Shop Smart, Shop S-Mart [Special Screenings, Oct. 20-27]

ASIP Films: Horror Special. Associated Students Inc. Pictures promises multiple scary movies through midnight. Better grab a friendly arm for the walk back home, Titans defensive linemen. Cal State Fullerton, Titan Student Union Titan Theatre, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, (657) 278-4219. Thurs., Oct. 20, 4, 7 & 10 p.m. Free.

American Pastoral. See the new film based on Philip Roth’s novel and then stick around to hear debut director Ewan McGregor and his co-stars Jennifer Connelly and Dakota Fanning talk about making it. (They will be beamed into the theater from New York). McGregor plays Swede Levov, the former high school football star whose wife Dawn (Connelly) was the beauty queen. Vietnam era married life in the suburbs is swell until their daughter Merry (Fanning) joins a group of yippies that bombs the local post office and goes into hiding. Directors Cut Cinema at Rancho Niguel, 25471 Rancho Niguel Rd., Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-0446. Thur., Oct. 20, 6 p.m. $9.75-$12.50.

Castle in the Sky. Hayao Miyazaki’s 1986 anime has a young boy and a girl with a magic crystal racing against pirates and foreign agents to find a legendary floating castle. Directors Cut Cinema at Rancho Niguel, (949) 831-0446. Thur., Oct. 20, 6 p.m. $8.

OC Film Fiesta. The seventh-annual festival features award-winning films, stars, parties, tributes, workshops, premieres, special events and more through Oct. 29 in downtown Santa Ana. Thursday, Oct. 20, brings the documentary Code Name: Butterflies (6 p.m.), which is the incredible story of the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic who, in the 1950s, opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo and created a movement to resist his power. Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Kershaw Auditorium, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 567-3677; www.facebook.com/filmfiesta. Thurs., Oct. 20, 6 p.m. Free. All-inclusive passes available for $60 via www.masamedia.org.

The Tale of Despereaux. This 2008 animated comedy, based on Kate DiCamillo's book, is about a mouse rescuing a beautiful princess from rats. Fullerton Main Library, Osborne Auditorium, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 738.6327. Thurs., Oct. 20, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Rob Zombie's 31. The maker of heavy-metal music and the movies House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects and the Halloween reboot tells the story of five carnival workers who are kidnapped the night before Halloween and held hostage in a large compound. They are forced to play a deadly game called 31 against an endless parade of homicidal maniacs. The cast includes the director's wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, and Malcolm McDowell. The event also features screenings of the music videos for “Gore Whore” and “Get Your Boots On,” a Q&A with Rob Zombie, and a special look behind the scenes. AMC Orange 30, 20 City Blvd. W., Orange, (714) 769-4288; 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 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., Oct. 20, 7 p.m. $15.

Secret in Their Eyes. Emmy nominee Nelson Coates, the set designer for the 2015 psychological thriller, discusses his work at this screening. Based on the Argentine novel El Secreto de Sus Ojos, writer-director Billy Ray’s film is about a tight-knit group of investigators coming undone when the teen daughter of one of them is brutally and inexplicably murdered. Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor star. Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach; (949) 494.8971, ext. 203. Thurs., Oct. 20, 7 p.m.. Free with museum admission ($5-$7). RSVP strongly advised.

2016 Animation Show of Shows. The 18th annual event presents the best animated shorts of the year. Chapman presents the full program, but The Frida has broken the 16 films into two programs: 12 are shown as part of family mantinees and later evening screenings feature all the films. The family friendly lineup at Frida includes: Stems (director Ainslie Hendersen, Scotland); Shift (Cecilia Puglesi & Yijun Liu, U.S.); Pearl (Patrick Osborne, U.S.); Crin-crin (Iris Alexandre, Belgium); Mirror (Chris Ware, John Kuramoto, Ira Glass, U.S.); Last Summer in the Garden (Bekky O’Neil, Canada); Waiting for the New Year (Vladimir Leschiov, Latvia); Piper (Alan Barillaro, U.S.); Bøygen (Kristian Pedersen, Norway); Afternoon Class (Seoro Oh, Korea); About a Mother (Dina Velikovskaya, Russia); Exploozy (Joshua Gunn, Trevor Piecham, & John McGowan, U.S.). In addition to those, these are shown at Frida after 5 p.m.: Corpus (Marc Héricher, France); Blue (Daniela Sherer, Israel); Manoman (Simon Cartwright, England); All Their Shades (Chloé Alliez, Belgium). Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Folina Theater, 283 N. Cypress St., Orange; events.chapman.edu. Thurs., Oct. 20, 7 p.m. Free but RSVP required. Also at The Frida Cinema, 305 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana; thefridacinema.org. Fri., Mon.-Thurs., Oct. 27, 5:45, 7:30, 9:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 11:30 a.m., 2, 5:45, 7:30, 9:30 p.m. All screenings before 5 p.m. $7, otherwise $8-$10.

The Jungle Book. Friday Night Flix, which is presented on a newly renovated grassy area, features the live-action (well, live action against a green screen) version of the Disney animated classic with a new Mowgli (Neel Sethi) and, as Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther and Shere Khan the tiger respectively, the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley and Idris Elba. The evening includes free family activities, cheap popcorn and reasonably priced food from surrounding eateries. Woodbury Town Center, 6460 Irvine Blvd., Irvine; www.shopirvinecompany.com. Fri. Gates open, 5 p.m.; screening, 7 p.m. Free; also at Brio Park, 300 S. Euclid St., La Habra, (562) 383-4205. Fri., 7:45 p.m. Free.

Urbanized. To cap a day celebrating downtown SanTana being named one of America's Great Neighborhoods by the American Planning Association—events included a walking tour, a reception with food from downtown restaurants and the presentation of the APA award—the city rolls Gary Hustwit's documentary in which the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders and thinkers ruminate about urban design. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri., 7 p.m. Free.

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. Nostalgic Nebula present director Rachel Talalay's gruesome 1991 flick in which murderous ghoul Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) moves to a new town in search of fresh young victims to hack up with his finger blades. He also connects with his long-lost daughter, Maggie (Lisa Zane), a therapist for troubled youths. Freddy tries to recruit her for his dastardly pursuits, but she has other ideas that lead to a bloody father-daughter showdown. Standard tickets get you into the movie, while VIP passes include admission; pizza; a booklet of 3D Freddy Krueger images; a 3D poster with a pair of Red/Cyan 3D specs; and a meeting, autograph and photo with Carlos from the film, Ricky Dean Logan; and Carlos' Nightmare Hearing Aid gummy candy. Logan will also autograph one's own memorabilia for an extra fee. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Fri. VIP session, 9 p.m.; doors open, 10 p.m.; screening, 11 p.m. Film only, $15; VIP, $85 (available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2636120). Additional autographs are $10 for VIPs, $25 for everyone else.

Don Giovanni. The Met: Live In HD series presents Mozart's opera live and beamed into theaters. Simon Keenlyside makes his Met debut as the unrepentant seducer in Tony Award winner Michael Grandage's staging of the masterpiece. Met principal conductor Fabio Luisi leads a cast that includes Hibla Gerzmava as Donna Anna, Malin Byström as Donna Elvira, Serena Malfi as Zerlina, Adam Plachetka as Leporello, Matthew Rose as Masetto, Kwangchul Youn as the Commendatore and Paul Appleby in his Live In HD debut as Don Ottavio. Clocking in at nearly four hours, the opera does include an intermission, when cast, crew and production teams will give a revealing look at what goes into the staging of an opera. AMC Marina Pacifica, 6346 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, (562) 430-8790; AMC Orange 30, 20 City Blvd. W., Orange, (714) 769-4288; AMC Tustin Legacy at The District, 2457 Park Ave., Tustin, (714) 258-7036; Cinemark at the Pike Theaters, 99 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, (800) 967-1932; 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 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. Sat., 12:55 p.m.; Wed., 6:30 p.m. (taped encore). $18-$26.

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Top Gun. Tom Cruise soars as a cocky military pilot trainee who loses his buddy but gets the girl. Huntington State Beach, Beach Blvd. and Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach; beachfrontcinema.com. Sat., 4 p.m. $15-$49.

The Evil Dead Trilogy. Is there a better place than a cemetery to see Sam Raimi's trilogy featuring Bruce Campbell as chainsaw-wielding, smooth-talking hero Ashley “Ash” J. Williams in all three? (I still can't believe how young he looked in the original!) Evil Dead of 1981 has a very familiar plot: young people meeting in a cabin to do what young people do, only to be interrupted by killers. But Raimi tosses out a Necromoniconic twist that has fueled all these movies and the current Starz series with Campbell back in the driver's seat. Evil Dead II (1987) adds more slapstick comedy to the horror, as Ash battles friends, lovers, furniture and even his own hand. In 1992's Army of Darkness, Ash is accidentally transported back to 1300 A.D., where his foes include Bad Ash! Lola's Outdoor Retro Cinema at Sunnyside Cemetery, 1095 E. Willow St., Long Beach; www.facebook.com/lbcinematheque. Sat. DJ set by Thin Man, 6 p.m.; The Evil Dead, 7 p.m.; Evil Dead II, 8:50 p.m.; Army of Darkness, 10:40 p.m. $15 (via www.eventbrite.com/e/the-evil-dead-trilogy-sunnyside-cemetery-long-beach-tickets-28129286453); $20 at the gate (cash only—and only if any are left); Frida Cinema members, free. Parking is extremely limited, so you are advised to arrive early and requested to park elsewhere if you plan to leave early.

Elvira's Haunted Hills. Cassandra Peterson spins her double-D, double-entendre-spewing “mistress of the dark” routine, which used to button commercial breaks during Channel 9 horror-flick reruns, with a movie of her own. It's 1851, and Elvira moves into a castle high above the village of Carpathia, where her resemblance to the count's “missing” wife stirs up trouble. The 2001 film is presented by Mistress Azrael, who is known for hosting preshow shenanigans and surprises. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Sat., 10 p.m. $8-$10.

Corpse Bride. Calle Cuatro Sunday Matinee presents Tim Burton's 2005 animated tale in which Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp) is groomnapped by Emily (Helena Bonham Carter) on the eve of his arranged wedding to Victoria (Emily Watson). Taken to the land of the dead, where Emily is just looking for love after being murdered shortly before her own wedding, Victor must figure out how to make it back to the land of the living before Victoria is forced to marry terrible Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant). The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Sun., 11 a.m. $1-$5.

The Royal Opera House: Norma. Bellini's classic bel canto opera gets a new production directed with a modern edge by Àlex Ollé of theater group La Fura dels Baus. The timeless tale of love, rivalry and betrayal is set against a backdrop of war driven by the extremes of a fanatically religious society. Directors Cut Cinema at Regency Rancho Niguel, 25471 Rancho Niguel Rd., Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-0446; Regency South Coast Village, 1561 Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 557-5701. Sun., 12:55 p.m.; Wed., 7 p.m. $14-$17.

The Shining. Stanley Kubrick's modern horror masterpiece of 1980 is brought back to the big screen by Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Warner Bros. Entertainment, with exclusive commentary by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz. Adapted from the novel by Stephen King (who does not much like the rewrite), the film stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, who has brought his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son (Danny Lloyd) to look over the elegant Overlook Hotel deep in the Colorado Rockies in the wintery off-season. Once the family is totally alone there, things take a turn. AMC Orange 30, (714) 769-4288; Cinemark Century Stadium 25, Orange, (714) 532-9558; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, (714) 373-4573; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; www.FathomEvents.com. Sun. & Wed., 2 & 7 p.m. Call for ticket prices.

The Smart Studios Story. See the documentary on the little indie studio in Madison, Wisconsin, that Butch Vig and Steve Marker established in 1982, then stick around to ask director Wendy Schneider all about it. The dilapidated building on the edge of town was mistaken for a crack house by many, yet it became the hub of the Midwest music scene and a driving force of alternative rock worldwide. The film includes never-before-seen archival footage of the legendary artists who recorded there as well as interviews with Dave Grohl (Nirvana), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Shirley Manson (Garbage), Donita Sparks (L7), Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) and many more. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Sun., 7:30 p.m. $8-$10.

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Kirk Cameron's Revive Us. Rebroadcast from an Oct. 18 live event in Chicago is the Christian actor—known for his recent Monumental and Unstoppable events—leading an evening of music, worship and inspirational tales. AMC Downtown Disney, 1565 Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, (714) 776-2355; AMC Orange 30, (714) 769-4288; AMC Tustin Legacy at the District, (714) 258-7036; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; www.FathomEvents.com. Mon., 7 p.m. $15.

Aliens. After Ellen Ripley survived her disastrous ordeal, nobody believed her story about aliens being on the planet LV-426. But 50 years later (or seven years after the original Alien of 1979), the colony on LV-426 is completely destroyed. So the government revives Ripley out of cryostasis to aid a team of rugged space marines seeking aliens and/or survivors. Directors Cut Cinema at Regency Rancho Niguel, (949) 831-0446. Tues., 7 p.m. $8.

National Theater Live: Frankenstein. It's an encore screening of Danny Boyle's 2011 stage production of Mary Shelley's 1818 classic horror novel starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, who both won Olivier Awards for alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. AMC Tustin Legacy at The District, (714) 258-7036; Cinemark Century Stadium 25, Orange, (714) 532-9558; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, (714) 373-4573; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; www.FathomEvents.com. Tues., 7 p.m. $12.50.

Worship Night In America: An Evening of Unity and Prayer for Our Country. Shortly before the presidential election, Grammy-winning Christian musical artist Chris Tomlin holds a one-night-only event beamed into theaters across the country so the nation can “unite and pray for our country in a time of great division and unrest.” Author Max Lucado, pastor Louie Giglio, and Matt Maher, Phil Wickham, Matt Redman and Tasha Cobbs participate in the event. Calvary Chapel of Fullerton, 2311 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton; christomlin.com. Tues., 7 p.m. $7.

Ghostbusters. Saddleback Movie Night presents the surprisingly overmaligned reboot from earlier this year directed by Paul Feig, written by Feig and Katie Dippold, and starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth. Physicists Abby Yates (McCarthy) and Erin Gilbert (Wiig) co-authored a research book that posits the existence of paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, but Gilbert later disowned the work and became a professor at Columbia University. Yates, who continues to study the paranormal at a technical college with eccentric engineer Jillian Holtzmann (McKinnon), republishes the book, threatening Gilbert's bid for tenure. In exchange for Yates removing the book from publication, Gilbert reluctantly agrees to assist her and Holtzmann in a paranormal investigation. Saddleback's Student Development Office promises drinks and popcorn at this free outdoor screening (bundle up!). Saddleback College, SSC Quad, 28000 Marguerite Pkwy., Mission Viejo, (949) 582-4616. Wed., 7 p.m. Free.

Oasis: Supersonic. Documentary follows the ups and downs of UK rock gods Liam and Noel Gallagher. Fans will appreciate how open the battling brothers are about the highs and lows of fame. In the end they blame the media for trying to create a Britpop scene and forcing the band into it. Art Theatre, 2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach, (562) 438-5435. Wed., 7 p.m. $8-$11.

Psycho. The Cinema Classics series continues with this 1960 Hitchcock classic, which must be among the most influential and blatantly ripped off movies of all time. It's about the uncomfortably close relationship between motel manager Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his rocking-chair-bound mother. For even more Norman, skip the sequels, remakes and rip-offs and head directly to the excellent A&E Network series Bates Motel, where going into its fifth season Freddie Highmore is every bit as creepy as Perkins was (I swear the Brit is channeling the Yank), and Vera Farmiga is finally in that rocking chair. Starlight Cinema City, 5635 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, (714) 970-6700; starlightcinemas.com. Wed., 7 p.m. $7.

Transfer and The Brood. UC Irvine's Psychoanalysis Reading Group, which invites the public to curated films and readings around the broadly conceived theme of limits to analysis, first screens David Cronenberg’s 1966 short film Transfer, followed by his 1979 feature film The Brood and then a brief discussion. (An optional and spoiler-filled reading from Cronenberg on Cronenberg is available PARG's website. UC Irvine, McCormick Screening Room; psychoanalysisreadinggroup.wordpress.com. Wed., 7 p.m. Free.

Emma. Douglas McGrath's 1996 adaption of the Jane Austen novel of the same name looks at a year in the life of Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow), a congenial but naive young woman who thinks of herself as a romantic matchmaker in her small community in early 19th-century England. But her latest attempt at pairing goes horribly wrong. Fullerton Main Library, Osborne Auditorium, Room B, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 738.6327. Thurs., Oct. 27, 1 p.m. Free.

East LA Interchange. Betsy Kalin’s documentary examines working-class, immigrant Boyle Heights, the oldest neighborhood in East Los Angeles. Targeted by government policies, real estate laws and California planners, the quintessential immigrant neighborhood survived racially restrictive housing covenants, Japanese-American Internment, federal redlining policies, lack of political representation and the building of the largest and busiest freeway interchange system in the nation. Kalin argues the East L.A. Interchange impacts Boyle Heights’ residents literally, as an environmental hazard and structural blockade, and figuratively, as a conversational interchange about why the future of their beloved community should matter to us all. You can argue back or agree with her as the filmmaker takes audience questions after the screening presented by UCI’s Visual Studies Program, Illuminations: The Chancellor's Arts & Culture Initiative, Department of Planning, Policy & Design and Chicano Latino Studies. Architecture and Urban Studies Research Cluster hosts a pre-film reception. UC Irvine, McCormick Screening Room, 1070 Humanities Gateway, Irvine, (949) 824-6117. Thurs., Oct. 27, 4 p.m. (reception), 5 p.m. (screening). Free.

RiffTrax Live: Carnival of Souls. Mystery Science Theater 3000 alums Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, whose new joint is RiffTrax, riff live on a spooky 1962 cult classic about young Mary surviving a horrible car crash, restarting her life in a small Utah town and becoming haunted by a gaunt, pale figure in a nice suit. He may or may not be a Mormon because . . . Okay, I don't really know the fellow's religion, but he does lead Mary to an abandoned old pavilion on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, and soon she doesn't know if she's awake or dreaming, alive or dead, a single ready to mingle or a sister wife. . . . AMC Orange 30, (714) 769-4288; Cinemark at the Pike Theaters, Long Beach, (800) 967-1932; Cinemark Century Stadium 25, Orange, (714) 532-9558; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, (714) 373-4573; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, (844) 462-7342; www.FathomEvents.com. Thurs., Oct. 27, 8 p.m. $10.50-$15.

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The Toxic Avenger. CinemAttack returns to the Frida with one of the trashiest (in a great way) movies of all time, Troma's 1984 gore fest complete with sex, nudity and strong language. Expect nothing less when a 98-pound nerd (Mark Torgl) from New Jersey lands in a vat of toxic waste and becomes a benevolent monster (Mitchell Cohen). Not only do you get the movie, but you also get writer/director/producer Lloyd Kaufman, who leads a Q&A session and maybe, just maybe, brings Toxie himself along with him. Dress in your finest '80s aerobic outfit to compete in a costume contest. Among the awesome prizes you can win: The first 100 through the door get a free enamel Troma pin. Drinks, treats and merch will be available. The Frida Cinema; thefridacinema.org. Thurs., Oct. 27. Doors open, 8 p.m.; screening, 9 p.m. $15.

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