Long Beach Indie International Film Festival. The fest falls under a Long Beach Indie banner that also includes (deep breath): LBI International Media and Entertainment Business Summit and Expo; LBI Film, Digital Media and Music Conference; LBI Career Pathways in Arts, Digital Media and Entertainment Conference; and the LBI College and Career Fair. Feature films and shorts programs roll daily through Saturday night, and the LBI Festival Awards Gala is Sunday evening. LBI International Film Festival at Cinemark at the Pike Theaters, 99 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, (800) 967-1932; www.longbeachindie.hollywoodpost.com. Thurs., Aug. 31, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (when last shorts program starts); Fri., 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (when last feature starts); Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (when last shorts begin). $10 per screening; multiday passes available. LBI Festival Awards Gala at Hilton Long Beach Hotel, 701 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach; www.longbeachindie.hollywoodpost.com. Sun., 6 p.m. $100; table, $800.
Rear Window. T he Frida’s Hitchcock tribute concludes with t his 1954 thriller featur ing two of the Master of Suspense’s greatest muses: Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. He plays freelance photographer L.B. Jeffries, whose broken leg leaves him confined to a wheelchair in his high-rise New York apartment. His love interest, Lisa, is a great distraction to have around. But while she is away, L.B. grabs a pair of binoculars and spies on his neighbors. The creepy way of passing time turns chilling when he believes he sees a murder across the way. The Frida Cinema, 305 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana; thefridacinema.org. Thurs., Aug. 31, 8 p.m.; Sun., 5:30 p.m. $7-$10.
City of God. Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s gritty crime drama from 2002 follows the life paths of two boys from a Rio de Janeiro slum. Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) becomes a photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood. Zé (Leandro Firmino da Hora) is an ambitious drug dealer. Matheus Nachtergaele, Alice Braga and Seu Jorge also star. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri.-Sun., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 4:30 p.m. $7-$10.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Thor Freudenthal’s 2010 family comedy, which is based on Jeff Kinney’s book, is about a boy (Zachary Gordon) transitioning from elementary to middle school, where he has to learn responsibility to survive the year. Robert Capron and Rachael Harris co-star. Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, behind Moe B’s Watersports, 1131 Back Bay Dr., Newport Beach, (949) 729-3863. Fri., dusk. Free, but it costs to park on the premises.
Dolemite. OC Weekly‘s Friday Night Freakouts entry is a 4K digital restoration of director D’Urville Martin’s 1975 crime epic that is now regarded as one of Blaxploitation cinema’s greatest achievements. Rap pioneer/standup comic Rudy Ray Moore plays cinema’s greatest pimp of them all, who after two years in prison on trumped-up charges returns to the streets to settle scores. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri., 11 p.m. $7-$10.
How to Train Your Dragon 2. Dean DeBlois’ 2014 animated adventure, which is based on Cressida Cowell’s book series, has Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and Toothless (Randy Thom) finding an ice cave that is home to hundreds of wild dragons—and themselves in the center of a battle. Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler and Jonah Hill lead a star-studded cast of voice actors. Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, (949) 729-3863. Sat., dusk. Free, but it costs to park on the premises.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The car of sweethearts Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon) breaks down near the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist whose home also hosts a rocking biker (Meat Loaf), a creepy butler (Richard O’Brien) and assorted freaks who include a hunk of beefcake named “Rocky.” Watch what’s on and in front of the screen thanks to shadow cast Midnight Insanity. Art Theatre, 2025 E. Fourth St., Long Beach, (562) 438-5435. Sat., 11:55 p.m. $8.50-$11.50.
Can’t Be Stopped. Cody Smith and Anger of Los Angeles’ CBS (Can’t Be Stopped) graffiti-artist collective teamed up a decade ago to create the documentary that finally makes its Orange County premiere. Director/writer/producer Smith relied on footage from original member DJ Rob One; hundreds of vintage photos; and interviews with the likes of graffiti legends Seen, Mek and Trigz, as well as celebrities such as the Alchemist and David Arquette. Festival Amphitheatre, 12762 Main St., Garden Grove, (949) 415-8544; www.facebook.com/gardenamphitheatre.com. Sun., 5 p.m. $22.70 (includes access to art installations, live performances and DJ sets). All ages.
The Secret of NIMH. From Don Bluth, a regular presence at the Newport Beach Film Festival, comes this animated Disney film about a widowed mouse (voiced by Elizabeth Hartman) who must move her children out of their home in a field before the local farmer starts plowing. But her son is ill, so she seeks the help of nearby rats, who have heightened intelligence after being the subjects of scientific experiments. But a conflict among them jeopardizes her mission. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Mon., 6 & 8 p.m.; also Sept. 9. $7-$10.
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Land Before Time. Also from Don Bluth is this American-Irish animated adventure about an orphaned brontosaurus seeking the legendary Great Valley, where dinosaurs can thrive and live in peace. Along the way, he meets four other young dinosaurs, each one a different species, and they encounter several obstacles as they learn to work together to survive. Pat Hingle, Helen Shaver and Gabriel Damon are among the voice actors. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Tues., 6 and 8 p.m. (Also Sept. 10). $7-$10.
The Royal Tenenbaums. Coming from someone who has never seen a Wes Anderson film he did not thoroughly enjoy at least looking at, you may take with a grain of celluloid my deeming this among his best pictures. Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman, in a performance that more and more actors are heaping major praise upon as time marches on) returns to his estranged family to announce he has a terminal illness. By the way, he’s a small-time conman, and they are all . . . unique. Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Bill Murray and Ben Stiller co-star. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Wed.-Thurs., Sept. 6-7, 5:30 & 8 p.m.; also Sept. 10. $7-$10.
Top Gun. Tom Cruise recently revealed Top Gun: Maverick is coming; it’s slated for 2019, according to IMDb. Other than that, all I can report with confidence is Tony Scott will NOT be the director. So, until the sequel arrives, you’ll have to make do with the 1986 air action-drama about the macho students of an elite U.S. fighter-pilot school competing to be best in the class and, in the case of one of them (Cruise), for the heart of the teacher (Newps-born Kelly McGillis). Regency South Coast Village, 1561 Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 557-5701. Wed., 7:30 p.m. $8.
Extraordinary: Every Step Leads Him Closer to Home. From Liberty University’s Film School, where students pray their pictures reach the end of their reels before the end of the world, comes this drama—based on real events—about a college professor and ultra-marathon runner and his wife. Leland Klassen, Shari Rigby, Karen Abercrombie and Kirk Cameron star. The movie is followed by “an encouraging discussion on marriage.” AMC Orange 30 at the Outlets, 20 City Blvd. W., Orange, (714) 769-4288; AMC Tustin Legacy at the District, 2457 Park Ave., Tustin, (714) 258-7036; Cinemark Century Stadium 25, 1701 W. Katella Ave., Orange, (714) 532-9558; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, 26701 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, 65 Fortune Dr., Irvine, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, 7501 E. Carson, Long Beach, (844) 462-7342; www.fathomevents.com. Thurs., Sept. 7, 7 p.m. $12.50.
The Guns of Navarone. For September, the theme for the library’s Thursday Matinee series is “War Stories.” I believe I saw this one, from 1961, at least three times while growing up but I don’t remember one bit of it. Help me, Mr. IMDb Man: “A British team is sent to cross occupied Greek territory and destroy the massive German gun emplacement that commands a key sea channel.” J. Lee Thompson (the original Cape Fear and both Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes) directs stars David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. Light snacks and covered beverages are allowed, but alcohol is not. Registration is not required, but if you need special accommodations, notify library staff prior to the screening time. Fullerton Main Library, Osborne Auditorium, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 738.6327. Thurs., Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Free.
The QFilm Festival. Do you think any of the Extraordinary audience will head on over afterward to the opening-night party for Long Beach’s longest-running film festival? What the hip kids call “QFilms” presents narrative and documentary features and short films showcasing the richness and diversity of the LGBTQ community. Besides movies, QFilms features nightly parties and a fabulous Drag Queen Sunday Brunch. The fun begins with the opener party and picture, writer/director Jennifer M. Kroot’s documentary The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, which examines the life and work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. A conservative son of the Old South, the Tales of the City creator evolved into a gay-rights pioneer whose novels have inspired millions to claim their own truth. Opening Night Party at the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach, 2017 E. Fourth St., Long Beach; www.qfilmslongbeach.com. Thurs., Sept. 7, 7-10 p.m. Free to holders of festival passes or tickets to the opening-night film. The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin at Art Theatre, (562) 438-5435. Thurs., Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. $10-$12. QFilms continues through Sept. 10. $10-$12 per film; five-film pass, $50; all-access pass, $120.
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Four Rooms. Give four directors $1 million each to make one of four interlocking stories, and you’ve got the potential for a mess. That the helmsfolk are Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Allison Anders and Alexandre Rockwell helps, but not quite enough. The venue (a Hollywood hotel room), time (New Year’s Eve) and bellhop (Tim Roth) are the same in each segment; only the deranged guests differ. The special guest at this screening is Lana McKissack, who plays young hotel guest Sarah in Rodriguez’s segment, “The Misbehavers.” The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Thurs., Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. $7-$10.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.