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AT ANY PRICE and STARBUCK + 2 Hold-Overs…And Please Vote NEON.

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l_1756750_1515bed9Hello Everyone,

2 new films are heading to THE NEON for the holiday weekend – AT ANY PRICE and STARBUCK. That said, we’ll hold onto THE SAPPHIRES and MUD for another week.  (NO screened for the last time on Thursday (May 23).) Please pay close attention to showtimes for the upcoming week (which are listed below). Due to the holiday, they change around a little more than usual.

Every year, The Dayton Daily News holds a contest for “Best Movie Theater.” Last year, we forgot to remind you, but we still ended up with quite a few votes. This year, I put it on the calendar. Please visit the site below to enter you vote. You can only vote once from each computer…and we won’t bribe you or bother you again for votes (unless of course you’re on facebook…where we’ll put a couple reminders throughout the week). Here’s the LINK. Thank you!

Synopsis for STARBUCK: “At 42, David lives the life of an irresponsible adolescent. He coasts through life with minimal effort and maintains a complicated relationship with Valerie, a young policewoman. Just as she tells him she’s pregnant, David’s past resurfaces. Twenty years earlier, he began providing sperm to a fertility clinic in exchange for money. He discovers he’s the father of 533 children, 142 of whom have filed a class action lawsuit to determine the identity of their biological father, known only by the pseudonym Starbuck.” (taken from EOne) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site. I think the trailer will make you want to see this film!

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Synopsis for AT ANY PRICE: “In the competitive world of modern agriculture, ambitious HENRY WHIPPLE (Dennis Quaid) wants his rebellious son DEAN (Zac Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a high-stakes investigation into their business is exposed, father and son are pushed into an unexpected crisis that threatens the family’s entire livelihood.” (taken from Sony Pictures Classics) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site. This film was directed by one of America’s most well-received, young directors.

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Film #4 in Start Freedom Dayton’s film series – CALL + RESPONSE – is scheduled for next Thursday, May 30 at 7:30. “Organized by Justin Dillon, an artist, public speaker, abolitionist, founder and CEO of Slavery Footprint, CALL + RESPONSE is a documentary about human trafficking that combines musicians, celebrities, national abolitionists and political figures to shine a light on human trafficking concerns in the US and abroad. Tickets are $10 day of show at THE NEON or advance tickets are $8 (available exclusively at Peace on Fifth – 508 E. 5th – 937.367-7215). For information about Peace on Fifth or Start Freedom Dayton visit the official site. CALL + RESPONSE is sponsored by Fairly Simple.” (taken from the press release)

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Only 50 seats remain for our upcoming special screening of GIRL RISING. For more about this film, click this LINK. This is the site where you can watch the trailer, read about the film and reserve your ticket. The screening is set to take place on Wednesday, June 5 at 7:30. Advanced tickets are only available on the website listed above. If tickets remain, we will be able to sell them at the door on the night of the show. Watch the trailer…this film looks terrific!

On Thursday, June 20 at 7:30, we will host a special screening of the new film I DO. (I saw this film at The Cleveland International Film Festival, and the audience adored it!) “A gay Brit living in New York is deprived of his immigration status, and risks losing his family and life in the U.S. He marries his lesbian best friend to remain in the country and stay with his family, but things get complicated when he meets the love of his life and is forced to make an impossible choice.” This one night only screening is part of Dayton’s PRIDE festivities. Tickets are $9 for General Admission. Members of The Greater Dayton LGBT Center get in for $7 (with valid membership card). Tickets are on sale now at THE NEON’s box office.

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Thanks for your many well-wishes during my European holiday. I had a magnificent time in Germany (visiting old friends & “family” from my time as an exchange student) and Spain (visiting one of my dearest friends in Barcelona). As I anticipated, Diana and Mike did a great job holding down the fort at THE NEON. Many thanks to them…their work makes it possible for me to escape now and then.

See you soon!

All the best,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri. May 24 – Thur, May 30:

MUD (PG-13) 2 Hr 10 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:30, 7:10, 9:45
Monday: 1:30, 7:10
Tuesday & Wednesday: 2:30, 7:45
Thursday: 2:30

THE SAPPHIRES (PG-13) 1 Hr 43 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 4:30
Tuesday – Thursday: 5:10

STARBUCK (R) 1 Hr 49 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 12:30, 5:15
Tuesday – Thursday: 5:15

AT ANY PRICE (R) 1 Hr 45 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 2:50, 7:30, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:50, 7:30

CALL + RESPONSE (PG-13) 1 hr 26 Min + discussion

Thursday: 7:30

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.

May 31 – RENOIR
June 7 – LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED
June 14 – BEFORE MIDNIGHT
June 28 – THE EAST
July 26 – THE WAY WAY BACK
TBD – GINGER AND ROSA
TBD – KON TIKI
TBD – FROM UP ON POPPY HILL
TBD – FRANCES HA
TBD – IN THE HOUSE
TBD – TO THE WONDER

Toronto Film Fest – Day #9

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Hello Everyone,

I saw 2 final films today…which took my final count to 29 full screenings (there were 3 partial screenings, too).

First off, I saw a lovely new adaptation of GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Mike Newell (director of ENCHANTED APRIL, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, and a whole lot more).  This adaptation, though clearly condensed in order to be told in 2 hours, is an old-school, literal adaptation with lovely photography, great costumes and a wonderful score.  The cast is wonderful – Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch, Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham and Jeremy Irvine as “older” Pip (he was the star of WAR HORSE).   Interestingly, Young Pip is played by Jeremy Irvine’s younger brother Toby, and he’ll have quite a career should he decide to continue acting.  Sally Hawkins (who is always delightful to see) plays Mrs. Joe.  This adaptation will be well received by NEON regulars…though it has been picked up by a brand new distributor – so we hope we can establish a good relationship with them.

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For my last film of the festival, I saw Lee Daniels’  (director of PRECIOUS) latest film – THE PAPERBOY.  Though Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron give “nice” performances, the material is all over the map.  The film is seriously fractured with tone and themes shifting from scene to scene.  Some of the cutting seems strange and forced – leading me to believe that coverage wasn’t good or performances weren’t always up to par.  Eric Kohn of IndieWire wrote, “Lee Daniels’ THE PAPERBOY is a rare case of serious commitment to outright silliness…It’s possible to enjoy aspects of THE PAPERBOY if you assume a certain self-awareness behind the campier bits, but even then, the movie drowns in an overwhelming barrage of excess.”  Though Efron was present at the screening, Kidman was not.  Is she distancing herself from the picture?  We’ll never know.

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In the coming days, I’ll write one last Toronto wrap-up…and I’ll include some personal photographs from the trip.  So check back again on Tuesday or Wednesday – once I’ve had a bit of time to catch up on sleep, wash my clothes, get back to work and process all 29 films I screened.

Thanks for reading!

Jonathan