May is already shaping up to be an exciting month for The Frida Cinema. We’ve got a wide range of programming for Mother’s Day, from Pedro Almodóvar’s colorful melodrama, All About My Mother, to the inimitable camp classic Mommie Dearest (all moms in attendance will receive a free mimosa!) to the mother of modern horror, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. The Frida’s year-long tribute to the cinema of 1999 also continues with queer comedy classic But I’m a Cheerleader and the kaleidoscopic San Fernando epic, Magnolia. This month also heralds the return of Frida favorite, Phantom of the Paradise, to our screen, celebrating its 50th anniversary.
To those in search of horror off the beaten path, look no further than the highly anticipated and acclaimed I Saw the TV Glow or Chris Nash’s experimental “ambient slasher,” In a Violent Nature. Like your first-run titles with a dose of razor-sharp commentary? Theda Hammel’s biting quarantine dramedy, Stress Positions, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s newest feature, Evil Does Not Exist, have it covered. Looking for an opportunity to introduce a younger member of the family to The Frida? In the mood to fan the flames of nostalgia and take a trip back to the early 2000s? Then Spy Kids, handpicked by The Frida Cinema’s Volunteer of the Month for May, Jozelyn Ruiz, might be just what the doctor ordered.
Spy Kids is the franchise-spawning story of Carmen and Juni, the two children of former super spies who join the family business when their parents’ colleagues begin to go missing. Though it’s significantly more family-friendly than say, From Dusk Till Dawn or Sin City, it retains Robert Rodriguez’s skillful stylization, eye for action, and is an undeniable credit to his versatility. Boasting an unexpectedly stacked cast, including Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino as perhaps some of cinema’s most attractive parents and the cinematic introduction of Danny Trejo’s now-iconic Isador “Machete” Cortez, Spy Kids is an exciting and escapist highlight of the family film canon.
How did you find out about The Frida Cinema?
I honestly think it was on Yelp, looking for movie theaters. But I had been coming to The Frida for a while before I started volunteering.
What made you want to volunteer here?
I really wanted to meet other people that were like-minded and had a passion for movies. That’s probably my main reason for wanting to volunteer. Also, the fact that we get to give back to the community. What we do for the ArtWalk, I think, is pretty dope.
Tell us a little bit about Rumble in the Bronx.
I picked Spy Kids just kind of to heal my inner child. I never got to watch it in theaters when it came out. I kind of forgot about the movie until I rewatched it like a year and a half ago and I realized, “This is actually a really good movie.” The cast is amazing. My MCU is the Machete Cinematic Universe, and it starts here. I think it’s cool to see a POC family being the stars. The two parents are, like, madly in love with each other, too.
What were your other choices for Volunteer Pick of the Month?
It was The Florida Project. I grew up in South Florida, so I think that movie also has a special place in my heart. I spent a lot of time in Miami, but Orlando as well, in the area where that movie was filmed. I didn’t do three, I did two. I really wanted Spy Kids; that was number one in my heart.
What is your favorite Frida memory?
If you could program any movie here, what would you pick?
Spy Kids screens starting Wednesday, May 1st.
Wednesday, May 1 – 7:45pm
Thursday, May 2 – 3pm, 7:45pm
Tickets