We Are Closed For 2 Weeks

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Neon Newsletter

THE NEON Is Closed Until Oct. 30!

Hello Everyone.

It's official. We're closed until Oct. 30 because we have a feature-length movie shooting at THE NEON! This is exciting and unchartered territory for us. I'll give you updates via social media and in next week's newsletter.

Even though we're closed to the public, there's still plenty to share...andyou can get advance tickets for two, highly-anticipated movies that open in less than a month. WICKER - starring Olivia Colman & Alexander Skarsgård - opens Oct. 30. WILD HORSE NINE - the new film from Martin McDonagh starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell - opens Nov. 5.

Regarding WICKER, I'm delighted to announce that we'll have a special guest doing basket weaving demonstrations in our lobby on Opening Night (Oct. 30) and again during matinees on Saturday, Oct. 31. "Darden Bradshaw is a fiber artist and educator working primarily in weaving, felting, and basketry. Darden loves to share her passion for working with fibers with others. She believes that art making celebrates our humanity; in slowing down and manipulating materials associated with historic processes, women's work, and craft, Darden finds an antidote to the hurried, disconnected and chaotic pace of today's contemporary world." We hope you'll come out while our visiting artist is demonstrating her art.

If you haven't already heard, our OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST was a success, and our five visiting artists all added wonderful perspectives to our fantastic line-up. After tabulating all the votes, our "Audience Award" winners were announced on Monday. "Best Feature" went to GIVE ME THE BALL!, and "Best Short" went to KILORAN BAY!

A Request From THE NEON's Board

What Did You Feel at THE NEON This Year?

THE NEON’s Board of Directors want to know “WHAT DID YOU FEEL AT THE NEON THIS YEAR?” Think about the last time something at THE NEON stayed with you...

Please take a moment to check out the beginnings of this year's Annual Campaign. Click the link below and help us shape our messaging as we head into the last couple months of the year.

Many thanks to Board Member Megan Smith for designing this image & campaign!

WHAT DID YOU FEEL?

COMING SOON:

WICKER
Opens Friday, Oct. 30!

Synopsis for WICKER: This adult fairytale is one of the most requested films we've had this year. "On the outskirts of a village by the sea, lives a Fisherwoman; smelly, single and perpetually ridiculed. One day, fed up with her stuffy, small-minded neighbours, she commissions herself a husband to be made from wicker. In an otherwise conservative town, this unconventional romance sparks outrage, jealousy and chaos."

BOOK NOW

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS

Exhibition On Screen presents: JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER

"In an era of great change and great beauty emerged the character of James McNeill Whistler. Boldly experimental and famously witty, Whistler disrupted the strict conventions of Victorian society in pursuit of a new cult of beauty, creating 'art for art’s sake' and earning himself a place in the history of great art. He found a parallel between painting and music, and entitled many of his paintings 'arrangements,' 'harmonies' and 'nocturnes,' emphasizing the importance of tonal harmony in his work. His most famous painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871)...is arguably one of the most famous paintings in history and this film will unveil the artist behind the art."

Join us along with Dayton Art Institute's Dr. Jerry Smith for this special screening on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 5:00. Tickets are $12.50 each.

As always with Exhibition On Screen events, DAI members get FREE Popcorn!

SUN, NOV 1 | 5:00

TICKETS

ALLOWED TO BIRTH:
THE JOURNEY OF A GLOBAL MIDWIFE

Local Community Midwife Katie Quinn has rented our space for a special screening of this new film. "This is a feature documentary that explores the growing medicalization of birth through the life and work of a dedicated midwife committed to protecting birth as a natural physiological process. Spanning cultures and continents, the film examines how modern maternity care has evolved, the consequences of routine medical intervention, and the efforts of birth professionals advocating for evidence-based, woman-centered care. Through intimate stories, expert perspectives, and real-life experiences, the documentary invites audiences to reconsider what it means to give birth with dignity, autonomy, and trust in the body's innate capacity. Ultimately, the film is both a personal journey and a broader exploration of the global movement to restore respectful, informed, and empowering birth."
Katie is handling her tickets for her event at the link below.

WED, NOV 4 | 7:30

EVENTBRITE LINK

UD SLASHER NIGHT 2026

Slasher Night 5 at THE NEON—hosted by Bryan Bardine and Chris Burnside from the UD English Department—returns on Thursday, November 5 with two more slasher classics. "This year, we open with I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1997), directed by Jim Gillespie, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ryan Phillippe. The evening will conclude after a short break with THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003), directed by Marcus Nispel, starring Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, and R. Lee Ermey. The festivities begin at 7:30, and it’s only $20 to see both films, a great double-feature value. We look forward to making this a spooky end to the Halloween season once again this year. We hope to see you there!" - Bryan & Chris

THU, NOV 5 | 7:30

TICKETS

Gem City Groundlings presents ANONYMOUS

"What if William Shakespeare didn’t write Shakespeare?
ANONYMOUS (2011) is a lavish historical thriller that plunges into one of literature’s most tantalizing mysteries: who actually wrote the works attributed to William Shakespeare? Set amid the intrigue, ambition, and dangerous politics of Elizabethan England, the film proposes that Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, was the true genius behind the words.
The Gem City Groundlings are proud to partner with THE NEON to bring ANONYMOUS back to the big screen. Even better, a portion of ticket proceeds will directly support Shakespeare in the city helping The Gem City Groundlings continue bringing professional, accessible Shakespeare to audiences throughout our community. Come enjoy a brilliant film—and help keep the Bard alive in Dayton." (Gem City Groundlings)
Tickets are $10 each.

SUN, NOV 8 | 5:00

TICKETS

CLUE

THE NEON and Dayton Live are hosting a special screening of the 1985 Paramount Pictures movie CLUE on Monday, November 9, 2026 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10 each.
"A mansion. A murder. A mystery.
Six mysterious guests will experience a night they'll never forget at Boddy Manor! Who's responsible for this chaos? Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist. Join us for an exciting and hilarious evening!"

MON, NOV 9 | 7:30

TICKETS

National Theatre Live's
GOLDEN BOY

The 2nd in our Fall/Winter season of National Theatre Live is a show that's happening right now in the West End - GOLDEN BOY starring Josh O'Connor. The show is sold out in London, but you can see it on our big screen on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 5:00.
"1930s New York, at the height of the Depression. Joe Bonaparte is a gifted young violinist with extraordinary talent and a future in music, until a chance at fame and fortune lures him into the brutal world of professional boxing. Pressured by a ruthless manager, tempted by a forbidden love, and bound by the expectations of his Italian-American family, Joe is a young man torn between the seductive promise of the American Dream and the quiet honor of a decent life...Sam Yates directs Josh O'Connor in this searing revival of Clifford Odets' knockout American classic. Brought to life with a live string quartet, this propulsive drama explores ambition, identity, and the high price of success."

SUN, NOV 15 | 5:00

TICKETS

AMERICAN SOLITAIRE

"Join us for a special screening of AMERICAN SOLITAIRE, followed by a community conversation about veterans, gun violence, suicide, and the challenges of returning to civilian life. The film follows an American soldier and wounded veteran struggling to make sense of civilian life as he confronts the emotional aftermath of war and the difficult and complex realities of gun violence in his hometown...
Presented through a partnership between Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Dayton International Peace Museum...
AMERICAN SOLITAIRE is an independent film. Its presentation as part of this community engagement event does not constitute an endorsement of the film or its content by the National Park Service or the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center." (taken from press release)
Tickets are $10 each.

WED, NOV 18 | 7:30

TICKETS

NEON Nostalgia Night:
IMITATION OF LIFE

Our final "NEON Nostalgia Night" of 2026 is set for Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 (live music and a themed cocktail will be available in our lobby starting at 6:30).
"Douglas Sirk’s final Hollywood film—and perhaps his crowning achievement—is one of the all-time great weepies and a damning critique of racial and class division in America. It’s the dual story of Lora Meredith (Lana Turner), an aspiring actress, and Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), the African-American single mother she hires as her live-in maid. As Lora’s career ascends, Annie is pushed aside by her light-skinned daughter, Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner), who chooses to pass as white...It all crescendos with a soul-shaking musical performance from Mahalia Jackson and the gale-force emotional annihilation of Sirk’s most devastating climax." (Film at Lincoln Center synopsis)
Special thanks to our sponsor - Brian Sharp of SharpGroup Berkshire Hathaway Professional Home Realty!

THU, NOV 19 | 6:30 - Cocktails
Movie Starts at 7:30

TICKETS

Thank you for all of your support!
Jonathan