Hello Everyone!

We're moving right along at THE NEON! Tonight marks the start of the highly anticipated comedy THE ROSES - starring Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Ncuti Gatwa, Sunia Mani and more! We're the only cinema in town with a screening tonight - so come be the first in town to see it...you could even make an evening of it with some wine on our patio before the screening!

In addition to THE ROSES, both Spike Lee's HIGHEST 2 LOWEST and Ethan Coen's HONEY, DON'T! will stick around for one more week...making the holiday weekend perfect for movie-going at THE NEON.  We even have an encore of CAT VIDEO FEST on Saturday!  (As an FYI, we'll have extended hours on Labor Day with an early matinee just like weekend showtimes.)

Next week, we'll open the Sundance hit TWINLESS, then on Sept. 11, we'll open the final chapter of a beloved series -DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE  (for which tickets are on sale now).

It's almost time for the Toronto International Film Fest, and I'm making a list and checking it twice.  There are hundreds of movies to chose from, and I'll have some hard decisions to make.  In next week's newsletter, I'll give you a link where you can catch up on my daily blog as I consume dozens of movies over 9 days in Canada...our friends at Dayton937 are once again letting me use their platform to keep all my thoughts in order.  (I head out next Wednesday.)

This October will mark the 20th anniversary for us bringing the best in LGBTQIA+ cinema to town with OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST.  This year's fest is set for Oct. 9-12, and the line-up can be viewed on the fest's official site - outheredayton.org.  Some highlights include Richard Linklater's BLUE MOON (starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott), a documentary about librarians and book bans called THE LIBRARIANS - which we're presenting in partnership with our friends from Dayton Metro Library, and a late Saturday horror film called QUEENS OF THE DEAD - featuring Columbus's own drag superstar Nina West.  Passes go on sale Sept. 4, and single tickets go on sale Sept. 11.

"Open Caption Mondays" are a hit and much appreciated by many of our regulars.  On Monday, Sept. 1, our screenings of THE ROSES, HIGHEST 2 LOWEST and HONEY, DON'T! will be presented with Open Captions (aka - captions presented on the screen). 

Synopsis for THE ROSES: From the director of MEET THE PARENTS and the writer of POOR THINGS comes the remake of the 80's comedy WAR OF THE ROSES. "Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy and Theo: successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing – as Theo's career nosedives while Ivy's own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites." (Searchlight Pictures)

CatVideoFest 2025

ENCORE ADDED! Due to the gigantic response we had to Aug. 9 & 10's CAT VIDEO FEST, the world's #1 cat video festival is coming back with an encore screening set for Aug. 30 at Noon. Oscilloscope Laboratories presents  CatVideoFest 2025, a compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. 
Each year, across the country, local theaters partner with nearby cat-focused charities, animal welfare associations and shelters alike — 10% of every ticket will go to The Human Society of Greater Dayton.

SAT, AUG 30 | 12:00 (Noon)

UNION

This one-time special screening of the award-winning documentary UNION is being presented by IUE-CWA Local 775 and 775 and the Dayton-Miami Valley Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
UNION is a documentary about the formation of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). 
“Up against one of the most powerful companies on the planet, a group of Amazon workers embark on an unprecedented campaign to unionize their warehouse in Staten Island, New York.” 
Premiering at the 2024 Sundance Festival, UNION won the “U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for the Art of Change.” 
One time only - Tues, Sept 2 at 7:30 - followed by a Q&A panel!
Tickets are $10 each.

TUE, SEPT 2 | 7:30

THE LAST CLASS

3rd ENCORE ADDED! American political economist, professor, author, and social media sensation Robert Reich teaches his final "Wealth and Poverty" class to 1,000 students at UC Berkeley, ending a 40-year career that reached 40,000 students. One thousand fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich's wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation's ability to take on the fight is inspiring.
Our first screening was a huge success...so we added an encore.  That one sold out, too!  So we added a 2nd encore, and that sold out!  Here's one more chance for you to catch THE LAST CLASS!
Tickets are $12.50 each.

SAT, SEPT. 20 | Noon

WILLIS BING DAVIS: REACH HIGH AND REACH BACK

Tickets available now! "Few people have impacted the arts in Southwest Ohio quite like Willis 'Bing' Davis. An African American artist, educator and community activist from Dayton, Davis’ artwork is known for its incorporation of African and African American themes, as well as its focus on social justice issues...Today, in his mid-80s, Davis continues to create art, educate others and promote social justice causes in a variety of ways." (ThinkTV.org)

Join us for a special screening of REACH HIGH & REACH BACK along with Bing Davis and filmmakers Ann Rotolante and Rodney Veal. Tickets are first-come, first-serve, with tickets available for in-person pick-up at THE NEON's box office. (Limit 2 tickets per person. Tickets only available in-person during traditional operating hours.)

This screening is made possible through our friends at ThinkTV.  The event is sponsored by Twentig, Inc -"an organization of women who have committed to contributing to the greater Dayton community through volunteerism and fundraising. Its mission is to support nonprofits who serve women, youth, and elders; and to impact the needs of our community through educational and financial support."

WED, SEPT. 24 | 7:30

ANIMATION MIXTAPE

Two-time Academy Award nominee and Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner Don Hertzfeldt partners with Ink Films to release ANIMATION MIXTAPE, an 85-minute short film program personally selected by Hertzfeldt.
An exclusive collection of animated shorts by talented artists from around the world, MIXTAPE features many recent films from up-and-coming animators next to classics that originally inspired Hertzfeldt to start animating.
Flying cows, mysterious gods and lyrical pandemonium: Don Hertzfeldt has made this just for you. Including a new animated introduction from Don and never before seen work from famed underground animator Bruce Bickford.

SAT, SEPT. 27 | Noon
SUN, SEPT. 28 | Noon

THE ROOM & BIG SHARK

Greg Sestero is coming back to THE NEON...and you're the first to know about it!

See the cult classic THE ROOM with an auditorium full of devotees - with your host, star of the movie and author of THE DISASTER ARTIST - Greg Sestero.  Tickets $22 each.

Later that night, see the recent, final cut of BIG SHARK - Tommy Wiseau's latest action comedy about three firefighters who have to save New Orleans from a giant shark attack - introduced by Sestero. Tickets $20 each.

Tickets on sale now and going fast!

THE ROOM:
WED, OCT. 8 | 7:30
BIG SHARK:
WED, OCT. 8 | 10:00

Thank you for all of your support,
Jonathan

WEDNESDAY, AUG 27 – THURSDAY, SEPT 4:

HIGHEST 2 LOWEST (R) 2 Hrs 13 Min
Wednesday (Aug 27): 2:00, 4:40
Thursday (Aug 28): 2:00
Friday (Aug 29): 12:15
Saturday (Aug 30): 2:30
Sunday & Monday (Aug 31 & Sept 1): 12:15
Tuesday-Thursday (Sept 2-4): 2:30

HONEY, DON’T! (R) 1 Hr 28 Min
Wednesday (Aug 27): 3:00, 5:00, 7:30
Thursday (Aug 28): 3:00, 5:15
Friday (Aug 29): 3:00, 5:15, 7:20
Saturday (Aug 30): 5:15, 7:20
Sunday & Monday (Aug 31 & Sept 1): 3:00, 5:15, 7:20
Tuesday (Sept 2): 5:15
Wednesday & Thursday (Sept. 3 & 4): 5:15, 7:20

THE ROSES (R) 1 Hr 45 Min
Wednesday (Aug 27): 7:00
Thursday (Aug 28): 5:10, 7:40
Friday (Aug 29): 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Saturday (Aug 30): 12:15, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Sunday, Monday (Aug 31 & Sept 1): 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (Sept 2-4): 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

CAT VIDEO FEST2025 (NR) 1 Hr 15 Min
Saturday (Aug 30): Noon

UNION (NR) 1 Hr 40 Min + Discussion
Tuesday (Sept 2): 7:30