Play Us Out, Boys! [Special Screenings, Nov. 15-22]

Bandstand. Photo courtesy Fathom Events

Prince of Darkness. Frida’s John Carpenter month continues with his 1987 supernatural-horror cult classic about a priest (Donald Pleasance) who learns a deceased padre left behind a vial filled with liquid . . . SATAN! The Frida Cinema, 305 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana; thefridacinema.org.. Thurs., Nov. 15, 5, 7:30 & 10 p.m.; Fri., 5:30 & 7:45 p.m. $7-$10.

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Family Movie Night presents David Soren’s 2017 animated comedy in which two overly imaginative pranksters (voiced by Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch) hypnotize their principal (Ed Helms) into thinking he’s a ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly dimwitted superhero named Captain Underpants. Fullerton Public Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 738-6327. Thurs., Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Bandstand. It’s a tape of a Broadway stage performance of the musical about a former soldier (Corey Cott) trying to rebuild his singer/songwriter career with a band of fellow World War II veterans. 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 (Nov. 19 only); Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, 7777 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, (800) 967-1932 (Nov. 19 only); Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, 26701 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Foothill Towne Center Stadium 22, 26602 Towne Center Dr., Foothill Ranch, (949) 588-9402; 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. & Mon., Nov. 15 & 19, 7 p.m. $18.

Burn the Stage: The Movie. Jun-Soo Park’s new music documentary follows BTS, the biggest boy band in the world today, as they tour. Hailing from South Korea, the band’s name is an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Beyond the Scene.” Candid interviews and behind-the-scenes footage are promised. AMC Fullerton 20, 1001 S. Lemon St., Fullerton, (714) 992-6962; AMC Tustin Legacy at the District, (714) 258-7036; CGV Cinemas at the Source OC, 6988 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, thesourceoc.com; Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Laguna Nigel at Ocean Ranch Village, 32401 Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel, (949) 373-7900; Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Rancho Santa Margarita at Santa Margarita Town Center, 30632 Santa Margarita Pkwy., Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 835-1888; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Big Newport 6, 300 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Foothill Towne Center Stadium 22, (949) 588-9402; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Kaleidoscope Stadium 10, 27741 Crown Valley Pkwy., Mission Viejo, (949) 582-4078; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Market Place Stadium, 13782 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Metro Pointe Stadium 12, 901 South Coast Dr., Costa Mesa, (714) 428-0962; Regal Garden Grove Stadium 16, (844) 462-7342; Regal La Habra Stadium 16, 1351 W. Imperial Hwy., La Habra, (562) 690-4909; us.burnthestagemovie.com. Thurs., Nov. 15, 7 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 12:55 p.m. $15; also at AMC Orange 30 at the Outlets, (714) 769-4288. Thurs., Nov. 15, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; Sat., 10:30 a.m., 3:20, 5:45, 8:10 & 10:35 p.m.; Sun., 3:20 & 10:35 p.m. $15; and Regency Westminster, 6721 Westminster Blvd., Westminster, (714) 893-4222. Thurs. & Mon.-Tues., Nov. 15 & 19-20, 7:30 p.m. $8-$10.

Kusama: Infinity. Yayoi Kusama overcame the odds to bring her radical artistic vision to the world. This documentary shows how she became the top-selling artist on the planet. Art Theatre, 2025 E. Fourth St., Long Beach, (562) 438-5435; arttheatrelongbeach.org. Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. $8.50-$11.50.

Suspiria. Photo courtesy Amazon Studios

Suspiria. Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 remake of Dario Argento’s 1977 chiller has a darkness swirling around a world-renowned dance company. It engulfs its female artistic director (Tilda Swinton), an ambitious young dancer (Dakota Johnson) and a grieving male psychotherapist (Swinton again!). The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Thurs., Nov. 15, 8:30 p.m. $7-$10.

Lasso. Evan Cecil’s new genre mashup has a group of seniors attending a remote, small-town rodeo, but when they try to leave, they find themselves being hunted by bloodthirsty cowboys. Two elderlies (Andrew Jacobs and Lindsey Morgan) join a one-armed cowboy, a rodeo queen and a female bull rider in trying to save as many seniors as they can. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri., 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 8 & 10:30 p.m.; Sat., 11 p.m.; Sun. & Wed., 10 p.m.; Mon.-Tues., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.; Thurs., Nov. 22, 11 a.m. $7-$10.

The Meg. The conceit of Jun-Soo Park’s popcorn movie that opened this summer is a cloudy area exists in the ocean off the Far East that oceanographers assume is the sea’s floor but is actually a layer that, once penetrated, leads to an even-deeper underwater world filled with unknown creatures. Among them is a 75-foot-long prehistoric Megalodon shark—or “The Meg”—who manages to bust through to our side and really piss off Jason Statham. Bundle up for this outdoor screening. CGV Cinemas at the Source OC, 6988 Beach Blvd., Buena Park; thesourceoc.com. Fri., 7 p.m. Free.

The CABDR-South Expedition. Backdoor Discovery Routes and International Motorcycle Shows Long Beach present the world premiere of a documentary on the challenging off-pavement ride that begins in Yuma, Arizona, and covers 820 miles before ending in Benton, California. An audience Q&A with the BDR team follows the screening. Art Theatre; arttheatrelongbeach.org. Fri., 8 p.m. $15.

Take It Out In Trade. Photo courtesy Ashdown Gonzalez Productions

Take It Out in Trade: The Final Lost Film by Ed Wood. It was assumed the legendary exploitation film director’s final work was lost forever. Then, a lone 16mm print was unearthed and exhibited in New York City in 2014. American Genre Film Archive and Something Weird went on to preserve the 1970 flick about a detective finding a couple’s missing daughter in a “house of ill-repute.” The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri., 10 p.m.; Sat., 11 p.m. $7-$10.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! “Grinch Week” at Chapman University began with the opening of the exhibit “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: Chuck Jones and the Making of an Animated Classic,” which continues through Jan. 19, 2019, in the Orange campus’ Hibbert Museum of California Art. The special week ends with a screening of Jones’ 1966 cartoon about a hermit beast of the highlands coming down to spoil Christmas for Whoville. A discussion follows with Grinch lead animator Phil Roman; the late Jones’ daughter and film producer Linda Jones Clough; and animator/animation director Chris Bailey (The Lion King, Kim Possible). Musco Center for the Arts, Chapman University, 1 University Dr., Orange, (844) 626-8726; www.muscocenter.org. Sat., 7:30 p.m. Free, but you must call or visit website for a required ticket.

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.” Live shadow-cast troupe Midnight Insanity performs. Art Theatre; arttheatrelongbeach.org. Sat., 11:55 p.m. $8.50-$11.50.

Castle In the Sky. GKIDS and Fathom Events continue Studio Ghibli Fest 2018 with Hayao Miyazaki’s 1986 anime about a young boy and girl with a magic crystal. They must race against pirates and foreign agents to find a legendary floating castle. Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek and Cloris Leachman are among the English-dubbed version’s voice actors. AMC Orange 30 at the Outlets, (714) 769-4288; Cinemark Century Stadium 25, (714) 532-9558; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, (800) 967-1932; Cinemark at the Pike Theaters, 99 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, (562) 435-5754; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Big Newport 6, 300 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; Regal Garden Grove Stadium 16, (844) 462-7342; www.fathomevents.com. Sun., 12:55 p.m. (dubbed); Mon., 7 p.m. (subtitled); Tues., 7 p.m. (dubbed). $12.50.

The Florida Project + Spring Breakers – A24 Goes to Florida Double Feature. Frida allows a Volunteer of the Month to choose a title to screen, but a tie resulted in the discovery that each had selected films from arthouse distributor A24 that take place in Florida. So, first and from 2017 comes Sean Baker’s The Florida Project, which is about a precocious 6-year-old girl (Brooklyn Moonee) bonding with her ragtag playmates, her rebellious mom (Bria Vinaite) and their landlord (Willem Dafoe, in an Oscar-nominated performance) at a motel near Disney World. Next is Harmony Korine’s 2012 crime drama Spring Breakers, which focuses on four college girls (who include Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez) getting bailed out of jail by a drug and arms dealer after their arrests for holding up a restaurant to fund their vacation in you-know-where. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Mon.-Wed., 2:30 & 7:30 p.m. $7-$10.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Just in time for Thanksgiving comes the 1987 holiday comedy that is arguably the late John Hughes’ best film. Amid bad weather and dwindling travel options, an uptight advertising executive (Steve Martin) is forced to accompany a loudmouth (John Candy) with a heart of gold if they are to make it home in time for Thanksgiving. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Tues., 6 & 8 p.m.; Wed., 2, 4, 6 & 8 p.m. $7-$10.

The Sound of Music. Robert Wise’s 1965 musical—which won Oscars for Best Score, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Director and Best Picture—was adapted from the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage hit about the Von Trapp Family Singers, who were one of the world’s best-known concert groups just before World War II. Maria (Julie Andrews) becomes a governess in the home of widowed Austrian naval Captain Baron Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children. Distressed by the rigid structure and lack of frivolity in the home, Maria introduces the children to music. However, threatening to silence the joy are the hardened captain, a baroness (Eleanor Parker) and a growing Nazi presence across Europe. Regency South Coast Village, 1561 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 557-5701. Wed., 7:30 p.m. $9.

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