High. How are you? Gregg Araki’s Smiley Face is finally coming to The Frida Cinema as part of our 4/20 weekend festivities!
Jane, a struggling but perpetually stoned actress, has a busy day ahead. She has several important tasks on her list, including buying more marijuana. Even though she already has a good start on the day’s planned drug use, she eats her roommate’s pot-laced cupcakes and embarks on a series of misadventures all over Los Angeles.
Smiley Face has grown over time from a modest, under-seen stoner comedy into a cult favorite, especially among fans of offbeat indie cinema and Gregg Araki’s work. At the center of the whole affair is Anna Faris, whose performance is now widely considered one of the great modern comedic turns, and for good reason.
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Just added: actor/comedian Sam Brown and director Sevan Najarian will be joining us for the 7:30PM screening on April 11th for a post-screening Q&A!
Mars, an animated feature film by the cult comedy troupe, The Whitest Kids U’Know, is having its long-awaited theatrical release, and we’re playing it!
The movie revolves around Kyle, who enters a contest to go to Mars only half seriously, since he’s getting married in a few days. When he wins, he decides to ditch his wedding to escape to the red planet. This would all be great for him except the luxury accommodations are a facade, his shipmates are insane, and the crew gets stranded on Mars with no way home.
Mars was conceived during the production of the original sketch series, often held in the same high regard as “Saturday Night Live,” “Kids in the Hall” and “SCTV.” Thanks to a booming fanbase on Twitch, the troupe was able to crowdfund the animated film’s budget and commence production. Come see it on the big screen with like-minded fans!
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We’re diving a bit deeper into the gloriously depraved world of John Waters with a double feature of two more of his unhinged creations: Female Trouble and Desperate Living!
Female Trouble: Dawn Davenport wants fame…and she’ll do anything to get it. From petty crime to full-blown notoriety, her life becomes a chaotic mess of violence and warped ambition, all in pursuit of becoming a star. Featuring one of Divine’s most iconic performances, the film is a savage satire of celebrity culture.
Desperate Living: When a neurotic housewife goes on the run after committing murder, she finds refuge in Mortville, a lawless shantytown ruled by a tyrannical queen. As she descends deeper into this bizarre society of misfits and criminals, survival means putting up with the madness…and maybe embracing it.
Waters builds a world with these two films where crime is glamorous and authority is a joke, and he somehow manages to balance is all by making it all feel so filthy and fabulous, the two words we use most to describe him.
There will be a 10 minute intermission between both films. One tickets gets you access to both movies!
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We’re diving headfirst into our tribute to Frida Favorite John Waters by going to the filthiest corners of underground cinema and delivering a double feature of Multiple Maniacs and Pink Flamingos!
Multiple Maniacs: Lady Divine runs a traveling sideshow with her lover, luring unsuspecting patrons into a world of chaos, crime, and depravity. As jealousy and betrayal take hold, her descent spirals into one of the most infamous acts in cult film history!
Pink Flamingos: Self-proclaimed “Filthiest Person Alive” Divine lives in a trailer on the outskirts of Baltimore, defending her title against a pair of perverse rivals determined to outdo her. What follows is an all-out war of bad taste that pushes the limits of what’s acceptable to be shown on screen!
Defiantly transgressive as ever, these films cemented Waters’ reputation as the ultimate patron saint of trash, almost daring audiences to laugh.
There will be a 10 minute intermission between both films. One tickets gets you access to both movies!
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It’s Scentsational!
We’re inviting you to experience John Waters as he was meant to be seen (and smelled) with Polyester in glorious Odorama!
Francine Fishpaw seems to have it all: a suburban home, a successful husband, and a picture-perfect family. But behind closed doors, her life is falling apart. Her spouse is running a sleazy business, her children are out of control, and scandal lurks around every corner. As Francine’s world spirals into chaos, a mysterious stranger offers a chance at romance…and maybe redemption.
Polyester is a Waters-esque send-up of melodrama, packed with outrageous humor and sensory surprises. Make sure to get to the screening early and grab your scratch-and-sniff cards to get the full experience!
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We’re cranking up the jukebox and continuing to celebrate the irresistible rebel spirit of John Waters with a double dose of his 1980s rock and roll flicks: Hairspray and Cry-Baby!
Hairspray: In 1960s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad lands a spot on a popular local dance show. As she rises to fame, she uses her newfound platform to challenge racial segregation on the program, clashing with snobby rivals and narrow-minded authority figures along the way. With the support of her friends and family, Tracy proves that change can start on the dance floor!
Cry-Baby: In a stylized 1950s Baltimore, tensions run high between the clean-cut “Squares” and the rebellious “Drapes.” When straight-laced Allison falls for Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, a motorcycle-riding outsider with a reputation for trouble, their romance sparks outrage on both sides. As rivalries escalate and loyalties are tested, the two must decide whether love is worth defying the rules of their divided world.
Packed with catchy songs and Waters’ signature ability to mix satire and sincerity, these two films prove that the weirdos will always have the last dance.
There will be a 10 minute intermission between the films. One ticket gets you access to both!
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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!
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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
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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!
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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.
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