film. Visit the official site to read about all of our selections and get your tickets before they’re gone.

Maggie Smith fans rejoice! We have booked MY OLD LADY for Oct. 17! Click HERE to visit the film’s site and check out the trailer.

Thanks for your continued support!

We hope to see you soon,

Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Friday, Oct. 3 – Thursday, Oct. 9:

THE SKELETON TWINS (R) 1 Hr 33 Min
Friday & Saturday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Sunday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:20
Monday – Thursday: 3:15, 5:30, 7:45

LOVE IS STRANGE (R) 1 Hr 34 Min
Friday & Saturday: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Sunday: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30
Monday & Tuesday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30
Wednesday: 3:00, 5:15
Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30

AMERICAN WINTER (NR) 1 Hr 30 Min + Discussion
Wednesday: 7:30

COMING SOON:

(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)

Oct. 10-12 – DAYTON LGBT FILM FEST, Oct. 17 – MY OLD LADY
Oct. 24 – PRIDE, Oct. 24 –  ST. VINCENT, Nov. 7 – BIRDMAN, Nov. 14 – WHIPLASH, Nov. 28 – THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

TIFF 2014 – Day #9

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MV5BMjEwMDczOTU3Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDYyMDU0MjE@._V1_SX214_AL_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!

learning-to-drive-ben-kingsley-patricia-clarkson

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