“I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.”

The Rio Theatre is beyond excited to kick off the September long-weekend with one of our all-time most requested titles: WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was a technical and cultural achievement inasmuch as it brought together some of the greatest cartoon stars from the worlds of Disney and Warner Brothers, and it brought them together… In real life!

In this visionary version of 1940s Hollywood, animated cartoon stars are a subjugated minority, living in the ghetto-like Toontown. Eddie Valiant (the late, great Bob Hoskins, in one of his most memorable performances) a down-on-his-luck detective, is hired to find proof that Marvin Acme, gag factory mogul and owner of Toontown, is playing hanky-panky with femme fatale Jessica Rabbit, wife of Maroon Cartoon superstar, Roger Rabbit. When Acme is found murdered, all fingers point to Roger, and the sinister, power-hungry Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) is on a mission to bring Roger to justice. Roger begs the Toon-hating Valiant to find the real evildoer and the plot thickens as Eddie uncovers scandal after scandal and realizes the very existence of Toontown is at stake! Also starringJoanna Cassidy, and featuring the voices of Charles Fleischer, Kathleen Turner, and more.

“‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ is an innovative and entertaining film that features a groundbreaking mix of live action and animation, with a touching and original story to boot.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“This is a movie that demands to be seen twice. The first time, one is likely to be dazzled to the point of exhaustion; the second time, one can appreciate the artistry and good humor more easily.” (Gene Siskel)

“An ingenious blend of hand-drawn animation and live action, spliced with humour that’s by turns madcap, surreal and violent, ‘Roger Rabbit’ demonstrates that it’s possible to push the technical boundaries while still cooking up decent characters and plots.” (Total Film)

“For audiences who grew up with cartoons as a natural part of their moviegoing, the shock may not be the mix of live and animated folk–it may come from the truly revolutionary sight of great icons of rival studios cheerfully rubbing shoulders.” (LA Times)

Tuesday, September 8
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change
Advance tickets $15 HERE | $15 at the door

Saturday, September 12 Final Screening!
Doors 4:45 pm | Movie 5:15 pm *Start time subject to change
Advance tickets $15 HERE | $15 at the door

*Minors permitted in the balcony. (Please note this film is rated 18A.) Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
*Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes n/a for this screening.

PLEASE NOTE: All of the Rio Theatre’s screenings are operating at a sharply reduced capacity. We can’t guarantee availability of tickets at the door, so advance tickets for all screening events are strongly recommended. Our online box office can be found at www.riotheatretickets.ca. Online sales for every screening automatically end 1 hour before any given showtime.

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (Robert Zemeckis, 1988 / PG / 104 mins) ‘Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead, and Roger is the prime suspect.