Our Technicolor Summer series continues with one of the most lavish and visually stunning musicals ever put to film: An American in Paris!
This dazzling musical tells the story of Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly), a former American GI turned struggling painter who’s trying to make a name for himself in the City of Light. His art catches the eye of a wealthy benefactor, Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), but Jerry’s heart belongs to someone else—Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), a spirited young dancer with a complicated past.
With music by George and Ira Gershwin and direction by Vincente Minnelli, An American in Paris is a feast for the senses and a celebration of the intoxicating magic of post-war Paris.
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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It’s not Santa Ana Pride weekend at The Frida without a screening or two of Hedwig And The Angry Inch! And this year, the showings are completely free!
Raised a boy in East Berlin, Hedwig undergoes a personal transformation in order to emigrate to the U.S., where she reinvents herself as an ‘internationally ignored’ but divinely talented rock diva, inhabiting a ‘beautiful gender of one’.
At a time when few films dared to center queer and trans experiences with this much raw honesty and visual style, Hedwig and the Angry Inch carved out a space that felt radical and necessary.
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Our In Defense Of Series pick for June comes via Isa as she has chosen the underrated musical Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!
A small town band makes it big, but loses track of their roots, as they get caught up into the big-time machinations of the music biz. Now, they must thwart a plot to destroy their home town. Built around the music of The Beatles, this musical uses some big name groups like Peter Frampton and Aerosmith.
Few films have been more gleefully panned, misunderstood, or prematurely written off than Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the 1978 jukebox musical that dares to turn The Beatles’ most iconic album into a surreal, candy-colored rock opera. Dismissed by critics as a misguided cash-in, the film has long existed as a cultural punchline. But behind the glitter, kitsch, and chaos lies an ambitious, bold, and strangely hypnotic cinematic artifact that deserves a closer look. Isa says “give it a chance!”
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When down-and-out guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) is kicked out of his band and on the brink of eviction, he hatches a desperate plan: pose as his roommate and take a job as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. Totally unqualified but totally undeterred, Dewey discovers his fifth-grade students are musical prodigies—and decides to secretly transform them into…the School Of Rock!
What starts as a scam turns into a mission, as Dewey teaches the kids not just how to shred, but how to channel their frustrations, find their confidence, and challenge the rigid world around them. With the Battle of the Bands as their target, School of Rock becomes a high-decibel anthem to self-expression.
Directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise) and written by Mike White of White Lotus fame, School of Rock strikes a perfect chord between anarchic comedy and heartwarming sincerity. Jack Black’s performance is a full-force, career-defining blend of physical comedy, genuine musicality, and chaotic charisma.
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Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements is coming to The Frida Cinema!
An ambitious blend of narrative, scripted, documentary, musical, and metatextual form, the fil intimately shows the band preparing for their sold out 2022 reunion tour while simultaneously tracking their preparations for a musical based on their songs, a museum devoted to their history, and a big-budget Hollywood biopic inspired by their saga as the most important band of a generation.
Starring Joe Keery, Jason Schwartzman, Nat Wolff, Fred Hechinger, Logan Miller, Griffin Newman, Tim Heidecker, Michael Esper, Zoe Lister-Jones, Kathryn Gallagher, and as themselves….the band Pavement.
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Our Classic Movie Nights series heads to the peak of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ legendary collaborations with Top Hat, an art deco dream of gravity-defying dance! Set against a backdrop of gleaming ballrooms and breezy Venice vistas, this musical comedy is pure cinematic joy!
Astaire is the dashing American dancer who falls for Rogers’ quick-witted society girl, but a case of confused identity threatens their budding romance. What follows is a confection of screwball comedy and iconic choreography—including the immortal “Cheek to Cheek,” where Rogers floats across the floor in that legendary feathered gown.
With music by Irving Berlin, direction by Mark Sandrich, and the kind of sparkling chemistry you can’t fake, Top Hat is a love letter to the golden age of movie musicals. Eighty-plus years later, it still sings, sways, and seduces.
Make sure to get to the screening early, as our Marketing Director Bekah will be doing a very informative and entertaining presentation on the film before it starts!
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For one night only, experience the untold story of one of the most quietly revolutionary bands of the British Invasion. Hung Up On A Dream is a time-traveling journey through the music, memories, and magic of The Zombies—a band whose shimmering harmonies and baroque pop brilliance gave us Time of the Season, She’s Not There, and the immortal Odessey and Oracle.
Directed by musician and filmmaker Robert Schwartzman, this deeply personal documentary blends rare archival footage, intimate new interviews, and vivid visual storytelling to explore how a group of teenagers from St. Albans crafted songs that still sound ahead of their time. It’s a love letter to resilience, creativity, and the strange, beautiful alchemy of a band that never quite fit the mold—but changed music anyway.
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See It On 16mm is back! And this time, they’re presenting a delirious blast of sex, sci-fi, and rock ’n’ roll excess–Heavy Metal!
The ultimate cult movie—Heavy Metal is a kaleidoscopic animated anthology where space zombies, warrior babes, and cosmic chaos, this is the perfect movie to re-visit on a new format! Fueled by a thundering soundtrack (Sabbath! Journey! Stevie Nicks!) and dripping with pulpy attitude, this cult classic is pure uncut ’80s counterculture—horny, violent, and gloriously insane.
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See It On 16mm is once again invading The Frida, and this time they’re bringing a print of the legendary documentary Gimme Shelter, which celebrates its 45th anniversary this year!
A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.
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Join us at The Frida Cinema for a special run of Selena, celebrating the legendary life and music of Selena Quintanilla in honor of her birthday on April 16th.
Directed by Gregory Nava, Selena tells the story of the Queen of Tejano music, from her early years growing up in Texas to her rise to stardom and tragic, untimely death. The film beautifully portrays Selena’s determination, talent, and her unwavering connection to her family, particularly her father (Edward James Olmos), who pushed her to reach her full potential.
Jennifer Lopez’s powerful portrayal of Selena earned her critical acclaim, and the film remains a heartfelt tribute to the artist’s legacy. Selena is more than just a biopic; it’s a celebration of her music, her influence on Latin culture, and the indelible mark she left on the world.
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