Our Hallucinations series for April dives directly into the second film of the Lone Wolf And Cub series as we present Lone Wolf And Cub: Baby Cart At The River Styx!
In this exploitation-cinema classic, which took the action and graphic violence of the Lone Wolf and Cub series to delirious new heights, Itto Ogami and Daigoro continue their quest for vengeance through meifumado, the spiritual way of “demons and damnation,” pursued constantly by the Shadow Yagyu clan and the shogun’s spies.
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”. Plante will introduce each film with some behind-the-scenes history and critical context. With Hallucinations, The Frida Cinema wants to build a communal space for lovers of Weird Cinema. 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.
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Jump straight in to the electrifying world of psychic espionage with Push, our In Denfense Of… pick for April, courtesy of Martin, our Director Of Operations.
After his father, an assassin, is brutally murdered, Nick Gant vows revenge on Division, the covert government agency that dabbles in psychic warfare and experimental drugs. Hiding in Hong Kong’s underworld, Nick assembles a band of rogue psychics dedicated to destroying Division. Together with Cassie, a teenage clairvoyant, Nick goes in search of a missing girl and a stolen suitcase that could be the key to accomplishing their mutual goal.
Critically maligned at the time, has the film held over better over time? Hear Martin’s plea and be the judge for yourself.
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The penultimate film in our Akira Kurosawa retrospective is his epic 1985 masterpiece, Ran, now restored in glorious 4K thanks to Rialto Pictures!
A grand and visually breathtaking epic that transposes Shakespeare’s King Lear into the chaotic feudal era of 16th-century Japan of Shakespeare’s King Lear, Ran stars screen legend Tatsuya Nakadai as Hidetora Ichimonji, an aging warlord who decides to divide his vast domain among his three sons in hopes of securing peace in his final years. Instead, his decision ignites a violent power struggle, as betrayal and ambition shatter his family and plunge the region into civil war. Stripped of power and driven into madness, Hidetora becomes a ghost of his former self, wandering through the wreckage of a world he once ruled.
With its masterful use of color, and meticulously staged battle sequences, Ran is both an intimate tragedy, and a large-scale historical spectacle. In delivering his haunting and majestic summation of his lifelong explorations of power, betrayal, and the devastating consequences of human ambition, Kurosawa employs sweeping landscapes, intricate battle sequences, and vivid color symbolism to create a world teetering on the edge of chaos.
About the Restoration
Ran’s original 1985 production was made possible through a French-Japanese collaboration between Kadokawa and French producer Serge Silberman, with distribution later handled by companies such as Orion and Studiocanal. That international partnership was rekindled decades later when Kadokawa and Studiocanal brought on French laboratory Éclair to restore the film in 4K under Studiocanal’s supervision, using the original negative as its source. Much of the restoration was completed manually, frame by frame, with color grading approved by Masaharu Ueda, one of Ran’s three cinematographers and a longtime collaborator of Kurosawa.
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Our day of Mechagodzilla movies continues as Creature Bazaar presents the 1975 sequel Terror Of Mechagodzilla, celebrating its 50th anniversary!
A submarine expedition to salvage the remains of Mechagodzilla is thwarted by a massive dinosaur named Titanosaurus. An Interpol investigation leads biologist Ichinose to uncover the work of Dr. Mafune and his mysterious daughter Katsura. Aligned with the Black Hole Aliens, Katsura’s life becomes entwined with the resurrected machine.
Edit: this screening was originally planned to play on 16mm film, but will be running digitally now. Apologies for any inconveniences this might cause!
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The third entry in our Hallucinations series for March is a 4K restoration of Walter Hill’s 80s classic Streets Of Fire!
Raven Shaddock and his gang of merciless biker friends kidnap rock singer Ellen Aim. Ellen’s former lover, soldier-for-hire Tom Cody, happens to be passing through town on a visit. In an attempt to save his star act, Ellen’s manager hires Tom to rescue her. Along with a former soldier, they battle through dangerous cityscapes, determined to get Ellen back.
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”. Plante will introduce each film with some behind-the-scenes history and critical context. With Hallucinations, The Frida Cinema wants to build a communal space for lovers of Weird Cinema. 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.
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See the mighty Godzilla in a fight to the death with his mechanical double as Creature Bazaar and The Frida Cinema are teaming up to bring Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla to the big screen! There will be plenty of fun surprises, and even a special message before the film from the original Mechagodzilla designer Akihiku Iguchi!
An Okinawan prophecy that foretells the destruction of the Earth is seeming fulfilled when Godzilla emerges to return to his destructive roots. But not all is what it seems after Godzilla breaks his ally Anguirus’s jaw. Matters are further complicated when a second Godzilla emerges, revealing the doppelgänger as a mechanical weapon.
Doors open at 4:00PM and the movie starts at 4:30PM! Get there early to hang out and talk with real Godzilla fans and newbies alike!
Edit: this screening was originally planned to play on 16mm film, but will be running digitally now. Apologies for any inconveniences this might cause!
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CinemAttack! presents The Scott Pilgrim Picture Show! Join us for the return of this legendary Scott Pilgrim celebration, screening at The Frida Cinema for the first time in over 5 years!
Relive Edgar Wright’s cult classic, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, as you’ve never seen it before! We’ve taken our favorite movie and enhanced it with audience callbacks, sing-a-long songs, costume contests, a hilarious pre-show, and a ton of very special surprises that will blow your mind’s eye or whatever. These shows have regularly sold out, so don’t wait! Get your tickets today!
For those not familiar, Scott Pilgrim vs The World is about a bass guitarist for a garage-rock band, Scott Pilgrim, who has never had trouble getting a girlfriend; usually, the problem is getting rid of them. But when Ramona Flowers skates into his heart, he finds she has the most troublesome baggage of all: an army of ex-boyfriends who will stop at nothing to eliminate him from her list of suitors.
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Join us for a one-night-only screening of 2018 neo-noir crime thriller Destroyer, followed by an in-person discussion with the director of the film, Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body, The Invitation, Girlfight) and author Marya E Gates (Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors in Their Own Words)!
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You’re invited to an exclusive screening of the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Stikes Back with special guests Craig Miller & Mark Marshall! Craig was director of Fan Relations for Lucasfilm from 1977-1980. He created and oversaw the official Star Wars Fan Club as well as having edited and written virtually all of the first two years of Bantha Tracks as well as being a producer for Lucasfilm Ltd. Mark served as a Production Assistant on Empire and went on to join Amblin Entertainment as personal assistant to Steven Spielberg.
Craig and Mark will be appearing for an on-stage discussion after the film moderated by Scott Zillner. Craig and Mark will also be available to meet fans before the film, and both will be signing their books Star Wars Memories and Goonies, Droids and Killer Whales, respectively.
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
This program is a venue rental engagement. Member discounts and Frida Cinema comp passes not valid. The views and opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The Frida Cinema or its staff.
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Our second Volunteer of the Month is Ryan O’Flaherty, who has chosen Bill Duke’s 1992 crime thriller Deep Cover!
Laurence Fishburne stars as Russell Stevens, an idealistic police officer recruited by a federal agent (Charles Martin Smith) to go undercover in Los Angeles and infiltrate a powerful drug syndicate. Adopting the alias “John Hull,” Stevens rises through the ranks of the criminal underworld, forming an uneasy partnership with drug-dealing lawyer David Jason (Jeff Goldblum). As Stevens becomes entangled in the duplicity of his mission, he struggles to reconcile his sense of justice with the seductive power of the world he’s infiltrating.
With its intense performances, sharp dialogue, and exploration of systemic corruption, Deep Cover is both a gripping crime saga and a searing critique of the drug war’s ethical complexities.
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