Coming to The Frida Cinema for one night only on December 6th, 2025! Captain America (1990): Director’s Cut is now on tour! This is the kickoff of the Captain America (1990) tour. Witness Albert Pyun’s Marvel classic like you’ve never seen it before–on the big screen! This event is presented by Yippie Video and promises to be the movie event of the year!
During World War II, a brave, patriotic American Soldier undergoes experiments to become a new supersoldier, “Captain America”. Racing to Germany to sabotage the rockets of Nazi baddie “Red Skull”, Captain America winds up frozen until the 1990s. He reawakens to find that the Red Skull has changed identities and is now planning to kidnap the President of the United States.
This is a special showing with Q&A, special guests, photo ops with a Captain America cosplayer, the official Yippie Video booth, and everyone who attends will receive a commemorative Captain America (1990) tour ticket! This is an all new cut of Captain America (1990) finally unearthed for the first time in 30 years directly from Albert Pyun’s 35mm work print of the original film. Tickets are $20 in advance or at the door. Show starts at 7:00PM.
For more information on all of the new Albert Pyun film restorations, visit: yippeekiyaymothervideo.com
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. Membership discounts and comp passes do not apply.
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Akira Kurosawa’s Palme d’Or-winning feudal epic, Kagemusha, is screening for the first time ever at The Frida Cinema.
It’s the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.
Don’t miss this rarely-screened gem on the big screen!
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In his controversial masterpiece The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin offers both a cutting caricature of Adolf Hitler and a sly tweaking of his own comic persona. Chaplin, in his first pure talkie, brings his sublime physicality to two roles: the cruel yet clownish “Tomainian” dictator and the kindly Jewish barber who is mistaken for him.
Featuring Jack Oakie and Paulette Goddard in stellar supporting turns, The Great Dictator, boldly going after the fascist leader before the U.S.’s official entry into World War II, is an audacious amalgam of politics and slapstick that culminates in Chaplin’s famously impassioned speech.
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Widely regarded as one of the most harrowing antiwar films ever made, Elem Klimov’s Come and See (1985) is not merely watched—it’s endured. A hallucinatory descent into the heart of wartime atrocity, this Soviet masterpiece marks its 40th anniversary with a limited run at The Frida Cinema, now restored in 4K.
When 14-year-old Flyora (a devastating Aleksei Kravchenko, delivering one of cinema’s most haunting performances) joins the Soviet partisans to fight back against the Nazi invasion of Belarus, he dreams of glory. What follows is something far more nightmarish—a journey through villages reduced to ash signaling the brutal erasure of innocence.
Shot with unnerving intimacy, Come and See immerses you in the psychological collapse of a child thrust into a world beyond comprehension. Its script was nearly buried for eight years by Soviet censors—and when it was finally unleashed, it left a mark that has never faded. Unflinching, unforgettable, and necessary, Come And See is a masterpiece and (unfortunately) more relevant than ever.
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The penultimate film in our Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema series is Isao Takahata’s Grave Of The Fireflies!
In the final days of World War II, two siblings—teenaged Seita and his little sister Setsuko—struggle to survive in firebombed Kobe after losing their home, their parents, and eventually, their place in a society that has collapsed around them. What follows is not just a war story, but a story of love, resilience, and unbearable loss.
Rendered with breathtaking beauty by the legendary animators at Studio Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies is often called one of the greatest animated films ever made. It is also one of the most emotionally shattering anti-war films of any kind—haunting not because of spectacle, but because of its heartbreaking truth.
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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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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Celebrate the thrilling tension of Crimson Tide on its 30th anniversary, screening at The Frida Cinema as part of our Gene Hackman tribute! And as an added bonus, there will be an introduction and post-screening book signing by Jason Bailey, author of the new biography Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend out on 4/29 via Abrams Press!
The film takes place aboard the USS Alabama, a nuclear submarine during a tense international crisis. When the captain (Gene Hackman) and his executive officer (Denzel Washington) clash over the proper response to a potentially catastrophic situation, the battle for control of the ship escalates into a gripping psychological duel. With the fate of the world at stake, each decision becomes a matter of life or death. This high-stakes submarine drama, directed by the amazing Tony Scott, remains one of the most riveting military thrillers of all time.
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The third film in our Andrei Tarkovsky Retrospective is Ivan’s Childhood, Tarkovsky’s stunning feature debut.
Set during World War II, the film follows Ivan, a young boy who has been orphaned by the war and becomes a scout for the Soviet army. As he navigates the horrors of war, his childhood innocence clashes with the brutality surrounding him, creating a haunting portrait of loss, survival, and the effects of violence on the human soul.
Tarkovsky’s masterful use of imagery—particularly his iconic dream sequences—imbues the film with a surreal, almost poetic quality, making Ivan’s Childhood a deeply emotional and visually striking meditation on the impact of war on the psyche. With this remarkable debut, Tarkovsky established the thematic depth and visual precision that would define his career, making Ivan’s Childhood an unforgettable exploration of memory, trauma, and the fragility of innocence.
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The Los Angeles Kurdish Film Festival presents When The Seedlings Grow, the new film from director Refer Azad Kaya
While selling yogurt in Kobanê, Hüseyin and his daughter Zelal are on their way; intersects with Hemudê, who is looking for his home. Their one-day journey witnesses many misfortunes and a new society after the Kobanê war.
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 Kurdish language 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.
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The bona fide Cannes classic, and a beloved gem, Slovenian film Valley Of Peace is making its way to The Frida Cinema for a special FREE SCREENING courtesy of our friends at SEEfest! Doors open at 5:00PM and the film begins at 5:15PM!
John Kitzmiller, an American GI from WWII, was the very first Black actor ever to win Best Actor Prize in Cannes in 1957! Virtually unknown in the U.S., John Kitzmiller’s celebration has long been overdue for his trailblazing path in the cinema of the 1950s and 60s. Kitzmiller’s star turn and a timeless war time story crowned Valley Of Peace one of the enduring Cannes Classics and masterpieces about humanity in war times.
Set during the final days of WWII, the story follows a young Slovenian boy and a German girl, both orphaned by bombing raids, as they embark on a quest to find a mythical “Valley of Peace.” Along the way they are joined by a black American pilot who has crash-landed behind German forces retreating from Italy. They represent a symbolic triangle of peace in this adventure happening in the middle of a war.
SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture; by a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; ELMA Foundation for European Movies in America, and California Humanities. We are deeply grateful for their continued support of our programs.
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