Hello Everyone!

This weekend, we've got 3 new films for you. The first has been off to a big start in larger cities over the past couple weeks - A24's dark comedy starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd - FRIENDSHIP.  And then there's the French film from Francois Ozon (one of my personal favorite directors) - WHEN FALL IS COMING.  And lastly, we have a few screenings of the Chinese hit film that has become the highest grossing animated film of all time - NE ZHA 2 (which is now the 5th highest grossing film of all time around the world). 

If you still need to see SINNERS, SECRET MALL APARTMENT or THE WEDDING BANQUET, Thursday will be your last chance to see them at THE NEON.

As a reminder, tickets for Wes Anderson's THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME (which just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to a 6.5-minute standing ovation) are already on sale...it opens June 5.  And tickets for THE LIFE OF CHUCK (a film I absolutely adored at last year's Toronto International Film Festival - which opens on June 12) went on sale this morning. THE LIFE OF CHUCK won TIFF's coveted Audience Choice Award - joining the ranks of films like AMELIE, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, THE KING'S SPEECH, LA LA LAND, JO JO RABBIT and so many other big NEON Hits.  I can't wait for you to see this one!

Everyone is talking about NATO.  Though a lot of downtown has significant traffic restrictions, our building and parking lot are outside of the NATO village.  We have scheduled extra staff to be on hand to keep our parking lot available to our customers. That said, I suggest giving yourself a little extra time to navigate the traffic. For more information about NATO, here is the official site.

"Open Caption Mondays" are a hit and much appreciated by many of our regulars.  On Monday, May 26, our screenings of  FRIENDSHIP will be presented with Open Captions (aka - captions presented on the screen).  WHEN FALL IS COMING is in French and is subtitled for all screenings during its engagement.

Synopsis for FRIENDSHIP: "Suburban dad Craig falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor, as Craig’s attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives." (A24). Nick Schager of The Daily Beast  writes, "Partnered with the always ridiculous Rudd, Robinson reconfirms his standing as the reigning master of discomfort. Together, they make FRIENDSHIP the funniest movie of the year."

Synopsis for WHEN FALL IS COMING: "Michelle is enjoying a peaceful retirement in a Burgundy village, close to her longtime friend Marie-Claude. When her Parisian daughter Valérie drops off her son Lucas to spend school vacation with his grandma, Michelle, stressed out by her daughter, serves her toxic mushrooms for lunch. Valérie quickly recovers, but forbids her mother from seeing her grandson anymore. Feeling lonely and guilty, Michelle falls into a depression... until Marie-Claude's son gets out of prison." (Music Box Films)  From Francois Ozon - director of 8 WOMEN, SWIMMING POOL, FRANTZ, IN THE HOUSE and so many more!

NE ZHE 2

3 Special Screening! We've had a few requests to play this Chinese animated film that has been breaking records all over the world. NE ZHA 2 is currently #5 of the highest grossing films of all time (and the #1 highest grossing animated film of all time)...and it's still going.  "Following the Tribulation, although the souls of Ne Zha and Ao Bing were preserved, their physical bodies will soon be destroyed. Tai Yi Zhen Ren plans to use the Seven Colored Lotus to reshape their physical forms, but encounters numerous difficulties. What will become of Ne Zha and Ao Bing?" Join us for special screenings of this record-breaking film in late May!
Tickets are $12.50 each.

SAT, MAY 24 | NOON
SUN, MAY 25 | NOON
TUE, MAY 27 | 7:30

GOODBYE HORSES:
THE MANY LIVES OF
Q LAZZARUS

"An intimate journey through the life of singer Diane Luckey aka Q Lazzarus, narrated through her own words, lyrics and music. The exceptionally talented but vastly underappreciated Q, who sang the cult hit song “Goodbye Horses” (which appeared in the Jonathan Demme films MARRIED TO THE MOB and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS), reveals the reason behind her mysterious 25-year long disappearance and paves the way towards her re-emergence, with stories sad, funny and moving."
This special, one-time screening will take place Wednesday, May 28 at 7:30.  Tickets are $12.50 each.

Many thanks to our friends Josh Egeland & Skeleton Dust Records for helping to make this screening possible!

WED, MAY 28 | 7:30

NEON NOSTALGIA NIGHT:
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?

THIS SCREENING HAS SOLD OUT! 
Many thanks to our sponsor - Brian Sharp, of SharpGroup - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty!
Tickets are $12.50 each!

THU, MAY 29 | 7:30

Exhibition On Screen: MICHELANGELO LOVE AND DEATH

TICKETS ARE MOVING QUICKLY! Our third and final Exhibition On Screen event for this 2024/2025 season, in partnership with our friends from Dayton Art Institute, is MICHELANGELO: LOVE AND DEATH. "The spectacular sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo seem so familiar to us, but what do we really know about this renaissance genius? Who was this ambitious and passionate man? Michelangelo’s genius is evident in everything he touched. Beautiful and diverse works such as the towering statue of David, the moving Pietà in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter and his tour-de-force, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, still leave us breathless today...Sculptor, painter, architect, poet, genius - discover why Michelangelo is without a doubt one of the greatest artists of all time."

Dayton Art Institute members get FREE popcorn when they show their membership cards at this screening.

SUN, JUNE 1 | 5:00

Cult Movie Night
BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER

Victor Bonacore's Cult Movie Night returns - this time celebrating Pride Month with this Queer cult classic comedy celebrating its 25th anniversary.  "Starring indie darlings Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) ) and Clea Duval (The Faculty, Girl Interrupted).  Also featuring Ru Paul and Cathy Moriarity.  Lyonne plays Megan, a typical American girl who loved school, cheerleading and girls. Her parents suspect that she’s gay, and decide to send her to a boot camp intended to alter her sexual orientation...
The feature length directorial debut of Jamie Babbit deals with themes of sexuality, gender and social conformity and provides a  positive representation of LGBTQ community by casting a diverse range of characters.
And before the film will be an exclusive, sneak peak at the new Ohio made film MEAT - described as 'A violently queer new vision of fear!'
Plus trailers & More! 

THU, JUNE 5 | 7:30

The 25th Annual DAYTON JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Dayton Jewish International Film Fest is heading into its 25th year, and this year's line-up is looking very strong - with powerful documentaries, strong narratives and a collection of shorts.

Though Opening Night will happen at The Roger Glass Center for the Arts at U.D. (on June 5), nine other screenings will take place at THE NEON - starting on June 10.

To learn more about this year's selections and to purchase tickets, visit the "Official Site" link below.  We also have brochures for the festival in our lobby.

FRIDAY PATIO PARTIES
RETURNING THIS JUNE

THE NEON's marketing committee has finalized plans for this year's series of Friday "Happy Hour" Patio Parties.  We've got special guest hosts, music and food trucks lined up for 9 Friday evenings between June 13 and August 15 (every Friday except July 4).  So mark your calendars and plan to join us for fun vibes and cocktails on Friday evenings this summer!  I'll have more details for you soon.

Many thanks to Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices Professional Realty for sponsoring our Friday Patio Parties!

THE FAMILY SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL

We're delighted to announce that we're able to once again offer FREE programming for kids and their families this summer. For six weeks starting on Saturday, June 14 at 11am, join us for screenings of PBS Kids favorites with free books and activities after each screening on our patio.

To get a better understanding of each week's programming, click on the button below to visit the line-up on our website.

Many thanks to our partners ThinkTV & Dayton Metro Library as well as our sponsors - Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz and FLOC - For Love of Children!

Thank you for all of your support,
Jonathan

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21 – THURSDAY, MAY 29:

SINNERS (R) 2 Hrs 17 Min
Wed & Thursday (May 21 & 22): 3:30, 7:10
FINAL DAY - May 22!

SECRET MALL APARTMENT (NR) 1 Hr 31 Min
Wed & Thu (May 21 & 22): 5:10
FINAL DAY - May 22!

THE WEDDING BANQUET (R) 1 Hr 43 Min
Wed (May 21): 2:50, 7:30
Thursday (May 22): 2:50
FINAL DAY - May 22!

FRIENDSHIP (R) 1 Hr 40 Min
Thursday (May 22): 7:30
Fri, Sat, Sun (May 23-25): 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Mon-Thur (May 26-29): 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

WHEN FALL IS COMING (NR) 1 Hr 44 Min
Friday (May 23): 12:40, 3:00, 5:15, 7:40
Sat & Sun (May 24 & 25): 3:00, 5:15, 7:40
Monday (May 26): 3:00, 5:15, 7:40
Tues-Thur (May 27-29): 3:00, 5:15

NE ZHA 2 (PG) 2 Hrs 22 Min
Saturday & Sunday (May 24 & 25): Noon
Tuesday (May 27): 7:30

GOODBYE HORSES:
THE MANY LIVES OF Q LAZZARUS (NR) 1 Hr 43 Min
Wednesday (May 28): 7:30

Neon Nostalgia Night
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (PG-13) 1 Hr 47 Min
Thursday (May 29): 7:30