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The Neon

David Fincher’s Award Hopeful MANK & More NEON News!

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We’re moving along with the highly anticipated film – MANK – David Fincher’s look at how Mankiewicz rushed to finish the screenplay for Orson Welles’ CITIZEN KANE. It opens tomorrow. If you still need to see THE CLIMB, Thursday will be your last chance. On Friday, we open the documentary ZAPPA for one week only. If you still need to see HILLBILLY ELEGY on the big screen, it will stick around for one more week.

In our Virtual Cinema, we have a new documentary that seems “right on time” about a social movement from the 60’s – WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. It also opens tomorrow.
NEW IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT
Synopsis for MANK: “David Fincher’s latest masterpiece is slated for THE NEON for Thanksgiving Weekend! “1930s Hollywood is re-evaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of CITIZEN KANE for Orson Welles.” Starring Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Charles Dance, and Lily Collins….you’ll be seeing some of these names during Oscar season! Click the image below to watch the film’s vintage-looking trailer.
Synopsis for ZAPPA: “With unfettered access to the Zappa family trust and all archival footage, ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time. Alex Winter’s assembly features appearances by Frank’s widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank’s musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White and others.” (Magnolia Pictures) Click the image below to watch the trailer.
NEW IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA
Synopsis for WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: Available starting Nov. 25! “WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION follows a compelling cast of characters as their lives connect and intersect during the rise of the legendary radio station that became both a player in and a platform for the explosive rock ‘n roll counterculture, passionate anti-war movement, and burgeoning civil rights, women’s rights, and gay rights movements. The dramatic and compelling stories in WBCN and The American Revolution are interwoven with the original sights and sounds of the critical events of the late 1960s and early 1970s, thanks to more than 100,000 audio and visual items, many of which were donated to the project by members of the WBCN community and the station’s many listeners and fans. The material includes never before exhibited film shot by Andy Warhol and cinema vérité pioneer Ricky Leacock, images from notable photographers including the late Peter Simon, brother of singer Carly Simon, and Jeff Albertson, as well as aircheck audio from memorable on-air, in-studio moments.” This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device as well as via Chromecast or via an HDMI cable attached to your television. For additional notes regarding connectivity, you can visit the film’s Help Page HERE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
CONTINUING IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA
Synopsis for MONSOON: Available Now! “Kit (Henry Golding from CRAZY RICH ASIANS) returns to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time since he was six years old when his family fled the country in the aftermath of the Vietnam-American war. Struggling to make sense of himself in a city he’s no longer familiar with, he embarks on a personal journey across the country that opens up the possibility for friendship, love and happiness.” This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device or via your Roku or AppleTV. For additional information regarding accessibility of the film, please visit this Eventive HELP page. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
Synopsis for MODERN PERSUASION: Now Available! We’re delighted to bring this romantic comedy with a stellar cast (they had us at Bebe Neuwirth and Jenn Harris) and directed by Jonathan Lisecki and Alex Appel to our Virtual Cinema. Lisecki was a special guest several years ago with his hit comedy GAYBY. “A modern telling of Jane Austen’s PERSUASION. Wren Cosgrove is a happy, single, and self-confessed workaholic who, after rising to the top of the corporate ladder, finds herself coming home every night to her cat. When her firm is hired by Owen Jasper, “the man who got away,” long-lost feelings are stirred, giving Wren a second chance at true love.” This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device as well as via Chromecast or via an HDMI cable attached to your television. For additional notes regarding connectivity, you can visit Samuel Goldwyn’s Help page HERE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
To read more about all the films that are still available in our Virtual Cinema, please visit our WEBSITE. We’ll continue to offer crowd-pleasing films like CHUCK LEAVELL: THE TREE MAN, RADIUM GIRLS and THE DONUT KING through Thanksgiving. Here’s a LINK with a video I made about how Virtual Cinema works.
Wanna know what titles we’re planning in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On Dec. 4, we’ll open two new films – the first is ENDING DISEASE – a documentary that looks at advancements in stem cell therapies and curing the incurable. One subject of the film is Ryan Custer, a former Wright State basketball player who suffered a neck injury. The second film on Dec. 4 is ANOTHER ROUND – Denmark’s highest grossing film in several years and it stars Mads Mikkelsen. On Dec. 9, we’ll open a documentary about the very first days of the COVID outbreak – 76 DAYS (there’s no trailer yet for 76 DAYS, but here’s a CLIP). On December 11, we’re planning to offer a WONG KAR WAI RETROSPECTIVE – full of remastered gems including a personal all-time favorite – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. Also on December 11, we’re glad that we can finally bring THE LIBRARY THAT DOLLY BUILT – a film we had planned to play in April before global shutdowns. More titles are on the way…stay tuned!
Though dates continue to move around, I’m delighted that we are now able to bring a new documentary about Billie Holiday starting next Friday. Stay tuned for more details about BILLIE.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful, safe and warm Thanksgiving.
My best,
Jonathan

Chuck Leavell, A Call to Spy & Hillbilly Elegy News From The Neon

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Audiences absolutely adored THE DONUT KING…and though we’re unable to keep it a second week for in-person screenings, the distributor is allowing us to present it in our Virtual Cinema. It will be available there starting Friday. If you still need to see STEVIE NICKS 24 KARAT GOLD, THE EXORCIST or A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, you’ll need to hurry – tomorrow (Thursday) will be your last chance for these films on the big screen.
On Friday, we will open 2 new films. The star-studded documentary CHUCK LEAVELL: THE TREE KING was made by local director Allen Farst, and the period drama A CALL TO SPY (which will only play for 5 days) is a tribute to some of the women who helped turn the tide of World War II. Next Wednesday, Nov. 11, we will open the highly anticipated Ron Howard film HILLBILLY ELEGY.
In addition to THE DONUT KING, we will off 2 new film in our Virtual Cinema. CITY HALL, rated “100% Fresh,” is being heralded as Frederick Wiseman’s latest masterpiece. RADIUM GIRLS is a fascinating story about an important time in the labor movement. These films will all be available starting Friday.
New Booking for In-Person Screenings
Synopsis for CHUCK LEAVELL: THE TREE KING: Daytonian Allen Farst has a new documentary about a rock’n’roll legend that is filled with big stars…and it opens for one week only at THE NEON this Friday. “Filmed in four countries with more than 80 interviews from artists, CHUCK LEAVELL: THE TREE MAN is the cinematic documentary that shines a light on one of the greatest rock’n roll pianists and keyboardists over the last 40 years. Not just known for his musical influence, Leavell is also one of the biggest names in environmental forestry and was selected the National Tree Farmer of the Year in the United States. His commitment to the planet and his strong family ties are refreshing reminders to be kind and treat your neighbor with respect. As Leavell puts it, ‘if you cut a tree down, plant two for the next guy.’ Featuring: Allman Brothers Dickey Betts and Warren Haynes; Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Woods; President Jimmy Carter; Eric Clapton; Chris Robinson; Mike Mills; Pat Monahan; John Bell; Lee Ann Womack; Bruce Hornsby; John Popper; Bonnie Raitt; Julian Lennon; Charlie Daniels; Miranda Lambert; John Mayer; and David Gilmore, among others”(press notes) Click the image below to visit the film’s official site.
Synopsis for A CALL TO SPY: (IFC Films). 5 DAYS ONLY! “As Great Britain’s forces were stretched thin during World War II, Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) began to enlist women as spies. Their daunting mission: conduct sabotage and build a resistance. Spymistress Vera Atkins, later the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond franchise, was the chief recruiter for this secret army. Atkins selected two unusual candidates: Virginia Hall, an American journalist from Baltimore hampered by a wooden leg, and Noor Inayat Khan, a wireless officer of Indian descent and an avowed pacifist. Together, they worked to undermine the Nazi regime in France. The courage, sacrifices and grit of these three women helped quell the Nazi occupation.” (IFC Films) Click on the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
Synopsis for HILLBILLY ELEGY: “J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from Middletown, Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey. Based on J.D. Vance’s #1 New York Times Bestseller and directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard, HILLBILLY ELEGY is a powerful personal memoir that offers a window into one family’s personal journey of survival and triumph. By following three colorful generations through their unique struggles, J.D.’s family story explores the highs and lows that define his family’s experience.” (taken from Netflix) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer. Tickets for Nov. 11 & 12 are on sale now. Additional dates and tickets will be available by early next week!
NEW FILM IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA
Synopsis for CITY HALL: Available starting Nov. 6! “Fresh off its high profile screenings at the Venice, Toronto and New York Film Festivals – and featuring a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating – Frederick Wiseman’s latest film arrives at the crux of a major crossroads for our nation. City government touches almost every aspect of our lives. Most of us are unaware of or take for granted these necessary services such as police, fire, sanitation, veterans affairs, elder support, parks, licensing of various professional activities, recordkeeping of birth, marriage and death as well as hundreds of other activities that support Boston residents and visitors. CITY HALL, by Frederick Wiseman, shows the efforts by Boston city government to provide these services. The film also illustrates the variety of ways the city administration enters into civil discourse with the citizens of Boston. Mayor Walsh and his administration are presented addressing a number of their policy priorities which include racial justice, affordable housing, climate action, and homelessness. CITY HALL shows a city government successfully offering a wide variety of services to a diverse population.” (Zipporah Films) This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device or via your Roku or AppleTV. For additional information regarding accessibility of the film, please visit this Eventive HELP page. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12 (as an FYI – this film is 4.5 hours, and many critics have said they could have kept going).
Synopsis for RADIUM GIRLS: Available starting Nov. 6! “Teenage sisters, Bessie and Jo, dream of faraway places as they paint glow-in-the-dark watch dials at the American Radium Factory. When Jo loses a tooth, Bessie’s world turns upside down as the mystery of Jo’s disease slowly unravels. Bessie befriends two young activists and in a radical coming of age, she investigates a corporate scandal. Bessie and the ‘Radium Girls’ file a lawsuit against American Radium. The notorious case ultimately led to a lasting impact in the area of workplace health and safety as well as the study of radioactivity.” (Juno Films) This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device or via your Roku or AppleTV. For additional information regarding accessibility of the film, please visit this Eventive HELP page. Click the image below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
Synopsis for THE DONUT KING: We offered this film in person, and audiences absolutely loved it! And because we’re not able to hold it over and because it’s available to us in a virtual format, we’ll start offering this terrific film in our Virtual Cinema on Friday, Nov. 6. Rated “100% Fresh” on rottentomatoes! “Ted’s story is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. It’s the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living the American Dream. But, in life, great rise can come with great falls.” (Greenwich Entertainment) NEON regular Krystyna wrote, “The Donut King is a most heartwarming documentary…it is one’s man journey as he escapes from his war torn homeland (the historical footage is excellent) achieving the “American Dream” with the creation of his donut empire. The movie is fascinating as it deals with war, immigration, refuge camps, family, infidelity, addiction as it is much more than just about the donut. Do not underestimate this movie as the title is a bit misleading…you will be pleasantly surprised by this gem!!!” Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $12.
CONTINUING IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA
Synopsis for NATIONTIME: “NATIONTIME is the long-lost film that William Greaves made about the National Black Political Convention of 1972, when 10,000 black politicians, activists and artists went to Gary, Indiana, to forge a national unity platform in advance of the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions. The delegates included a wide array of political thinkers.” This film can be watched on your computer or you can watch it on your Roku or AppleTV via the Kino Now app. More questions regarding accessing this film can be found on the bottom of the platform’s page. Click the image below to watch the trailer then gain 5 day access to the film for $10.
Synopsis for MADRE: If you attended the Oscar Nominated Narrative Shorts a couple years ago at THE NEON, then you’ve seen the wonderful short film on which this exquisite Spanish/French dramatic thriller is based. “Elena receives a call from her six-year-old son, who tells her that he is lost on a beach in France…these desperate words of his son were the last that she learned about him…After ten years, her life shakes again when she accidentally meets Gene, a French teenager resembling her son.” This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device or via your Roku or AppleTV. For additional information regarding accessibility of the film, please visit this Eventive HELP page. Click on the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order access for $12 (once you start watching, you’ll have 24 hours to finish). The film will become available on Friday!
Here’s a LINK with a video I made about how Virtual Cinema works. Click HERE to see all the films that are still available in our Virtual Cinema.
Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On Nov. 11, we’re partnering with The Dayton Literary Peace Prize to bring a film that speaks to one of their upcoming events. RECON(based on the novel PEACE by Richard Bausch) will be available for you to watch in our Virtual Cinema starting Nov. 11…then on November 16, you can join this wonderful organization’s discussion “Turn the Page: The Legacy of War” – a discussion between Richard Bausch and Andrew Krivak – both prize winners from The Dayton Literary Peace Prize. For details about the special event, click HERE. On November 18, we’ll open MONSOON – a gorgeous film about a man’s personal journey as he returns to his birthplace and struggles to recognize himself in this unfamiliar land. On Dec. 4, we’ll open ENDING DISEASE – a documentary that looks at advancements in stem cell therapies and curing the incurable. One subject of the film is Ryan Custer, a former Wright State basketball player who suffered a neck injury. More titles are on the way…stay tuned!
Many, Many thanks to our friends at Toxic Brew and Hole in the Wall – 2 neighborhood bars in the Oregon District. Their special horror film screening on Sunday night raised over $800 for THE NEON! We truly appreciate their generosity…and the crowd had a blast!
We’ve got some great new films on the horizon. AMMONITE, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, will open on Nov. 13. The adaptation of August Wilson’s MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, will open on Dec. 4, and George Clooney’s THE MIDNIGHT SKY opens Dec. 11. More Oscar-hopeful titles are being negotiated…stay tuned!
We hope to see you soon!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan
IN-PERSON SHOWTIMES for Wednesday, Nov. 4 – Thursday, Nov. 12:
STEVE NICKS 24 KARAT GOLD THE CONCERT (NR) 1 Hr 40 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Nov 4 & 5): 7:00
FINAL DAY – Nov. 5!
THE EXORCIST: EXTENDED DIRECTOR’S CUT (R) 2 Hrs 12 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Nov 4 & 5): 3:15
FINAL DAY – Nov. 5!
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (R) 1 Hr 31 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Nov 4 & 5): 7:15
FINAL DAY – Nov. 5!
THE DONUT KING (NR) 1 Hr 30 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Nov 4 & 5): 3:30
FINAL DAY – Nov. 5!
CHUCK LEAVELL: THE TREE MAN (NR) 1 Hr 43 Min – ONE WEEK ONLY!
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Nov 6-8): 1:00, 4:00, 7:15*
(*the 7:15 show is sold out all three weekend nights)
Mon & Tue (Nov 9 & 10): 3:30, 7:15
Wed & Thu (Nov 11 & 12): 3:30
FINAL DAY – Nov. 12!
A CALL TO SPY (PG-13) 2 Hrs 3 Min – 5 DAYS ONLY!
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Nov 6-8): 1:15, 4:15, 7:30
Mon & Tue (Nov 9 & 10): 3:15, 7:00
FINAL DAY – Nov. 10!
HILLBILLY ELEGY (R) 1 Hr 56 Min
Wed & Thu (Nov 11 & 12): 3:00, 7:00, 7:30
COMING SOON – In-Person Screenings:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
Nov 13 – AMMONITE
Dec 4 – MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
Dec 11 – THE MIDNIGHT SKY
TBD: THE CLIMB
NOMADLAND
MANK
THE FATHER
THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS

This Week at The Neon & The Dayton LGBT Film Fest starts Friday

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Two new films that are already hot with Oscar buzz open this Friday at THE NEON. If you need to see THE WAY I SEE IT (which received rounds of applause this weekend), SAVE YOURSELVES! (the sci-fi/comedy with lots to say about today’s social media obsessed culture), or KAJILLIONAIRE (Miranda July’s latest Sundance hit), you only have until Thursday. ON THE ROCKS and THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 open on Friday!

In our Virtual Cinema, we have two new films. SAUL AND RUBY’S HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BAND opened today, and AGGIE (about Agnes Gund) opens Friday. More about both of those below.
On top of all that, The 15th Annual Dayton LGBT Film Fest starts Friday! Though most films are virtual, there is also one package of terrific short films that will be offered 4 times in-person at THE NEON. If you’re not interested in a pass that gets you everything…and you just want to support a film or two…I highly recommend the documentaries KEYBOARD FANTASIES (I just bought Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s new album) and AHEAD OF THE CURVE. If you’re more interested in a narrative, fiction film, TWILIGHT’S KISS is one that our regulars would love, and SHIVA BABY is the edgy comedy that has been a big hit on the festival circuit. BREAKING FAST is labeled as “A Ramadan Rom-Com” – and it’s the charming, feel-good film that we’ve chosen to open our festival. If you need a tutorial about how to access films and purchase tickets for the festival, this LINKwill take you to a video I made. Click on the image below to go right to the festival’s official site.
New Bookings for In-Person Screenings:
Synopsis for ON THE ROCKS: “A young New York mother faced with sudden doubts about her marriage teams up with her larger-than-life playboy father to tail her husband. What follows is a sparkling comic adventure across the city—drawing father and daughter closer together despite one detour after another. Acclaimed filmmaker Sofia Coppola brings a light touch to this blend of an exuberant love letter to New York, a generation-clash comedy about how we see relationships differently from our parents, and a funny celebration of the complications that bind modern families even as they tie us in crazy knots. Laura (Rashida Jones) thinks she’s happily hitched, but when her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) starts logging late hours at the office with a new co-worker, Laura begins to fear the worst. She turns to the one man she suspects may have insight: her charming, impulsive father Felix (Bill Murray), who insists they investigate the situation. As the two begin prowling New York at night, careening from uptown parties to downtown hotspots, they discover at the heart of their journey lies their own relationship.” Click the image below to watch the trailer.
Synopsis for THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7: Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (THE WEST WING), this film with a stellar cast is already getting major Oscar buzz! “The film follows the Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It features an ensemble cast that includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Flaherty, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Eddie Redmayne, Noah Robbins, Mark Rylance, Alex Sharp, and Jeremy Strong. Sorkin originally wrote the screenplay in 2007, with the intent of Steven Spielberg directing the film with mostly unknown actors. After the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike and budget concerns forced Spielberg to drop out as director, Sorkin was announced as director in October 2018, and much of the cast joined that same month.” Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
New in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for SAUL AND RUBY’S HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BAND: Available now! “Like many survivors of the Holocaust, after World War II, Saul and Ruby moved to America, started families and careers, grew old, and retired to South Florida. For them, retirement could have been the last chapter in their story. But then they decided to start a klezmer band, named the Holocaust Survivor Band. The band summons the bittersweet memories of childhood in Poland, but more than that, it is a celebration of life. In this utterly heart-affecting and enthralling film, we follow Saul and Ruby’s musical journey, which begins in total obscurity, playing in residential homes for the elderly and small Jewish community organizations, to being invited to perform at venues across the country, including a coveted performance at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. This unique and compelling story is about having the courage to live one’s dreams, finding purpose and meaning in life at any age, the transcendent power of music, and the importance of speaking out against anti-Semitism and bigotry.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and then gain access to the film for $12.
Synopsis for AGGIE: Available Starting Oct. 9! “AGGIE is a feature-length documentary that explores the nexus of art, race, and justice through the story of art collector and philanthropist Agnes “Aggie” Gund’s life. Emmy-nominated director Catherine Gund focuses on her mother’s journey to give viewers an understanding of the power of art to transform consciousness and inspire social change. Aggie is internationally recognized for her robust and prescient support of artists–particularly women and people of color–and her unwavering commitment to social justice issues. After falling in love with art as a high-school student, Aggie discovers a new way of looking at the world. The film opens with Aggie selling Roy Lichtenstein’s “Masterpiece” For $165 million to start the Art for Justice Fund. The proceeds from one of the highest grossing artworks ever sold fuel a monumental effort to reform the American criminal justice system and end mass incarceration. The film captures Aggie as a true maverick who demonstrates the unique role and potential of collectors and benefactors to use art to fight justice. This is untapped terrain, and we see Aggie leading the way.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and then preorder access to the film for $12. (The film will be available starting this Friday!)
Continuing in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for ONCE UPON A RIVER: “Based on the best-selling novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell, ONCE UPON A RIVER is the story of Native American teenager Margo Crane in 1970s rural Michigan. After enduring a series of traumas and tragedies, Margo (newcomer Kenadi DelaCerna) sets out on an odyssey on the Stark River in search of her estranged mother. Jane Smiley for The New York Times wrote, ‘an excellent American parable about the consequences of our favorite ideal, freedom.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and unlock the film for $12.
Synopsis for THE DISRUPTED: “What do a farmer in Kansas, a laid-off factory worker in Ohio, and an Uber driver in Florida have in common? All three are resourceful, positive thinkers who strive to adapt and thrive despite dehumanizing forces at play in the American economy. As the film’s heroes face these roadblocks with courage, certain ideals remain sacred: family, love, and staying strong in the face of adversity.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and unlock the film for $12.
A customer recently asked me to repost instructions as to how to use our Virtual Cinema. Here’s a LINK with a video I made about how it all works. Click HERE to see all the films that are still available in our Virtual Cinema.
Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On Oct. 14, we’ll open MY NAME IS PEDRO – an inspiring documentary about a teacher and how transformative a single person can be to the community at large. On Oct. 16, we’ll open the sweet and funny DATING AMBER. On Oct. 21, we’ll open the festival hit MAJOR ARCANA, and on Oct. 28, we’ll open the recently restored (both in quality and length) important documentary from William Greaves – NATIONTIME (trailer will be available soon). On Nov. 6, we’ll open Fredrick Wiseman’s new highly acclaimed doc CITY HALL. We’re still trying to nail down RADIUM GIRLS and other titles…so stay tuned!
As a reminder…tickets for STEVIE NICKS 24 KARAT GOLD THE CONCERT are on sale now. Current scheduled shows are for Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7:00 and Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1:00 and 7:00. If you’re a Stevie fan, you don’t need more than an announcement to get your tickets…but if you’re not sure, here’s a TRAILER.
Local filmmaker and author Mathew Klickstein has a new book hitting the shelves, so we’re taking a look at a film that he produced & directed about the same kids.”ACT YOUR AGE: THE KIDS OF WIDNEY HIGH STORY (2010) is a rollicking rollercoaster of a rowdy ride up the West Coast during the world-famous Kids of Widney High’s 2008 headlining tour from Los Angeles to Seattle and back. Intimately chronicled through a punk-influenced DIY ‘video diary’ lens, ACT YOUR AGE takes the viewer into the green rooms, hotel rooms, bars, onstage and into the road-tripping van of the Kids, a group of singer-songwriters with developmental disabilities initially based out of an East Los Angeles special-ed music program.
This new tenth anniversary edition of ACT YOUR AGE has been polished and remastered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act and the release of the Kids’ first book, THE KIDS OF WIDNEY JUNIOR HIGH TAKE OVER THE WORLD!, out in stores now. Come see the world through the eyes of a ‘Kid.’ ACT YOUR AGE director/producer Mathew Klickstein – a longtime author/filmmaker/journalist and recent transplant to Dayton – will be in-person for a brief introduction and follow-up Q&A after the film.” (taken from press notes) Tickets, $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors, are now available on our website.
Because distributors continue to push back their titles, we will have more weeks when we need to explore some classics. So on Oct. 23, we’re going to take a look at some early favorites from Tim Burton – PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE and BEETLEJUICE. Please help us spread the word…these should be a lot of fun. (Maybe even free prizes for people who ride their bikes to THE NEON for Pee Week!! We’ll see.)

KAJILLIONAIRE Opens, Honoring RBG, and Big Titles Coming To The Neon

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We’ve lost an amazing woman and a marvelous judge on the Supreme Court, and we want to honor her achievements by bringing back the hit documentary RBG to the big screen for a handful of special screenings.  This return engagement will start Friday!
Additionally, we will open Miranda July’s new film – KAJILLIONAIRE – starring Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Richard Jenkins and Gina Rodriguez.  The pictures below are a couple photos that I quickly snapped while at Sundance in January.  Miranda has a unique and fascinating voice as a filmmaker and storyteller, and this quirky film is full of surprises.  If you’re a person who still listens to and loves vinyl, you can enter our contest to win a lovely vinyl soundtrack from this film by posting a picture of your favorite soundtrack on your facebook or instagram page and tagging @neonmovies.
Lastly, in our Virtual Cinema, we just added the wonderful documentary OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE, and on Friday, we’ll add a touchingly beautiful film THE ARTIST’S WIFE starring Lena Olin and Bruce Dern.
I’ve got some fun news about what’s coming down the road for in-person engagements.  Next Friday, we will open SAVE YOURSELVES! – a hit from this year’s Sundance.  On Oct. 9, we’ll open both ON THE ROCKS from Sofia Coppola (with Bill Murray!) and THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 from Aaron Sorkin!
As a reminder…tickets for STEVIE NICKS 24 KARAT GOLD THE CONCERT are on sale now.  Current scheduled shows are for Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7:00 and Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1:00 and 7:00.
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New Bookings for In-Person Screenings:
Synopsis for KAJILLIONAIRE: “From acclaimed writer/director Miranda July comes a profoundly moving and wildly original comedy. Con-artists Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) have spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to swindle, scam, and steal at every opportunity. During a desperate, hastily conceived heist, they charm a stranger (Gina Rodriguez) into joining their next scam, only to have their entire world turned upside down.” (Focus Features) Click the image below to visit the film’s official site.
Synopsis for RBG: We’ve lost a true American hero, and we’re celebrating her life by bringing back the fantastic documentary about her life! “At the age of 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had developed a lengthy legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. But the unique personal journey of her rise to the nation’s highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans – until now. RBG explores Ginsburg’s life and career.” (Magnolia Pictures) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
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New in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE: “This wonderful documentary explores the life and work of the legendary neurologist and storyteller, as he shares intimate details of his battles with drug addiction, homophobia, and a medical establishment that accepted his work only decades after the fact. Sacks was a fearless explorer of unknown mental worlds who helped redefine our understanding of the brain and mind, the diversity of the human experience, and our shared humanity.” (Zeitgeist Films) VARIETY wrote, “A portrait of the poetic neurologist of AWAKENINGS, shot at the end of his life, [which] takes a tender and thrilling look at the sacred demons that drove him.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $12.
Synopsis for THE ARTIST’S WIFE: Available starting September 25! “Claire (Lena Olin) lives a domestic life in the Hamptons as the wife of celebrated artist Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern). Once a promising painter herself, Claire now lives in the shadow of her husband’s illustrious career. While preparing work for his final show, Richard’s moods become increasingly erratic, and he is diagnosed with dementia. As his memory and behavior deteriorate, she shields his condition from the art community while trying to reconnect him with his estranged daughter and grandson from a previous marriage. Challenged by the loss of her world as she knew it, Claire must now decide whether to stand with Richard on the sidelines or step into the spotlight herself.” Click the image below to pre-order 72 hour access to the film for $12.  You can watch the trailer HERE.
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Continuing in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for BLACKBIRD: Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Sam Neill, Mia Wasikowska, Rainn Wilson and Lindsay Duncan star in this festival favorite! “Unresolved feelings surface when a mother summons her family for one final reunion as she looks to end her battle with a terminal illness.” Click on the image below to view the trailer and order access to the film.
Synopsis for ETERNAL BEAUTY: “When Jane (Sally Hawkins) is dumped at the altar she has a breakdown and spirals into a chaotic world, where love (both real and imagined) and family relationships collide with both touching and humorous consequences.” Click the image below to order access to the film.
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Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.)  On October 2, we’ll open the award-winning coming-of-age film ONCE UPON A RIVER as well as a new documentary with Ohio connections – THE DISRUPTED. A really wonderful documentary – SAUL AND RUBY’S HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BAND will open on Oct. 7, and on Oct. 9, we’ll have a film that art lovers will adore – AGGIE – a film about philanthropist Agnes Gund. On Oct 14, we’ll begin a film called MY NAME IS PEDRO – an inspiring documentary about a teacher and how transformative a teacher can be to the community at large. More to come!
Next Saturday, Oct. 3 from 11:00am until 4:00pm, many businesses in downtown Dayton will have a Sidewalk Sale.  We decided to join in this time with the help of some friends.  We’ll have our popcorn available for folks who would rather not come inside…and we’ve invited Pink Moon Goods to come set up shop for the afternoon.  Pink Moon Goods is an exciting new retail business in Dayton.  Their selection of home goods is curated and includes items that combine skill, intelligence, and virtue for ethical living.  If you are looking for new ways to reduce waste at home, support small businesses who value and respect protecting the environment, or some good old fashion socially conscious retail therapy there is sure to be something at Pink Moon Goods for you.  You can check them out on Instagram – @pinkmoongoods.
“All Access” passes and single “tickets” for all virtual presentations of The 15th Annual Dayton LGBT Film Festival are now on sale.  We had to make a major pivot this year to make the festival happen – so about 90% of it will take place virtually.  A $50 pass will get you access to all 6 virtual screenings (5 features and a package of shorts) as well as 2 tickets to our one in-person package – TOP DRAWER SHORTS VOL #2.  The line-up is strong, and we’re still ironing out lots of details (virtual filmmaker Q&A’s, video work with our sponsors, etc.).  Click the image below to check out all of our selections.  The festival is set for Oct. 9-15. Virtual components will be accessible to anyone in Ohio…so please help spread the word.  If you need a little help figuring it all out, I’ve created a tutorial video that is viewable HERE. (The image below is from the short film THE SHAWL– playing in TOP DRAWER SHORTS VOL #2.)
We hope to see you soon!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan

At The Neon: 9 New Engagements This Week!

By

Jonathan McNeal

This week, we have two new films and three retrospective films for in-person screenings…and we’re adding 3 new films to our Virtual Cinema.  On top of that, we’ve got a new film starting next Wednesday – so we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.

Starting today, we have the new powerful documentary that The Hollywood Reporter calls “An exemplary civics lesson” – ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY.  And starting Friday, we’ll open John Leguizamo’s cinematic directorial debut – CRITICAL THINKING.  In addition, we’re going to bring a trilogy of cult favorites throughout the week –  the British comedies SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ and THE WORLD’S END (each film will only screen a couple times…so we suggest getting your tickets early).  On Wednesday next week, we will open a new period thriller – THE SECRETS WE KEEP – starring Noomi Rapace (the star of all the original Dragon Tattoo films).
In our Virtual Cinema, we introduce three new films.  Starting today, we have JIMMY CARTER: ROCK AND ROLL PRESIDENT.  On Friday, we’ll have the highly anticipated MEETING THE BEATLES IN INDIA as well as the gorgeous doc OUR TIME MACHINE.
Before I get too much further, I want to mention a big change that’s happening at THE NEON.  Shortly after Labor Day in 2001, I sat down and interviewed Diana Cordero for a management position at THE NEON.   I knew immediately that I wanted her on the team as we prepared to reopen after major renovations (THE NEON was transforming from one screen to two).  After 19 years in management with us, Diana will be leaving her role as “Assistant Manager” after this Thursday.  She’ll be sticking around as our bookkeeper (a few hours a week), but you won’t be seeing her with any regularity.  This will be quite a change for me and the business as a whole. THE NEON owes a lot to Diana for her dedicated time and talents over the years. I know all of you are joining me in wishing Diana the very best as she pursues other endeavors…she’ll be greatly missed!
On a related note, we have two promotions to celebrate.  Many of you know Ian Bonnett – he’s been with us for several years.  Ian started as a part-timer and was promoted to “Third Keyholder” four years ago.  He has been promoted to “Assistant Manager.”  Jessica Walker, a recent addition to THE NEON’s team, has been promoted to “Third Keyholder.”  Please join me in congratulating both of them!
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New Bookings for In-Person Screenings:
Synopsis for ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY: “ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY examines the often overlooked, yet insidious issue of voter suppression in the United States. The film interweaves personal experiences with current activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our democracy from the very beginning. With the perspective and expertise of Stacey Abrams, the former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, the documentary offers an insider’s look into laws and barriers to voting that most people don’t even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.” (Amazon) Click the image below to watch the trailer.
Synopsis for CRITICAL THINKING:  “It’s 1998 in Miami. Rampant poverty, broken families, and a prejudiced system push underprivileged youth to the fringes of society. But for a magnetic group of teens, there’s a reprieve. A game where it’s not about where you come from, but how you play. That equalizer is chess. Mr. ‘T’ Martinez, a chess militant and passionate coach, leads them to a completely foreign field of battle: the National Chess Championship. With an underfunded school district, Martinez and his team can’t just waltz into the arena. They have to fight for it. Chess runs parallel to their own experiences as Martinez teaches them that the power of Critical Thinking can not only save their kings, but also their lives.” THE SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER writes that Leguizamo’s film “features lively interactions, embraceable characters and credibly depicted struggles. The tournament scenes contain sports-movie adrenaline.”  We’re excited to share this film with you! Click on the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
We’ve had some recent success with cult favorites…from the Coen Brothers to Wes Anderson.  And because we’ve got a little extra room this weekend, we’ve added Edgar Wright’s “The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy” to the mix – each an irreverent blend of comedy and different genres. SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ and THE WORLD’S END will all be back on the big screen, and we know Edgar Wright has a lot of fans!  Tickets are available now on our website. (Click the image below to watch the trailer for SHAUN OF THE DEAD.)
Synopsis for THE SECRETS WE KEEP: “In a small U.S. town, far from the horrors of the Nazi labor camp where Maja (Noomi Rapace) was held with other Romani prisoners, she and her American husband Lewis (Chris Messina) have built a cozy life. But as she runs errands along the main street of her small town, Maja glimpses a stranger (Joel Kinnaman) whistling a nightmarishly familiar tune. Spiraling back to a night she has tried to forget, she fears he is the German soldier named Karl who brutalized her and murdered her younger sister. But after 15 years,can she be sure? Fearful that her tragic past has come back to haunt her, she begins to stalk the man,hoping to convince herself she is wrong.” (Bleecker Street) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
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New in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for JIMMY CARTER: ROCK AND ROLL PRESIDENT: “If it hadn’t been for a bottle of scotch and a late-night visit from musician Gregg Allman, Jimmy Carter might never have been elected the 39th President of the United States. JIMMY CARTER, ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT charts the mostly forgotten story of how Carter, a lover of all types of music, forged a tight bond with musicians Willie Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan and others. Low on campaign funds and lacking in name recognition, Carter relied on support from these artists to give him a crucial boost in the Democratic primaries. Once Carter was elected, the musicians became frequent guests in the White House. The surprisingly significant role that music played throughout Carter’s life and in his work becomes a thread in this engaging portrait of one of the most enigmatic Presidents in American history.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order access to the film.
Synopsis for OUR TIME MACHINE: Rated 100% Fresh, this film will become available in our Virtual Cinema on Sept. 11. “Shaken by the news of his father’s dementia, artist Maleonn creates “Papa’s Time Machine,” a wondrous time-travel adventure performed on stage with life-size mechanical puppets. Through the play’s production, he confronts his own mortality. Maleonn finds grace and unexpected joy in this moving meditation on art, the agonies of love and loss, and the circle of life.” VARIETY calls it “Moving… Compelling… A thoughtful, sensitive, brilliant subject.” SCREEN DAILY says, “An uplifting celebration of the love between a son and his father.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order access to the film for $12!
Synopsis for MEETING THE BEATLES IN INDIA: Starts Sept. 11 in our Virtual Cinema! “In 1968, with the eyes of the world upon them, The Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, to study transcendental meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In one of the most anticipated Beatles documentaries, Filmmaker Paul Saltzman, retraces his journey of 50 years ago when he spent a life-changing time with John, Paul, George and Ringo. Fifty years later he reveals previously unknown details of this pivotal moment in the Beatles’ career and the inner workings of the masterful White Album. Starting with ‘Bungalow Bill’ in Hawaii; connects with David Lynch about his own inner journey; as well as preeminent Beatles historian, Mark Lewisohn; Academy Award nominated film composer, Laurence Rosenthal.: and Pattie and Jenny Boyd. And much of this is due to Saltzman’s own daughter, Devyani, reminding him that he had put away and forgotten these remarkably intimate photographs of that time in 1968.” Click the image below
To find out about all the films that we’re offering virtually, please visit our Virtual Cinema page on our official site.  Here’s the LINK.
Last night, I had a fun chat with a couple former NEON employees about the film VINYL NATION – a documentary we are offering in our Virtual Cinema.  Tomiwa works in L.A. with film and television music and Luke is the owner of Skeleton Dust Records in downtown Dayton.  I greatly appreciate them taking time to share their responses to the film.  If you weren’t able to join us on-line, you can check out a recording of that discussion HERE.
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Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.)  On September 18, we’ll bring the film festival hit BLACKBIRD – starring Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet and Sam Neill. And then on September 23, we’ll start the touching and inspiring documentary OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE. And finally, on September 25, we’ll start THE ARTIST’S WIFE – featuring incredible performances from Lena Olin and Bruce Dern. On October 2, we’ll open the award-winning coming-of-age film ONCE UPON A RIVER. More to come!
“All Access” passes for The 15th Annual Dayton LGBT Film Festival are now on sale.  We had to make a major pivot this year to make the festival happen – so about 90% of it will take place virtually.  A $50 pass will get you access to all 6 virtual screenings (5 features and a package of shorts) as well as a ticket to our one in-person package – TOP DRAWER SHORTS VOL #2.  The line-up is strong, and we’re still ironing out lots of details (virtual filmmaker Q&A’s, video work with our sponsors, etc.).  Click the image below to check out all that we have posted so far…and get your pass ASAP.  The festival is set for Oct. 9-15. Virtual components will be accessible to anyone in Ohio…so please help spread the word. (The image below is from the incredible documentary AHEAD OF THE CURVE.)
Did you know that THE NEON is included in the new downtown DORA program?  DORA stands for “Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area.” If you’re out and about in the Oregon District, you can swing by THE NEON and get a beer or cocktail to go.  We’ll pour it in a special cup, and you can walk through the Oregon District while you enjoy your beverage.  This policy is good daily from Noon until 10:00…but on weekends for the next few weeks, 5th Street will be blocked off in the Oregon District – so you can socialize and grab dinner while maintaining lots of outdoor distance.
We hope to see you soon!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan

The Latest from The Neon: ALL IN News + 2 New Virtual Films!

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Hello Neon Fans,
We’ve got some good news.  This past weekend’s films performed well enough to stick around!  We’re going to keep both FATIMA and THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD until we open the new, powerful film about voter suppression next Wednesday – ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY – featuring Stacey Abrams.
This Friday, in our Virtual Cinema, we will introduce two new films – CRITICAL THINKING with John Leguizamo and a documentary about the resurgence of records – VINYL NATION.  (And just wait until you see other Virtual Cinema titles coming down the road…from Jimmy Carter to Susan Sarandon to The Beatles!)
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Continued In-Person Screenings:
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD – In-Person Engagement: Click the image below to watch the trailer.
FATIMA – In-Person Engagement:  Click the image below to watch the trailer.
Starting Next Wednesday – In-Person Screenings:
Synopsis for ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY: Opening Sept. 9! “ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY examines the often overlooked, yet insidious issue of voter suppression in the United States. The film interweaves personal experiences with current activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our democracy from the very beginning. With the perspective and expertise of Stacey Abrams, the former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, the documentary offers an insider’s look into laws and barriers to voting that most people don’t even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.” (Amazon) Click the image below to watch the trailer.
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New in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for CRITICAL THINKING: Available September 4th! “It’s 1998 in Miami. Rampant poverty, broken families, and a prejudiced system push underprivileged youth to the fringes of society. But for a magnetic group of teens, there’s a reprieve. A game where it’s not about where you come from, but how you play. That equalizer is chess. Mr. ‘T’ Martinez, a chess militant and passionate coach, leads them to a completely foreign field of battle: the National Chess Championship. With an underfunded school district, Martinez and his team can’t just waltz into the arena. They have to fight for it. Chess runs parallel to their own experiences as Martinez teaches them that the power of Critical Thinking can not only save their kings, but also their lives.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 72 hour access for $6.99
Synopsis for VINYL NATION: “The vinyl record renaissance over the past decade has brought new fans to a classic format and transformed our idea of a record collector: younger, both male and female, multicultural. This same revival has made buying music more expensive, benefited established bands over independent artists and muddled the question of whether vinyl actually sounds better than other formats. VINYL NATION digs into the crates of the record resurgence in search of truths set in deep wax: Has the return of vinyl made music fandom more inclusive or divided? What does vinyl say about our past here in the present? How has the second life of vinyl changed how we hear music and how we listen to each other?” Click image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $12. On Tuesday, September 8 at 7:00, you can join our Facebook Live event – where we will discuss the film with special guests. Two of our guests will be former NEON employees who now work in different aspects of the music business – Luke Tandy owns Skeleton Dust Records and Tomiwa Balogun lives in L.A. and works for Warner Music.  Stay tuned to our Facebook Page for more details!
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Continuing in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for MR. SOUL – Virtual Cinema: “Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was MR. SOUL! Ellis Haizlip ensures the Revolution will be televised, with “SOUL!,” America’s first ‘Black Tonight Show.’ …Featuring rare live performances and interviews from the legendary Al Green, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni, The Last Poets, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, Ashford & Simpson, Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, Billy Preston, Black Ivory, The Delfonics, Bill Withers, Sonia Sanchez, Wilson Pickett, Odetta, Merry Clayton, Mandrill, Kool & the Gang, Toni Morrison, Kathleen Cleaver, Betty Shabazz, Stokely Carmichael, Mrs. Georgia Jackson, George Faison, Patti LaBelle, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and many more.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 72 hour access for $12.
Synopsis for MADE IN BANGLADESH – Virtual Cinema: Rated “100% FRESH!”  “Shimu, 23, works in a clothing factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Faced with difficult conditions at work, she decides to start a union with her co-workers. Despite threats from the management and disapproval of her husband, Shimu is determined to go on.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 48 access to the film for $10.
Synopsis for HOUSE OF CARDIN – Virtual Cinema: Rated “100% FRESH!” “A rare peek into the mind of a genius, an authorized feature documentary chronicling the life and design of Pierre Cardin.” This film will open in our Virtual Cinema on Friday, Aug. 28 for $10…but accessing it is a little different.  Click the image below to watch the trailer, and if you want to proceed, click on pre-order the film.  You will have to create an account with your email address and credit car.  And upon checking out, be sure to use the code “neon” to get a $2 discount (this will also let the site know that we sent you here – thus giving THE NEON credit).
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Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.)  On September 9, we will open JIMMY CARTER: ROCK&ROLL PRESIDENT. On September 11, we’ll open two new films – first is a lovely film about a family dealing with Alzheimer’s and a autobiographical stage play they produce before memories are lost forever – OUR TIME MACHINE – second is the highly anticipated documentary MEETING THE BEATLES IN INDIA. On September 18, we’ll bring the film festival hit BLACKBIRD – starring Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet and Sam Neill. And then on September 23, we’ll start the touching and inspiring documentary OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE. And finally, on September 25, we’ll start THE ARTIST’S WIFE – featuring incredible performances from Lena Olin and Bruce Dern. More to come!
We hope to see you soon!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan

Lebowski, Fargo & How To Build A Girl!

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Hello NEON Fans!
We’ve got to keep moving.  This Friday, we’re bringing 3 films for in-person screenings – one is a new movie that I loved at last year’s Toronto International Film Fesitval and 2 are contemporary classics.  In addition, we’ve got some new selections in our Virtual Cinema!  If you still need to see MADE IN ITALY, it will screen for one show per day this weekend, and BURNT ORANGE HERESY will stick around for one more week.
Regarding new films, Beanie Feldstein is quite spectacular in HOW TO BUILD A GIRL (if you haven’t seen her in last year’s BOOKSMART, I highly recommend it – perhaps the best teenage comedy of the last decade).  HOW TO BUILD A GIRL is a great coming-of-age story that’s funny, heartbreaking and quite a trip.  It’s based on the much-loved, semi-autobiographical novel by Caitlin Moran. In addition, we’re bringing 2 Coen Brothers films that audiences adore – THE BIG LEBOWSKIand FARGO.  Our virtual cinema just added 2 new offerings – the rock ‘n’ roll magazine documentary CREEM and the recently restored classic doc JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY.  On Friday, we’ll virtually open an inspiring new documentary about three women running for office – REPRESENT.
Almost everyone who has attended an in-person screening at THE NEON over the past 5 weeks has expressed how safe they have felt coming into our lobby and auditoriums.  We appreciate that, but we know that so many people still aren’t comfortable coming out to public spaces yet.  Please remember that when you watch one of the films that we’re offering virtually, you’re still supporting THE NEON…and that helps so much.  If you haven’t watched any of our films virtually yet, please give them a try. Do you need a little tutorial regarding how you can access films on our virtual cinema?  Here’s a LINK for a brand new video I just shot with our new website features. You can easily watch any of our virtual offerings on your computer or laptop…but it only takes a couple more steps to watch via Roku, AppleTV or even via an HDMI cable.
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New In-Person Screenings:
 
Synopsis for HOW TO BUILD A GIRL – In-Person Engagement: “Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) is a bright, quirky, 16-year-old who uses her colorful imagination to regularly escape her humdrum life in Wolverhampton. Desperate to break free from the overcrowded flat she shares with her four brothers and eccentric parents, she submits an earnestly penned and off-beat music review to a group of self-important indie rock critics at a weekly magazine. Despite being brushed off initially, Johanna clamors to the top of the 90s rock music scene by reinventing herself as Dolly Wilde – a venerable, impossible-to-please music critic with an insatiable lust for fame, fortune, and men. It isn’t long before the rapid pace at which Johanna’s life is changing becomes overwhelming. Co-starring Alfie Allen, Paddy Consindine, Chris O’Dowd, and Emma Thompson.” (IFC Films) Click the image below to watch the trailer.
Synopsis for FARGO – In-Person Engagement:  “Jerry Lundegaard is a car salesman in Minneapolis who has landed himself deep into debt. Desperate for money, he hires two inept crooks to kidnap his own wife in the hope that her wealthy father will pay the ransom, giving him enough cash to pay off his associates and clear his debts. But Jerry’s plan goes horribly wrong when the thugs kill a highway patrolman and two innocent bystanders, and the murders fall under the jurisdiction of Marge Gunderson; a pregnant but persistent police chief in rural Minnesota who starts to unravel the deadly scheme.” (Park Circus) Click the image below to watch the “vintage” trailer.
Synopsis for THE BIG LEBOWSKI – In-Person Engagement:  “‘The Dude,’ Jeff Lebowski is unemployed and as laid-back as they come. That is until he becomes a victim of mistaken identity, and two thugs break into his apartment with the errant belief that they’re strong-arming Jeff Lebowski – the Pasadena millionaire. In the hope of getting a replacement for his soiled carpet, ‘the Dude’ pays a visit to his wealthy namesake…” (Universal Pictures) Click the image below to watch the trailer.
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New to our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for CREEM – Virtual Cinema:  “Capturing the messy upheaval of the ’70s just as rock was re-inventing itself, CREEM: AMERICA’S ONLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MAGAZINE explores CREEM Magazine’s humble beginnings in post-riot Detroit, follows its upward trajectory from underground paper to national powerhouse, then bears witness to its imminent demise following the tragic and untimely deaths of its visionary publisher, Barry Kramer, and its most famous alum and genius clown prince, Lester Bangs, a year later. Fifty years after publishing its first issue, “America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine” remains a seditious spirit in music and culture.” Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $9.99.
Synopsis for JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY – Virtual Cinema:  “Filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island and directed by world-renowned photographer, Bert Stern. JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY features intimate performances by an all-star line-up of musical legends including Louis Armstrong, Thelonius Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Anita O’Day, Chuck Berry, Dinah Washington, and closes with a beautiful rendition of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ by Mahalia Jackson at midnight to usher in Sunday morning. This 1959 classic is considered one of the most extraordinary and possibly the first concert film ever made. Its sparkling new  restoration by IndieCollect, recently premiered at the 57th New York Film Festival. The film was named to the National Film Registry in 1999, and its restoration was funded by the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress in time to celebrate the film’s 60th Anniversary.” (Kino Lorber) Click on the image below to visit the site where you can watch the trailer and gain 5 day access to the film for $10.

Synopsis for REPRESENT – Virtual Cinema:  “Equal parts personal and political, REPRESENT follows three women on both sides of the aisle who share the singular goal of improving their community through public service. Myya attempts to spark a youth movement and unseat the incumbent mayor of Detroit; Bryn, a farmer and working mother in Granville, OH, runs for township trustee; and Julie walks a tightrope between her identities as a Korean immigrant and Republican candidate for State Representative in a liberal Chicago suburb.” (Music Box Films) Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 72 hour access to the film for $12.  (This film will be available starting Friday.)

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Continuing in our Virtual Cinema:
Synopsis for OUT STEALING HORSES – Virtual Cinema:  “Adapted from the bestselling novel, OUT STEALING HORSES follows 67-year-old Trond (Stellan Skarsgård) in the winter of 1999, still grieving the death of his wife as he retires to a solitary life in the Norwegian woods. Trond prepares to welcome the new millennium alone, until a chance encounter with his only neighbor, Lars, rekindles dormant memories from the summer of 1948-the summer Trond grew up.” (Magnolia Pictures)  Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 72 hour access to the film for $12.  The film will be available starting this Friday! Immediately following the film there ix a pre-recorded discussion between Stellan Skarsgård and filmmaker Hans Petter Moland. This conversation is exclusive to in-person & virtual cinemas!
Synopsis for GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND – Virtual Cinema:  When in-person screenings end on Thursday, our virtual engagement of this film will start Friday. “An exploration into the career, music and influence of the iconic musician. With unprecedented access to the artist and featuring interviews with Sarah McLachlan, Alec Baldwin and more, this intimate documentary follows Lightfoot’s evolution from choirboy in rural Canada to troubled troubadour.” (Greenwich Entertainment) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer and pre-order 72 hour access to the film for $12.
Check out all the titles we’re currently offering in our Virtual Cinema HERE.
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Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.)  On August 21, we’ll open the new film from master-documentarian Barbara Kopple –  DESERT ONE.  On Aug 28, we’ll open an award-winning, crowd-favorite narrative MADE IN BANGLADESH as well as an award-winning doc MR. SOUL! Also on Aug 28, we’ll open a doc about the growing love of records – VINYL NATION. On September 11, we’ll open a lovely film about a family dealing with Alzheimer’s and a autobiographical stage play they produce before memories are lost forever – OUR TIME MACHINE. More to come!
We hope to see you soon!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan
IN-PERSON SHOWTIMES for Wednesday, Aug 12 – Thursday, Aug 20:
BURNT ORANGE HERESY (R) 1 Hr 39 Min
Wednesday-Thursday (Aug 12 & 13): 3:30, 7:20
Fri, Sat, Sun (Aug 14-16): 1:20, 7:00
Monday & Tuesday (Aug 17 & 18): 3:15
Wednesday & Thursday (Aug 19 & 20): 7:00
MADE IN ITALY (R) 2 Hrs
Wednesday-Thursday (Aug 12 & 13): 3:15, 7:00
Fri, Sat, Sun (Aug 14-16): 4:00
FINAL DAY – Aug. 16!
FARGO (R) 1 Hr 43 Min
Fri, Sat, Sun (Aug 14-16): 4:30
Monday & Tuesday (Aug 17 & 18): 3:30
Wednesday & Thursday (Aug 19 & 20): 7:20
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (R) 1 Hr 57 Min
Fri, Sat, Sun (Aug 14-16): 7:20
Monday & Tuesday (Aug 17 & 18): 7:20
Wednesday & Thursday (Aug 19 & 20): 3:30
HOW TO BUILD A GIRL (R) 1 Hr 42 Min
Fri, Sat, Sun (Aug 14-16): 1:45
Monday & Tuesday (Aug 17 & 18): 7:00
Wednesday & Thursday (Aug 19 & 20): 3:15
COMING SOON – In-Person Screenings:
(All Dates Are Tentative.  Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
Aug 21 – TESLA
Aug 21 – STAGE MOTHER
Aug 28 – FATIMA
Sept 18 – THE NEST
TBD – THE CLIMB
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

JOHN LEWIS, Catherine Deneuve & virtually THE LAST TREE!

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Hello NEON Fans!
Thanks to everyone who came out for our soft reopening.  We learned some important things along the way, and patrons reported that they had great experiences at THE NEON while adhering to our new safety measures.  If you still need to see MISS JUNETEENTH (and you want to see it on the big screen), you only have until Thursday…that said, we will continue our virtual engagement until July 9.  On Friday, we will open two brand new films – the inspiring doc JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE and the star-studded gem THE TRUTH!  In addition, we’ve just added a brand new, powerful film to our virtual offerings – THE LAST TREE.
Be sure to check out the Virtual news further down.  We have a couple awesome announcements about special virtual events!
Synopsis for JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE – In-Person Engagement: Rated “100% Fresh” on Rottentomatoes! “Using interviews and rare archival footage, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using present-day interviews with Lewis, now 80 years old, Porter explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In addition to her interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter’s primarily cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who figure prominently in his life.” (Magnolia Pictures) This feature-length documentary will be followed by a 16 minute pre-recorded discussion between Representative Lewis and Oprah. Leah Greenblatt of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY wrote, “Excellent. A joyful, galvanizing portrait of a life radically and fully lived.” Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
Synopsis for THE TRUTH – In-Person Engagement: “Legends of French cinema Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche join masterful filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda (SHOPLIFTERS, STILL WALKING) to paint a moving portrait of family dynamics in THE TRUTH. Fabienne (Catherine Deneuve) is an aging French movie star who, despite her momentary lapses in memory, remains a venerable force to be reckoned with. Upon the publication of her memoirs, her daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche) returns to Paris from New York with her husband (Ethan Hawke) and their young daughter to commemorate its release. A sharp and funny battle of wits ensues between the mother-daughter duo, as Lumir takes issue with Fabienne’s rose-colored version of the past. Reflected cleverly by Fabienne’s latest role in a sci-fi drama, their strained relationship takes a poignant journey toward possible reconciliation. Charming, bold, and imbued with endless emotional insight, THE TRUTH offers a relatable look at human relationships, featuring exquisite performances from its all-star cast.” (IFC Films) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
Synopsis for THE LAST TREE – Virtual Engagement: “THE LAST TREE is the semi-autobiographical story of Femi (as a child played by newcomer Tai Golding), a British boy of Nigerian heritage who, after being fostered in rural Lincolnshire, moves to inner-city London to live with his birth mother. In his teens, Femi (Sam Adewunmi) is struggling with the culture and values of his new environment. Femi must decide which path to adulthood he wants to take, and what it means to be a young black man in London during the early 00s. Going back home to Nigeria with his mum to find his Nigerian roots will help adolescent Femi find grounding and hope for a better future…THE LAST TREE scooped two wins for Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Award. Its Sundance 2019 World Premiere screening was followed by multiple festival screenings in the USA and Canada.” Click the image below to gain 72 hour access for $10.
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We’re delighted to announce that these films will continue in our Virtual Cinema for one more week (until July 9):
SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER in our VIRTUAL CINEMA: “Alan (Bill Nighy) is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. However, he’s spent years searching for his missing son Michael, who stormed out over a game of Scrabble and hasn’t been seen since…” You can watch this film on your computer or mobile device as well as some smart TVs.  For more details about available devices, please visit the Eventive’s HELP

page. Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $12.
ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS in our Virtual Cinema: “Ella Fitzgerald was a 15 year-old street kid when she won a talent contest in 1934 at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Within months she was a star…”  You can watch this film on your computer or mobile device as well as some smart TVs.  For more details about available devices, please visit the Eventive’s HELP page. This film will be available starting this Friday, June 26 in our Virtual Cinema.  Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 72 hour access to the film for $12.
MISS JUNETEENTH in our Virtual Cinema: “Turquoise was once crowned Miss Juneteenth, a title commemorating the day slaves in Texas were freed – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Life didn’t turn out as beautifully as the title promised, but Turquoise, determined to right her wrongs, is cultivating her daughter, Kai, to become Miss Juneteenth, even if Kai wants something else.”

Click the image below to gain 72 hour access to this film for $6.99.

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Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.)  On July 8, we will open ONE SMALL STEP – a collection of critically acclaimed and award-winning animated short films that are family-friendly!  On July 15, we’ll open the wonderful documentary about a beloved Julliard professor – CREATING A CHARACTER (and here’s the fun news: On Sunday, July 19 at 5:00, we’ll host a special Zoom Artists’ Roundtable with Kevin Moore from The Human Race Theatre Company, Joe Deer from Wright State University,  and actors Jasmine Batchelor (the lead actress from THE SURROGATE) and Colby Lane Chambers – both who have performed in Dayton productions and studied with Moni at Julliard – the subject of this film!!) On July 17, we will open THE TOBACCONIST – both virtually and in-person – a film I saw and loved at The Cleveland International Film Festival last year (and here’s the fun news: you can join a post-screening discussion that Judy Schwartzman and I will co-facilitate on Monday, July 20 at 7pm). More details about the zoom discussions will be available next week.  On July 22, we will open FLANNERY – a film about Flannery O’Connor that Ken Burns calls “an extraordinary documentary.” At the end of July, we plan to bring NEVER TOO LATE – starring James Cromwell and Jacki Weaver.
In case you didn’t get last week’s newsletter, here’s a reminder about our new policies. Due to new guidelines for keeping staff and customers healthy during the current crisis, we now offer reserved seating.  If you want to sit next to someone, you’ll need to purchase tickets in the same transaction.  The software we are using will automatically block off three seats between parties – so if you buy a single ticket, there’s no chance for someone to sit next to you. If you’re the first person to reserve a seat in a row (on-line or in-person), we ask that you choose a seat that’s on the aisle or along the wall…this will allow us to maximize our capacity.  This is going to be a big learning curve for us – a full house will now be approximately 35% of our actual capacity.
Here is some of what we’re initially doing TO ENSURE THAT STAFF AND GUESTS STAY HEALTHY:
  • Masks are required for all staff and guests except when eating in an auditorium.
  • Our entrance to the building has moved to THE NEON’s patio doors.  This will streamline transactions and separate ticketing from food purchases.  Additional time between screenings will also minimize lobby traffic.
  • Commonly touched surfaces (door handles, will be sanitized every 30 minutes.
  • Floor markers will assist with social distancing, and hand sanitizers are located throughout the lobby.
  • Please arrive before the scheduled showtime.  Seating will begin approximately 40 minutes before each show.
  • In the auditoriums, every other row will be unavailable. Groups may sit together, but 3 seats will be required between parties in each row.
  • We have increased the time between screenings to allow us sufficient time to sanitize the auditoriums.  For additional assurance, seat wipes will also be available for customer use.
  • Please stay home if you have any of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, sore throat or new loss of taste/smell.
We’ve had a couple people express that they’re still not comfortable leaving their homes during this crazy time.  Though we have gone above and beyond the required guidelines, I understand that some people are hesitant to make the leap of coming to a movie in person.  So I’m asking for your help.  Please know that you can still support us by watching our virtual selections (and by spreading the word)…and if you’re so inclined, donations are always appreciated.  We finally have a DONATE button on our website.  Donations to our cinema are tax-deductible, and they’re easy to do at this LINK.
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While distributors continue moving opening dates of some highly anticipated films, we are thinking of offering some retrospective titles over the next few weeks.  Some distributors are offering us great deals to license some of the films from their libraries, and I want to know what you would support in person at THE NEON.  Would you come out for a Wes Anderson fest?  How about first films from acclaimed directors like Barry Jenkins, Miranda July or Steve McQueen?  Do you want some Coen Brothers?  Or do you prefer some classic Hitchcock?  How about a NEON favorite – AMELIE?  Unfortunately, WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? wasn’t much of a draw this week…so I need your honest opinions as to what you’d support.  Thanks in advance for your input!
We hope to see you soon!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan
IN-PERSON SHOWTIMES for Wednesday, July 1 – Thursday, July 9:
MISS JUNETEENTH (NR) 1 Hr 34 Min
Wed & Thu (July 1 & 2): 3:30, 7:30
FINAL DAY – July 2!
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR (PG-13) 1 Hr 35 Min
Wed & Thu (July 1 & 2): 3:00, 7:00
FINAL DAY – July 2!
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE (PG) 1 Hr 34 Min + 16 Min Oprah discussion
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (July 3-5): 1:30, 4:30, 7:30
Monday (July 6): 3:30, 7:30
Tuesday (July 7): 3:30
Wednesday & Thursday (July 8): 3:30, 7:30
THE TRUTH (PG) 1 Hr 46 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (July 3-5): 1:00, 4:00, 7:00
Monday – Thursday (July 6-9): 3:00, 7:00
COMING SOON – In-Person Screenings:
(All Dates Are Tentative.  Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
July 10 – FIRST COW
July 17 – THE TOBACCONIST 
July 31 – SUMMERLAND
Aug 7 – BURNT ORANGE HERESY
TBD – MADE IN ITALY
SAVE YOURSELVES!
GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

NEON Newsletter: Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Nighy & ReOpening News!

By

Hello NEON Fans.
Once again, we’re moving right along in our Virtual Cinema.  Today marks the start of a new, charming & stylized dramedy starring Bill Nighy – SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER.  On Friday, we will open a fantastic new documentary about the “First Lady of Song” – ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
Also this Friday, we’re doing a very soft, quiet reopening.  Just 2 shows per day for one week so we can get our feet wet again and introduce some new mechanics of our operations. (Below, I have outlined some of our new procedures.)  For one week only, starting this Friday, you can come see MISS JUNETEENTH or WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR on the big screen for just $5.

 

On July 3, we’ll open two brand new films in person. First off is the inspiring documentary JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE.  We’ll also open THE TRUTH – starring the powerhouse talents of Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, and Ethan Hawke – directed by Hirokazu Koreeda (director of SHOPLIFTERS).

 

Synopsis for SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER in our VIRTUAL CINEMA: “Alan (Bill Nighy) is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. However, he’s spent years searching for his missing son Michael, who stormed out over a game of Scrabble and hasn’t been seen since. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair his relationship with his youngest son. Worst of all, he must solve the mystery of an online player who might just be Michael–and find the right words before it’s too late.” You can watch this film on your computer or mobile device as well as some smart TVs.  For more details about available devices, please visit the Eventive’s HELP page. Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $12.
Synopsis for ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS in our Virtual Cinema: “Ella Fitzgerald was a 15 year-old street kid when she won a talent contest in 1934 at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Within months she was a star. ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS follows her extraordinary journey over six decades as her sublime voice transforms the tragedies of her own life and the troubles of her times into joy. The film uses never-before-seen images and unheard interviews to bring Ella Fitzgerald to life and to tell the story of her music – a black woman who makes her career in the face of horrifying racism. Here is an Ella the world never knew – tough, thoughtful, funny, a dazzling musical innovator. The film also uncovers Ella’s commitment to the battle for Civil Rights; and it explores the conflicts that always haunted this intensely private woman: the struggle to reconcile her hunger for adoring audiences with her longing for a domestic life with her husband and son. At a time when she was the biggest singing star in the world, her pianist and friend Oscar Peterson said Ella was ‘the loneliest woman in the world.’ But as Jamie Cullum says ‘her music is one of the reasons it’s worth being on this planet.’ Featuring interviews with: Tony Bennett, Jamie Cullum, Laura Mvula, Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Cleo Laine, Andre Previn, Norma Miller, Patti Austin, Izsak Perlman, Margo Jefferson, Will Friedwald and a rare interview with Ella’s son, Ray Brown Jr.” (Eagle Rock Entertainment) Here’s a bonus for our virtual fans: Join us for a live video conversation on Sunday, June 28 at 7PM with author & music critic WIll Friedwald, the film’s producer Reggie Nadelson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author/journalist Margo Jefferson and composer, multi-instrumentalist & vocalist Camille Thurman.  Click this LINK to sign up for this special Q&A.  You can watch this film on your computer or mobile device as well as some smart TVs.  For more details about available devices, please visit the Eventive’s HELP page. This film will be available starting this Friday, June 26 in our Virtual Cinema.  Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 72 hour access to the film for $12.
Synopsis for MISS JUNETEENTH – In-Person Screenings: “Turquoise Jones is a single mom who holds down a household, a rebellious teenager, and pretty much everything that goes down at Wayman’s BBQ & Lounge. Turquoise is also a bona fide beauty queen — she was once crowned Miss Juneteenth, a title commemorating the day slaves in Texas were freed – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Life didn’t turn out as beautifully as the title promised, but Turquoise, determined to right her wrongs, is cultivating her daughter, Kai, to become Miss Juneteenth, even if Kai wants something else.” (Vertical Entertainment) Click the image below to watch the trailer!
Synopsis for WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? – In-Person Screenings: In the summer of 2018, we opened this quiet and lovely film…and it quickly skyrocketed to becoming our biggest hit of the year and our highest grossing documentary of all time at THE NEON.  We’re bringing it back…because we need Mr. Roger’s wisdom and compassion more than ever. “For over thirty years, Fred Rogers, an unassuming minister, puppeteer, writer and producer was beamed daily into homes across America. In his beloved television program, MISTER ROGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, Fred and his cast of puppets and friends spoke directly to young children about some of life’s weightiest issues, in a simple, direct fashion. There hadn’t been anything like Mr. Rogers on television before and there hasn’t been since. Though he may be best known today as a soft-spoken, cardigan-wearing children’s television host, in reality, Fred Rogers’ career represents a sustained attempt to present a coherent, beneficent view about how we should best speak to children about important matters and how television could be used as a positive force in our society.” (Focus Features) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
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We are delighted to keep the following films available in our Virtual Cinema for another week (they will only be available until June 30):
 
Don’t Miss This Film starring WSU grad Jasmine Batchelor!  Local critic Russell Florence calls this film the “First best film of 2020.” THE SURROGATE: “Jess is thrilled to be the surrogate for her best friend and his husband, but when a prenatal test comes back positive, it creates a moral dilemma that threatens their friendship.” (Monument Releasing)  You can watch the film on your computer or mobile device as well as AppleTV, Roku and Chromecast. Click the image below to gain 72 hour access to this film for $12.
Synopsis for MISS JUNETEENTH: You can watch the film on your computer or mobile device as well as AppleTV, Roku and Chromecast. Click the image below to gain 72 hour access to this film for $6.99.
Synopsis for QUARANTINE CAT FILM FEST: “QUARANTINE CAT FILM FESTIVAL is a compilation reel that brings together the cutest, funniest, bravest, and most loving cat videos from more than 1,200 submissions filmed during the COVID-19 Quarantine.” This collection is available to watch on your computer or mobile device.  It is also available for your SmartTV via mirroring or via an HDMI hookup.  Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $12.
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The DAYTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL has already nearing an end…how is that possible?  That said, there are still a few films for you to see, and you can gain FREE access to their virtual selections and on-line events! Though we certainly miss hosting this fantastic festival at THE NEON, we think they’ve made a wise decision to move forward virtually this year!! Check out their awesome line-up by clicking the image below!  It’s their 20th anniversary, and they’re making all the screenings and on-line discussions FREE (including talk-backs & comedians)…and it’s very easy to sign up!
Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.)  On July 1, we will open a powerful Sundance film about a young Black man exploring his roots and struggling with what it all means – THE LAST TREE.  On July 8, we plan to open ONE SMALL STEP – a collection of animated short films that are family-friendly!  On July 17, we hope to open THE TOBACCONIST – both virtually and in-person – a film I saw and loved at The Cleveland International Film Festival last year. And sometime later in July, we will open a film called CREATING A CHARACTER – a film about a famous Julliard acting instructor who has helped many incredible performers reach greatness.  We’re also hoping to pair this with a community discussion from a handful of directors & performing artists with local ties.

 

Due to new guidelines for keeping staff and customers healthy during the current crisis, we are in the process of “figuring out” reserved seating.  If you want to sit next to someone, you’ll need to purchase tickets in the same transaction.  The software we are using will automatically block off three seats between parties – so if you buy a single ticket, there’s no chance for someone to sit next to you. If you’re the first person to reserve a seat in a row (on-line or in-person), we ask that you choose a seat that’s on the aisle or along the wall…this will allow us to maximize our capacity.  This is going to be a big learning curve for us – a full house will now be approximately 35% of our actual capacity.

 

Here is some of what we’re initially doing TO ENSURE THAT STAFF AND GUESTS STAY HEALTHY:
  • Masks are required for all staff and guests except when eating in an auditorium.
  • Our entrance to the building has moved to THE NEON’s patio doors.  This will streamline transactions and separate ticketing from food purchases.  Additional time between screenings will also minimize lobby traffic.
  • Commonly touched surfaces (door handles, will be sanitized every 30 minutes.
  • Floor markers will assist with social distancing, and hand sanitizers are located throughout the lobby.
  • Please arrive before the scheduled showtime.  Seating will begin approximately 40 minutes before each show.
  • In the auditoriums, every other row will be unavailable. Groups may sit together, but 3 seats will be required between parties in each row.
  • We have increased the time between screenings to allow us sufficient time to sanitize the auditoriums.  For additional assurance, seat wipes will also be available for customer use.
  • Please stay home if you have any of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, sore throat or new loss of taste/smell.
After all these weeks and hurdles, we finally have a DONATE button on our website.  If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to our non-profit, please visit this LINK.
We hope to see you soon!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan

3 New Virtual Treats, ReOpening Film & More News From The Neon

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I appreciate so many of you reaching out with suggestions as to films I should explore or revisit to expand my knowledge of the struggle and inequalities that face Black people in our society — great recommendations like Ryan Coogler’s FRUITVALE STATION, Spike Lee’s 4 LITTLE GIRLS, and Sabaah Folayan’s WHOSE STREETS? I also loved hearing back from so many of you regarding the list of films on my screening list last week.  If you’re looking for a particular film and you can’t seem to easily find it on Netflix or Amazon, there’s a great resource called justwatch.com that can help you find the film in question on-line.

This week, we’re starting three new films in our virtual cinema.  The dark, comedic heist film  LUCKY GRANDMA and the cine-essay YOU DON’T NOMI (about the cult status of the trainwreck-of-a-film SHOWGIRLS) are already available, and the powerful doc FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO will be available starting Friday.  ( Be sure sure to read about our first Virtual Community Discussion.  This on-line discussion with local partners will center around the film FOR THEY KNOW NOW WHAT THEY DO.)  More details are below. We will hold over 1 ANGRY BLACK MAN, PAHOKEE, CORPUS CHRISTI and MR. JONES for one more week.

 

As I mentioned last Friday, we are targeting early July as our opening date.  If all goes as planned, we will open a terrific, important, and perfect documentary for July 4th weekend – JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE.  Check out this trailer when you get a moment!  (I’ll announce our 2nd new film here next week.)
I am looking to fill at least one part-time position.  If you know someone who is at least 21 years old and loves independent cinema and is looking for a little extra money, please send them to this LINK.  In the coming weeks, we may also start looking for some volunteers.  We will have limited seating capacity upon reopen, and I think I may need the help of ushers during our busier times. I’ll keep you posted!

Synopsis for LUCKY GRANDMA: Critics everywhere are loving Tsai Chin’s central performance. “Set in New York’s Chinatown, Chin portrays an ornery, newly-widowed 80-year-old eager to live life as an independent woman, despite her family’s concerns. When a local fortune teller (Wai Ching Ho) predicts a most auspicious day in her future, she decides to head to the casino, only to land herself on the wrong side of luck by suddenly attracting the attention of local gangsters. She then employs the services of a bodyguard from a rival gang. LUCKY GRANDMA is a dynamic comedy with a stand-out performance by Tsai Chin. A new song by Akwafina is also featured.” (Good Deed Entertainment) Jude Dry of indieWire writes, ” LUCKY GRANDMA is a wickedly entertaining dark comedy, steeped in the colors and characters of New York City’s Chinatown.”  And Peter Debruge of VARIETY wrote, ” Chin is plainly the film’s greatest asset, a terrific actor with great comic timing and a tendency to underplay her character’s reactions…” This film can be watched on your computer, mobile device or on your TV via the KinoMarquee app on a variety of sources. Scroll to the bottom of the purchasing page for further details.  Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 5 day access to the film for $12.

Synopsis for YOU DON’T NOMI: “A chorus of film critics and fervent devotees explore the complicated afterlife of 1995’s biggest film flop, Paul Verhoeven’s salacious SHOWGIRLS, from disastrous release to cult adoration and extraordinary redemption. The film features Adam Nayman (Vice Guide to Film), April Kidwell (I, Nomi) and Peaches Christ (Milk) along with archive interview footage with the cast and crew of SHOWGIRLS.” David Rooney of THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER wrote that the film presents ” a compelling case that the much-maligned pop-culture landmark can be judged as either tawdry rubbish or subversive comic triumph.” And Peter Travers of ROLLING STONE wrote,
” Jeffrey McHale’s feature debut doc is a raucous hoot that also generates a grudging appreciation for the 1995 trashathon that really might be so bad it’s good.” This film will be available to watch on your computer, mobile device and many TVs.  For more details, visit the platforms HELP page.  Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $9.99.

 

Synopsis for FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO: “From the director of the landmark film FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO comes a new documentary that explores the intersection of religion, sexual orientation and gender identity in present day America.” THE ADVOCATE wrote, “In this vital, authentic follow-up to FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO, filmmaker Daniel Karslake returns a decade later to the religious right, embittered by the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision and emboldened by the rise of Trump. Heartbreaking – and inspirational.”    This film will be available starting this Friday and throughout  the rest of June. On Sunday, June 28 at 5:00, I will host a Community Discussion via Zoom with a variety of Spiritual leaders from around the Miami Valley. Click HERE if you’d like to RSVP  for the Community Discussion. This film will be available to watch on your computer or mobile device and on some SmartTVs.  For more details about how you can watch the film, visit First Run Feature’s HELP page.  Click the image below to watch the trailer and pre-order 72 hour access to the film for $10 .
These films are continuing for one more week!
1 ANGRY BLACK MAN:   Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 48 hour access to the film for $4.99.
PAHOKEE: To purchase 72 hour access of the film for $12, c lick on the image below to be directed to the film’s official site.  You will get a small pop-up that will allow you to purchase the film for $12.  If you get to a screen that quotes you $18, enter the word “neon” as your promo code…this will get your our $12 screening price (instead of $18) and will give us proper credit for your purchase.
CORPUS CHRISTI:  Click the picture below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $12.
MR. JONES:  Click the picture below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $12.
HAIL SATAN? Don’t forget that the Q&A with director Penny Lane in conversation with Lucien Greaves, head of The Satanic Temple is tonight!  Watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $5 by clicking the image below.

The DAYTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL is already underway, and you can gain FREE access to their virtual selections and on-line events! Though we certainly miss hosting this fantastic festival at THE NEON, we think they’ve made a wise decision!! Check out their awesome line-up by clicking the image below!  It’s their 20th anniversary, and they’re making all the screenings and on-line discussions FREE…and it’s very easy to sign up!
Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? ( Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On June 17, we plan to open a film that was supposed to have its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival – THE SURROGATE.  On June 19, we’ll open the Sundance hit MISS JUNETEENTH as well as a project that might include some of your work – THE QUARANTINE CAT FILM FEST.  NEON regulars love Bill Nighy, and he’s the star of SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER – it opens for us on June 24. On June 26, we will open a new doc that I know many of you will love – ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.  And sometime in early July, we hope to open THE TOBACCONIST – a film I saw and loved at The Cleveland International Film Festival last year. On July 1, we will open a powerful Sundance film about a young Black man exploring his roots and struggling with what it all means – THE LAST TREE.

 

After all these weeks and hurdles, we finally have a DONATE button on our website.  If you would like to make a donation to our non-profit, please visit this LINK.
Wishing you all good health!
Be safe & well.
My best,
Jonathan

THE NEON’s Reopening News! Postponed Screenings! Added Films!

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Hello Everyone!

In the last 48 hours, we’ve made a lot of changes. We’ve added movies to our virtual cinema line-up, some future events have been postponed, and we’ve received word that cinemas are allowed to reopen in Ohio next week.  So I’ll take you through all that news.

First off, we just found out about a new film that speaks to the much-needed discussions about race in America…and the distributor was excited for us to open it today (6/5/20).  So we’ve added 1 ANGRY BLACK MAN, from writer and director Menelek Lumumbato, to our line-up. (More details below)

Our special screening of SHIRLEY (along with the Elisabeth Moss Q&A originally scheduled for 6/6/20) has been postponed with a new date TBD.  Knowing that Saturday evening would be a time for national protests, the organizer of this nation-wide screening event had this to say, “The mission of the Movie Night platform is to cultivate a communal experience through cinema. Hosting the event this Saturday does not feel appropriate or supportive of the activism happening across the country.”  We agree! If you pre-ordered a ticket, you should have already received an email from the organizers.  I’ll keep you posted as to when this event will move forward.

 

Yesterday, Governor DeWine announced that movie theaters can open on June 10.  That said, we are going to give it a few more weeks.  Our target re-open date will be July 1.  We’ve still got some major projects in the works to make the return safer and more comfortable for you and our staff alike. We also have to re-hire the entire staff, learn new policies, order fresh supplies, and book films.  (That said, I’m delighted with the prospects of what we might have on July 4th weekend.  I’ll keep you posted.)

 

Knowing we won’t be open before June 22, we will have to re-schedule our screening of DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! – which was part of our PNC Presents WOMEN OF INFLUENCE IN THE MOVIES series with The Human Race Theatre Company.  I’ll keep you posted.

 

I was delighted to read that The Criterion Channel has lifted their paywall on numerous films that center on Black Lives…including Julie Dash’s masterpiece DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST – starring the brilliant actress from Dayton, BarbaraO. The Criterion Channel is a treasure!

Lastly, I’ve booked a lot more new titles in the coming weeks to our Virtual Cinema.  Check out those details in the revised newsletter below.  (New titles include YOU DON’T NOMI, LUCKY GRANDMA, and MISS JUNETEENTH.)

 

In addition to starting a couple new films this week in our virtual cinema, we are bringing back PAHOKEE.  This film is an important part of the national conversation, and I want to give our community another chance to see this powerful work.  In addition, we just started the handsome and thrilling new period political thriller by Agnieszka Holland (director of EUROPA EUROPA and THE SECRET GARDEN) – MR. JONES.  We will also open the Oscar nominated film that several of you have asked for – CORPUS CHRISTI.  HAIL SATAN?, which starts Friday, will wrap up our Magnolia Pictures documentary fest, and on Saturday, we will have a one-time screening of a film with a very special Q&A – SHIRLEY (about famous author Shirley Jackson). 1 ANGRY BLACK MAN, has just been added to our virtual offerings. Jamie Broadnax of Black Girl Nerds says it’s “An impactful film that deals with cerebral discussions around race, class, and society through the lens of liberal arts students.”
Synopsis for 1 ANGRY BLACK MAN: “After a traumatic sexual mishap at the quintessential New England liberal arts school, Mike Anderson, 8 weeks away from graduation, is in his African-American literature class with his favorite teacher feeling sad, isolated and angry.” (Soulidifly) Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 48 hour access to the film for $4.99.
Synopsis for our return engagement of PAHOKEE: “In a small agricultural town in the Florida Everglades, hopes for the future are concentrated on the youth. Four teens face heartbreak and celebrate in the rituals of an extraordinary senior year. Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan create a detailed and incredibly nuanced portrait…A complex and multi-layered work that recalls both the gritty social realism of the new American cinema as well as a neorealist touch. PAHOKEE is a powerful portrait of a forgotten America absent from the current political discourse.” (Giona A. Nazzaro) Here’s a note from the distributor for this film: “you can watch it on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, or use the official Vimeo app on your Apple TV (4th generation), Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung TV, or Google Chromecast. Please note that there is no Vimeo app available for LG Smart TVs.” More details can be found on this Help Page. To purchase 72 hour access of the film for $12, click on the image below to be directed to the film’s official site.  You will get a small pop-up that will allow you to purchase the film for $12.  If you get to a screen that quotes you $18, enter the word “neon” as your promo code…this will get your our $12 screening price (instead of $18) and will give us proper credit for your purchase.
Synopsis for CORPUS CHRISTI: OSCAR NOMINATED! “After spending years in a Warsaw prison for a violent crime, 20-year-old Daniel is released and sent to a remote village to work as a manual laborer. The job is designed to keep the ex-con busy, but Daniel has a higher calling. Over the course of his incarceration he has found Christ, and aspires to join the clergy – but his criminal record means no seminary will accept him. When Daniel arrives in town, one quick lie allows him to be mistaken for the town’s new priest, and he sets about leading his newfound flock. Though he has no training, his passion and charisma inspire the community. At the same time, his unconventional sermons and unpriestly behavior raise suspicions among some of the townsfolk – even more so as he edges towards a dark secret that the community hasn’t revealed in the confessional booth.” (Film Movement) Anchored by a “dynamically physical, wild-eyed performance” (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) from newcomer Bartosz Bielenia, this film is an incisive, darkly humorous, and “engrossing exploration of faith, second chances and the possibility of atonement” (SCREEN). You can watch this film on your web browser or via an app on AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Roku. Here’s a link to more instructions from the distributor. Click the picture below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $12.
Synopsis for MR. JONES: “Agnieszka Holland’s thriller, set on the eve of world WWII, sees Hitler’s rise to power and Stalin’s Soviet propaganda machine pushing their ‘utopia’ to the Western world. Meanwhile an ambitious young journalist, Gareth Jones travels to Moscow to uncover the truth behind the propaganda, but then gets a tip that could expose an international conspiracy, one that could cost him and his informant their lives. Jones goes on a life-or-death journey to uncover the truth behind the façade that would later inspire George Orwell’s seminal book ANIMAL FARM.”  This film stars James Norton, Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard.  Click the picture below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $12.
MAGNOLIA PICTURES: A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE DOCS is wrapping up. We’re now on the last film of the series…and this one is a documentary that we didn’t have a chance to play when we were open – HAIL, SATAN?  Watch the film anytime and then you can then participate in a live Q&A next Wednesday by submitting questions in advance (You can either submit them over email to submityourquestion@magpictures.com, or they can tweet at Magnolia by using the hashtag #magnoliadocseries.)  You can still rent the earlier films by clicking each film’s title.
RBG started on May 15.
LIFE ITSELF started May 22.
BLACKFISH started May 29. (Q&A tonight – 6/3 with director Gabriela Cowperthwaite)
HAIL SATAN? started today. (Q&A on 6/10 with director Penny Lane in conversation with Lucien Greaves, head of The Satanic Temple.)
Watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $5 by clicking the image below.

The DAYTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL is ready to go! Though we’ll certainly miss hosting this fantastic festival at THE NEON, we think they’ve made a wise decision!! Check out their awesome line-up by clicking the image below!  It’s their 20th anniversary, and they’re making all the screenings and on-line discussions FREE!!  Opening night is next Tuesday and it’s at the Dixie Drive-In (make sure to register on-line).
Wanna know what’s coming down the road in our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On June 10, we have two new films set to open.  The first is YOU DON’T NOMI – a cine-essay on the cult status of the terribly bad film SHOWGIRLS. We’ll also open a dark comedy heist film LUCKY GRANDMA. On June 12, we will open the documentary FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO– Daniel Karslake’s follow-up to his film FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. (I’m working on creating an on-line, community-based discussion for this film. Save the date for June 28…more details next week!)
On June 17, we plan to open a film that was supposed to have its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival –THE SURROGATE.  On June 19, we’ll open the Sundance hit MISS JUNETEENTH. On June 26, we will open a new doc that I know many of you will love – ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. And sometime in late June/early July, we hope to open THE TOBACCONIST – a film I saw and loved at The Cleveland International Film Festival last year.
Wishing you all good health!
Be safe & well.
Jonathan

Jonathan’s Weekly Neon Update

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It is award season, and every film on our horizon is a contender.  On Friday, we will open THE TWO POPES – a film I saw in Toronto and immediately knew I wanted to bring to all of you.  Just yesterday, nominations for The Golden Globes were announced, and THE TWO POPES garnered 4 nominations – including “Best Picture: Drama” as well as nods for both Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins.  I was not raised Catholic, yet I found this film to be intriguing, insightful and important (as well as full of warmth, hope and even with fun moments) – I hope you’ll support it.  Every film on our list is receiving recognition from critics and awards programs.  From LITTLE WOMEN and THE IRISHMAN to MARRIAGE STORY and GIVE ME LIBERTY (with its big local connection), we have the best line-up ever to wrap up 2019.  In addition to having TWO POPES, DARK WATERSwill stick around (audiences are loving it).  If you still need to see the phenomenal PARASITE or the crowd-pleasing JOJO RABBIT, Thursday will be your last chance.
Synopsis for THE TWO POPES: “The Catholic Church’s papacy is a singular institution, with unique demands placed on the men who would see themselves elevated to it. This decade saw one of the Church’s most important moments of transition, but news reports can fail in the face of such enormous, complex change. THE TWO POPES takes us beyond TV images of smoke rising from the Vatican chimney into the hearts, minds, and actions of those charged with leading over a billion faithful. Directed by Brazil’s Oscar-nominated Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD) and starring two acting legends in Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, this insightful story ushers us behind gilded doors to watch the once and future Popes grapple with faith and religious leadership in a rapidly changing world.” (TIFF Catalog) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our DARK WATERS talk-back on Sunday evening.  It was by far our highest attended screening of the weekend!  Though an exact date and time has yet to be solidified (an announcement will be made within the next couple days), you can come back and learn more about GIVE ME LIBERTY from line-producer (and WSU grad) Karri O’Reilly.  This film has been nominated for 4 Independent Spirit Awards – and it’s a wonderful story with incredible performances from actors we’ll certainly be seeing again and again.

Dale Farmer is bringing his award-winning film to THE NEON on Thursday, January 16 at 7:30.  “Deeply infused with the traditional Appalachian musical genres of Old Time and Bluegrass, THE MOUNTAIN MINOR tells an overlooked story about the people and culture behind the resurgence of American Roots Music today and highlights artful responses to the difficult circumstances of human migration. In the 1920s-1950s, millions of Appalachians left their homes in the mountains and migrated to urban Midwestern centers in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. The Mountain Minor is the story of a life-worn Charlie Abner, a generation later, as he struggles with leaving his present life and family in Cincinnati, Ohio to return to the Kentucky Mountain home and musical heritage that once defined him. The story is partially told in flashbacks to depression era Eastern Kentucky, when Charlie’s parents, Oza and Vestal Abner, face the difficult decision to leave the way of life they know and move to Ohio for employment and better opportunities. This is not only film director Dale Farmer’s family story, but the story of thousands of families that left their mountain homes to move to the Dayton, Ohio area to become the heart of the working middle class. This film is unique in that all of its principal actors are traditional musicians-such as Smithsonian Folkways artist Elizabeth LaPrelle and acclaimed banjoist and fiddler Dan Gellert-and they perform all of the music in the film. Pre-film music by The Corn Drinkers will start at 7:30, and the movie will play at 8:00.  A Q&A will follow the film with the writer/director Dale Farmer and actors Ma Crow, Warren & Judy Waldron and Amy Cogan Clay.” (press notes) Tickets are $12 each and will go on sale Dec. 16.

We need your help!  Sponsored by The Dayton Holiday Festival, Mix 107.7 and THE NEON, The Family Holiday Film Series started last Saturday with THE WIZARD OF OZ…and we had a lot of empty seats.  Tickets are FREE for kids 12 and under, and we’ll screen A CHRISTMAS STORY this Saturday, Dec. 14 at Noon.  And next week, THE GRINCH (2018) will screen on Saturday, Dec. 21 at Noon.  Tickets are FREE for children 12 and under and only $2 for anyone over 12.  These tickets will become available at 11:15am on the day of each screening, and they are limited to one ticket per person (aka: everyone must be present in order to pick up tickets – we can’t hold or disperse tickets for people who are not at the theater – thank you for your understanding).  Everyone is welcome!  If you have friends, neighbors, grandkids, or grandmas who like good holiday fun, let ’em know!
Many of you have been asking about showtimes for December 25.  Interestingly, Sony has asked us to go ahead and create showtimes and put tickets on sale for LITTLE WOMEN tomorrow morning.  We’ll go ahead and set showtimes for THE IRISHMAN and MARRIAGE STORY too.  You can get advanced tickets via our website starting tomorrow at 9:00am – www.neonmovies.com.
We hope to see you often over the next few weeks. It’s going to be quite a season!

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

TIFF 2018 – Day #10 (Really Just Part of a Day)

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Hello NEON Fans.

Thanks for checking in.  I’ve been across the country and around the world over the past several days…all via the magic of cinema.  And I have broken my old record!  I saw 39 films over the course of 9.25 days at the incredible Toronto International Film Festival.  This is always a highlight of my year, and I have assembled quite a list of films that I want to bring to audiences in Dayton.

My last film of the festival was SHOPLIFTERS – a film that will almost certainly be nominated for “Best Foreign Film” in this year’s Oscar race.  “Equal parts incisive social critique and nuanced family portrait, the latest from Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda — winner of this year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes — follows a small band of marginalized misfits struggling to make ends meet in a merciless urban environment.”  This sad but charming film reveals itself in wonderful ways.  Familial relationships aren’t what they immediately seem, and even when things seem to get a little sinister, you can forgive some of the actions because you’ve walked beside the characters for a while and better understand their motives.  This film has a lot to say, and it was a great way to bid adieu to this year’s festival.

In the coming days, I’ll write a wrap-up and keep you abreast as to this year’s TIFF award-winners.

And don’t forget that we’ve got lots happening at THE NEON over the next several weeks.  From THE DAYTON LGBT FILM FESTIVAL to numerous special events…and of course our traditional engagements (some of which are coming from TIFF in the very near future).

Thanks for sharing in this little journey with me.

Hope to see you soon at the movies!

Jonathan

TIFF 2018 – Day #8

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Hello!

Day #8 had me seeing 4 more films.

ROMA, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, was my first film of the day. “Alfonso Cuarón’s cogent and nuanced semi-autobiographical feature chronicles one year in the life of a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City.”  This black-and-white feature film is simply sublime.  With themes of class and position in society as well as government/societal upheaval, this film is full of visual metaphors and is incredibly sophisticated.  One might think “not much happens in this film”…but ultimately – EVERYTHING happens.  This film should 100% be viewed on a big screen.  Though Netflix has it set to premiere on their channel, this film deserves a theatrical release.  In a word, it’s Incredible!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp_i7cnOgbQ

HIGH LIFE, directed by Claire Denis, was up next. “Master French filmmaker Claire Denis’s long-anticipated English-language debut and provocative sci-fi drama stars Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, and André Benjamin as a group of criminals sent into deep space.”  This is perhaps one of Denis’ most accessible films (as far as “I’m following what’s happening”) – but it’s also still quite avant garde…and I can imagine customers saying “what the hell?” for most of the film.  The mini description fails to explain that the spaceship (which looks somewhat like a floating hard drive) is essentially being used as a laboratory in which Binoche’s character does sexual experiments on its “recycled scum” inhabitants.  Complete with rape scenes and other bloody violence, this film is a challenging film that will likely have many searching for its rosetta stone.

I attended the next film based on its description.  I had no idea that it was a big studio picture.  THE HATE U GIVE, directed by George Tillman, Jr, simply sounded like an important film that I wanted to support. “A timely commentary in the Black Lives Matter era, George Tillman, Jr.’s adaptation of the novel by Angie Thomas follows Starr, a promising student and cherished daughter whose life is upended, then galvanized, when a friend is senselessly shot dead by police.”  This film is targeted at a young adult audience, and it’s so refreshing that it’s not about vampires or a fish-out-of-water comedy.  This is an urgent tale about a young black student who consciously alters her persona between her school self (which is in a private school full of affluent white kids) and her at home self.  I hope this film finds a wide, diverse audience – but I’m afraid it might only end up preaching to the choir.  The plot takes some unexpected turns and covers a lot of bases, but it’s ultimately a strong film that needs to be seen by a lot of people.

RED JOAN, directed by Trevor Nunn, was my last film before an incredible dinner of Japanese tapas (but that’s a different story).  “Academy Award winner Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson take on the complex persona and legacy of Joan Stanley, the seemingly demure physicist who was also a long-serving British spy for the KGB.”  This film is based on a novel…that is very loosely based on a real woman named Melita Norwood.  The film uses the framing device of Dench’s character being arrested and interrogated while flashing back to WWII era material where she may have been conspiring with the Russians.  Handsomely shot with strong performances, this film will certainly go over well at THE NEON if it finds a US distributor. It contains both great dramatic moments and sequences with wonderful, thrilling tension.  The fact that “nuclear bombs and who has them” continues to be a fear in today’s climate shows how little things have changed.

Things are winding down here at the festival.  Many big players have gone home, and the lines for movies are easier to navigate.  I have one more full day of films and then one Saturday morning screening before flying home.

Thanks for checking in.

Jonathan

TIFF 2018 – Day #7

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Hello NEON Fans,

Thanks for checking in again…it’s been another busy day.  I attended a little queer party for TIFF attendees last night, so it was a bit of a struggle to get up this morning.  But I made it to my first screening – FIRST MAN, directed by Damien Chazelle.  Almost every year, I go ahead and see one big film that is too big (too Hollywood) to make it to THE NEON.  This year, I chose Chazelle’s follow-up to LA LA LAND (which is still THE NEON’s highest grossing film).  “The Academy Award–winning team of director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reunites for this biopic on the adventures and life of Neil Armstrong, from his entry into NASA’s astronaut program in 1961 to his epoch-making walk on the moon eight years later.”  This film is beautifully done and best seen via IMAX (ALERT:  If you don’t want a fun aspect of the film ruined, don’t read this parenthetical.  SPOILER: The film plays with aspect ratio that can only be accomplished to full effect on an IMAX screen…this happens upon landing on the moon – and it’s magical.)  The film feels more indie than Hollywood in its use of close-ups and medium shots and its overall quiet approach to its lead character.  It will certainly be a big player in this year’s Award Season.

GIANT LITTLE ONES, a Canadian feature directed by Keith Behrman, was my next film of the day.  “In the latest from Canadian director Keith Behrman, Kyle MacLachlan and Maria Bello star as divorced parents whose teenage son (Josh Wiggins) faces seismic personal upheaval after an unexpected incident at a party.”  This touching (and scary and frustrating and exhilarating) coming-of-age story is truly intended for a teenage audience.  Though not without storytelling flaws (including some major tonal shifts), it’s a good film.  That said, I couldn’t help but think “Who is the intended audience for this film?” during the entire screening.  It wouldn’t work for a theatrical release…thus I think it will mostly find a home on the festival circuit and as a popular streaming film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hfVG2u5Icw

VITA & VIRGINIA, directed by Chanya Button, was my next film.  Here’s the brief TIFF synopsis: “Gemma Arterton and Elizabeth Debicki shine as socialite and author Vita Sackville-West and literary icon Virginia Woolf, respectively, in director Chanya Button’s sumptuous double portrait of two uncompromising women and the unconventional affair behind one of Woolf’s greatest novels.”  This film has a lot of merits…but it ultimately turned me off.  There is a lot of attention to period detail, but the contemporary score pulled me out of the movie at every turn.  It’s not like a stylized use of contemporary music (ala MARIE ANTOINETTE), it’s almost a dance club beat that interrupts the drama.  (There are also a couple moments of strange, fanciful special effects that didn’t work for me…is this a trend – period films with overdone special effects?  They didn’t work in TELL IT TO THE BEES for me either.)  The best thing about this film for me is that it makes me want to pick up and re-read my copy of ORLANDO when I get home.  (there’s no trailer for this film – just the clip below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfwQG7T9X6E

Up next was PAPI CHULO, directed by John Butler (Butler directed HANDSOME DEVIL, the awesome little film we screened last summer for our special PRIDE selection).  “A solitary and alienated television weatherman ‘hires’ a middle-aged Latino migrant worker to be his friend, in this darkly comedic reflection on class, ethnicity, and companionship in contemporary Los Angeles.”  This modest little film is funny/sad and really kind of charming…but takes a darker, sadder, scarier and then pathetic turn in act 3.  Matt Bomer lets loose in this performance, and Alejandro Patiño is hysterically dry.  It’s a sweet little matinee film, but I don’t see much of a life for it theatrically.  (there’s no trailer for this film – just the clip below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr3bSXRnRMI

My final film for the day was EVERYBODY KNOWS, directed by 2-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi…but this time he’s moved landscapes from the Middle East to Spain.  “Academy Award winner Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Salesman) directs Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem in this layered, psychological drama about a family wedding interrupted by a shocking crime and some long-buried secrets.”  The performances in this film are spectacular, and I could have watched scenes from the wedding for hours – so jovial, so vibrant, so steeped in tradition.  Penelope is radiant in the opening scenes of this film (think VOLVER or BROKEN EMBRACES).  There’s so much to like.  It’s naturalistic, something terrible happens and the stakes are high…but it never seems phony.  Ultimately, I really liked this film – but it lacks the wallop of other Farhadi films.  I wanted more…but I’d also want to trim it down a bit.

I’m now at 31 films in 7 days, and I still have 2.3 days left.  I’m trending for a personal best.

Thanks for stopping by.

More tomorrow,

Jonathan