Now Playing & Coming Soon

Take flight with Robert Altman's surreal fantasy Brewster McCloud, kicking off our three film tribute to beloved character actor Bud Cort!  Brewster (Cort) is an owlish, intellectual boy who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome. He has a dream: to take flight within the confines of the stadium. Brewster tells those he trusts of his dream, but displays a unique way of treating others who do not fit within his plans. While a young tour guide befriends Brewster and tries to get to know him better, the Houston police struggle to solve a sudden rash of strangulation murders. A quirky comedy with a pronounced dark streak, Brewster McCloud is one of Altman's most delightfully strange films, often forgotten amongst his myriad of filmic masterpieces. You know how people say "they don't make 'em like this anymore"? Well, they really don't make 'em like this anymore. 

The past, present, and future. One man's dreams...for every dreamer. We are concluding our fourteen film retrospective paying tribute to the great Akira Kurosawa with his surrealist masterpiece Dreams. Eight visually rich vignettes drawn from Kurosawa’s own dreams—fox weddings and vanished orchards, a soldier’s ghosts, a walk through Van Gogh’s canvases, nuclear nightmares, and a water-mill utopia—meditate on childhood, art, mortality, and humanity’s uneasy bond with nature. Dreams holds a unique place in Akira Kurosawa’s career and reputation. It’s often regarded as one of his most personal and spiritual works--a literal painting of his imagination come to life. Don't miss a chance to see it on the big screen!

Next season's fashion victim, Idiotka, is coming to The Frida Cinema. Premiering at last year's SXSW, it's a hilarious send-up of the worlds of fashion and reality television. In this sharp, irreverent comedy, a disgraced fashion designer with a dangerously low credit score, Margarita (Anna Baryshnikov) enters a reality show with a six-figure cash prize to save her babushka’s West Hollywood apartment. But as the competition intensifies, slick producer Nicol (Camila Mendes) pushes her to spin her family’s struggle into spectacle, forcing Margarita to decide whether to play along or take control of her own narrative, one unhinged look at a time.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead, the brand new feature-length documentary tracing the life and career of the punk pioneer turned rock ‘n’ roll icon, is coming to The Frida Cinema for two nights only!  Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep intoBilly Idol’s emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTV era and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain one of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, almost fifty years into his career and still selling out arenas around the world. “[A] harrowing redemption story...the Billy Idol documentary is an excellent and expansively researched two-hour deep dive that traces Idol’s life and career in the familiar ‘Behind the Music’ format, but with long looks at peak eras and a depth of detail, both factual and emotional, that elevate it above that standard.”—Variety “[A]wild and surprisingly heartfelt documentary...the film leaves no stone unturned in telling Idol’s improbable story.”—The Ankler “A story about survival”—USA Today

See It On 16mm is back this March to dust off some well-loved (worn) prints of ignored exploitation, horror, and other off the radar films as we present another entry into our Secret Grindhouse series! And this time, they're teaming up with the folks over at Hong Kong Cinema Club...so you know what that means! They're gonna dig up some decaying prints and thread them up for genre fans! Most titles are either in a rights limbo, forgotten, or just need to be shown more appreciation. They'll be playing blaxploitation, vansploitation, nunsploitation, kung fu, made-for-TV terrors, and everything else between! Grab a ticket and watch as the secret movie unspools loud and proud on the big screen!

Darkness has awakened. The Containment is coming to The Frida Cinema! A girl is possessed by a dark and mysterious entity. She will fight with all the elements at her disposal to get rid of it. Neither her mother, nor traditional medicine, nor a supposed expert in exorcisms, will be able to make the demon disappear, until a nun gets involved in the case and sows a doubt more terrible than the possession itself.

Bust out those plastic spoons! The Room is back at The Frida Cinema in March, and the star of The Room and best-selling author of The Disaster Artist, Greg Sestero, is joining us for the fun to introduce the film in-person!  Wiseau's peerless magnum opus finds the auteur who shaped a generation taking on the arts of acting, writing, casting, directing, editing and more. What's even more remarkable: he's mastered them all. The multi-talented director stars as Johnny, a big-time banker working in gorgeously shot San Francisco. His fiancée Lisa, seemingly a happy part of a successful relationship, has wandering eyes…for Tommy's best friend Mark. Cinema has never witnessed such betrayal! An intense, sensual thriller, at least as it was intended by Wiseau, The Room is an intricately knit web of sweet secrets and bitter lies that interrogates the very form of drama itself, as well as a truly unforgettable piece of cinema. Doors open at 6:45PM. Greg will be signing and selling merchadise in the lobby. Movie and introduction start at 7:45PM. Frida Cinema Member discounts do not apply to this special event.

You joined us for our Friday The 13th and Friday The 13th: Part 2 double feature last month, so in March...let's do it again! Only this time...we'll be returning to Camp Crystal Lake for Friday The 13th: Part 3 and Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter! Friday the 13th: Part 3 - A new group of friends heads to a lakeside cabin expecting sun, booze, and bad decisions...instead they find themselves stalked by the unstoppable Jason Voorhees! And after a brief ten minute intermission, it’s time for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter - Crystal Lake isn’t done with terror yet, as another group of locals and visitors faces a night of relentless suspense in one of the series’ fastest, fiercest entries. Together, these two films continued the slasher phenomenon into new territory, and they’re an absolute blast to watch with a crowd on the big screen. Join us on Friday The 13th of March and celebrate this holiday tradition that won’t seem to die… There will be a ten minute intermission between each film. One ticket gets you access to both movies!

The General: Vietnam in the Age of To Lam traces the rise of Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam, who cemented his position at the top of Vietnam’s leadership in the most recent 14th Party Congress. As To Lam’s power has grown, so has the expansion of Vietnam’s security apparatus that no longer stops at national borders. Asylum seekers, activists, and even insiders who challenge the system find themselves surveilled, harassed, and silenced wherever they flee.  Through firsthand testimony and investigative reporting, the film asks what prosperity truly costs when economic growth is built on repression. In reviewing the film, human rights lawyer Dang Dinh Manh states: "I owe documentary filmmaker Laura Brickman my gratitude for telling the story of our country—an anguished cry from within, conveyed with honesty and depth."  Lawyer Manh sought asylum in the US in 2023 due to political repression from Vietnamese authorities. Many of the human rights defenders in the film were his clients. Laura Brickman is an award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience in digital media, broadcast, and print. She has worked for Politico, BBC, 60 Seconds Docs, Insider, and other media outlets. The General: Vietnam in the Age of To Lam is her directorial debut.  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.

Darren Lynn Bousman’s 2008 cult classic Repo! The Genetic Opera is back at The Frida, brought to life with a live shadowcast performance by our resident Repo! performance troupe Addicted To The Knife! Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Repo! The Genetic Opera is a rock opera set in a dystopian future where a megacorporation, GeneCo, provides organ transplants for a society ravaged by organ failures. Those who cannot keep up with their payments face the terrifying fate of having their organs repossessed by Repo Men. The story follows Shilo Wallace (Alexa Vega), a young girl with a rare blood disease, who uncovers a dark family secret: her father, Nathan Wallace (Anthony Head), leads a double life as a Repo Man! Featuring an ensemble cast including Paul Sorvino, Sarah Brightman, and Paris Hilton, all of whom deliver powerful musical performances that blend horror, drama, and dark humor, Repo! The Genetic Opera quickly developed a dedicated cult following for its unique style and bold storytelling. The film’s soundtrack, featuring original songs that range from rock to operatic ballads, complement the film’s elaborate gothic visuals and set it apart from more conventional musicals.  Join us as the costumed players of Addicted To The Knife bring this dark fantasy to life! Please note: this performance is being recorded for an eventual 4K blu ray re-release, so guests will be asked to sign a very standard video release form prior to entering the auditorium! 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. Doors open at 11:30PM. Movie begins at midnight!

Real women take chances, have flaws and embrace life... Celebrate Women's History Month with a free screening of the 2002 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award-winning film Real Women Have Curves,presented by our friends at the Segerstrom Center For The Arts! America Ferrera stars in her feature film debut as a first-generation Mexican American student who finds herself juggling her own ambitions, her mother’s expectations and a community of women working together in an East Los Angeles garment factory.   Attendees of the screening will have the opportunity to win a pair of tickets to the West Coast premiere of Curves In Concert, a one night only concert adaptation of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical on Friday, March 20, 2026 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. This performance features members of the original Broadway cast and includes a free 20-minute talkback/Q&A with the cast alongside original playwright, Josefina López.   Frida Cinema fans get 10% off tickets with code: CURVESCOMMUNITY at scfta.org/curves  Real Women Have Curves: The Musical features a Tony-nominated score by Grammy® Award–winning songwriter Joy Huerta (Jesse & Joy) and Benjamin Velez (Kiss My Aztec), a book by Lisa Loomer (Girl, Interrupted) with Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls), music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo (Waitress) and choreography and direction by Tony® Award winner Sergio Trujillo (Ain’t Too Proud)

On March 15th at 4:00PM, The Frida Cinema is rolling out our red carpet to Frida Cinema Members as we present a live-stream presentation of that Big Movie Awards Show! Bring a friend and enjoy delicious drinks courtesy of The Frida, celebrating the year that was 2025 in film! Enjoy the live broadcast of the 2026 Big Movie Awards Show the best way possible: surrounded by other movie lovers and members of your favorite local art house theater! Red carpet is at 4:00PM and the show starts at 5:00PM! All film club members of any level can join this event for free, and we are allowing a +1 for this very special event! Not a member yet? Sign up here: https://thefridacinema.org/memberships/

Adapted from Sunil Gangopadhyay’s celebrated 1968 novel, Days and Nights in the Forest is one of director Satyajit Ray’s greatest achievements, a modern search for connection that conjures the timeless resonance of a folktale. Desperate to flee Calcutta’s rat race, four friends, Ashim (Soumitra Chatterjee), Sanjoy (Subhendu Chatterjee), Hari (Samit Bhanja), and Shekhar (Rabi Ghosh), drive to Palamu, one of India’s rural “tribal lands,” where they bribe a watchman into letting them stay at a sylvan guesthouse. Despite vowing to get away from it all, the crew soon mixes with the locals, including a woodland family: the soulful yet mischievous Aparna (Sharmila Tagore) takes to the overconfident Ashim, while her widowed sister-in-law Jaya (Kaberi Bose) grows closer to the bookish Sanjoy. At the same time, Hari, fresh off a break-up, woos a Santal girl named Duli (Simi Garewal); and Shekhar, despite his own penchant for gambling, tries to rein in his companions’ boozy hedonism. Filled with some of Ray’s most indelible characterizations and lavish images (shot by longtime cinematographer Soumendu Roy), Days and Nights in the Forest touches on masculine vulnerabilities and Indian class divisions with the graceful complexity of a master at his peak. Restored in 4K in 2025 by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Janus Films – The Criterion Collection at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, from the original camera and sound negatives provided by Purnima Dutta and the magnetic track preserved by BFI National Archive. Funding provided by the Golden Globe Foundation. Special thanks to Wes Anderson and Sandip Ray.

Just added: Frida Board Member/Trivia Night host Atalia Lopez (Chapman University) and Porter Gilberg (Frida Director of Development) are back on Thursday 3/19 at the 8:15PM screening for another special pre-screening presentation on The Handmaiden's literary history and cinematic influences. An interactive discussion will take place immediately following the film. We're getting revenge for Park Chan-Wook's Academy Award snubs this year the only way we know how: bringing back a bona fide Frida Cinema classic--his 2016 twist-filled psychological drama The Handmaiden.  1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sookee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to steal her fortune. A meticulously-crafted and lush tale of deception, The Handmaiden is the ultimate film about desire amongst shifting loyalties.

Celebrate the brilliant comic artistry of Catherine O'Hara with another perfectly paired double feature of two more Christopher Guest mockumentaries: Best In Show and For Your Consideration! Best in Show: Hopeful dog owners, over-invested handlers, and very good boys descend on a prestigious canine competition, where obsessive pride and barely contained neuroses threaten to steal the spotlight from the pets themselves. For Your Consideration: A small indie film suddenly gains awards buzz, sending its cast and creators into a spiral of anxiety and showbiz fantasy as Hollywood hype rewrites their lives in real time. Whether its a high-strung pet parent clinging to ribbons and routines or a fragile actress daring to believe her moment has finally arrived, O’Hara once again proved her unmatched ability to balance razor-sharp satire with real emotional stakes. No one played delusional, and deeply human quite like she did, and these two films showcase that gift at its funniest and most poignant. There will be a ten minute intermission between each film. One ticket gets you access to both movies!

Some wars never end. Our first Volunteer Of The Month pick comes courtesy of Nick V, as he has selected Spike Lee's thought-provoking after-war drama Da 5 Bloods. Four African-American Vietnam veterans return to Vietnam in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader and the promise of buried treasure. They battle forces of humanity and nature while confronted by the lasting ravages of the immorality of the Vietnam War. Widely seen as one of his most passionate, politically urgent, and performance-driven films (specifically by Delroy Lindo, who should have been nominated for an Oscar), Da 5 Bloods is Spike Lee firing on all cylinders, delivering a deeply personal project that sparks debate and sticks with people long after the credits role. 

Your luck just ran out. Celebrate St. Patrick’s day at The Frida Cinema with a special screening of Leprechaun, presented by our friends at Nostalgic Nebula! Arrive early for a retrospective pre-show video, Leprechaun trivia with prizes, a spooky photo op, chocolate gold coins! But beware of the Leprechaun…try as you may, try as you might, who steals his gold won’t live through the night! As a special treat, there will be a tele-Q&A with actor Mark Holton at the start of the show, so prep those Leprechaun questions! Dan O’Grady (Shay Duffin) steals 100 gold coins from a leprechaun (Warwick Davis) while on vacation in Ireland. The leprechaun follows him home, but Dan locks him in a crate, held at bay by a four-leaf clover. Ten years later, J.D. Redding (John Sanderford) and his daughter, Tory (Jennifer Aniston), rent O’Grady’s property for the summer. When their new neighbors accidentally release the leprechaun, he goes on a murderous rampage to reclaim his gold. Doors open and pre-show begins at 7:00PM! Movie and Q&A starts at 7:30PM! 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.

Join us as we continue or Tribute To Bud Cort series his wonderful performance in Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude, making its annual return to The Frida Cinema.  The young Harold (Bud Cort) lives in his own world of suicide-attempts and funeral visits to avoid the misery of his current family and home environment. Harold meets an 80-year-old woman named Maude (Ruth Gordon) who also lives in her own world yet one in which she is having the time of her life. When the two opposites meet they realize that their differences don’t matter and they become best friends and love each other. Beloved for its quirky humor and tender tone, Harold and Maude is fondly remembered as a black comedy with serious heart. Beloved character actor Bud Cort built a career out of making the unusual unforgettable. From his odd bird performance in Brewster McCloud to his tender, offbeat turn in Harold And Maude, he gave us a lifetime of bringing humanity to the outsiders he inhabited. Join us in March 2026 as we pay tribute to his work.

In this house...if you've seen one ghost...you haven't seen them all! The Frida Cinema and OC Pride are teaming up to present a screening of Tim Burton's 1988 ghoulish comedy Beetlejuice in honor of the late, great Catherine O'Hara! As the gloriously pretentious, performance-artist-from-another-dimension Delia Deetz, O’Hara steals every scene she's in, as she often did throughout her entire career. Her operatic commitment to absurdity turns Delia into one of cinema’s greatest comic creations, just one in a long list of characters she brought her immortal comic pulse to. Burton's film balances the macabre with the heartfelt in only a way that he could. Don't miss a chance to see it on the big screen, one night only! Just added: the icon, Isabella Xochitl, will be joining us before the screening to perform a pre-show number! 

Our second Volunteer Of The Month takes a dark detour courtesy of Maggie, who has chosen Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro's 2015 gothic romance. The film follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer haunted by the ghostly warning to "Beware of Crimson Peak." After a whirlwind romance, she marries the enigmatic Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and moves to his decaying ancestral mansion, Allerdale Hall, alongside his mysterious sister, Lady Lucille (Jessica Chastain). As Edith unravels the sinister history of the Sharpe family and the house itself, she discovers dark truths lurking beneath its beautiful, crumbling facade. Combining haunting performances and atmosphere dripping with suspense, Crimson Peak is a masterful blend of romance and horror that pays homage to the classic gothic storytelling that its maker grew up obsessed with.

She climbed the ladder of success...wrong by wrong! Kick off our Pre-Code Day celebration with a matinee screening of Baby Face, starring Frida Cinema favorite Barbara Stanwyck in one of her defining roles! And make sure to get their early as the co-author of Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood’s Untamed Era, 1930-1934, Kim Luperi, will be joining us to introduce the film and sign copies of her book in the lobby! Stanwyck plays a young woman who, after a brutal upbringing, heads to New York and deliberately sleeps her way up the corporate ladder of a bank, using sex, charm, and sharp intelligence as tools for survival. The film is startlingly frank about exploitation and capitalism, barely bothering to moralize the lead character's methods, which is exactly why censors cracked down on it soon after release!

Four vignettes, each set in different decades from the 1950s through the 1980s, deal with protagonists at different stages of life between childhood and young adulthood. This is In Our Time, an anthology film from 1982, directed by Edward Yang, Ko I-chen, Jim Tao, and Chang Yi.  Often seen as a starting point for Taiwan’s great art house wave of the 1980s and marking a shift toward more realistic and socially grounded filmmaking, this landmark anthology is rarely seen, on the big screen or not. Focused on small emotional moments like family life, school, work, and the quiet anxieties of growing up, it's this exact type of naturalism became a defining trait of the movement that followed and established the career directors who later defined the entirety of new-age Asian cinema.

"I just killed a rat!" Join us for our Pre-Code Day celebration of Heat Lightning, preceded by an in-person introduction by Kim Luperi, co-author of the TCM/Running Press book Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood’s Untamed Era, 1930-1934! Kim will also be signing and selling copies of her book in the lobby!  Set almost entirely at a desert roadside diner and gas station, the film follows two sisters running the business when a group of suspicious travelers arrives during a stormy night. What starts as a character drama about past regrets and hard-earned independence gradually turns into a pressure-cooker thriller involving crime and rekindled emotions.

Join us for the final film of our Pre-Code Day celebration as we present a brand new 4K restoration of Edgar G. Ulmer's The Black Cat! Joining us for a special pre-screening introduction for the film will be Kim Luperi, the co-author of the TCM/Running Press book Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood’s Untamed Era, 1930-1934! Unlike the gothic fantasy tone of many early Universal horrors, The Black Cat leans into a modern, post-World War I despair. The story is steeped in trauma and betrayal, with Boris Karloff playing one of the era’s coldest villains and Bela Lugosi giving a truly haunted performance. For a 1934 studio horror, it’s shockingly dark and less of a monster movie as it is a morbid meditation on war and human corruption.

Join 18th & Grand and FanMail Cinema Club in a special event screening and the Santa Ana Premiere of 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story. The documentary delves into the history and cultural significance of an infamous downtown Los Angeles arena through first-hand accounts from attendees and stars of the Olympic’s ring, rink, and stage! The Olympic was a hub of outrageous entertainment for generations, where heroes and villains often came from the neighborhoods of the city. 18th & Grand was the closing film for Slamdance, lauded in Hyperallergic and Film Threat, and the inspiration for a major museum exhibition at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.  Told through the distinctive voices of wrestlers, boxers, punks and skaters, 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story remembers a lost, and more interesting L.A. Featuring John Doe (X), Julio César Chávez, Carlos Palomino, Mando Guerrero, The Destroyer, Gene LeBell, Roddy Piper and more! Enjoy a post-film Q&A, meet World Champion boxer Carlos Palomino and shop from themed-vendors, including Keely’s Cake Studio, VideoHero VHS, facepainting from La Rainbow Fiesta, and take photos in our boxing-themed photo-op. Q&A to follow the film including World Champion Boxer Carlos Palomino, Boxing Historian Gene Aguilera, family of luchador Mando “Superstar” Lopez! Moderated by LA Times Columnist and Reporter Gustavo Arellano! Doors: 1:00PM Vending: 1:00PM-6:00PM Film: 2:00PM Q&A: Right after the film! 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. 

The Dolphin Hotel invites you to stay in any of its stunning rooms. Except one. Remember when PG-13 movies were actually scary? Play It By Fear (@playitbyfear.33) continues their Sunday Scaries series with a descent into one of the most unsettling hotel rooms in horror: 1408, based on a story by Stephen King! A skeptical paranormal writer who debunks hauntings for a living books a stay in the infamous Room 1408 of New York’s Dolphin Hotel, determined to prove the legends false. But once inside, he finds himself trapped in a shifting psychological nightmare where the room itself seems to know his fears...and how to use them.  A stripped-down, actor-driven chiller, 1408 stands out for turning a single location into a relentless mind game, proving that sometimes the scariest places aren’t abandoned houses or dark woods, but a room you can’t ever check out of. 

Before you die, you see... The Ring (2002) is our next Sunday Scaries movie, presented by Play It By Fear (@playitbyfear.33)! Director Gore Verbinski’s chilling American reimagining of a Japanese nightmare follows  a journalist (Naomi Watts) who investigates a mysterious videotape linked to a string of sudden deaths. As she races to uncover the tape’s origins, the line between urban legend and supernatural curse begins to dissolve. Rain-soaked and deeply unnerving, The Ring helped redefine studio horror for the 2000s, continuing this month's theme of when PG-13 movies were actually scary!

No miracle is ever too small. Our Page To Screen series in March goes towards dark-edged fantasy with A Little Princess, director Alfonso Cuarón’s lush and emotional adaptation of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. When her father enlists to fight for the British in WWI, young Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend the same boarding school her late mother attended. She soon clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin, who attempts to stifle Sara's creativity and sense of self-worth. Visually rich and deeply felt, A Little Princess has grown into a beloved 90s classic, a reminder that a little bit of fantasy can transform even the darkest circumstances.

By the mid-sixties, Ingmar Bergman had already conjured many of the cinema’s most unforgettable images. But with the radical Persona, this supreme artist attained new levels of visual poetry. Celebrate 60 years of his iconic film as we present it as a limited engagement, recently restored for the big screen.  In the first of a series of legendary performances for Bergman, Liv Ullmann plays a stage actor who has inexplicably gone mute; an equally mesmerizing Bibi Andersson is the garrulous young nurse caring for her in a remote island cottage. While isolated together there, the women perform a mysterious spiritual and emotional transference that would prove to be one of cinema’s most influential creations. Acted with astonishing nuance and shot in stark contrast and soft light by the great Sven Nykvist, Persona is a penetrating, dreamlike work of profound psychological depth and one of the most influential films ever made.

Join us for To Have and Have Not—the film that introduced the world to the electric pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall! Set in wartime Martinique, Bogart plays a tough American boat captain trying to stay neutral while Bacall arrives as a mysterious young drifter with a cigarette, a razor-sharp wit, and a look that could stop the story cold. What begins as a smoldering battle of nerves soon pulls both into a dangerous resistance plot. Directed by Howard Hawks and written in part by William Faulkner, To Have and Have Not belongs entirely to its stars, launching one of cinema’s most iconic romances. Make sure to get to the screening early, as our Marketing Director Bekah will be doing a very informative and entertaining presentation on the film before it starts!

What if the afterlife isn’t halos and harps…but a courtroom? Flickrhappy is back at The Frida Cinema to present a special one-off screening of writer/director Albert Brooks' ingenious 1991 comedy Defending Your Life! Is there love after death? After he dies suddenly, the hapless advertising executive Daniel Miller (Brooks) finds himself in Judgment City, a gleaming way station where the newly deceased must prove they lived a life of sufficient courage to advance in their journey through the universe. As the self-doubting Daniel struggles to make his case, a budding relationship with the uninhibited Julia (Meryl Streep) offers him a chance to finally feel alive. Funny and unexpectedly profound, Defending Your Life blends sharp existential satire with genuine romantic warmth. With scene-stealing turns by Rip Torn and Lee Grant, and Brooks at his most vulnerable and witty, the film turns life’s biggest questions into something both hilarious and deeply human. Join us for this unforgettable big-screen screening and discover why sometimes the only way forward…is to defend your life. 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. Flickrhappy is allowing Frida Cinema members to use their regular discounts to this event! 

Just added: Porter Gilberg (Frida Director of Development) is back on Thursday 3/26 for a special pre-screening presentation on the cultural and cinematic roots of But I'm A Cheerleader. An interactive discussion will take place immediately following the film. Join us as we present some screenings of the 1999 cult classic But I'm A Cheerleader, the final film in our Tribute To Bud Court series. Megan is an all-American girl. A cheerleader. She has a boyfriend. But Megan doesn't like kissing her boyfriend very much. And she's pretty touchy with her cheerleader friends. Her conservative parents worry that she must be a lesbian and send her off to "sexual redirection" school, where she must, with other lesbians and gays learn how to be straight. Bring your friends, wear pink if you dare, and re-live (or discover) a certified Frida Cinema Favorite the way it deserves to be experienced: loudly and proudly, in a movie theater! Beloved character actor Bud Cort built a career out of making the unusual unforgettable. From his odd bird performance in Brewster McCloud to his tender, offbeat turn in Harold And Maude, he gave us a lifetime of bringing humanity to the outsiders he inhabited. Join us in March 2026 as we pay tribute to his work.

The unexpected, irreverent, and heartfelt new documentary André Is An Idiot is coming to The Frida Cinema for a limited engagement the last weekend of March! When André Ricciardi, a self-proclaimed “idiot” for skipping the colonoscopy that could have saved him, learns he is dying, he turns his final chapter into an experiment in radical honesty, humor, and curiosity. A lifelong iconoclast and ad-industry provocateur, André has never done anything the conventional way, and confronting mortality proves no different: he picks up a camera, cracks a joke, and begins to ask the biggest questions of his life with disarming candor. Winner of both the Audience Award and the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award in the U.S. Documentary category at this year's Sundance Film Festival, Andre Is An Idiot is a wildly life-affirming film about death and about the strange clarity that arrives when time suddenly becomes finite.

Pillion, the highly-anticipated new movie from filmmaker Harry Lighton, starring Alexander Skasgard and Harry Melling, is coming to The Frida Cinema! The story follows Colin, a timid gay man, is swept off his feet when Ray, an enigmatic and impossibly handsome biker, takes him on as his submissive in a crazy and erotic BDSM-focused relationship. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and won accolades for its screenplay and overall standout reception. It also earned multiple British Independent Film Awards, including Best British Independent Film.

A Fantasy, A Musical, A Place Where Dreams Come True. Cinematic Void is back at The Frida Cinema for their Musical March series, and they've chosen to highlight Robert Greenwald's critical-flop-turned-cult-classic Xanadu! And make sure to get there on time as actor and fitness instructor Angie Shriner will be doing a special introduction before the screening! Xanadu is infamous for being one of Hollywood’s most beloved “so-bad-it’s-good” musicals. Upon release, it was widely panned by critics for its thin story, over-the-top performances, and bizarre combination of roller disco, Greek mythology, and Olivia Newton-John–led pop numbers. Yet its reputation has softened over time. Audiences now celebrate it as a campy, glitter-drenched delight, and the soundtrack, particularly hits from Electric Light Orchestra, remains on repeat in The Frida's lobby. And did we mention...Gene Kelly? Need we say more? Grab your friends and get ready to have some fun at the theater! This event is co-presented by both Cinematic Void and The American Cinematheque!

February's screening sold out, so that means Jonathan Demme's 1984 concert film masterpiece Stop Making Sense is coming back to The Frida in March! And this time, we're going to be dancing on a Saturday night! Doors open at 9:15PM and the party begins at 9:45PM!  Stop Making Sense is an iconic concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, while on tour for their 1983 album “Speaking in Tongues.” The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning, cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals. Featuring masterful performances by David Byrne and photography by Jordan Cronenweth (Blade Runner), Stop Making Sense is a concert experience at its most colorful and life-affirming. Stop Making Sense will continue with regularity at The Frida CinemA as long as we keep selling it out! Don't miss this once in a lifetime cinematic experience!

Trash-Mex is back at The Frida Cinema to present the 1980 mexploitation film Traficantes Del Panicko aka Under Siege! A band of thugs belonging to an organized crime family assaults several casinos at the same time creating death and panic in their wake. As they flee the scenes of their crimes police begin to close in on them, so they quickly hide themselves in a villa owned by a wealthy industrialist taking him and his family hostage. This Mexican-Spain-Italian co-production from legendary director Rene Cardona Jr is a huge favorite around the globe! Don't miss it on the big screen! This film will be presented in its original Spanish language with English subtitles.

Who killed Laura Palmer? Be still your beating heart, The Frida Cinema is finally bringing the original 94 minute Twin Peaks pilot to our audience! Widely regarded as a landmark in television history, the pilot stunned audiences with its combination of small-town mystery and supernatural weirdness that only a dreamer like David Lynch could create. Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost established a tone that was at once familiar and made it completely and utterly disorienting, layering dark secrets and eery characters one after another, influencing decades of prestige television and cinema alike. Join us, one night only, on Sunday, March 29th as we attempt to re-create appointment television viewing. Only this time, on a much bigger screen. Doors open at 7:30PM and the show will begin at 8:00PM!

What A Cast!...What A Past!...What A Show!... Our Staff Pick for the month of March comes from Bekah, our Marketing Director, as she has chosen the Shirley MacLaine starrer What A Way To Go! A four-time widow discusses her four marriages, in which all of her husbands became incredibly rich and died prematurely because of their drive to be rich. What a Way to Go! is an outrageous 1960s comedy full of campy satire. It’s a sparkling showcase of Hollywood excess and MacLaine’s fearless comedic charm. And did we mention...Paul Newman? Any takers!?

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. 

Echoing everything from Herk Harvey's Carnival Of Souls to Mario Bava's Kill, Baby...Kill!, Messiah Of Evil is a swirling vortex of Lovecraftian terror and grisly bloodshed from the team who'd later go on to make Howard The Duck! That perfect storm of madness makes it a perfect entry into our Hallucinations series! After receiving a string of unsettling letters from her father, Arletty arrives in a sleepy California coastal town called Point Dune. Dad is nowhere to be seen. Instead, Arletty finds a town full of drugged-out burnouts, barren shopping centers, and...something else.   Marianna Hill (High Plains Drifter), Michael Greer (Fortune And Men's Eyes), and Elisha Cook Jr. (The Maltese Falcon) star in this unjustly overlooked major work of independent American horror that's primed for (re)discovery. Hosted by Polygon’s editor-in-chief Chris Plante, Hallucinations is a monthly event that spotlights movies that challenge our expectations of story, style, and “good taste”. We invite guests to bond over films that change what we expect from the medium, the world, and themselves. So come early, stay late, make friends, and watch something strange, surprising, or just shamelessly sick.

One Vicious Hitman. One Fierce Cop. Ten Thousand Bullets. Step into the operatic heart of Hong Kong action cinema with John Woo’s The Killer! Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right. What unfolds is a tragic dance of loyalty and doomed brotherhood, escalating into some of the most iconic slow-motion gunfights ever put on screen. See it how it was meant to be seen: loud and emotionally overwhelming. Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

The Frida Cinema is proud to present a special 75th Anniversary screening of The Day the Earth Stood Still, one of the most important science fiction films ever made whose message has only grown more urgent with time! Plus, get there early and see the iconic 8-Foot-Tall Gort Robot live-on-stage! Starring Michael Rennie in his unforgettable performance as Klaatu, this 20th Century Fox landmark follows an alien emissary who arrives on Earth with a message that could save humanity…or doom it! At his side the towering Gort Robot whose silent presence became a legend of science fiction design. Directed by Academy Award winner Robert Wise (West Side Story, The Sound Of Music, The Haunting, Star Trek: The Motion Feature) The Day the Earth Stood Still rejected spectacle in favor of moral urgency during a time of high-anxiety, making it evergreen filmmaking at its finest.  Bernard Herrmann’s revolutionary score, featuring eerie theremins and groundbreaking electronic instrumentation, forever changed the sound of Science Fiction cinema. Lauded worldwide and praised by critics for its intelligence and restraint, the film was selected by the National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance. Arnold Leibovit, a personal friend of Robert Wise, will host the evening and present two more of George Pal's Academy Award-winning Puppetoons he's restored: "A Hatful of Dreams" featuring a DC Comics use of Superman and "The Gay Knighties" with a mischievous Ogre.  Also: please join us for Bonus pre-screening of The Puppetoon Movie – A Legacy Revisited, at 5:00PM, a behind-the-scenes look into the making of The Puppetoon Movie with Joe Dante (Gremlins),  Floyd Norman(Walt Disney animator – Sleeping Beauty,  The Jungle Book),  Peter Lord (Aardman Animations – Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit),  Dennis Muren (Star Wars, Jurassic Park),  Phil Tippett (Starship Troopers), Mick Garris (Critters 2), Bob Kurtz (Animation Director), Marc Caballero & Seamus Walsh (Screen Novelties Directors), Art Clokey (Gumby Creator), Dallas McKennon (Actor), Jerry Beck (animation historian) and others. Produced & Directed by Arnold Leibovit with archival narration by Paul Frees. This showing will coincide with the new restoraton Blu-ray release of The Puppetoon Movie. 4:00PM Doors Open  5:00PM A Puppetoon Movie: A Legacy Revisited documentary (introduction by Arnold Leibovit) 7:00PM Two Puppetoons shorts + The Day The Earth Stood Still (introduction by Arnold Leibovit) Tickets are $20 to this event. Frida Cinema comp passes and member discounts do not apply. 

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is proud to present a completely free screening of the new documentary Four Rational People!  The story follows the Emerson String Quartet as they embark on the final season of a fifty-year history that includes 9 GRAMMYS and thousands of concerts. Interweaving vivid memories with delicate observations of life on the road, the film explores the difficult decision to walk away from the things they cherish: the music they play and the friends they hold dear. At once a frank examination of the tyranny of aging and a cri de cœur to pass the torch to a new generation, the film culminates with one final performance, leaving all to ponder what happens to us after the final curtain. RSVP to get your tickets now!

Alright, see...join us for April's Classic Movie Nights pick: the James Cagney gangster flick Angels With Dirty Faces! Cagney plays Rocky Sullivan, a two-bit punk who grows into a full-blown gangster with the whole neighborhood full of kids. Trying to set him straight is his old pal Father Jerry, played by Pat O’Brien, now on the right side of the law and sweating bullets over whether those kids are gonna follow the wrong horse. Directed by Michael Curtiz of Casablanca and White Christmas fame, this is an old school, real-deal Warner Brothers gangster picture, culminating in one of the greatest endings in cinema history. Make sure to get to the screening early, as our Marketing Director Bekah will be doing a very informative and entertaining presentation on the film before it starts!

The good news is your date is here. The bad news is...he's dead. HorrorBuzz continues its 2026 Horror Movie Night series with a 40th anniversary blast of pure ’80s genre joy: Fred Dekker’s Night of the Creeps! In the 1980s, two college freshmen unwittingly unleash slug-like parasites that turn anyone they infect into walking corpses. As the outbreak spreads, it’s up to hardboiled detective Ray Cameron (the legendary Tom Atkins) and a group of panicked students to save the night...or at least go down swinging! Horror Movie Night takes filmgoing to another level with a full night of entertainment, including a themed HMN Video Pres-how, Trivia, Games, Prizes, and another outstanding horror short from HorrorBuzz’s The Screaming Room Film Festival at Midsummer Scream. Doors open and video pre-show video begins promptly at 7:30 pm. Games, prizes, and short film begin at 8:00PM. Feature starts at 8:30PM. 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.

Our seaside horror Hallucinations mini series continues with a brand new 4K restoration of the 1961 gem Night Tide! Night Tide presents a world in which undefined realms float around, blurring boundaries between reality and fantasy. Dennis Hopper is profoundly charming in his portrayal of Johnny, a young sailor who is spellbound by Mora, an enigmatic woman who performs as a mermaid at the Santa Monica Pier carnival. Set near the water in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, Night Tide dives into the purgatory domain of dreamy love, which is cursed by doomed imagination, like a beautiful nightmare underwater. Hosted by Polygon’s editor-in-chief Chris Plante, Hallucinations is a monthly event that spotlights movies that challenge our expectations of story, style, and “good taste”. We invite guests to bond over films that change what we expect from the medium, the world, and themselves. So come early, stay late, make friends, and watch something strange, surprising, or just shamelessly sick.

The inaugural BluStar Film Festival will take place in person at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana California on Saturday May 2nd, with in-person blocks screening blocks taking place from 3pm-11pm! Blu Star Productions is a company founded by an artist with a disability for artists with disabilities. Our goal is to empower disabled artists and creators across the globe with the resources needed to showcase their groundbreaking talents. Tickets for the festival can be purchased here! But the festival will continue virtually on this platform with livestreams, Q&A's and at-home viewings. 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. Frida Cinema memberships and discounts do not apply.

He thought he knew the risks of going undercover. We are stepping away from the lens of John Woo to explore the eye of Ringo Lam, as we present his iconic 1987 action thriller City On Fire! Ko Chow is an undercover cop who is under pressure from all sides. His boss, Inspector Lau, wants him to infiltrate a gang of ruthless jewel thieves; his girlfriend wants him to commit to marriage or she will leave Hong Kong with another lover; and he is being pursued by other cops who are unaware that he is a colleague. Chow would rather quit the force, feeling guilty about betraying gang members who have become his friends. Stripped of glamour in favor of sweet, sweet desperation, City on Fire replaces operatic heroism with fatalism and realism, helping define a harder edge of Hong Kong action cinema that would echo for decades. Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

Our Hallucinations series heads to the seaside one final time (for this sub-series, at least) for director Jerzy Skolimowski's The Shout! Adapted from Robert Graves’ short story, The Shout follows a mysterious traveler, Crossley, who takes advantage of a young couple’s hospitality. Claiming to have learned an Aboriginal ‘terror shout,’ Crossley threatens the couple’s safety and sanity.  Skolimowski’s film is dreamlike and disorienting, playing out like a hallucination (see what we did there?). It's not a conventional horror movie by any means, using fractured timelines and the barren English coastal to slowly create an existential nightmare.  Hosted by Polygon’s editor-in-chief Chris Plante, Hallucinations is a monthly event that spotlights movies that challenge our expectations of story, style, and “good taste”. We invite guests to bond over films that change what we expect from the medium, the world, and themselves. So come early, stay late, make friends, and watch something strange, surprising, or just shamelessly sick.

Our Starring Natalie Wood series kicks off with the iconic 1955 Nicholas Ray landmark drama Rebel Without A Cause, in which she co-stars as Judy, going toe-to-toe with big fellow big screen icon James Dean. She earned herself an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role--the first of her career. After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighborhood tough, Buzz. When Buzz violently confronts Jim and challenges him to a drag race, the new kid's real troubles begin. This Summer, we are celebrating the unforgettable star power of Natalie Wood with a quartet of films that showcase the unique blend of charisma and emotional intensity that made her one of Hollywood’s most beloved screen icons. This series is co-presented by the amazing folks over at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton as part of their exhibit More Than Love: The Life & Art of Natalie Wood!

Witness action cinema pushed to its absolute physical limits with Police Story + Police Story, a double featuring Jackie Chan, the filmmaker-performer who redefined what a movie star would risk for the camera. A smash hit that made him a worldwide icon of daredevil action spectacle, the director/star/one-man stunt machine plays Ka-Kui, a Hong Kong police inspector who goes rogue to bring down a drug kingpin and protect the case’s star witness (Chinese cinema legend Brigitte Lin) from retribution. Packed wall-to-wall with charmingly goofball slapstick and astoundingly acrobatic fight choreography, including an epic shopping-mall melee of flying fists and shattered glass, Police Story set a new standard for rock-’em-sock-’em mayhem. Then, after a quick ten minute intermission, Jackie is back! Having been demoted to a lowly traffic cop for his, ahem, unorthodox policing methods, Chan’s go-it-alone officer Ka-Kui quits the force in protest. But it isn’t long before he’s back in action, racing the clock to stop a band of serial bombers and win back his much-put-upon girlfriend May (the phenomenal Maggie Cheung, reprising her star-making role). Boasting epic explosions, an awesomely 1980s electro soundtrack, and a showstopping finale that turns an abandoned warehouse into a life-size pinball machine of cascading oil drums, collapsing scaffolds, and shooting fireworks, Police Story 2 confirmed Chan’s status as a performer of unparalleled grace and daring. There will be a ten minute intermission between each film. One ticket gets you access to both movies! Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

The second film in our Starring Natalie Wood series is Splendor In The Grass, co-starring Warren Beatty in his screen debut! Wood's performance garnered her the second Oscar nomination of her career, this time Best Actress! The story follows a small-town Kansas teenager whose passionate romance collides with the strict social expectations of the late 1920s. As heartbreak begins to take its toll, she’s forced to confront the fragile line between desire and despair. This Summer, we are celebrating the unforgettable star power of Natalie Wood with a quartet of films that showcase the unique blend of charisma and emotional intensity that made her one of Hollywood’s most beloved screen icons. This series is co-presented by the amazing folks over at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton as part of their exhibit More Than Love: The Life & Art of Natalie Wood!

Love finds a way...even in the middle of a war. The third film in our four film Starring Natalie Wood tribute is West Side Story, where she shines as Maria alongside other screen icons Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn, and George Chakiris! In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love. Featuring unforgettable songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, this landmark musical remains one of cinema’s most vibrant expressions of youthful hope and heartbreak. This Summer, we are celebrating the unforgettable star power of Natalie Wood with a quartet of films that showcase the unique blend of charisma and emotional intensity that made her one of Hollywood’s most beloved screen icons. This series is co-presented by the amazing folks over at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton as part of their exhibit More Than Love: The Life & Art of Natalie Wood!

People of Earth: your planet is about to be destroyed...we're terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Our friends at HorrorBuzz are back to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most gloriously bonkers creature features of the 1980s: TerrorVision! When the ultra-quirky Putterman family installs a new satellite dish, they accidentally beam in more than late-night cable. A grotesque alien known as the Hungry Beast materializes in their home, and soon the eccentric clan is fighting for survival as the creature slithers through their pastel nightmare of a mansion, devouring everything in sight! Horror Movie Night takes filmgoing to another level with a full night of entertainment, including a themed HMN Video Pres-how, Trivia, Games, Prizes, and another outstanding horror short from HorrorBuzz’s The Screaming Room Film Festival at Midsummer Scream. Doors open and video pre-show video begins promptly at 7:30 pm. Games, prizes, and short film begin at 8:00PM. Feature starts at 8:30PM. 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.

A lethal secret arsenal was left behind in the jungle of Vietnam. Their job: find it and destroy it! Legendary actor-director Sammo Hung delivers a bazooka blast of pure adrenaline with Eastern Condors, an exemplar of Hong Kong action cinema at its most entertaining. Drawing inspiration from Hollywood war films like The Dirty Dozen, Eastern Condors follows a ragtag band of Asian American prisoners dropped into Vietnam on a secret suicide mission to prevent a cache of weapons from falling into the hands of the Viet Cong, who are more than ready for a fight. Propelled by a dynamic ensemble cast that includes the ever-charismatic Yuen Biao as a black-market trader and a superhuman Yuen Wah as a giggling martial-arts monster, this rip-roaring spectacle offers a nonstop barrage of turbocharged set pieces that defy gravity itself. Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

The final film in our Starring Natalie Wood retrospective is the oft-requested The Great Race, the movie that paired her with the iconic duo of Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis for an affectionate throwback to silent-era spectacle and early Hollywood farce! Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie, convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris (westward across America, the Bering Straight and Russia) will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, the mustached and black-attired Professor Fate vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention. Ms. Wood leans fully into broad comedy here, delivering rapid-fire dialogue and playful physical humor, a fun contrast to some of the her more intense performances covered in this series. This Summer, we are celebrating the unforgettable star power of Natalie Wood with a quartet of films that showcase the unique blend of charisma and emotional intensity that made her one of Hollywood’s most beloved screen icons. This series is co-presented by the amazing folks over at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton as part of their exhibit More Than Love: The Life & Art of Natalie Wood!

Each holds a secret power...together they face the ultimate evil! We're harnessing the supernova star power of cinema icons Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh, and Anita Mui in a gloriously unrestrained action extravaganza double feature of The Heroic Trio + Executioners! From genre maestro Johnnie To, the story follows three knife-throwing, shotgun-toting, kung-fu-fighting super-heroines who must overcome their dark pasts in order to defeat an evil, baby-snatching eunuch who is terrorizing Hong Kong. Eye-popping motorcycle stunts, brain-exploding skeletons, infant cannibals, and kinetically choreographed wire work are all part of the delirium in this unstoppably entertaining cult favorite (referenced in Cheung’s international breakthrough Irma Vep), a kick-butt showcase for three of the coolest women warriors to ever hit the screen. There will be a ten minute intermission between each film. One ticket gets you access to both movies! Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

He's not Freddy, he's not Jason...he's real. HorrorBuzz continues its 2026 series with the 40th anniversary of one of the most unsettling and influential films of the 1980s: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. Loosely inspired by the confessions of real-life murderer Henry Lee Lucas, the movie follows drifter Henry (played by iconic silver screen "that guy" Michael Rooker) and his volatile accomplice Otis as they navigate a bleak Chicago landscape. When Otis’s sister Becky moves in, Henry’s flat affect and unpredictable behavior begin to reveal something far darker beneath the surface. Horror Movie Night takes filmgoing to another level with a full night of entertainment, including a themed HMN Video Pres-how, Trivia, Games, Prizes, and another outstanding horror short from HorrorBuzz’s The Screaming Room Film Festival at Midsummer Scream. Doors open and video pre-show video begins promptly at 7:30 pm. Games, prizes, and short film begin at 8:00PM. Feature starts at 8:30PM. 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.

Never was a Hero needed more... Once Upon A Time In China, Writer-producer-director Tsui Hark’s sprawling vision of a changing nineteenth-century China, is coming back to The Frida Cinema! This blockbuster hit cemented Jet Li’s status as the greatest martial-arts superstar of his generation. Li displays his stunning, fast-and-fluid fighting style as the legendary martial-arts teacher and doctor Wong Fei-hung, who, with a band of disciples, battles a host of nefarious forces, foreign and local, who are threatening Chinese sovereignty as British and American imperialists encroach upon the Mainland. Once Upon a Time in China’s breathtaking blend of kung fu, comedy, romance, and melodrama climaxes in a whirlwind guns-vs-fists finale that is also a thrilling affirmation of Chinese cultural identity. Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series is  growing larger, darker, and more operatic with each and every chapter. There's no better example of this with our special double feature of A Better Tomorrow II + A Better Tomorrow III! Directed by John Woo, A Better Tomorrow II picks up in the aftermath of betrayal and loss, following survivors pulled back into a violent underworld they can’t escape. As old wounds reopen and new alliances form, the film pushes themes of brotherhood and sacrifice to even more operatic extremes, all building toward action staged on a mythic scale. And then after a quick 10 minute intermission...Tsui Hark’s A Better Tomorrow III rewinds the clock, re-centering the saga around the rise of its most iconic figure amid political upheaval and shifting power structures. Steeped in romantic fatalism, this prequel is less about crime than about identity and the cost of survival. There will be a ten minute intermission between each film. One ticket gets you access to both movies! Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

After a decade of silence...the buzz came back. HorrorBuzz is slicing up our October lineup with a 40th anniversary party of unhinged insanity: Tobe Hooper’s gloriously deranged sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2! When late-night DJ Stretch accidentally records a pair of murders committed by the Sawyer clan, she teams up with the unhinged Lieutenant “Lefty” Enright (a chainsaw-wielding Dennis Hopper in one of the wildest performances of his career). Their mission: descend into the Sawyer family’s subterranean lair of meat, madness, and twinkling Christmas lights to put an end to the carnage once and for all. Horror Movie Night takes filmgoing to another level with a full night of entertainment, including a themed HMN Video Pres-how, Trivia, Games, Prizes, and another outstanding horror short from HorrorBuzz’s The Screaming Room Film Festival at Midsummer Scream. Doors open and video pre-show video begins promptly at 7:30 pm. Games, prizes, and short film begin at 8:00PM. Feature starts at 8:30PM. 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.

The penultimate film in our Hong Kong Action Essentials series is Bullet In The Head, which also happens to be our final John Woo film in the series, as well. There's no better way to end his chapter in this lineup than with his most brutal and personal film to date. Three friends fleeing Hong Kong after a violent crime find themselves trapped in the chaos of the Vietnam War, where their loyalty and morality are tested beyond repair. What begins as a desperate bid for escape descends into a harrowing portrait of friendship under unimaginable pressure. As war strips away ideals and innocence, the bonds between the men fracture, leading to betrayals that cut deeper than any bullet. Fueled by rage and grief Bullet in the Head trades balletic elegance for raw emotional devastation. This is heroic bloodshed turned inward, and a legendary filmmaker pushing himself into completely new territory. Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

"Like Lethal Weapon only far funnier and with more chainsaw action." -Total DVD After so much emotion and violence, we are choosing to close our Hong Kong Action Essentials series by cutting loose with little bit laughter and...uhhh...more violence. Directed by Lau Kar-leung and starring Chow Yun-fat, Tiger on the Beat follows a pair of mismatched cops on the trail of a violent drug dealer, a case that escalates from street-level comedy into something far more savage and unhinged. What begins as a rambunctious action/comedy steadily sheds its humor, morphing into a full-throttle collision of gunplay, hand-to-hand combat, and sheer physical excess. By the time it reaches its infamous finale, the film has abandoned restraint entirely, delivering the perfectly brutal and messy ending to our series. Our Hong Kong Action Essentials series explores the time from the mid-’80s through the early ’90s, where Hong Kong filmmakers rewrote the grammar of action cinema forever. Directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, and Lau Kar-Leung fused balletic gunplay, risky stunts, martial arts virtuosity, and raw emotional intensity into a new cinematic language that would be oft-imitated but never replicated. (sorry, The Matrix, we love you too!) Join us every month in 2026 as we explore this golden age where style and emotion collided to change movies forever.

A singing plant. A daring hero. A sweet girl. A demented dentist. It's the most outrageous musical comedy ever made! HorrorBuzz caps off its year of 40th anniversary screenings with the show-stopping musical Little Shop of Horrors! Meek flower-shop clerk Seymour Krelborn (Frida favorite Rick Moranis) discovers a mysterious plant after a solar eclipse and names it Audrey II, after his coworker-crush Audrey (Ellen Greene). But this plant doesn’t want sunlight or water....it wants blood. As Audrey II grows from a cute little sprout to a fast-talking menace, Seymour must choose between fame, fortune, and doing the right thing…preferably before the plant eats the whole block. Horror Movie Night takes filmgoing to another level with a full night of entertainment, including a themed HMN Video Pres-how, Trivia, Games, Prizes, and another outstanding horror short from HorrorBuzz’s The Screaming Room Film Festival at Midsummer Scream. Doors open and video pre-show video begins promptly at 7:30 pm. Games, prizes, and short film begin at 8:00PM. Feature starts at 8:30PM. 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.