George Orwell was one of the most radical and visionary authors of the 20th Century, whose 1940s novels, such as 1984 and Animal Farm, foretold a chilling, all-too-believable authoritarian future that has become scarily prescient in our modern era. Acclaimed director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro), working in collaboration with the Orwell Estate, seamlessly interweaves historical clips, readings from Orwell’s diary, cinematic references, and dynamic modern day footage to craft the definitive portrait of the writer himself–Orwell: 2+2=5. 

Peck, who has his his own personal connection to the material–as an 8-year-old he was forced to flee the Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti–doesn’t just present the information but shows new ways of seeing it, drawing patterns and connections we might not otherwise realize, and creating a stimulating and thought-provoking experience for the viewer at every turn. 

As terms like “Big Brother” and “Newspeak” become more prevalent and ominous with each passing day, Orwell: 2+2=5, featuring award-winning actor Damian Lewis as the voice of Orwell, provides a stirring depiction of the dangers of power and the fragility of so-called civilized society, told through the eyes of a man from the past who just might hold the key to the world’s future.  

Step right up to the scariest lawn on the block! The Frida Cinema invites you to re-live the spooky-fun thrills of the animated adventure Monster House!

DJ, Chowder, and Jenny are just your average neighborhood kids until they realize the creepy house across the street is alive–and hungry. With no adults believing them, it’s up to this brave trio to uncover the mystery, outwit the snarling structure, and maybe save the entire neighborhood from being swallowed whole.

Packed with clever scares, witty banter, and a perfect mix of chills and chuckles, Monster House is a rollicking animated gem that delivers Halloween vibes year-round. 

The Frida Cinema is paying tribute to legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne in the only way that we know how: with a limited run of the 1986 freak show Trick Or Treat!

When rocker Sammi Curr (Tony Fields) burns to death in a hotel fire, his number one fan, devastated high school student Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price), becomes embroiled in a supernatural turn of events driven by his desire for revenge against his bullies.

Widely regarded as a cult oddity and beloved by heavy metal fans and ’80s horror enthusiasts, Trick Or Treat is often described as a perfect time capsule of the “Satanic Panic” era, blending teen horror and a hard rock/metal aesthetic.

It’s been a long time since we’ve fired up the Ecto-1 and presented screenings of Ivan Reitman’s original Ghostbusters, so we figure what better time than Halloween week!?

After losing their academic posts at a prestigious university, a team of parapsychologists (played by the legendary team of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson) goes into business as proton-pack-toting “ghostbusters” who exterminate ghouls, hobgoblins and supernatural pests of all stripes. An ad campaign pays off when a knockout cellist hires the squad to purge her swanky digs of demons that appear to be living in her refrigerator.

Ghostbusters wasn’t just a hit movie–it’s a cultural juggernaut. The mix of sharp comedy, supernatural thrills, and groundbreaking special effects struck a chord with audiences, making it one of the defining blockbusters of the 1980s.

The Frida Cinema pays tribute to Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur with a shadowy double feature of Cat People and The Leopard Man!

In Cat People, a young woman’s secret obsession with a Balkan curse blurs the line between love, repression, and deadly feline transformation. In The Leopard Man, a small New Mexico town is gripped by terror when an escaped circus cat–or perhaps something far worse–begins claiming victims in the night. Who stalks the darkness: beast or human?

Brimming with moody cinematography, eerie sound design, and suggestive scares, both films exemplify RKO’s golden age of psychological horror. These flicks might not satisfy fans of buckets of gore, but they’ll still stay with you long after you left the theater.

Come for the grammar. Stay for the humanity. The Frida Cinema is excited to present a special screening of the new documentary Rebel With A Clause! And as an awesome bonus, grammar guru Ellen Jovin will set up her grammar advice stand at the theater starting at 6:30 to take your grammar questions, resolve long-standing grammar disputes, and listen to any tales of grammar woe. Please also stick around after the screening for a Q&A with director Brandt Johnson and Ellen, who will sign copies of her national bestseller!

One fall day, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints. What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend.

Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 states as Brandt shot the grammar action. Media outlets across the country celebrated the adventures of the Grammar Table in over 100 print, radio, and television stories. People from every imaginable background visited the table to share a laugh, settle disputes, and talk about their grammar insecurities. These conversations took place in small towns and big cities, by bookstores and coffee shops, on beaches and mountainsides.

But this story transcends grammar. It’s the story of an epic quest to bring us all closer together. In a time of social and political division, the Grammar Table is a place of unity and connection. The conversations at the table help answer the question “How can we all get along?”

Join us for a night of brain-busting film trivia!

Think you’ve got what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the film nerds of Southern California? Then it’s time to put your cinema knowledge to the ultimate test at The Frida’s monthly Film Trivia Night!

Each month, we challenge cinephiles with five meticulously crafted rounds of film trivia, plus a special bonus round for those who truly know their stuff. Expect everything from deep dives to cult classics, iconic soundtracks to infamous flops.