Better Work It, Girl [Special Screenings, March 22-29]

Aliens. The director baton was handed from Alien’s Ridley Scott to James Cameron, and the 1986 sequel is now regarded as a sci-fi classic. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is awakened 57 years after being the lone survivor when her merchant space ship returned to Earth. At first skeptical about her claims regarding who wiped out her crew, Ripley’s corporate overlords are distressed when communication stops from colonials of the same planet that had sent a distress signal her ship picked up. She reluctantly joins the expedition to the planet to investigate. The Frida Cinema, 305 E. Fourth St., Ste. 100, Santa Ana, (714) 285-9422; thefridacinema.org. Sat.-Sun., 6 p.m.; Mon., 2, 5 & 8 p.m.; Thurs., March 22, 2 & 5 p.m. $7-$10.

I, Tonya. Allison Janney just won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing the mother of Tonya Harding. Margot Robbie gives a towering performance of her own as the black dramedy’s titular hardscrabble American figure skater who is known less for landing the first triple axel in competition than she is for being associated with the attack on her fellow Olympian (and America’s sweetheart) Nancy Kerrigan. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Thurs., March 22, 2:30, 5, 8:30 & 10 p.m. $7-$10.

National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar. Ever wonder what became of the Governor after The Walking Dead? David Morrissey, the British actor who played the ruthless leader of Woodbury, became Mark Anthony. Morrissey played the leader of Rome’s eastern provinces in Nicholas Hytner’s October 2017 Bridge Theatre production of Julius Caesar, which covers the Roman conqueror’s triumphant return home through to the civil war in the same streets after his assassination. 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; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, 7777 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, (714) 373-4573; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, 26701 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Big Newport 6, 300 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, (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., March 22, 7:30 p.m. $22.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 10 Premiere. It’s live action, it’s on the big screen, and it’s all free. Dragelicious hostesses Isabella Xotchitl and Electra Kute kick off the evening with a pre-show screening of the Bravo channel hit’s premiere episode of the new season. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Thurs., March 22, pre-show, 7:30 p.m.; screening, 8 p.m. Free.

Una Mujer Fant‡stica (A Fantastic Woman). Writer/director Sebastian Lelio’s 2018 best foreign-language Oscar winner has Marina (Daniela Vega), a transgender waitress who moonlights as a nightclub singer, facing persecution after the death of her older boyfriend (Francisco Reyes). The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri., 12:30, 2:45, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Sat.-Thurs., March 29, 12:30, 2:45, 5, 7:30 & 9:45 p.m. $7-$10.

In the Intense Now. Unfolding revolutions in France, Czechoslovakia, China and Brazil during the 1960s are documented with film and director Jo‹o Moreira Salles’ narration. Included are footage from Salles’ childhood in Brazil, during the establishment and rule of a repressive military dictatorship; scenes Salles’ mother filmed during China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of 1966; footage of the French students’ uprising in May 1968; and images captured by amateurs during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. In the Intense Now is presented by Cinema Orange, the Orange County Museum of Art and the Newport Beach Film Festival partnership that screens art/architecture/design films when museum admission is free. Seating is first restricted to OCMA members, but any that remain just before show time are made available on a first-come, first-seated basis. Food trucks are parked nearby. Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Dr., Newport Beach, (949) 759-1122. Fri., 7 p.m. Free.

The Decline of Western Civilization Parts I + III—Penelope Spheeris in Person! Celebrate the new 2K restorations of the acclaimed documentary trilogy The Decline of Western Civilization with the legendary director who created them. Members of such Los Angeles punk bands as X, Black Flag, Fear, Germs, Catholic Discipline and Alice Bag Band are interviewed and shown performing in the original 1981 The Decline of Western Civilization, which the National Film Preservation Board selected for preservation in 2016. From 1998, The Decline of Western Civilization Part III explores LA’s late-1990s gutter punkers, who were homeless teens into chaos and anarchy. Spheeris—who also directed Wayne’s World, Suburbia and The Little Rascals—introduces each film, takes questions from the audience, and sells copies of her movies and other materials in the lobby, with proceeds going to local homeless shelters. She returns to the Frida on Saturday (keep reading). The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri., 7:30 p.m. $10.

Dreams So Real: Metric Live in Concert. The 4k, feature-length documentary captures the Canadian rock group’s final live performance of a year-long, sold-out world tour. Performances of fan favorites such as “Breathing Underwater,” “Gold Girls Guns” and “Help I’m Alive” are captured by 26 cameras, with the audio mixed by multi-Grammy winner David Bottrill. Art Theatre, 2025 E. Fourth St., Long Beach, (562) 438-5435. Fri., 11 p.m. $8.50-$11.50.

Zardoz. OC Weekly’s Friday Night Freakouts entry is Deliverance director John Boorman’s 1974 sci-fi trip out that is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where humans are divided into two groups: the Eternals and the Brutals. Other than letting you know that Sean Connery turns up in a skimpy outfit and inside the head of a manufactured god named Zardoz, I dare give away any more; you simply must experience it. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri., 11 p.m. $7-$10.

UNSTUCK: An OCD Kid’s Movie. Several short videos of children and teens with obsessive-compulsive disorder are presented as part of the third-annual OCD Southern California Conference. Mariners Church, Life Development Building, second floor, 5001 Newport Coast Dr., Irvine; ocdsocal.org. Sat., 11:15 a.m. (conference runs 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.). Free-$25.

How to Train Your Dragon. The animated tale, which is based on Cressida Cowell’s book series, has hapless young Viking Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) becoming the unlikely owner of a dragon—and finding out there is more to the creature than he assumed. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Sat., 11:30 a.m. $7.

Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies. Fathom Events, Chelsea Road Productions and Tricord Media present the new allegorical faith-based film from Canadian director/producer Bruce Stacey. Gifted young dreamer Melody and her feisty friend Leif must set aside their differences to save their world from the evil Ice Dragon. AMC Orange 30 at the Outlets, 20 City Blvd. W., Orange, (714) 769-4288; Cinemark Century Stadium 25, (714) 532-9558; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, (714) 373-4573; Cinemark at the Pike Theaters, 99 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, (800) 967-1932; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Big Newport 6, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; www.fathomevents.com. Sat., 12:55 p.m.; Mon., 6:30 p.m. $10-$12.50.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II + Dudes. First, Spheeris introduces the restored and remastered second chapter of her acclaimed metal/punk trilogy, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, which covers LA’s heavy metal scene from 1986 to 1988 with Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Megadeth, Motšrhead, Ozzy Osbourne and W.A.S.P. The legendary director pops back in to take questions and introduce her 1987 punk western starring Jon Cryer and Daniel Roebuck. Two city punks travel across the country in a Volkswagen bug, embracing the western ethos and seeking revenge against a gang who killed their friend. Look for Flea and the Vandals. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Sat., 2 p.m. $10.

Kirk Cameron: Connect. The former Growing Pains co-star turns to experts and his own experience as the father of six children to provide “real help for parenting kids in a social media world.” Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Big Newport 6, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; www.fathomevents.com. Sat., 7 p.m. $12.50.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut. The Ridley Scott-approved, 117-minute cut, which Warner Bros. briefly released in theaters in October 2007 as the “25th Anniversary Edition,” has been remastered in 4K with a completely new 5.1 mix restored from the original track elements. Based on former Orange County resident Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the 1982 sci-fi masterpiece stars Harrison Ford as a specially trained police officer or “blade runner” who reluctantly agrees to hunt down fugitive replicants and their leader (Rutger Hauer). The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 & 4:30 p.m.; Mon.-Wed., 1:30, 4:30 & 7 p.m. $7-$10.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The pioneering midnight movie starts with the car of sweethearts Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon) breaking down near the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). The transvestite scientist’s home also hosts a rocking biker (Meat Loaf), a creepy butler (Richard O’Brien) and assorted freaks, including a hunk of beefcake named “Rocky.” Shadow cast Midnight Insanity performs alongside what’s flashed onscreen. Art Theatre, (562) 438-5435. Sat., 11:55 p.m. $8.50-$11.50.

Ponyo. GKIDS and Fathom Events once again team up for Studio Ghibli Fest 2018, which features classic and new films from the legendary Japanese anime house. Kicking things off is a 10th-anniversary screening of anime master Hayao Miyazaki’s story of 5-year-old Sosuke, who finds a goldfish trapped in a container on the beach, names her Ponyo and keeps her as a pet. Little does he know that Ponyo is the daughter of a mysterious aquatic wizard named Fujimoto, who retrieves the fish who longs to be human, having developed feelings for Sosuke. AMC Orange 30 at the Outlets, (714) 769-4288; Cinemark Century Stadium 25, (714) 532-9558; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, (714) 373-4573; Cinemark at the Pike Theaters, (800) 967-1932; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Big Newport 6, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; www.fathomevents.com. Sun., 12:55 p.m. (dubbed in English); Mon., 7 p.m. (English subtitles); Wed., 7 p.m. (dubbed). $12.50.

In Between. The Arab Film and Media Institute and Olive Tree Restaurant present their first AFMI Community Night, which brings some of the hottest Arab Film Festival entries to Orange County. Screening is Budapest-born Maysaloun Hamoud’s directorial debut about three Palestinian women living as roommates in Tel Aviv. Lalia (Mouna Hawa) is a criminal lawyer who likes to party after work and has found love with a modern Muslim man who can’t quite accept all sides of her. Salma (Sana Jammelieh) is a DJ and bartender facing difficultly coming out as gay to her traditional Christian family. Nur (Shaden Kanboura) is a devout Muslim college student who moves in with Lalia and Salma to be close to her university. When her conservative fiancé visits, he is threatened by Nur’s liberal roommates and pressures her to move back to marry him immediately. Olive Tree Restaurant, 518 S. Brookhurst St., Ste. 1, Anaheim; arabfilminstitute.org. Sun., 6:30 p.m. Free, but you must RSVP to guarantee a seat.

Race to Nowhere. Aliso Viejo Middle School PTSA presents this documentary from a concerned mother-turned-filmmaker who maintains that cheating has become commonplace, students are disengaged, and stress-related illness and depression are rampant in our schools. Consider this a call to action for families, educators and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare American youth to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens. Aliso Viejo Middle School, Multipurpose Room, 111 Park Ave., Aliso Viejo, (925) 310-4242. Mon., 6 p.m. Free.

Hippocratic: 18 Experiments in Gently Shaking the World. A pain-free India is the life goal of Dr. MR Rajagopal. Mike Hill’s documentary on “Dr. Raj” is aimed at everyone interested in the power of the human spirit and social justice—especially if those individuals are in nursing, medicine, health care and public health. Hill and Dr. Raj participate in an audience Q&A. MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, Van Dyke Theater, 2801 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach; www.sdcms.org. Mon., 6:30 p.m. $10.

Zootopia. Yet another recent toon with funny people voicing animals (or is it vice versa?). The After School Club Spring Break Movie has a rabbit cop trying to solve a missing-persons case in a city inhabited by anthropomorphic animals (La Habra?). Fullerton Public Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 738-6327. Tues., 4 p.m. Free.

Buck Privates. It’s a 77th-anniversary screening of the Abbott and Costello comedy that has Bud and Lou enlisting in the army to escape being hauled off to jail. But to their dismay, the basic-training drill instructor is the cop who busted them. Regency South Coast Village, 1561 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 557-5701. Wed., 7:30 p.m. $8.50.

The Redeemed and the Dominant: Fittest on Earth. Directors Heber Cannon, Mariah Moore and Marston Sawyers follow eight competitors pushing their bodies to the limit at the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Wed., 7:30 p.m. $7-$10.

Rear Window. Relish the performances in this 1954 thriller of two of Alfred Hitchcock’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. She is Larissa, L.B.’s nurse (and possible love interest), who 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 library does not find it creepy at all if attendees bring their own light snacks and covered beverages, but alcohol is not allowed. Fullerton Public Library, Osborne Auditorium, (714) 738-6327. Thurs., March 29, 1 p.m. Free.