6:30pm - Monday, Jul 21, 2025
Tommy (50th Anniversary Restoration)
"See me, Feel me, Touch me, Heal me..."
In 1975, filmmaker Ken Russell and iconic Brit rockers The Who brought the band's classic 1969 concept album TOMMY to life with the release of the eponymous psychedelic musical fantasy drama, which, in addition to the band, boasted an outstanding, star-studded ensemble including Ann-Margret, Tina Turner (who burns up the screen as 'The Acid Queen'), Sir Elton John, Jack Nicholson, and Eric Clapton.
The rock opera tells the life story of Tommy, who, when just a boy of six, witnessed the murder of his father by his mother and her lover. They command him, "You didn't hear it, you didn't see it, and you won't say anything to anyone..." As a result, the traumatized boy goes into shock, retreating into the shadows of his mind and becoming deaf, dumb and blind. As a teenager, Tommy stumbles upon a pinball machine and discovers he is a natural prodigy at the game. Fame and fortune follow as Tommy (The Who's lead singer Roger Daltry, in an electric performance) becomes a pinball champion and later the messiah of a religious cult, which views his pinball skills as a miraculous sign of divine intervention.
“When Brit cinema mostly opted for dullness, Ken Russell was showing us a film that was daring and risky and mad.” (The Guardian)
“Tina Turner’s Acid Queen sequence is a mini-masterpiece of visual inventiveness and dramatic cohesion, helped in no small measure by Turner’s extraordinary showmanship.” (Sight & Sound)
“How many films can drench the shrill and rambunctious Ann-Margret in soap and beans and chocolate and get her an Oscar nomination? It’s that freakiness that’s both alienating and transfixing, and regardless of the film’s emotional elicitations, Tommy stays with you, stares you down, and can even haunt you.” (Consequence of Sound)
#MusicMonday, July 21
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
TOMMY (Ken Russell, 1975 / 111 mins / PG ) A psychosomatically blind, deaf, and mute boy becomes a master pinball player and, subsequently, the figurehead of a cult.
*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film only. Please redeem at the door.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the Rio Theatre’s Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats, and time for treats at concession.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime.
*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. No refunds or exchanges.
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