Our Spielberg Summer series turns its attention to one of the most powerful and influential war films ever made with Saving Private Ryan, a landmark achievement that forever changed how combat is portrayed on screen.
In the aftermath of the D-Day invasion, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his squad are assigned an extraordinary mission: locate Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose brothers have all been killed in action, and bring him home. As the soldiers journey deeper into war-torn France, the mission forces each man to confront difficult questions about the value of a single life amid unimaginable loss.
Famous for its visceral opening depiction of Omaha Beach, Saving Private Ryan goes far beyond just technical brilliance. Spielberg combines staggering realism with his signature humanism, creating a film that honors both the chaos of war and the ordinary people “asked” to endure it.
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Our Spielberg Summer series takes a more sobering turn with Empire of the Sun, a sweeping coming-of-age epic full of chaos and loss of wartime innocence.
Based on J.G. Ballard’s semi-autobiographical novel, the film follows young Jim “Jamie” Graham, a privileged British boy living in Shanghai whose life is shattered when World War II erupts and he is separated from his parents. Alone in an occupied city, he survives in a brutal internment camp while clinging to the fading grandeur of his former life.
One of Spielberg’s most ambitious and emotionally complex works, Empire of the Sun transforms war into a surreal landscape of endurance and disillusionment. Anchored by a remarkable early performance from a young Christian Bale, the film reveals Spielberg expanding his visual language to capture not just wonder, but its disappearance. Rarely shown theatrically, this 80s gem demands to be seen big and loud!
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Flickrhappy returns to The Frida Cinema for a special FREE screening of the beloved 1972 film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation, 1776!
A musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence may not sound like a crowd-pleaser on paper, but 1776 pulls off the impossible, transforming one of the most consequential moments in American history into a surprisingly moving political drama. Featuring a tour-de-force performance by William Daniels as the fiery John Adams, the film brings the Founding Fathers vividly to life as they clash over the birth of a nation.
Decades before Hamilton, 1776 proved that history could sing. In fact, Lin-Manuel Miranda has cited the musical as one of the inspirations behind his groundbreaking hit. When 1776 premiered on Broadway and later arrived on screen in 1972, it achieved something remarkable: it made the nation’s founding dramatically accessible while remaining deeply entertaining and profoundly human. Audiences across the political spectrum embraced its celebration of the imperfect process of democracy. Rather than portraying the Founding Fathers as untouchable legends, the musical presents them as passionate, flawed individuals struggling to create something greater than themselves.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience 1776 on the big screen, for free, thanks to our friends at Flickrhappy!
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Celebrate Pride Month with a signature themed cocktail and 30th anniversary FREE screening of The Celluloid Closet, a documentary adaptation of Vito Russo’s groundbreaking book and lecture series exploring LGBTQ+ representation in film.
The Celluloid Closet is an epic story, by turns surprising, hilarious, and disturbing. Academy Award-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman assemble clips from over 100 Hollywood movies and interviews with many of the filmmakers and actors who created them (including Tom Hanks, Shirley MacLaine, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Curtis, and Gore Vidal).
“Thoroughly enjoyable…a colorful overview with the popular appeal of a ‘That’s Entertainment’…sheer fun.” – The New York Times
“TWO THUMBS UP…terrific” – Siskel and Ebert
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Our documentary pick for our Art House for Families series is For All Mankind, Al Reinert’s thrilling portrait about the twenty-four men who went to the moon!
Constructed entirely from restored NASA footage and accompanied by a hypnotic score from Brian Eno, the film immerses audiences in the experience of the Apollo missions, transforming historic events into something deeply human. Rather than focusing on technical milestones or political history, For All Mankind captures the surreal beauty of space travel itself.
Few documentaries evoke the scale of discovery quite like this one. Projected on the big screen, its images of Earth floating silently in darkness still inspire the same awe they did more than fifty years ago.
Our Art House for Families series celebrates the magic of moviegoing across generations all summer long. From silent comedy and international classics to science fiction and fantasy adventures, the series invites longtime cinephiles and first-time art house audiences of all ages to discover some of cinema’s most enduring films together on the big screen. This event is sponsored in part by the City of Santa Ana.
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Just added: our friend Valeria Metz is hosting an ultra-special screening of Selena on the Queen of Tejano Music’s Birthday, April 16th! There will be hair braiding by Ponte Your Monos, pins by Totimontillo, and a live DJ set from DJ Mar! All vendor proceeds will be donated to Lucha Costa Mesa!
Discover the true story of one of America’s brightest stars…that faded too soon.
Celebrate the life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez with a special birthday weekend presentation of the biographical drama Selena from 1997.
Starring Jennifer Lopez in her breakthrough role, the film traces Selena’s rise from performing at family gatherings in Texas to becoming the “Queen of Tejano Music.” Guided by her devoted family, she navigates fame, love, and ambition while breaking barriers and bringing her music to a wider audience.
A heartfelt tribute to a beloved icon, Selena captures the enduring spirit of an artist whose impact continues to resonate far beyond her years.
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The passion, the violence, the birth of America’s Gilded Age.
Flickrhappy is back at The Frida Cinema, bringing with them a restoration of Milos Forman’s 1981 rarely-screened epic Ragtime!
America at the dawn of the 20th century bursts to life in this sweeping, ambitious adaptation of E. L. Doctorow’s celebrated novel. Set in a nation electrified by upheaval, Ragtime weaves together the lives of dreamers and revolutionaries as their stories collide in a rapidly changing New York. A proud Black pianist seeks justice after an act of racist cruelty. A glamorous chorus girl becomes the center of a national scandal. Historical figures – including magician Harry Houdini, activist Emma Goldman, and tycoon J. P. Morgan – drift through a world where wealth and poverty sit side by side, and where the promise of America feels both intoxicating and fragile.
Featuring a remarkable ensemble cast,including screen legend James Cagney in his final film performance, Ragtime is a powerful tapestry of music and hope.
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. Flickrhappy is allowing Frida Cinema members to use their regular discounts to this event!
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Just added: representatives from the Palestinian Youth Movement will be joining us for a post-screening chat after the 3:30PM screening on Friday, April 24th!
Watermelon Pictures is proud to present Palestine 36, their new humanist cinematic tour de force!
1936. As villages across Mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
One of the year’s most lauded and highly anticipated films, Palestine 36 has received universal audience and critical acclaim in its festival rollout, including a record-setting 23 minute standing ovation at TIFF, and a win for Best Film at The Tokyo International Film Festival, while holding a rating of 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
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We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of one of the most influential political films in history, The Battle of Algiers, with a Film Club Members Only screening!
The film vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents.
Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvo’s tour de force has astonishing relevance today.
We are inviting Film Club Members to bring a Plus One to this screening! Make sure to RSVP for your guest as well!
Not a Frida Cinema Film Club Member yet? Sign up here!
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We’ve been waiting to give you the good news for months: legendary director Lav Diaz’s new film, Magellan, is finally sailing on over to The Frida Cinema!
At the dawn of the modern era, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (Gael García Bernal) navigated a fleet of ships to Southeast Asia, attempting the first voyage across the vast Pacific Ocean. On reaching the Malay Archipelago, the crew pushed to the brink of madness in the harshness of the high seas and overwhelming natural beauty of the islands, Magellan’s obsession leads to a rebellion and reckoning with the consequences of power.
A vast, globe-spanning epic from Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz (Norte, The End Of History), Magellan presents the colonization of the Philippines as a primal, shocking encounter with the unknown and a radical retelling of European narratives of discovery and exploration.
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