Our selections have been really well received over the last few weeks. DRIVEWAYS continues to get great responses, our followers have told us that FRENCH SHORTS 2020 are wonderful, and Sherry told us that MILITARY WIVES“was the perfect Memorial Day film, or any day film. It is a film that reminds me that being human is a complex, painful, joyful journey. I feel more human for watching.” That’s quite an endorsement! All of these films will stick around for another week! But we’re also going to keep moving. Today, we’re bringing two new documentaries, and both are rated “100% Fresh” on rottentomatoes. THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS is about the disastrous making of the film GHOST OF THE NOONDAY SUN, and DIANA KENNEDY: NOTHING FANCY will be a delight for foodies and lovers of travel alike. Lastly, on Friday, we’ll virtually open the fantastic documentary BLACKFISH – where you’ll be able to write in questions for a live Q&A next week.
(Don’t forget – Tonight, Wednesday, May 27 at 8pm, is the Q&A for the Roger Ebert documentary LIFE ITSELF!)
Synopsis for THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS: “In September 1973 Peter Sellers embarked on the production of a 17th Century pirate comedy in Cyprus for Columbia Pictures (GHOST OF THE NOONDAY SUN). Sellers lost confidence with the film as soon as it began and desperately tried to sabotage it, firing the producers in the first week and then setting his sights on his friend the director, Peter Medak. At its core lies the story of an unraveling production but also the tale of a young director firmly on a path to greatness. Medak had made 3 back-to-back successes; most notably THE RULING CLASS in 1972 with Peter O’Toole (nominated for the Palm D’Or). This film changed his career forever. After 43 years the wounds have barely healed for Medak and this is his opportunity to tell the story and finally release the weight associated with its failure. THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS is a comic-tragic feature doc about what it takes to be a film director and survive your biggest disaster.” This film will be available on computers and mobile devices as well as Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast. Here’s a LINK to a help page where you can learn more. Click on the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to this film for $10.
Synopsis for DIANA KENNEDY: NOTHING FANCY: “An intimate, candid perspective into the curious world of 95-year-old cookbook author and British ex-patriot Diana Kennedy, widely regarded as the world’s academic expert on
Mexican cuisine. Standing barely five feet tall with a thick English accent, Diana is a formidable critic of anyone who doesn’t agree with her views on Mexican culinary traditions, or, God forbid, doesn’t recycle. The author of nine acclaimed cookbooks, Diana has spent nearly seventy years exploring Mexico (typically solo in her truck), and researching the country’s varied and complex cuisines. A two-time James Beard Award winner, Diana was decorated with an Order of the Aztec Eagle from the Mexican government in 1982 and became a Member of the Order of
the British Empire from the UK in 2002. Despite her notable achievements, Diana is difficult to categorize; often referred to as the ‘Julia Child of Mexico.’ Given her edgier style, however, Diana prefers a different title: ‘The Mick Jagger of
Mexican Cuisine.'” This film is available to watch on your computer or mobile devices and via and app with supported Apple and android TVs. More technicals details can be found on this LINK. You can watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to this film will for $9.99 by clicking the image below.
Mexican cuisine. Standing barely five feet tall with a thick English accent, Diana is a formidable critic of anyone who doesn’t agree with her views on Mexican culinary traditions, or, God forbid, doesn’t recycle. The author of nine acclaimed cookbooks, Diana has spent nearly seventy years exploring Mexico (typically solo in her truck), and researching the country’s varied and complex cuisines. A two-time James Beard Award winner, Diana was decorated with an Order of the Aztec Eagle from the Mexican government in 1982 and became a Member of the Order of
the British Empire from the UK in 2002. Despite her notable achievements, Diana is difficult to categorize; often referred to as the ‘Julia Child of Mexico.’ Given her edgier style, however, Diana prefers a different title: ‘The Mick Jagger of
Mexican Cuisine.'” This film is available to watch on your computer or mobile devices and via and app with supported Apple and android TVs. More technicals details can be found on this LINK. You can watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to this film will for $9.99 by clicking the image below.
These selections are sticking around:
NEW FRENCH SHORTS 2020 Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 5 day access to this collection of films for $12.
MILITARY WIVES Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $4.99.
DRIVEWAYS Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access for $12. This will be the final week for DRIVEWAYS!
MAGNOLIA PICTURES: A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE DOCS is already underway, and you’ve been invited to ask questions to the directors. Each Friday, we start a virtual engagement of a great documentary for just $5.00 each. On the following Wednesday, you can attend a live virtual Q&A with the film’s director – and you can submit your own questions in advance. (You can either submit them over email to [email protected], or they can tweet at Magnolia by using the hashtag #magnoliadocseries.) This Friday marks the third film in the series, BLACKFISH…and you can still rent the first two:
RBG started on May 15.
LIFE ITSELF started May 22. (Q&A tonight, 5/27, with Chaz Ebert in conversation with director Steve James)
BLACKFISH starts May 29. (Q&A on 6/3 with director Gabriela Cowperthwaite)
HAIL SATAN? starts June 5. (Q&A on 6/10 with director Penny Lane in conversation with Lucien Greaves, head of The Satanic Temple.)
When you purchase access to each film for $5, you will also get invited to that film’s Q&A event and 10% of all the national sales will go to a charity of the filmmaker’s choice.
Due to the uncertainty of the coming weeks/months, the DAYTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL has decided to go mostly virtual this June instead of postponing or canceling…and the preview event on June 2 is right around the corner. 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!!
Wanna know what’s coming down the road? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On June 3, we will virtually open the Oscar nominated film CORPUS CHRISTI. Also on June 3, we’ll start the beautiful political thriller from a director I greatly admire – Agnieszka Holand. MR. JONES is set during the early 1930’s and stars James Norton, Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard. 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. And sometime in late June, we hope to open THE TOBACCONIST – a film I saw and loved at The Cleveland International Film Festival last year. We’re working to make this a sidebar or encore to the Dayton Jewish Film Festival…and you’ll be invited to participate in a post-screening discussion with yours truly.
Last week, we participated in a gift card program with The Downtown Dayton Partnership…you could buy $25 gift cards for a number of businesses downtown and they would send you a bonus $15 gift card for a mystery business. I wanted to let you know all about it, but the program was so successful that they sold out of $15,000 of free $15 gift cards in one day. Due to some generous folks in the region, it looks like they may be announcing “Round 2” pretty soon. Stay tuned to their Facebook Page for the latest details.
