Special Guests

Just added: The Napa Boys themselves, Nick Corirossi & Armen Weitzman, will be be joining us in-person for post-screening Q&A after the Friday, April 3rd screening! Hip hip!  The (Napa) boys are back in (Napa) town! On April 2nd & 3rd, Magnolia Pictures (the studio that brought you Terence Malick's To The Wonder, Bong Joon-Ho's The Host, and Lars Von Trier's Nynmphomanic Parts 1 & 2) warmly invites you to remember your first sip. That's right, The Frida Cinema is playing The Napa Boys, the highly-anticipated 4th film in the tremendously popular Napa Boys saga! Jack Jr, Miles Jr, and the whole gang are back for one last wine-soaked journey prompted by the mysterious "Sommelier." Joined this time by Puck, a fan of The Napa Boys comics, the group will learn about love, loss, friendship and viticulture. Featuring the all-star comedy cast of  Nick Corirossi, Armen Weitzman, Sarah Ramos, Vanessa Chester, Jamar Malachi Neighbors, Paul Rust, Riki Lindhome, David Wain, Ivy Wolk, Ray Wise, and Mike "The Spoon Man" Mitchell, The Napa Boys is for fans of everything from Sideways to those straight-to-DVD sequels to American Pie!

Just added: there will be a post-screening discussion on April 4th with the Palestinian Youth Movement! Watermelon Pictures is proud to present Palestine 36, their new humanist cinematic tour de force! 1936. As villages across Mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region. One of the year’s most lauded and highly anticipated films, Palestine 36 has received universal audience and critical acclaim in its festival rollout, including a record-setting 23 minute standing ovation at TIFF, and a win for Best Film at The Tokyo International Film Festival, while holding a rating of 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Yellow Veil Pictures presents the new psychosexual horror sci-fi comedy Touch Me, playing one night only at The Frida Cinema on April 4th! And as an added bonus, stick around after the film for a special in-person Q&A the writer/director Addison Heimann!  TThe story follows two emotionally tangled best friends, Joey and Craig (played by Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jordan Gavaris), who are drifting through life when a strange opportunity appears. Joey’s ex-boyfriend Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci) suddenly reenters her life. Oh, also...he's an alien.  An official selection at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and Fantasia International Festival, Touch Me is an homage to the 1970s Japanese “pink films” and exploitation cinema, blending outrageous sexuality, surreal humor, and practical creature effects.

The award-winning documentary The Shepherd And The Bear is coming to The Frida Cinema! And stick around after the film as we have an in-person discussion with the director of the film, Max Keegan! Set high in the majestic French Pyrenees, The Shepherd And The Bear explores a conflict provoked by the reintroduction of brown bears in the midst of a traditional shepherding community. The film follows an aging shepherd who struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock, and a teenage boy who becomes obsessed with tracking the bears. Through its breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling, the film is a modern folktale about tradition, community, and humanity’s relationship with a vanishing natural world. The Shepherd And The Bear won the Living with Wildlife Award at the 48th International Wildlife Film Festival and played at Margaret Mead Film Festival in the American Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, Big Sky Documentary, Visions du Réel, Full Frame, Sydney Film Festival, Salem Film Fest where it was nominated for the American Cinematography Magazine Award.

Utopia proudly presents I Live Here Now, the feature film debut from writer/director Julie Pacino, who will be joining us after the movie for an in-person Q&A! The story follows Rose, an aspiring actress, checks into a remote California motel, seeking solace from the chaos of her life. But the walls of the motel pulse with the echoes of her past, with each room a distorted reflection of her fears, desires and regrets. As reality warps and fractures, Rose must confront the haunting specters of her trauma, identity and the oppressive forces that have shaped her existence. I Live Here Now is described as a visually arresting journey into the labyrinth of the female psyche. Shot on 35mm, it blends surrealist horror with psychological depth, drawing comparisons to Lynchian narratives and films like Black Swan.

Memory is a mirror. Join us for a free screening of the award-winning indie film, I’ve Seen All I Need To See, from writer/director Zeshaan Younus. After the screening we will be joined by various cast and crew for an in-depth Q&A about the making of the film! The film follows Parker (Renee Gagner), an actress living in Los Angeles, who returns to her hometown after the sudden and violent death of her estranged sister, Indiana (Rosie McDonald). An experimental ghost story noir, I’ve Seen All I Need To See has screened at the Glasgow Film Festival, Manchester Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and many more. For fans of Mulholland Drive, A Ghost Story, Personal Shopper, and Memoria.

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. 

Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to. The Hunt For Ben Solo is coming to The Frida Cinema to present a very special screening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi! As the Resistance struggles to survive the relentless advance of the First Order, Rey seeks out the reclusive Luke Skywalker in hopes that the legendary Jedi will help turn the tide. But as old myths are challenged and loyalties are tested, heroes and villains alike must confront the weight of the past. Written and directed by Frida Cinema Favorite Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi pushes the Star Wars saga into bold new territory, a rare feat for blockbuster filmmaking on this scale. Doors are at 6:00PM and the fun all starts at 6:30PM! 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.

Jack Burton's in for some serious trouble...and you're in for some serious fun. The Moviebusters are back at The Frida Cinema, and this time they're celebrating the 40th anniversary of the John Carpenter and Kurt Russell's 1986 cult classic Big Trouble In Little China! In addition to the film, we will have guests Alan Howarth, who worked with John Carpenter on the film’s soundtrack, and actor and martial artist Gerald Okamura, who played the Wing Kong Hatchet Man in the film join us after the screening for a Q&A hosted by Scott Zillner! They will also be signing autographs in the lobby before the film begins! Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm. This kind of Kung Fu-Western-Sci Fi-Action-Horror genre mashing is common now, but in the 1980s, it was unheard of. Big Trouble In Little China embraced the chaos then, and has become even more beloved as the years have worn on. Come see it on the big screen! 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 member discounts and comp passes do not apply.

Anytime. Anywhere. Anyone. Moviebusters are taking us back to the coldest corner of horror history with some encores of John Carpenter's The Thing--now in a new 4K restoration! And as an added bonus, Alan Howarth, a frequent collaborator with John Carpenter, will be joining us for a post-screening Q&A hosted by Scott Zilner! Alan worked closely with composer Ennio Morricone and contributed additional synthesizer-based musical pieces and sound design work for the film. He will be signing autographs in the theater lobby before the film!  What begins as a simple rescue mission at a remote Antarctic outpost quickly dissolves into a nightmare of shape-shifting terror. When a mysterious organism infiltrates U.S. research station Outpost 31, it doesn’t attack its victims...it becomes them. With no way out and no way to tell who’s human, the team must confront an enemy capable of wearing any face...including their own. What can be said about The Thing that hasn't already been said? This 1982 masterpiece redefined paranoia horror, practical effects (by the incredible Ron Botin and his team), and the art of keeping an audience on the very edge of its seat in only a way that the master of horror, John Carpenter, can do. 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 member discounts and comp passes do not apply.

He’s back for the first time! When an influx of illegal weapons trafficking explodes onto the scene, a grieving blind police officer must purge the city streets or risk mass chaos breaking loose. After a big time East Coast roadshow the smash hit indie action-comedy Blind Cop 2 is exploding onto the big screen for the first time in the West Coast! Come see the absurdly hilarious and outrageously over the top micro budget movie that has been blowing audiences away around the world!  Alec Bonk (Writer/Director), Augustin Huffman (Co-Writer/DP), and Isaac McKinnon (Co-Star/Co-Writer) will be joining us after the screening for a Q&A! So stick around and they will answer all your hard hitting questions about how they made an indie action flick with basically no money. "Indie send-up of ‘80s action films that is becoming a cult favorite. And, no, there is no “Blind Cop 1” -Houston chronicle