Special Guests

Just added: Nathan Bexton will be joining us to introduce our 10:15PM screening of Nowhere on August 21st! Also just added: James Duval and Nathan Bexton will be joining us to introduce the 10:30PM screening of Nowhere on August 22nd! Let the love feast begin. We're concluding Gregg Araki's legendary Teen Apocalypse Trilogy with Nowhere, a delirious, end-of-the-millennium fever dream that's turned up to eleven. In Los Angeles, a colorful assortment of bohemians try to make sense of their intersecting lives. The moody Dark Smith, his bisexual girlfriend, her lesbian lover and their shy gay friend plan on attending the wildest party of the year. But they'll only make it if they can survive the drug trips, suicides, trysts, mutilations and alien abductions that occur as one surreal day unfolds. The most visually audacious entry in the trilogy, Nowhere is Araki experimenting with science fiction, queer romance as a euphoric celebration of outsiders, making it the perfect culmination of one of the boldest trilogies in American independent cinema.

Hitch a ride to The Frida Cinema to see FilmWeek’s screening of Michael Mann’s 2004 neo-noir thriller Collateral! And stick around after the screening as host Larry Mantle welcomes special guests Claudia Puig (film critic for LAist and Program Director for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival) and Tim Cogshell (FilmWeek critic, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com) to discuss the film's lasting impact!  Collateral follows a Los Angeles taxi driver, Max (Jamie Foxx), who unwittingly picks up a cold-blooded contract killer, Vincent (Tom Cruise). Over the course of a single night, Max is taken hostage and forced to drive Vincent to multiple stops to assassinate targets connected to a federal drug cartel. As the night unfolds, Max attempts to break free, ultimately turning the tables on his captor to protect the final witness. The film was a critical and box office success, reaching the top spot in its opening weekend and earning Academy Award nominations for Best Film Editing and Best Supporting Actor for Jamie Foxx’s performance as Max.

The brand new Afrofuturist film Memory of Princess Mumbi is coming to The Frida Cinema! And make sure to stick around after the movie for a special in-person Q&A with its director, Damien Hauser! In 2093, filmmaker Kuve travels to Umata to document the aftermath of a war that revived ancient kingdoms. There, he meets Mumbi, who challenges him to make his film without the use of AI. As Kuve searches for his own voice, he begins to realize that even in a broken world, beauty can be found in the small human moments we often overlook. The film premiered at Venice Days (Giornate degli Autori) in 2025 and went on to TIFF, BFI London, Zurich Film Festival (where it won the Critics' Jury Award for Best Swiss Film), and San Francisco International Film Festival (where it received an Honorable Mention in the Global Visions category).

Ten states. 10,825 miles. 123 theaters. In his latest feature The Last Picture Shows, filmmaker Rustin Thompson (who will be joining us for an in-person Q&A after the movie!) journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. On the trip, he finds long abandoned and forgotten cinemas; movie houses that have fallen into disrepair; theaters recently closed, theaters struggling to hold on, and theaters that—thanks to their thoughtful caretakers—are not only surviving but thriving. Between the stops along the way, Rustin poetically intersperses excerpts from Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 classic film The Last Picture Show, as well as reflections on past and present hardships facing the film exhibition industry. The Last Picture Shows reminds viewers that even in vast cinema deserts, there are oases of community and gathering that remain, where the movie house continues to be a place of wonder.

The experimental new music-driven documentary, This Is Buzz, is coming to The Frida Cinema! And stick around afterwards as we are joined for a special in-person Q&A with director Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies, I Melt With You). The film illustrates the tale of the seismically influential, yet somehow forgotten, MTV slice of life docuseries BUZZ, which only ran for 13 episodes in 1990. The show took an experimental approach to uncovering often undiscussed corners of global life. With fast-paced edits giving the show an avant-garde feel, the series would tackle specific subjects with each entry. This dream-like almost subliminal feel pre-dated the media oversaturation we feel today as we are drawn to a constant conveyor belt of content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram which act to familiarize us with cultures around the world. And on top of it all, RuPaul was the show’s host!

Just added: legendary LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano will be joining us in person to introduce the screening on Wednesday, September 16th @ 7:30PM! Mexico’s most iconic concert comes to U.S. theaters on September 15th and 16th, celebrating Mexican Independence Day and commemorating the 10th anniversary of Juan Gabriel’s passing. It's Juan Gabriel: Mi Primer Bellas Artes! Experience his legendary first performance at Mexico City’s “Palacio de Bellas Artes” in 1990—a landmark event that forever transformed Mexican music. More than three decades later, this historic concert returns in a special theatrical release with newly restored picture and sound, plus an exclusive new opening featuring never-before-seen rehearsal footage from Juan Gabriel’s personal archive that offers a unique glimpse into the making of this unforgettable night. Every song, every standing ovation, and every iconic moment has been revitalized, allowing longtime fans and new audiences to experience this extraordinary performance like never before. Celebrate the timeless legacy of Juan Gabriel on the big screen in this once-in-a-generation cinematic event.

We're presenting the brand new 4K restoration of Letty Lynton, starring the incomparable Joan Crawford, on September 19th! And 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!  Socialite Letty Lynton is returning to New York, abandoning one-time lover Emile Renaul in South America, when she strikes up a shipboard romance with Jerry Darrow. Renault is waiting for her in New York and will not leave her alone, so she poisons him. When detectives take her to the D.A.'s office, Jerry cooks up an alibi. After a 1936 copyright lawsuit found that MGM had plagiarized the play Dishonored Lady, the studio was barred from distributing the film. Unlike most "lost" films, Letty Lynton survived physically, but it was effectively unavailable legally for about 90 years. That long absence turned it into a holy grail for classic film fans. Join us in celebration!

Join us for the Orange County premiere of Skweezy Jibbs Makes a Movie with the man himself, Skweezy Jibbs, live in person! Be among the first people to see the movie, and stay after for an exclusive Q&A with Skweezy himself as he keeps going on his US tour. One night only! Get your tickets before they're gone! Oddball internet legend Skweezy Jibbs is making the movie of his dreams. Unfortunately for him, he's got no money, no experience, no skill, and no filmmaking talent. When his controlling mother gets involved, Skweezy is forced to confront the very essence of who he is. GA Doors open at 7:00PM and the show starts at 7:30PM! Tickets are $20 to this event. Frida Cinema comp passes and member discounts do not apply.

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!  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. Bloody Bridget: Richard Elflman’s wild, soon to be released, vampire burlesque horror/comedy. “Sucking blood only whets her appetite, she must eat their beating hearts!" 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! And then, after Frankenhooker and a brief intermission, there will be live music by Richard Elfman and his band as well as a very special burlesque act by Anastasia Elfman! And finally, after both films, there will be a very special Q&A with Anastasia & Richard Elfman!