Serial Mom

Posted on March 17, 2026

Every mom wants to be wanted, but not for murder!

Our John Waters retrospective is reaching its bittersweet conclusion with us screening his 1994 suburban nightmare-comedy Serial Mom!

Beverly Sutphin seems like the perfect housewife: devoted mother, loving spouse, and model member of her community. But behind her cheerful demeanor lies a deadly secret…she has a habit of murdering anyone who offends her sense of decency, from rude neighbors to ill-mannered strangers, all while maintaining her pristine suburban image.

Serial Mom proves once again that in Waters’ world, good taste is meant to be destroyed, and Kathleen Turner’s iconic performance as Beverly finds both of him having a lot of fun being bad. Please join us to give this series the send-off it deserves!

Blind Cop 2 + Q&A w/ Alec Bonk, Augustin Huffman, & Isaac McKinnon

Posted on March 17, 2026

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

Mermaids

Posted on March 16, 2026

Our first Volunteer Of The Month pick for April comes courtesy of Laisha, as she has chosen the Cher-Winona Ryder-Christina Ricci starrer Mermaids from 1990!

Fifteen-year-old Charlotte Flax is tired of her wacky mom moving their family to a different town any time she feels it is necessary. When they move to a small Massachusetts town and Mrs. Flax begins dating a shopkeeper, Charlotte and her 9-year-old sister, Kate, hope that they can finally settle down. But when Charlotte’s attraction to an older man gets in the way, the family must learn to accept each other for who they truly are.

Over time, Mermaids has gained a cult following, remembered for its bittersweet tone and affectionate portrait of unconventional family life in early-1960s America that captures the complicated love between parents and children. Come see this underrated gem on the big screen!

Touch Me + Q&A w/ Addison Heimann

Posted on March 16, 2026

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.

One Battle After Another

Posted on March 16, 2026

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.

Dead Lover

Posted on March 13, 2026

Just added: these two screenings of Dead Lover will now be presented in scratch-and-sniff Stink-O-Vision!

Love conquers death in director Grace Glowicki’s deliriously dark new film Dead Lover, opening up for a special two night run at The Frida Cinema on April 3rd!

A lonely gravedigger who stinks of corpses finally meets her dream man, but their whirlwind affair is cut short when he tragically drowns at sea. Grief-stricken, she goes to morbid lengths to resurrect him through madcap scientific experiments, resulting in grave consequences and unlikely love.

A love story unlike any other, Dead Lover is a mix of Mario Bava, John Waters, and Guy Maddin, promising one of the goriest and smelliest movie experiences of the year!

Harvey

Posted on March 13, 2026

Celebrate Easter weekend at The Frida with two screenings of Jimmy Stewart in Henry Koster’s film adaptation of Harvey!

The story follows a man named Elwood P. Dowd, who makes friends with a spirit taking the form of a human-sized rabbit named Harvey that only he sees. After his sister tries to commit him to a mental institution, a comedy of errors ensues. Elwood and Harvey become the catalysts for a family mending its wounds and for romance blossoming in unexpected places.

Harvey has endured as one of Hollywood’s most beloved gentle comedies. It’s a warm, whimsical film whose message about kindness and individuality continues to resonate decades later. Bring the family!

The Napa Boys

Posted on March 13, 2026

Just added: Three of The Napa Boys themselves, Nick Corirossi, Armen Weitzman, & Jamar Malachi Neighbors, as well as “The Mayor of Napa” himself, Ryan Perez, will be joining us in-person for post-screening Q&A after the Friday, April 3rd screening! Hip hip hooray!

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!

Rush Hour + Rush Hour 2: Presented by Nostalgic Nebula

Posted on March 9, 2026

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.

The Great Race: Co-Presented by the Muckenthaler Cultural Center

Posted on March 4, 2026

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!