Play It By Fear is continuing their June Gloom programming as they present a Sunday Scaries screening of the black-and-white version of Frank Darabont and Stephen King’s The Mist!
After a violent storm, a dense cloud of mist envelops a small Maine town, trapping David Drayton and his five-year-old son in a local grocery store with other local residents. They soon discover that the mist conceals deadly horrors that threaten their lives, and worse, their sanity.
What can we say about The Mist that won’t spoil one of cinema’s best endings ever? It combines pulpy monster-movie thrills with a savage critique of fear-driven groupthink, and also features a career-defining turn from Marcia Gay Harden as the terrifyingly self-righteous Mrs. Carmody. Come see the version that Darabont always wanted audiences to see, as the black-and-white version proves superior for many fans!
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Mark Jenkin (Bait, Enys Men) is back with his latest mind-trip, Rose of Nevada, starring Callum Turner and George MacKay!
A mysterious boat returns to a village 30 years after vanishing. Two men join its crew hoping for better fortune. After one voyage, they find themselves transported back in time, mistaken for the original crew.
One of the most distinctive voices in contemporary UK art cinema, Mark Jenkin has made quite the name for himself for his handmade aesthetic, and Rose of Nevada looks to be more of that strange, melancholy folk-horror hybrid that we continue to be fascinated by.
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Power, space, time and a visitor.
We’re presenting a 4K restoration of the European Cut of Nicolas Roeg and David Bowie’s hypnotic masterwork The Man Who Fell to Earth, now celebrating 50 years since its initial release!
Thomas Jerome Newton is an alien who has come to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. Aided by lawyer Oliver Farnsworth, Thomas uses his knowledge of advanced technology to create profitable inventions. While developing a method to transport water, Thomas meets Mary-Lou, a quiet hotel clerk, and begins to fall in love with her. Just as he is ready to leave Earth, Thomas is intercepted by the U.S. government, and his entire plan is threatened.
Fans of dreamlike, visually intoxicating cinema will find a lot to love in The Man Who Fell to Earth, which remains one of the cornerstones of 70s cult classic cinema.
Restoration: The restoration is based on a 4K scan of the original camera negative, followed by a full 4K workflow, with the approval of cinematographer Anthony Richmond.
Please note: we are screening the 139 minute European Cut of the film, also known as the Director’s Cut or Uncut version of the film!
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It’s not like they didn’t warn us.
Our first Volunteer of the Month pick for June comes courtesy of Jasmine, who has picked legendary filmmaker M Night Shyamalan’s 2002 nerve-shredding Sci Fi thriller Signs!
Set on an isolated Pennsylvania farm, the film follows former minister Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) as he and his family begin discovering enormous crop circles appearing in their fields. As strange lights, unsettling broadcasts, and inexplicable encounters begin mounting across the globe, Graham, his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), and his children are forced to confront the terrifying possibility that something is watching them from the darkness beyond the cornfields.
Mixing an alien invasion spectacle movie with an intimate story about grief, Signs is as masterfully tense as it is emotional. There’s nothing quite like seeing an M Night movie on the big screen.
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You’ve been asking for it, so we’re doing it! The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act is coming to The Frida Cinema! The viral internet sensation is reaching its long-awaited conclusion in a feature-length theatrical release! This “Last Act” combines episode 8 with the all new, hour long episode 9!
With Caine gone and the circus dark, the cast are left with only the mistakes and traumas of their pasts to keep them company. As the prospect of eternity closes in around them, they discover the truth about the Digital Circus and its history. Will they come to terms with what they uncover, or will they make…the other choice? Also, presumably at some point someone says something funny, because this ending can’t be THAT depressing, can it?
Watch the finale of the viral internet phenomenon the best way possible: on the big screen!
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How could we do an Art House for Families series without a classic Godzilla film!? It’s time for 1965’s Invasion of Astro-Monster, the fierce battle between Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah!
Aliens from Planet X make an irresistible offer to the people of Earth: let them borrow Godzilla and Rodan to help defeat King Ghidorah, and in return they will provide a cure for all known human disease. But the aliens’ duplicity is soon revealed, as they deploy all three monsters in their quest to conquer Earth.
This retro romp, featuring American star Nick Adams, stands as a high point in the Showa Godzilla series.
This film will be dubbed in English as to be more accessible for younger viewers.
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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Play It By Fear is upping the nastiness of their Sunday Scaries series as they present a Mother’s Day screening of David Cronenberg’s The Brood!
A disturbed woman is receiving a radical form of psychotherapy at a remote, mysterious institute. Meanwhile, her five-year-old daughter, under the care of her estranged husband, is being terrorized by a group of demonic beings.
Starring Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar, The Brood laid the groundwork for many of the Cronenberg’s films to come, and stands alone as maybe the most filmmaker-going-through-a-divorce movie ever made!
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Join us for a special one-off screening of the new film Matador Bolero, starring Kansas Bowling and Yves Tumor (in their acting debut)! And stick around after the screening for a special Q&A with director Jonathan Rosado and producer Nicolette Wilkey!
The story follows a New York nightclub, The Matador, that becomes the site of a high-profile murder that attracts the attention of an obsessive detective, a TV news reporter, and an elusive being living outside the realms of time and space. Their stories converge with that of a new-age cult operating at the command of an ultra-intelligent supercomputer named Bolero.
A love letter to 70s exploitation cinema, Matador Bolero promises a genre-mashing and psychedelic trip to the movies!
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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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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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