The Frida Cinema — Attraction in Santa Ana

What a special place. I really do love what this place does for movies, and Orange County.

Been coming here for years. Seen many movies, and have taken many different friends with me in all that time. When I started coming here, rarely did seats fill up. These days, I think word has gotten out. I almost see atleast half, to closer of two thirds of the seats full at almost every movie I've been to as of the last couple years here.

The Frida is an independent, art house, non-profit movie theater. Run by some of the most passionate cinephiles. Evident as soon as you walk in the lobby, look up, and see the surrounding painted mural of the most iconic movie characters.

You'll also find related art by local artists hung up in the lobby. Great to take a gander at. Concession are offered. The usual. Popcorn, sods, candy. A specialty offered is their boozy icee's where you can choose single or double shot with your choice of alcohol

Showing largely classic films. Some foreign films. Indie films. I've really enjoyed getting to see niche anime films on the big screen here. First movie I saw here was Paprika. Used to show that frequently.

Really have to recommend seeing your favorite movies here.

Total Recall, The Warriors, Enter the Dragon, Heavy Metal, Conan The Barbarian, Tremors, The Fly, just saw They Live here last night. It's always a real delight, since many of my friends had not seen the movies listed. So for their first time getting to see it on the big screen has created a lot of special memories with them.

Subscribe to their mailing list, follow them on Facebook and X. Keep an eye out for what they're showing. You never know when one of your all time favorites is coming up. See it while you can.

Thank you to all the hardworking folks at the Frida Cinema all...

My favorite little art house cinema. I leave my cell phone in the car, buy a tallboy (or two if I don’t mind creating my own intermission), and step back in time. The team who runs this place and creates their monthly programming are true talents. (Even following their Instagram alone is a treat.)

I know here I can count on a consistent technical experience with dialed in projection, good light control, and excellent sound. The slight flaw is the seating is not stadium-style, so you have to be strategic if you are bothered by a head in front of you clipping the bottom of your view of the screen. (I find the aisle seats best.)

Alas, as the theater has become popular, I’ve seen more normies who stumble in as if it were their Regal or AMC or, worse, living room: chomping on popcorn/wrestling candy wrappers like they forgot to eat a full meal today (I swear I saw a guy with a whole pizza IN A BOX last week), or pulling their cell phone out during the movie like they failed the Stanford marshmallow experiment as kids. These Neanderthals’ presence helps support the theater, but they should know they are despised by at least one person in the audience who chose to not stay home and watch the...

Words can't describe how one of a kind the Frida is, nor how crucial it is to moviegoing and film appreciation. It truly is a gem of a theater all because of the people and mission behind it.

I could talk at length about the great ticket prices, plentiful concessions options, prime location in downtown Santa Ana, and absolutely nostalgic and cozy atmosphere of this theater, but it honestly earns its reputation through its dedication to cinema and insanely thoughtful, artistic, and community-minded programming. I've seen movies at The Frida that didn't get wide releases, making them difficult to track down; I've seen movies that I first saw on TV as a child and never got a theater experience for; and I've seen movies too niche to make it to any of the streaming platforms all because The Frida cares about the art and history of filmmaking and wants to make the medium as accessible as possible.

I have so much respect for this establishment and hope to see it live long...