"Having a luck dragon with you is the only way to go on a quest."

The Rio Theatre's series of 80's classics continues on July 19 with a 40th Anniversary screening of Wolfgang Petersen's beloved 1984 classic, THE NEVERENDING STORY. A complete and total pop-culture touchstone for 80's kids, this fantastical coming-of-age tale about a young, bullied boy whose day off from school involves a flying luck dragon, a sinking horse, an ancient turtle, and a very vivid life lesson about how the spread of malaise and lethargy can ultimately lead to "a bunch of nothing," has experienced a renewed interest as a result of its inclusion in Netflix's "Stranger Things."

Barett Oliver stars as a young boy named Bastian, who decides to duck into his local bookstore to avoid bullies one morning while on the way to school. He managers to sneak away with a strange-looking book called "The Neverending Story," which he begins reading in the school attic while avoiding class. The novel is about Fantasia, a fantasy land threatened by "The Nothing," a mysterious darkness that destroys everything it touches. As he reads further, he learns that the kingdom of Fantasia needs the help of a human child to survive, and when he reads a description of himself in the book, his day off school turns into something else entirely... Also starring Gerald McRaney, Noah Hathaway.

"A fairytale of the very best kind." (Time Out Magazine)

"This utterly enchanting, family treat of a film should leave you and yours wide-eyed with wonder." (Film4)

Sunday, July 21
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE NEVERENDING STORY (Wolfgang Peterson, 1984 / 95 mins/ PG) While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing.