Kicking off the August portion of our Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema series is Kwaidan, director Masaki Kobayashi’s fascinating meditation on memory, regret, and the delicate boundary between the living and the dead.
Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning “ghost story,” this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior’s reflection in his teacup.
Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema is a curated 12-film trip through the evolution of Japan—from the quiet post-war resilience of the 1940s all the way to the radical reinventions of the 1990s. Each Monday this July-September, we will explore a new facet of this incredible nation’s cinematic journey throughout the 20th century! All films will be presented in their original Japanese language with English subtitles!
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A haunting masterpiece of Japanese cinema, Ugetsu is the second film in our Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema series. Kenji Mizoguchi’s hypnotic camera work, long takes, and atmospheric composition make Ugetsu a meditative, otherworldly experience that influenced filmmakers from Kurosawa to Scorsese. Winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, this is a film where myth and history blur, inviting us to reflect on the consequences of human folly.
Made just eight years after WWII, the film uses a ghostly narrative to process national memory and warn against repeating the same mistakes. Ugetsu exemplifies how Japanese filmmakers of the 1950s turned to allegory and aesthetics to navigate complex postwar identities—elevating cinema to poetry.
Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema is a curated 12-film trip through the evolution of Japan—from the quiet post-war resilience of the 1940s all the way to the radical reinventions of the 1990s. Each Monday this July-September, we will explore a new facet of this incredible nation’s cinematic journey throughout the 20th century! All films will be presented in their original Japanese language with English subtitles!
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Our annual Segerstrom at the Frida series showcases films that inspired upcoming stage adaptations at OC’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts! Join us as we conclude our 2025 series by celebrating the 50th Anniversary of a Frida Cinema favorite, Monty Python and the Holy Grail!
Ranked among the top British films of all time by the BFI and various critics’ polls, directors Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones’ irreverent and absurdist reimagining of the Arthurian legend stars the Monty Python comedy troupe as King Arthur and his eccentric band of knights. The film follows their doomed quest for the Holy Grail through a series of loosely connected skits featuring killer rabbits, anarcho-syndicalist peasants, and a castle full of rude Frenchmen. With its low-budget charm, fourth-wall-breaking humor, and endlessly quotable dialogue, the film skewers everything from medieval epics to organized religion to British bureaucracy, all deliciously sandwiched between hilarious opening credits and a climax for the ages.
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Our annual Segerstrom at the Frida series showcases films that inspired upcoming stage adaptations at OC’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts! Join us as our 2025 series continues with the stunning new 4K Restoration of Sidney Lumet’s bold and imaginative reimagining of The Wizard of Oz, 1978’s The Wiz!
Set in a dreamlike version of New York City and brought to life with an all-Black cast, The Wiz stars iconic performer Diana Ross as Dorothy, a Harlem schoolteacher who gets swept away by a magical storm to a fantastical urban landscape. Along the way, she’s joined by a Scarecrow made of garbage (Michael Jackson), a Tinman from a Coney Island theme park (Nipsey Russell), and a cowardly Lion from the New York Public Library (Ted Ross). Infused with infectious musical numbers, Broadway flair, and stunning costume and set design, the film explores themes of self-discovery, community, and inner courage through a uniquely soulful lens.
We thank Universal Pictures for partnering with us to share their beautiful new restoration at The Frida as part of this series!
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The final film in our Technicolor Summer series reaches the celestial with A Matter of Life and Death—a visionary romance that floats between worlds, from war-torn Earth to the halls of a fantastical afterlife, in one of the most inventive films ever made.
David Niven stars as Peter Carter, a British RAF pilot who miraculously survives a doomed jump from his burning plane—only to fall in love with June (Kim Hunter), the American radio operator who heard his final words. But Peter was meant to die, and when the otherworldly authorities realize their clerical error, he must plead his case for life in a cosmic courtroom, where love itself becomes the ultimate argument.
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, this genre-defying masterpiece blends romance, fantasy, and philosophical inquiry with dazzling visual artistry.
In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!
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Our Technicolor Summer series goes from surreal to scrumptious with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory—a candy-colored fantasy that has enchanted generations with just the right amount of weirdness and pitch-black humor!
When poor but kind-hearted Charlie Bucket finds a golden ticket inside a Wonka Bar, he wins the chance of a lifetime: a tour of the mysterious, magical chocolate factory run by the reclusive and eccentric Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder, in one of the greatest screen performances of all time). Charlie joins a group of wildly different children—each one a cautionary tale—on a journey through a world of edible delights, fizzy-lifting drinks, and Oompa Loompa morals.
Whether you grew up with it or are discovering it anew, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a golden ticket to a world where imagination rules—and where the most dazzling sights often hide the strangest secrets.
In the early 1930s, the 3-strip Technicolor process was introduced to audiences, inviting them to experience a world dripping with vibrant saturation for the very first time. The Technicolor Summer series ranges from familiar classics to rarely-screened gems all Summer long!
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Pink Narcissus closes out our Pride Month programming with a special one night only presentation. A landmark of queer underground cinema—it’s an erotic, dreamlike fantasia shot entirely within the confines of a New York apartment over the course of seven years.
Originally released anonymously, the film became a cult object of fascination, long believed to have been made by Andy Warhol or one of his Factory acolytes. It wasn’t until decades later that James Bidgood—a former fashion photographer and drag performer—was revealed as the true auteur behind the film.
Today, Pink Narcissus is rightly celebrated as a foundational work of queer cinema and a forerunner to later visual artists and filmmakers—from Pierre et Gilles to Derek Jarman to Todd Haynes. It is a reminder that even in the most constrained circumstances, beauty and radical vision can flourish.
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In partnership with Anaheim’s Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, witness the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we present Iron Man, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers on the big screen in one day! Answer trivia questions to win prizes between films and watch Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes assemble again! Excelsior!
Next up is the original Thor from 2011! Against his father Odin’s will, The Mighty Thor – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
And make sure that you head down to Muzeo for Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross, their new exhibit that’s running from May 16th onwards!
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Just added: actor Ed Begley Jr. will also be joining us for the Q&A after the film!
You’re invited to a special screening of 1995’s Batman Forever, the third film in the original Batman series, with the film’s writers, Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler appearing for a post-screening on-stage Q&A, moderated by Scott Zillner!
Before the Dark Knight brooded in grayscale and before Gotham became “grounded,” there was Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever—a neon-drenched pop spectacle with a gothic heart and, at its center, a genuinely legendary performance by the late, great Val Kilmer as the Caped Crusader.
6:45PM – Doors Open
7:30PM – Start Batman Forever
9:45pm – Start Q&A
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Batman Forever on the big screen and let’s give Kilmer’s Batman the flowers he’s long deserved.
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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Iconic Events Releasing is proud to announce an amazing and long-awaited event 25 years in the making. Dogma is returning to The Frida Cinema for some encores!
Dogma is a satirical fantasy comedy that follows two fallen angels, Bartleby and Loki, who discover a loophole that would allow them to return to Heaven, which would inadvertently undo the creation of the universe. A woman named Bethany, who is struggling with her faith, is tasked with stopping them before their plan succeeds. Along the way, she is joined by various characters, including a muse, a seraphim, and a group of unlikely allies, all as they battle against the forces of heaven and hell. Directed by Kevin Smith, the film combines dark humor, theological questions, and absurdity to explore topics of faith, redemption, and religious mythology.
This film was only available through physical media from old DVD and Blu Ray releases in the 2000s (predating streaming rights). Now with the film available once again, Kevin Smith along with the awesome Iconic Events team are happy to offer the special 25th anniversary 4K remastered rerelease of Dogma: Resurrected! A 25th Anniversary Celebration for the original audience to see on the big screen and for a new generation of fans to experience it for the first time in movie theatres! This release will offer special bonus content which will feature Q&A highlights of Kevin Smith and friends! for you to join this celebration of Kevin’s favorite film in his repertoire!
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