He killed…and there on the crest of Sierra’s highest crag…he must be killed!
We’re hitting the road with one of the defining films of Humphrey Bogart’s early stardom: High Sierra! This gritty crime drama finds Bogie stepping into a role that helped transform him from supporting heavy into full-fledged leading man.
Bogart stars as Roy “Mad Dog” Earle, a hardened criminal freshly released from prison and pulled into one last heist in the mountains of California. As he assembles his crew and plans the job, Roy crosses paths with Velma (Joan Leslie), an innocent young woman he becomes unexpectedly devoted to, and Marie (Ida Lupino), a tough, world-weary drifter who sees through him more clearly than anyone else.
Successfully mixing a gangster film intensity with a tragic romance, High Sierra builds toward a tense and unforgettable finale high in the Sierra Nevada. The film cemented Bogart’s ability to bring depth and vulnerability to dangerous men, hinting at the layered performances that would define his greatest roles.
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
Some search for battle, others are born into it…
Paul Thomas Anderson’s towering epic One Battle After Another, fresh off of its six Oscar wins for Best Picture, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Adapted Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Best Film Editing (Andy Jurgensen), and first ever Best Casting award (Cassandra Kulukundis), is finally coming to The Frida Cinema!
Washed-up revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (played by the incredible Chase Infiniti, in her first movie role ever). When his evil nemesis (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.
Immediately becoming one the defining films, for better or worse, of the 2020s, now is the time see One Battle After Another loud and proud on the big screen.
Read More
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.
Read More
The fastest hands in the East meet the biggest mouth in the West.
Join us at the Frida Cinema on April 28th as Nostalgic Nebula presents a double feature screening of Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2!
When the daughter of a Chinese diplomat is kidnapped in Los Angeles, by-the-book Hong Kong detective Jackie Chan is sent to help…but the FBI sticks him with fast-talking LAPD officer Chris Tucker instead. Forced to work together despite wildly different styles, the mismatched duo bicker their way through a high-octane investigation that turns culture clash into explosive comedy. And then, after a ten minute break…the action moves to Hong Kong, where Detectives Lee and Carter’s vacation quickly turns into another globe-trotting case of non-stop chaos. With bigger stunts and more jokes, the sequel doubles down on the buddy-cop formula that made the original a hit.
Be sure to show up early for behind-the-scenes clips, Jackie Chan trivia and immerse yourself with the Heaven On Earth Massage Parlor photo op!
Doors open at 6:30PM, there will be a trivia game at 6:45PM, and the movies will start at 7:00PM! There will be a 10 minute intermission between both films.
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.
Read More
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!
Read More
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.
Read More
Please note: the McManus Brothers will no longer be joining us for this screening! Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause.
Revenge is a vicious cycle.
The slick sci-fi multiverse revenge action thriller Redux Redux is coming to The Frida Cinema for one night only!
In an attempt to avenge her daughter’s death, Irene Kelly travels across parallel universes, killing her daughter’s murderer again and again. As she becomes consumed by her quest for revenge, her humanity begins to slip away—until the cycle is disrupted when she rescues Mia, a sharp-witted teenager already marked by the killer.
The film received great reviews hot off of its premiere at SXSW in 2025 and sports an insanely impressive 98% on Rotten Tomatoes!
Read More
He whips out his sword and relieves his victims of their heads!
The legendary midnight movie sensation, Shogun Assassin, is coming to The Frida Cinema thanks to our good friends over at that See It On 16mm!
Following the murder of his wife at the hands of an evil shogun, an avenging ronin (Tomisaburo Wakayama) roams the countryside with his young son, and the boy’s sword-shooting baby carriage, in tow, dispatching ninja assassins with steely resolve in operatically stylized flurries of hallucinatory violence.
With its pulsing synth soundtrack (co-written by Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders) and delirious action set pieces (kinetically edited whirlwinds of flashing blades, spurting blood, and severed limbs) Shogun Assassin proved an instant cult favorite that has bubbled its way up from the underground to the mainstream thanks to its influence on artists ranging from the Wu-Tang Clan to Quentin Tarantino.
Read More
