For the first time in over 5 years, The Frida Cinema is proud to bring back one of greatest films of all time–Jaws! For Memorial Day Weekend only, come celebrate Steven Spielberg’s industry-changing, pop culture-shifting, era-defining movie right where it belongs to be seen: on the big screen with a packed crowd!
When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled hunter embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again.
What else can be said about Jaws that hasn’t been said by every film scholar for the past fifty years? Featuring career-best work from its all-star cast of Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton, the film has kept audiences from ever going back into the ocean (or their pool…or bathtub) for the better part of a century. It’s one of the best examples of man vs man, man vs himself, man vs society, and man vs nature ever put on celluloid.
Read More
The Los Angeles Kurdish Film Festival presents Ayse Polat’s new film In The Blind Spot!
A German crew is filming a documentary in north-eastern Turkey, more precisely in a remote Kurdish village, where they witness an elderly woman performing a recurring ritual to keep the memory of her missing son alive. The German team’s Kurdish translator is also the nanny of Melek, a seven-year-old Turkish girl. Her father, Zafer, works for a sinister organisation, and is caught between loyalty and fear for his family’s well-being when his daughter seems to be pursued by a mysterious force. Three different perspectives that, when intersected, develop a destructive power. In The Blind Spot reveals a complex web of conspiracy, paranoia, and generational trauma. The film develops its own formal language to express the unspeakable, playing with familiar references from horror films and political thrillers.
The Los Angeles Kurdish Film Festival (LAKFF) is a vibrant cultural celebration showcasing the rich diversity of Kurdish stories from Kurdistan and the Kurdish diaspora. Through compelling films, this festival brings to light the complexities of Kurdish identity, history, and the ongoing struggles faced by Kurdish communities worldwide. With a diverse lineup of feature films, documentaries, and short films, LAKFF offers a platform for Kurdish filmmakers to share their voices, fostering dialogue and understanding around universal themes like displacement, resilience, and cultural preservation.
This film will be presented in its original German and Kurdish languages with English subtitles.
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.
Read More
Witness The Rule Of Jenny Pen, the twisted new Horror-Thriller from filmmaker James Ashcroft starring the iconic duo of John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush!
Confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body, a former Judge must stop an elderly psychopath who employs a child’s puppet to abuse the home’s residents with deadly consequences.
Read More
Metrograph Pictures presents Santosh, the new film from acclaimed filmmaker Sandhya Suri.
A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low-caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.
Read More
Greetings, boils and ghouls! Join Nostalgic Nebula on March 18th at the Frida Cinema for a special 30th anniversary screaming of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. And make sure to stick around afterwards for an in-person Q&A with Emmy award-winning Special FX & Makeup Artist Todd Masters!
Show up early for the 8:00 PM pre-show to celebrate the Cryptkeeper’s directorial debut with Crypt trivia, lost and forgotten Crypt clips from commercials, movies and television, and if you can hack it, win yourself some goodies by trying your best Cryptkeeper impersonation! You’ll have to be dead on to win yourself a reprint of the original Tales from the Crypt comic book.
The story follows Ex-soldier Frank Brayker is the guardian of an ancient key that can unlock tremendous evil; the sinister Collector is a demon who wants the key so he can initiate the apocalypse. On the run from wicked mercenaries for almost 90 years, Brayker finally stops in at a boarding house in New Mexico where — with the help of its residents — he plans to face off against the Collector and his band of ghouls, preventing them from ever seizing the key.
Are you ready for your deadtime story?
Read More
James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen is a psychological horror film set in the unsettling confines of a retirement home where the lines between reality and delusion blur.
The story follows Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush), a once-powerful legal mind now weakened by a stroke and struggling to adjust to life in the facility. There, he encounters Dave Crealy (John Lithgow), a seemingly harmless resident who uses a hand puppet named Jenny Pen to exert a disturbing influence over the other inhabitants. As Mortensen begins to suspect that Crealy’s antics are more sinister than they appear, he faces skepticism from staff and fellow residents, forcing him into a desperate battle to uncover the truth before he too falls under Jenny Pen’s rule.
Read More
Join us for a one-night-only screening of 2018 neo-noir crime thriller Destroyer, followed by an in-person discussion with the director of the film, Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body, The Invitation, Girlfight) and author Marya E Gates (Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors in Their Own Words)!
Read More
As a part of our ongoing tribute to cinema legend David Lynch, we are adding three encore screenings of Blue Velvet, his surrealist 1986 masterwork.
The film follows Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan), a college student who returns to his small hometown of Lumberton after his father is injured. While walking, he discovers a severed human ear and becomes involved in investigating its origins. As Jeffrey dives deeper into the dark world of crime, voyeurism, and desire, he struggles with the blurred lines between innocence and corruption, while also developing a romantic relationship with Sandy (Laura Dern), a local cop’s daughter. Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper also star in this unforgettable trip into the dark underbelly of suburban life, a trademark attributed directly to David Lynch to this very day.
Blue Velvet is a touchstone for modern surrealist cinema and is widely discussed in film studies for its exploration into its psychological complexity, and the intersection of innocence and corruption. It garnered Lynch an Oscar nomination for both Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, but its grip on modern pop culture branches far beyond its accolades.
Read More
Jump into the fantastical world of time travel with original The Time Machine (1960), followed by the documentary The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal, following the life and times of its director! Stick around for the intermission as we discuss both films with the producer/director of the documentary, Mr Arnold Leibovit!
Experience the groundbreaking special effects and visionary storytelling of George Pal, one of the most innovative filmmakers of his time. The Time Machine — a thrilling adaptation of H.G. Wells’ timeless novel — takes you on an unforgettable adventure through time, where a daring inventor (Rod Taylor) uses his fantastic creation to travel into the far-flung future. Witness an incredible journey that bridges centuries in vivid Technicolor, and marvel at Pal’s imaginative world-building, which set the standard for future sci-fi cinema.
Then, go behind the scenes with The Fantasy Film World of George Pal, a documentary celebrating the creative genius behind such classics as War of the Worlds and The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. Before E.T. and Star Wars, there was George Pal. The documentary covers the five-decades life and career of the Academy Award-winning producer-director whose vision and groundbreaking works continue to inspire the filmmakers of today. Presented are interviews with the stars and filmmakers whose lives he touched, along with famous movie scenes, rare footage, and original artist’s renderings.
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind double feature that brings both the magic of the past and the fantasy of the future together in a way only George Pal can deliver!
This screening is a exclusive arrangement with Warner Brothers Motion Pictures. Thank you to them for making it possible!
Doors – 2:00PM
The Time Machine – 3:00PM
Intermission + Q&A – 5:00PM
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal – 5:30PM
Read More
The second entry into our Hallucinations series is Def By Temptation!
Joel grew up in the church but has recently started questioning his beliefs. After sensing a supernatural presence from his deceased father, Joel becomes compelled to visit his cousin in New York. But shortly after arriving, they become embroiled in a series of mysterious homicides of local men, all of whom were last seen in the company of a mysterious and beautiful woman. Beautifully photographed by Ernest Dickerson (Do The Right Thing) and starring Kadeem Hardison (I’m Gonna Get You Sucka) and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), this sole directorial effort from child actor James Bond III is a macabre, neon-tinged portrait of late 1980s Brooklyn. The movie blends supernatural horror and religious mysticism, punctuated by an electrifying hip hop and R&B soundtrack. Newly restored from the original 35mm camera negative!
Hosted by Polygon’s editor-in-chief Chris Plante, Hallucinations is a monthly event that spotlights movies that challenge our expectations of story, style, and “good taste”. Plante will introduce each film with some behind-the-scenes history and critical context. With Hallucinations, The Frida Cinema wants to build a communal space for lovers of Weird Cinema. We invite guests to bond over films that change what we expect from the medium, the world, and themselves. So come early, stay late, make friends, and watch something strange, surprising, or just shamelessly sick.
Read More
