A total hoot for Italian horror novices and superfans alike, The Frida Cinema is jazzed to present Lucio Fulci’s Murder-Rock: Dancing Death!

Nothing is as it seems in this foggy ‘80s world of whiny dance students, backbiting school staff, puzzled cops, handsome strangers, surreal dream sequences, gruesome kills, naughty eroticism and spiraling labyrinthine mystery. Who will live to dance another day?!?!

One of the final horror gems in Fulci’s vast, sleazy filmography (Zombie, The Beyond), Murder-Rock blends Flashdance tropes, upbeat Eurodisco nonsense (courtesy of prog rocker Keith Emerson) and black-gloved slasher thrills into a lavish satisfying stew. 

The penultimate film in our Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema series is Isao Takahata’s Grave Of The Fireflies!

In the final days of World War II, two siblings—teenaged Seita and his little sister Setsuko—struggle to survive in firebombed Kobe after losing their home, their parents, and eventually, their place in a society that has collapsed around them. What follows is not just a war story, but a story of love, resilience, and unbearable loss.

Rendered with breathtaking beauty by the legendary animators at Studio Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies is often called one of the greatest animated films ever made. It is also one of the most emotionally shattering anti-war films of any kind—haunting not because of spectacle, but because of its heartbreaking truth.

Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema is a curated 12-film trip through the evolution of Japan—from the quiet post-war resilience of the 1940s all the way to the radical reinventions of the 1990s. Each Monday this July-September, we will explore a new facet of this incredible nation’s cinematic journey throughout the 20th century! All films will be presented in their original Japanese language with English subtitles!

Good Boy, the buzzy new horror film told from the perspective of a dog, finally scampers its way to The Frida!

A loyal dog (played by dog actor Indy, the director’s real life pet) moves to a rural family home with his owner Todd, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most.

Premiering at this year’s South By Southwest, the film’s trailer gathered one million views in just its first four days, with its global interest only further piqued by its current 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating!  Catch it on the big screen at The Frida!

The Frida will be donating a portion of ticket proceeds from our Thursday, October 2nd screening of Good Boy to OC Animal Allies!  OC Animal Allies is a nonprofit organization founded with the mission to save animal lives and strengthen the human-animal bond in Orange County by providing emergency financial support, education, referral services, and therapy programs.

Bad neighbors…beware! Tom Holland’s Fright Night, the wickedly funny cult classic that brought vampires screaming into the 1980s, returns to the big screen at The Frida for its 40th Anniversary!

All-American teen Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) thinks he’s got it made—until he discovers that the mysterious stranger who just moved in next door is actually a vampire (Chris Sarandon, in suavely sinister form). With no one believing him, Charley turns to a washed-up late-night horror host, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), for help. Together, they must take on the undead lurking right next door before Charley’s friends—and even his girlfriend—fall under the vampire’s thrall.

Loaded with practical effects and gothic atmosphere, Fright Night is both a love letter to classic horror and a blood-soaked thrill ride that still bites hard (in a good way).

Do you like scary movies?

Wes Craven’s Scream, the film that redefined the entire horror genre, slashes its way back onto our screen this Halloween!

The sleepy town of Woodsboro is shaken by a string of brutal murders committed by a masked killer known as Ghostface. At the center is Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a teenager still reeling from her mother’s unsolved murder a year earlier. As Ghostface stalks her and her friends, Sidney must navigate suspicion, trauma, and a mounting body count—all while horror-savvy classmates riff on the “rules” of surviving a scary movie.

Our award-winning resident performance troupe K.A.O.S. returns for their celebrated all-costumed, all-choreographed, all-leg-kicking live shadowcast presentation of 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, performed on stage in front of the film!

Director Jim (Don’t squeeze the…) Sharman’s cult classic stars Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon as Brad and Janet, two virginal small-town lovers whose car breaks down in the shadows of a creepy old castle, where they encounter an odd collective of “unconventional conventionalists” gathered to witness transvestite scientist’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s latest creation – a muscular man named Rocky. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including tap-dancing Columbia, rocking biker Eddie, and of course, the castle’s “Sweet Transvestite” himself, Frank-N-Furter!

Adapted from the 1973 stage musical by Richard O’Brien, this glam cult classic is a cinematic experience unlike any other. Sing-along (and shout-along!) to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a classic that still packs houses 50 years after its initial release! Get your tickets now before it sells out!

Doors open at 11:00pm  Official K.A.O.S. preshow starts at 11:30pm!  Movie at midnight!

SENSORY WARNING: Flashing Lights and Fog effects may be used during the event.

This program is a venue rental engagement. The views and opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The Frida Cinema or its staff. Member discounts and Frida Cinema comp passes not valid.