We have two new films opening this week and a surprise for next Thursday. MLK/FBI is the powerful, award-winning documentary that premiered with The Toronto International Film Festival this year, and THE DIG is a lovely period film with NEON-favorites Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes – they both open this week. If you need to see HERSELF, Thursday will be your last chance. Due to the love and support for ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI and PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, we found a way to hold both for one show per day over the weekend.On Thursday, Jan. 21, we will have a preview screening of OUR FRIEND – starring Jason Segel, Dakota Johnson, and Casey Affleck (which will officially open on Jan. 22).
In our Virtual Cinema, we will open ACASA, MY HOME and ROCK CAMP: THE MOVIE – two very different, well-crafted docs. We truly have something for everyone this weekend!
Be sure to check out our recently updated “Coming Soon” list below. Some titles are still very tentative, but the list is stellar – including highly anticipated, award-season films like NOMADLAND (which just won “Best Picture” at the Gotham Awards on Monday), SUPERNOVA and MINARI.
NEW IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENTS:
Synopsis for MLK/FBI: “MLK/FBI is the first film to uncover the extent of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Based on newly discovered and declassified files, utilizing a trove of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and unsealed by the National Archives, as well as revelatory restored footage, the documentary explores the government’s history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of our most cherished ideals. Featuring interviews with key cultural figures, including former FBI Director James Comey, MLK/FBI tells this astonishing and tragic story with searing relevance to our current moment.” Click the image below to watch the trailer.
Synopsis for THE DIG: “As WWII looms, a wealthy widow (CAREY MULLIGAN) hires an amateur archaeologist (RALPH FIENNES) to excavate the burial mounds on her estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain’s past are illuminated in the face of its uncertain future.” (Netflix) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
Synopsis for OUR FRIEND: “OUR FRIEND tells the inspiring and extraordinary true story of the Teague family—journalist Matt (Casey Affleck), his vibrant wife Nicole (Dakota Johnson) and their two young daughters—and how their lives are upended by Nicole’s heartbreaking diagnosis of terminal cancer. As Matt’s responsibilities as caretaker and parent become increasingly overwhelming, the couple’s best friend Dane Faucheux (Jason Segel) offers to come and help out. As Dane puts his life on hold to stay with his friends, the impact of this life altering decision proves greater and more profound than anyone could have imagined.” (Gravitas Venture) Click on the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
NEW TO OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA:
Synopsis for ACASA, MY HOME: Available Starting Jan. 15! “In the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, an abandoned water reservoir just outside the bustling metropolis, the Enache family lived in perfect harmony with nature for two decades, sleeping in a hut on the lakeshore, catching fish barehanded, and following the rhythm of the seasons. When this area is transformed into a public national park, they are forced to leave behind their unconventional life and move to the city, where fishing rods are replaced by smartphones and idle afternoons are now spent in classrooms. As the family struggles to conform to modern civilization and maintain their connection to each other and themselves, they each begin to question their place in the world and what their future might be.” (Zeitgeist)
some reviews:
“A PROFOUND EXPLORATION of family, nature and contemporary society.”—Steve Dollar, LOS ANGELES TIMES
“LYRICAL AND PROVOCATIVE…Timeless and of-the-moment, vividly specific and universally resonant, this portrait of poverty, displacement and social engineering is sure to strike a chord with fest programmers and international art house audiences..”—Sheri Linden, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
This film can be viewed on your computer or mobile device or via your TV (when you download the Kino Now app with Apple TV, Roku, or Amazon TV/Stick). Additional instructions can be found on the film’s landing page…just click the picture below to watch the trailer and reserve access to the film for $12.
Synopsis for ROCK CAMP: THE MOVIE: Available Starting Jan. 15! “Summer camp meets Spinal Tap as we journey to Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp in ROCK CAMP: THE MOVIE, where dreamers from across America and around the world gather to shred with their heroes – and learn to rock like the legends. Rock Camp is an institution and cultural phenomenon that has been going on in Los Angeles, New York and other cities since 1996. The brainchild of music producer David Fishof, Rock Camp boasts a jaw-dropping array of rock star “counselors” that include Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, Nancy Wilson, Joe Perry, Jeff Beck, Slash and countless other rock legends. The counselors teach, inspire and jam with the campers over the course of four days. Each Rock Camp concludes with all of the counselors and their respective campers, performing together.” Click the link under the title to visit our landing page for this film. After content becomes available January 15th at 3:00 am EST, you’ll have 7 days to start watching. Once you begin, you’ll have 24 hours to finish watching. Tickets are $12, and $1 from every ticket sold will benefit MusiCares, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. This film can be viewed on your computer or mobile device or via your TV with Apple TV or Roku. Additional instructions can be found on Eventive’s HELP PAGE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and reserve access to the film. HERE’S SOMETHING FUN!! When you rent this doc, you are automatically entered into a sweepstakes with really cool prizes (like signed guitars, a trip to Rock Camp and more).
CONTINUING IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA:
Synopsis for THE REASON IN JUMP: “Based on the best-selling book by Naoki Higashida, THE REASON I JUMP is an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world. The film blends Higashida’s revelatory insights into autism, written when he was just 13, with intimate portraits of five remarkable young people. It opens a window for audiences into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe. Moments in the lives of each of the characters are linked by the journey of a young Japanese boy through an epic landscape; narrated passages from Naoki’s writing reflect on what his autism means to him and others, how his perception of the world differs, and why he acts in the way he does: the reason he jumps. The film distills these elements into a sensually rich tapestry that leads us to Naoki’s core message: not being able to speak does not mean there is nothing to say.” (Kino Lorber) This film can be watched on your computer or mobile device as well as via AppleTV, Roku or AmazonFireStick. For additional notes regarding connectivity, you can visit the film’s FAQ’s at the bottom of the rental page. Click the picture below to watch the trailer and purchase 72 hour access to this film for $12.
To read more about all the films that are still available in our Virtual Cinema, please visit our WEBSITE. Here’s a LINK with a video I made about how Virtual Cinema works.
Would you like to know what titles we have planned for our virtual cinema? (Click any title to watch that film’s trailer.) On January 22, art lovers will delight with MY REMBRANDT, and audiences will be intrigued by SOME KIND OF HEAVEN – an interesting look at aging. On Jan. 29, we’ll open RAMS – a British film starring Sam Neill and Miranda Richardson. In early February, we’ll have a new doc about a brilliant artist (though he preferred the term “mathematician”) – M.C. ESCHER: JOURNEY TO INFINITY. Also in February, we are looking at A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX, TWO OF US and COWBOYS. More titles are on the way…stay tuned!
SPECIAL EVENT!
Our friends from Toxic Brew Co. & Hole in the Wall are hosting their second “Cult Movie Night”…and they’ve chosen SPACE BABES FROM OUTER SPACE this time. Tickets are $20 each, and those tickets come with 2 beers from Toxic Brew (this event is limited to folks 21 and up). It’s this Sunday, January 17 at 7:30! “Three babes from a faraway galaxy end up stranded on Earth after a surprise encounter with their mortal enemies, the Scrotes!” This outrageous sci-fi sex comedy will be hosted by Haley Madison with pre-screening drink specials at Hole in the Wall (just down the street).
About Jonathan McNeal
Jonathan McNeal, a graduate of Wright State's Motion Picture Production program, has been managing THE NEON in downtown Dayton since the Fall of 2001. Having grown up in a small town in northeast Ohio, the idea of an independent movie theater that showed hard-to-find films seemed like something that could only be found in a major metropolis. Upon moving to Dayton in the early 1990's, finding THE NEON was a was like finding a new home.
McNeal's film work includes the documentary of Dayton's beloved drag troupe - THE RUBI GIRLS. The doc premiered in San Francisco in 2003 and played across the country and as far away as Australia. The film continues to be played at night clubs and on college campuses as an educational and outreach tool.
McNeal himself has been a part of the performance troupe since 1997.
