Rome has the talent to break out as a rapper, but his chance to impress a megastar producer is jeopardized when the only copy of his album is stolen.

So goes the story of the scrappy new Canadian indie film Boxcutter, screening on December 1st at The Frida Cinema!

They say you can’t outsmart the farmers—but nobody told Mr. Fox. Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox scampers back to The Frida just in time for Thanksgiving.

George Clooney voices Mr. Fox, a dashing ex-thief turned family fox who can’t resist one last heist against the fearsome trio of farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. When his plan goes spectacularly awry, Fox and his eccentric woodland neighbors must band together to outwit their human enemies and dig their way to freedom.

Adapted from Roald Dahl’s classic story, Anderson’s version is both faithful and boldly his own—every frame a diorama of autumnal wonder, every line of dialogue dry and delightful. With a pitch-perfect cast (Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe), Alexandre Desplat’s jazzy score, and stop-motion that feels alive with personality, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a triumph of craft and heart.

Yeah, we’ll play Porco Rosso…when pigs can fly! Wait.

The 1992 animated masterpiece Porco Rosso is zooming back to The Frida Cinema as our Volunteer Of The Month pick in December, courtesy of Emily!

In Italy in the 1930s, sky pirates in biplanes terrorize wealthy cruise ships as they sail the Adriatic Sea. The only pilot brave enough to stop the scourge is the mysterious Porco Rosso, a former World War I flying ace who was somehow turned into a pig during the war. As he prepares to battle the pirate crew’s American ace, Porco Rosso enlists the help of spunky girl mechanic Fio Piccolo and his longtime friend Madame Gina.

Blending old-Hollywood romance, slapstick comedy, and some of the most breathtaking aerial animation Studio Ghibli ever created, Porco Rosso is one of Miyazaki’s most underrated gems and a must-see on the big screen! Fly on over!

Join us for a special screening of Hal Ashby’s Coming Home! This special screening will be introduced by critic and essayist, Kristen Lopez, author of Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies. Get there early at 6:00PM for a meet and greet with Kristen, who will be signing copies of her book in our lobby courtesy of our local book selling partner, Arvida Book Co.!

While her husband Bob (Bruce Dern) serves in Vietnam, Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda) volunteers at a VA hospital and forms a deep connection with Luke Martin (Jon Voight), a paralyzed veteran whose outlook on the war challenges everything she knows. When Bob returns home changed, all three must confront the emotional fallout of the conflict and the lives it has reshaped.

About the author: Kristen Lopez is a pop culture essayist, critic, and editor whose articles have appeared at Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, TCM, and Roger Ebert. She was previously the Film Editor for TheWrap and the TV Editor for IndieWire where she was nominated for a SoCal Journalism Award and National Journalism Award by the LA Press Club. She is the author of “But Have You Read the Book: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films.” Her first book, “But Have You Read the Book” debuted from TCM and Running Press in 2023. A California native, Kristen was raised in a small suburb near Sacramento and graduated with a Masters in English from CSU Sacramento. She is the creator of the classic film podcast, Ticklish Business.