Hello Everyone!

This Friday, we open a star-studded film that I got to see at the Toronto International Film Fest last year - WILDCAT.  It was one of the few films during the festival that received an interim agreement during the SAG & WGA strikes which allowed the cast and crew to publicize the film during the festival.  This also meant that a great party could happen...and I managed to get invited!  WILDCAT is based on the life and short stories of Flannery O'Connor, and it was directed by Ethan Hawke and produced by Daytonian Karri O'Reilly.  (Some pictures I took at the premiere and after-party are below.) Check out a great article about the film from Dayton Daily News  right HERE.

If you still need to see NOWHERE SPECIAL or WICKED LITTLE LETTERS, Thursday will be your last chance to catch them at THE NEON.  BACK TO BLACK will stick around for a second and final week...and we have the perfect movie to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend - WESTERMANN on Sunday at 5:00.

We've added a couple new films to our line-up for May 31.  EZRA is a touching film about a father trying to protect his autistic son, and it has a spectacular, all-star cast.  EVIL DOES NOT EXIST is the new film from Ryûsuke Hamaguchi - director of DRIVE MY CAR. And though it's a month away, I'm so delighted to tell you that we've booked THELMA - a fantastic little film starring June Squibb (her first leading role at age 93). Click the titles to learn more about each film.

"Open Caption Mondays" are back!  On Monday, May 27, all screenings of BACK TO BLACK will be presented with Open Captions (aka - captions presented on the screen).

Synopsis for WILDCAT: Directed by Ethan Hawke and produced by Daytonian Karri O'Reilly, this film based on the short stories of Flannery O'Connor was made with the help of a lot of local talent. Our special Q&A with O'Reilly and actress Christine Dye take place in conjunction with the 7:30 screening on Saturday, May 25.  "Can scandalous art still serve God? Does suffering precede all greatness? Can illness be a blessing? In 1950, Flannery visits her mother Regina in Georgia when she is diagnosed with lupus at twenty-four years old. Struggling with the same disease that took her father’s life when she was a child and desperate to make her mark as a great writer, this crisis pitches her imagination into a feverish exploration of belief. As she dives deeper into her craft, the lines between reality, imagination, and faith begin to blur, allowing Flannery to ultimately come to peace with her situation and heal a strained relationship with her mother." Starring Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, Philip Ettinger, Steve Zahn, Cooper Hoffman, Willa Fitzgerald, Alessandro Nivola, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Christine Dye!

WILDCAT Post-screening Q&A from Toronto International Film Fest. Christine Dye, who plays Duchess, is second from the left.  You can meet her Saturday night at THE NEON. (photo by Jonathan)

At the WILDCAT after-party, some of the creative team gathered for a photo.  Karri O'Reilly is on the right side. (photo by Jonathan)

Ethan Hawke & Karri O'Reilly at the WILDCAT TIFF after-party.  The praises of O’Reilly were flowing from Ethan Hawke during the intro and Q&A of the film.  I even heard him tell her “let’s do more” while posing for this pic! (photo by Soozie Eastman)

WESTERMANN

Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to see this doc! Join us for a special one-time screening of the documentary that chronicles the story of H.C. Westermann - a  Marine veteran who navigated the profound traumas of war by making art, becoming a hero to generations of artists, including his friends Ed Ruscha and Frank Gehry, among others interviewed in this immersive film. Tickets are $12.50 each.

Sun, May 26 | 5:00PM

DATE NIGHT: MOONSTRUCK

MOONSTRUCK is getting "The Date Night treatment" on Thursday, May 30 at 7:30.  This will be an experience to remember!Join us ahead of the movie for live music from Jimmy Leach, a la carte Italian desserts from Mama Disalvos, sandwiches from The Spicy Italian food truck and a glass of bubbly on the patio. Tickets are on sale now for this one-night showing!  "No sooner does Italian-American widow Loretta (Cher - this won her an Oscar) accept a marriage proposal from her doltish boyfriend, Johnny (Danny Aiello), than she finds herself falling for his younger brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage)..." Special thanks to our sponsor, Brian Sharp, of SharpGroup - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty! Tickets to the movie are $12.50 each!

Thu, May 30 |  7:30PM

THE 24th ANNUAL DAYTON JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

"The Dayton Jewish International Film Festival offers outstanding world cinema that promotes awareness, appreciation and pride to the diversity of the Jewish people and to the community at large. Our goal is to educate and entertain through evocative, narrative and documentary films that portray the Jewish experience from historic to current global perspectives." (from official site) Click the link to see all of this year's selections. All tickets/passes must be purchased through the festival's official site.

FAMILY SUMMER FILM FEST

Starting Saturday, June 8, at 11:00am, we'll have 6 consecutive Saturday mornings of free programming for young people!  We're at it again with our terrific partners - ThinkTV & Dayton Metro Library - for our focus on preventing the "summer slide."  Click on the "Line-Up" link below to see a bigger version of the poster...and please help us spread the word. Each week, doors will open at 10:30am, and tickets will be given on a first-come,  first-serve basis.  Events will start with Read-Along videos and continue  with programming from the PBS Kids library.  Children will leave each screening with  a free book and other materials to promote continued learning over the summer. Special thanks to this year's sponsors - Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz and FLOC (For Love Of Children). 

We're looking for volunteers to help with this series each Saturday.  If you're interested, please reach out and let me know via email which Saturday you'd be available to help from 10:15am-11:15am. (June 8, 15, 22, 29, July 6, or 13). theneon@msn.com 

MY NATIONAL GALLERY LONDON

Our next Exhibition On Screen event, in partnership with Dayton Art Institute, is on the books! The National Gallery of London is one of the world’s greatest art galleries. It is full of masterpieces, an endless resource of history, an endless source of stories. The power of great art lies in its ability to communicate with anyone, no matter their art historical knowledge, their background, their beliefs.  This film gives voice to those who work at the gallery – from cleaner to curator, security guard to director – who identify the one artwork that means the most to them and why...and they make surprising choices of both well-known and lesser-known artworks. Finally, some well-known celebrities explain what they head for when they visit the gallery.  These stories are used as a lens through which to explore the 200-year history of the National Gallery.

Sun, June 9 | 5:00PM

PRIDE NIGHT AT THE NEON: THE PEOPLE'S JOKER

It's PRIDE NIGHT AT THE NEON!  Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30...and tickets are $10 each!
"A law-breaking comedian grappling with her gender identity forms a new anti-comedy troupe with a friend and finds herself battling a fascistic caped crusader."
This film was slated to screen at The Toronto International Film Fest under their "Midnight Madness" banner, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to "rights issues." Come see the film that one of our customers has called "a transcendent transgender coming-of-age story...One of my favorite recently released movies."

Wed, June 12 | 7:30PM

Thank you for all of your support!
Hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS (R) 1 Hr 40 Min
Wed & Thu (May 22 & 23): 5:10
FINAL DAY - May 23!

NOWHERE SPECIAL (NR) 1 Hr 36 Min
Wed (May 22): 3:00, 7:30
Thu (May 23): 3:00
FINAL DAY - May 23!

BACK TO BLACK (R) 2 Hrs 2 Min
Wed & Thu (May 22 & 23): 2:40, 5:10, 7:40
Fri & Sat (May 24 & 25): 11:40, 2:15, 4:50, 7:20
Sunday (May 26): 11:40, 2:15, 7:20
Mon-Wed (May 27-29): 2:40, 5:10, 7:40
Thur (May 30): 2:40, 5:10

WILDCAT (NR) 1 Hr 43 Min
Fri, Sat, Sun (May 24-26): 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30
Mon-Thu (May 27-30): 3:00, 5:15, 7:30

WESTERMANN (NR) 1 Hr 26 Min
Sunday (May 26): 5:00

Date Night: MOONSTRUCK (PG) 1 Hr 42 Min
Thursday (May 30): 7:30
Party on the patio starts at 6:15!