Hello Everyone!

This weekend, we're presenting a film that has risen to cult status since it premiered 20 years ago...a film that some critics refer to as "A Masterpiece" - Park Chan-wook's OLDBOY.  For its 20th anniversary, we'll present the recently restored version of the film...and for all shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there will be a special pre-recorded introduction and post-screening discussion with the famed director! (In recent years, we've shown Chan-wook's THE HANDMAIDEN, STOKER and DECISION TO LEAVE.)

GOLDA had a great response over the weekend and will stick around for another week, and JULES will stick around for one show per day for one more week!  If you still need to see DREAMIN' WILD, this Thursday will be its last day.  MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 opens next Thursday - Sept. 7!

I'm very excited to be heading back to Toronto this year for The Toronto International Film Festival (I haven't attended the festival since 2019).  Next week, I'll provide you with a link where you can keep up with my daily blog - a space where I keep track of all the films I'm seeing (and the glitterati I'm spotting)!

"Open Caption Mondays" continue to be well-received. On Monday, Sept. 4, GOLDA and JULES will be presented with Open Captions (captions presented on the screen)...and OLDBOY is subtitled for all screenings. As a reminder, seating is no longer assigned on Mondays-Thursdays for traditional engagements.

Synopsis for OLDBOY: "After being mysteriously kidnapped and imprisoned with no human contact for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik) is suddenly released without any explanation. In a twisted game of cat and mouse, he has only five days to retrace his past, track down his captors, and get his revenge.  
OLDBOY, which remains a cult classic and has served as inspiration for auteurs for nearly two decades, will return to theaters for the first time in 20 years!" (Neon Releasing)
For all shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Sept 1-3), there will be a special pre-recorded introduction and post-screening discussion with Park Chan-wook!

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT! Board Member Megan Smith has been helping THE NEON build on the popularity of our "Date Night Series" (the last one sold out!!) with a nostalgic end-of-summer flick - ROMANCING THE STONE. The film follows a romance novelist who travels to Columbia to search for her missing sister while simultaneously searching for priceless treasure alongside an American adventurer. Come early for Colombian food on the patio with Dayton's EL MAPALE and live music from Dayton resident/Colombian musician Anthony Sanchez. We'll also have some 'stones' and 'jewels' for sale from Dayton jewelry makers. Tickets are on sale now for $10 each (reserve your seats today)! The movie screens Wednesday, August 30 at 7:30. Come early - 5:30-7:30 pm - for food, drinks, music, and fun! 

ROMANCING THE STONE Trivia: In 1984, Romancing the Stone was the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year. It won the Golden Globe for best comedy or Musical, and Kathleen Turner took home the Globe for best actress in a Comedy or Musical. Studio executives were so sure this film would flop that Robert Zemeckis was pre-emptively fired from directing Cocoon (1985). It turned out to be such a success that Zemeckis was able to go forward on his own project, Back to the Future (1985).

TRIVIA ON OUR PATIO

Do you like trivia? Thursday is the day we host LIVE TRIVIA AT THE NEON. This event is Free and open to the public, and it will take place on our patio at 7pm...so it's weather permitting. Our Assistant Manager Ky will be hosting this week with general movie trivia! So stop down for some fun and your chance at prizes! 

August 31st | 7:00PM

PATIO PARTY

Our Friday Patio Parties will soon be winding down...but we have a few left! Join us on the patio this Friday from 5:30-7:30 with former The Team from Discover Classical - WDPR, 88.1, 89.1 & 89.9FM.  Once again, our friend DJ Lu will be spinning some tunes for us! We hope you can make it!

September 1st | 5:30-7:30 PM

ENCORE SCREENING ADDED - Sunday, Sept. 3 at Noon! THE NEON is delighted to bring the latest edition of CatVideoFest to town - a compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience, only available in theaters, and raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters to best serve cats in the area. For our screening, 10% of ticket sales will go to Humane Society of Greater Dayton! This screening is set for Saturday, Sept. 2 at Noon with an encore scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 3 at Noon! Tickets are $10 each and on sale now!

ENCORE SCREENING ADDED - Thur, Sept. 7 at 9:30! "SOFA, SO GOOD is a feature length absurdist comedy about two cousins (Jake and Red) moving their couch across Dayton, Ohio, without a car. Encountering an array of obstacles along the journey, Jake and Red, in pursuit of a more comfortable life, carry their couch across the city. Danger and folly ensue. SOFA, SO GOOD was written in 2019, by the Thiele Brothers (Kyle, Eli, and Cole). Set to film in 2020, with a full crew, the world took a new turn, and the crew was reduced to the Thiele brothers, sound guy, Rusty Pietrzak, along with the two lead characters played by Dayton artists, Joseph Jeffries and Yahel Pack. Additional local supporting actors joined the production journey. The Thiele brothers have made shorts before, showcasing at Austin Film Festival and Hollyshorts; however this was our first feature film for the three brothers who wanted to undertake this project together as a team." Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 & 9:30 - Tickets $12.00 - available now!

FLINT: THE POISONING OF AN AMERICAN CITY traces the timeline of the city’s interaction with the Flint River-from the continued abuse and neglect of both city infrastructure and environmental regulations, to subsequent population decline, through to Michigan’s 2013 appointing of outside emergency managers. This poisonous mix of factors created a crisis which resulted in record high levels of lead in the drinking water of the city. This film explores the critical question of how this could happen in American. A recent report found that 5,300 American cites were found to be in violation of federal lead rules. The Directors of the film and environmental educators in our community will be available after the film for a brief conversation with the audience. This film is a being brought to the community via a grant received by Kathy Rowell, Professor of Sociology at Sinclair. Attendees will receive a free small bag of popcorn & small soda (thanks to generous support of the office of Diversity at Sinclair Community College and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance). Thursday, Sept. 14 at 5:30. For more information, email Kathy Rowell at katherine.rowell@sinclair.edu. You can reserve a FREE spot for this screening at this LINK.

ENCORE SCREENING - Sunday, Sept. 17 at 5pm. "1 946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE is a feature documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946. It chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale University which unveil astonishing new revelations, and casts significant doubt on any biblical basis for LGBTQIA+ prejudice. While other documentaries have been successful in their attempt to treat the symptom of homophobia in the church, 1946 is working to diagnose and treat the disease - Biblical Literalism." This film is being sponsored by The Welcoming Place: Counseling and Coaching, LLC - Owner/Counselor: Charles A. Roberts, LPCC-S.  With this sponsorship in place, tickets are only $3 each! 

Save the dates - DIFF is back with several screenings and special events - slated for Sept. 22-24, 2023!  We'll have more details for your next week!

"Preschool Promise has partnered with the creators of the award-winning documentary  BLACK BOYS to bring this powerful film to the Greater Dayton community and to spark conversation about positive changes that we can all make when we work together. This film shows what’s possible when we see Black boys and men in a different light and work to see equity from a new lens. BLACK BOYS, directed by Sonia Lowman, illuminates the spectrum of black male humanity in America. An intimate, inter-generational exploration, BLACK BOYS strives for insight into black identity and opportunity at the nexus of sports, education and criminal justice. The film elevates an urgent and timely reckoning on identity, opportunity and equity to reimagine success for Black males in America while also touching on their vulnerability and resilience in the face of dehumanization. Enjoy this powerful film at 10:00 A.M. on September 30. You can reserve a spot and find out more by clicking this  LINK.

ENCORE ADDED - Wed, Oct. 4 at 7:30!Tickets are now on sale for the 5th in our series in partnership with Dayton Art Institute & Exhibition On Screen! "From award-winning director Phil Grabsky comes this fresh new look at arguably the world’s favorite artist – through his own words. Using letters and other private writings  I, CLAUDE MONET reveals new insight into the man who not only painted the picture that gave birth to impressionism but who was perhaps the most influential and successful painter of the 19th and early 20th centuries." Sunday, Oct. 1 at 5:00 and Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 - tickets $12.50 - available now!

Thank you for all of your support!
Jonathan