Special Guests

Get ready for a Guillermo del Toro comic book double feature featuring Blade II and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, hosted by our buddy Jordan Morris!  First up, Wesley Snipes goes full vampire-hunting badass as Blade, forced to team up with his sworn enemies to battle a terrifying new breed of vampire. Then, after a ten minute intermission, Ron Perlman's beloved Hellboy returns alongside Liz and Abe Sapien to stop an ancient prince from unleashing an unstoppable army of supernatural creatures. Both films were directed by del Toro, showcasing the monster-loving imagination that would go on to define one of cinema's most distinctive auteurs. Two comic-book classics. Two armies of monsters. Two awesome movies. Don't miss these bad boys on the big screen!

It's time for the finished cut of Tommy Wiseau's Big Shark to be unleashed on Orange County! As an added bonus, we'll be throwing it on a double feature with his 2003 cult classic The Room! And if that all weren't enough, star of The Room and best-selling author of The Disaster Artist, Greg Sestero, is joining us for all the fun to introduce both films in person! First up, you know the drill! Bust out those plastic spoons! 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! And then finally...the Big Shark arrives here at The Frida Cinema, with only a mysterious tagline attached to it: three firefighters must save New Orleans from a gigantic shark. That's it! Don't miss this awesome double feature on the big screen with a packed house!

Come one, come all to an evening of voodoo, vampires, revenge, and bloody burlesque as The Frida Cinema is teaming up with Peepshow Menagerie and Anastasia & Richard Elfman to present a ghoulish double feature extravaganza of 1990's Frankenhooker and 2024's Bloody Bridget!  7:30PM - Frankenhooker: A grief stricken med student builds the perfect woman from dead prostitutes...then discovers his resurrected bride has a killer mind of her own. 9:30PM - Bloody Bridget: Anastasia Elfman plays a “Valentine Vampire,” sucking blood only whets her appetite...she must eat their beating hearts! LIVE MUSIC & BURLESQUE PRE-SHOW with Richard Elfman and the Mystic Knights of the Forbidden Zone. Q&A with Richard and Anastasia after film! Make sure to get there early for the first feature, as we have the Peepshow Menagerie pre-show, a burlesque performance from Pinky Petite as Frankenhooker, AND as an introduction for the film by Fangoria writer Pat Jankiewicz! Tickets for this event are $25. Frida Cinema member discounts and comp passes do not apply.

DancinDan Productions and Daryl Roth announce the premiere of Bea Arthur: The Documentary - "I've Done Everything Except Porn", a new documentary offering an intimate look at the life and career of Emmy and Tony Award-winning performer Bea Arthur. And stick around after the film for a Q&A with director/producer Dan Watt!   The film is built around a never‑before‑seen interview with Arthur, paired with new conversations from colleagues and friends who worked alongside her throughout her remarkable career. From her early days at The New School, to her groundbreaking work in off‑Broadway, Broadway, cabaret, and television, the documentary traces Arthur’s evolution into one of entertainment’s most distinctive voices.   Audiences will revisit her iconic roles as Maude and Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls, her Tony‑winning turn as Vera Charles in Mame, and her decades‑long advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. The film reveals the Bea Arthur few ever saw: sharp, compassionate, fiercely intelligent, and deeply committed to the causes she championed.   Produced by 2024 Emmy Award–winner Dan Watt and Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winner Daryl Roth, the documentary celebrates a woman whose career defied expectations and whose influence continues to resonate across generations.

John Lindahl’s CULT CLASSIQUÉ is a cinematic debut that is determined to entertain. This 80’s psychological thriller/musical is drenched in the aesthetic of cult classic slashers. On Friday, October 13th 1989, mysterious murders befall the small town of Hargrove.  Local law enforcement directs their attention toward Johnny, a high school student with a dark secret who works as a janitor at the local cinema.  A cassette tape with songs created by Johnny is recovered and used as evidence in hopes to solve the deadly cases. A story of identity and trauma, John Lindahl’s CULT CLASSIQUÉ is a musical experience like no other.  John Lindahl serves as a multi-hyphenate in his cinematic debut (Starring, Writing, Directing, Producing, Editing, Composing, Sound Design, Choreography, and Original Soundtrack).    Legendary choreographer, Marty Kudelka, serves as Director of Choreography. Josh Payne, in his directorial debut, Co-Directs and handles all VFX with practicals reminiscent of the classic genre. 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.

Just added: Madrid Skateboards will be bringing only (25) exclusive 3D boards to sell exclusively at this screening! And as an added bonus, the first (50) people through the door will get a raffle ticket for giveaways as well as a limited keychain! Cinematic Void and Madrid Skateboards are back at The Frida to bring ya'll a very special October screening of the original The Evil Dead! This 1981 horror classic follows five friends who head to an isolated cabin for a quiet getaway, only to discover an ancient book and a tape recording that unleash a demonic force upon them. Soon, the woods are alive, the dead are rising, and poor Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) is fighting for his life against an evil that refuses to stay buried. Made on a shoestring budget with an astonishing amount of ingenuity, The Evil Dead announced Raimi as a filmmaker to watch, turning wild camera movements, handmade effects, stop-motion animation, and copious amounts of gore into one of the most influential independent horror films ever made. It's always a must-watch on the big screen with fellow horror fans! So grab your boomstick, keep one hand on the chainsaw, and join us at The Frida for Sam Raimi’s blood-soaked horror masterpiece!

Two unforgettable faces from the strange world of David Lynch are taking center stage in a very special one-night-only double feature at The Frida on October 22nd: I Don’t Know Jack + I Know Catherine, the Log Lady. And as an added bonus, director Richard Green will be joining us for a Q&A between screenings! First up is I Don’t Know Jack (2002), the documentary portrait of Jack Nance, the unforgettable star of Eraserhead and one of Lynch’s most distinctive recurring collaborators. Through interviews with friends, family, and fellow artists, including David Lynch and Catherine Coulson, Chris Leavens’ film explores the complicated life and career of the man behind Henry Spencer, Pete Martell, and so many other unforgettable characters. Then, meet the woman behind the log. Director Richard Green’s I Know Catherine, the Log Lady (2025) goes far beyond Margaret Lanterman, exploring the extraordinary life of Catherine Coulson as an actress, artist, mother, friend, and longtime Lynch collaborator. Featuring Lynch, Kyle MacLachlan, Grace Zabriskie, Mark Frost, and many others, the film culminates in Coulson's final days, when she returned to the role of the Log Lady for Twin Peaks: The Return. Two documentaries. Two remarkable artists. One beautifully Lynchian family tree. Please join us for this very special event.  One ticket gets you access to both films. Doors open at 7:00PM, and the films will begin at 7:30PM. There will be a Q&A during the intermission. 

Just added: Latin horror expert, journalist, and former Frida volunteer Justina Bonilla will be introducing this screening! Think you’ve seen Universal’s Dracula? Think again! Our Universal Monster Movie Weekend kicks off its Sunday lineup with Drácula, the extraordinary Spanish-language version of the 1931 vampire classic. While Tod Browning and Bela Lugosi were filming their English-language Dracula by day, director George Melford and an entirely different cast, including Carlos Villarías as the Count, were shooting their own Spanish-language version on the same Universal sets by night. The story is familiar: Count Dracula arrives in Transylvania, travels to London, and sets his sights on the beautiful Eva, but this version brings its own distinct style, atmosphere, and interpretation of Bram Stoker’s immortal vampire. Long overshadowed by Lugosi’s iconic performance, Drácula has undergone a major critical reevaluation, with its inventive camerawork, striking compositions, and more expansive approach earning it a reputation as one of the most fascinating alternate versions in early horror cinema. Villarías even studied footage of Lugosi’s performance during production, but the result is anything but a copy.

Just added: Bekah Phillips, The Frida Cinema's Director of Marketing, will be introducing this screening!  Universal Monster Movie Weekend disappears into the shadows one of our all-time favorites: James Whale’s The Invisible Man! A mysterious stranger arrives at a remote English inn, his face completely hidden beneath bandages and dark glasses. But there’s more to Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) than meets the eye...literally. After discovering a way to make himself invisible, Griffin begins to lose his grip on morality, using his newfound power to terrorize anyone who stands in his way. Based on H.G. Wells’ groundbreaking novel, The Invisible Man was a technical marvel in 1933, with effects that still impress nearly a century later. But what really makes the film unforgettable is Claude Rains, whose entire performance is delivered through his voice, turning Griffin from brilliant scientist into an increasingly unhinged menace. Add James Whale’s darkly comic touch, and you get a Universal Monster movie that is as funny as it is frightening.

Experience Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 silent occult classic Häxanlike never before, reimagined with a haunting live metal score by The Silent Light. This hallucinatory descent into witchcraft, superstition, and the occult will be performed one night only live at The Frida Cinema on October 27th, 2026! About The Silent Light Founded in 2015 by Michael Formanski, The Silent Light is a musical endeavor that breathes new life into classic silent films through the power of live heavy metal. Formanski, composer and film director, crafts each score drawing from the dark and intense realms of black metal, doom metal, and original fantasy soundtracks with influences such as The Body, Sunn O))), Emperor, Summoning, and Nobuo Uematsu. Accompanying Formanski is Matt Hardy, the steadfast drummer who has been a key member for the past several years, along with a rotating ensemble of skilled musicians who contribute to the project’s ever-evolving sound. The Silent Light’s performances transform silent films like Metropolis, Faust, and Nosferatu into contemporary masterpieces with their haunting and powerful metal scores. They continue to push the boundaries of what silent film scoring can be, inviting audiences to experience the classics in a way they never have before. To learn more about The Silent Light, check out their website.