Show Times
Saturday 19, September
Sunday 27, September
COMEDY: Frankie Marcos (Presented by Aint No Joke)
International Headliner Frankie Marcos returns to the Bay Area from his Asian-Australia tour. A full lineup of the best comedians from all over the country with the best of the best from the Bay Area comedy scene. One night only of hilarious laughs, No drink minimums but alcohol and concessions are served in the lobby. Don’t miss this Dont Tell Comedy regular and 2024 San Francisco Comedy Competition winner. Follow @aintnojokebayarea for promo code for discounted presale tickets while supplies last. Frankie Marcos is from the San Jose, California but headlines internationally. He is the winner of the 2024 San Francisco International comedy competition, earning a place in history next to other past finalists like Robin Williams, Louis C.K, Ellen DeGeneres, and more. Frankie is a regular on Don’t Tell Comedy as well as Chocolate Sundaes at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. Frankie has been in the New York Comedy Festival, Melbourne International in Australia, and the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland. Presented by Ain’t No Joke Stand-Up 7:30 PM Doors 8:00 PM Show $30 ADV | $40 DOOR
Dolphin Market with LIVE MUSIC (April Mag & more)
Dolphin Market with opening live sets from April Magazine & Monde UFO presented by Mollusk This is Issue 2 of Memory: "Dolphin Market" and it features Kevin Dickson from Seal Beach; people like to call him the best surfer you've never heard of haha. He's super low key and rips on anything. For the music I got Brian, of Monde UFO, into my studio last summer and filmed him playing an improv noise set consisting of stand up bass and saxophone. And we have our buddy Jeff (Dismal) reading poetry at moments throughout the film. These 3 together in this film capture something special creatively and I'm really excited to share it with the public. The entire film was shot on minidv, vhsc, and hi8 over the past year and a half. Dolphin Market is an old market in Seal Beach that has been closed for as long as we all can remember and Kev lives right next door to it, so that being the title of the film only made sense. 7:00 PM Doors 7:30 PM Music 9:30 PM Film $15 ADV / $18 DOOR
Elephant Gym: More Real Than Dreams
Elephant Gym successfully completed a world tour spanning 60 cities across 23 countries. However, behind this achievement lay an unseen crisis of disbandment, along with hidden conflicts and struggles. What does it truly mean to be a band? The film was first screened in October 2025 at the Kaohsiung Film Festival, one of Taiwan’s leading film festivals, and will also be shown in theaters in both Japan and Taiwan. While their world tour across 23 countries and 60 cities was a major success, the film reveals the untold story behind it—including a looming breakup crisis during its preparation, as well as the band’s internal conflicts and struggles. “If your dreams were to become reality, what price would you be willing to pay?“ Elephant Gym, an instrumental band from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has been creating indie music since its formation in 2012. Their sound blends complex rhythms with irregular time signatures and sophisticated melodies. In Taiwan, their avant-garde musical style often raised the question: who would even listen to this? However, in 2024, they embarked on a world tour covering 23 countries and 60 shows, including three performances in the Philippines. They captivated audiences worldwide and firmly established their presence. Yet behind the glamorous stage, there were deep struggles. Between guitarist Tell Chang and bassist KT Chang—who are siblings—there were conflicts between family ties and band dynamics. Drummer Chia-Chin Tu had to make the difficult decision to leave another band. And just before the world tour, the band faced a crisis that nearly led to their breakup—filled with unseen pain and clashes. Still, they chose to believe in their music and in their bond, and continued moving forward. From a niche genre to the global stage, Elephant Gym asks through their musical journey: What is a band made of people with different backgrounds? What does it mean for people to connect? Between dreams and reality, they found their own “truth.” Come witness that answer in theaters.
I Lost it Over: Body Heat (with Joan Chen)
R
Live improv! Classic movies! Joan Mother-effing Chen! Come hear the legendary actress Joan Chen recount the first time she saw BODY HEAT in a theater, and see a short set inspired by her stories from some of San Francisco’s favorite improvisers— from shows like Your Fucked Up Relationship (Endgames), Bad Art (All-Out), and Forever Improv! Then we’ll all watch the movie together—just you, us, and a packed house of your new trauma-bonded best friends. I LOST IT OVER… is a new series hosted by filmmaker Alice Wu (Saving Face, The Half of It) where a Bay Area luminary picks a cult/classic film they saw in a theater that blew their mind. Combining the magic of cinema and improv, I LOST IT OVER… is a love letter to cinemas, live theater, and a reminder that some of life’s most memorable experiences can only be had in a dark room with total strangers. DOORS at 7:30 PM SHOW at 8:00 PM MOVIE at 9:00 PM
Los Video Nasties 2026 (Short Film Tour)
8 award-winning short films from all over Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina—spanning LGBTQ+ dramas, documentaries, monologues, and experimental animation. From amateur filmmakers, film students, and professional artists, this program celebrates the full spectrum of independent cinema. Once censored, now celebrated—Los Video Nasties returns as a celebration of artistic freedom, bold storytelling, and uncensored expression. Los Video Nasties is an independent and self-managed cultural project developed from Tijuana, Baja California by La Casa Norte. La Casa Norte is an independent cultural collective originating from Tijuana, Baja California, created and initially sustained through the direct effort and self-financing of two siblings interested in building alternative spaces for cinema, art, and emerging expression outside of institutional dynamics traditionally limiting for many independent cultural projects.
Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse: Ace Attorney
ACE ATTORNEY Consider yourself served because this month, Movie Madhouse is headed to court with Ace Attorney! From iconic director Takashi Miike (Audition; Ichi the Killer), this 2012 adaptation of the 2001 Capcom release Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has been dubbed by some as “the best video game movie ever” yet remains criminally under-seen. Guilty as charged! Following the murder of his mentor, rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright is launched into his first major trial as he squares off against his childhood friend, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, in a case where his mentor’s sister, spirit medium Maya Fey, is unjustly accused of the crime. And that’s just the beginning as things ramp off from there into more law & order that dips into the realm of the supernatural! So what’s the verdict? You get to watch this incredible film full of murder, ghosts, lake monsters, homoerotic courtroom drama, and some insane lace front wig game! Court is adjourned. MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE Gender jesters Piranha Psychotronica and Kafka X bring you a new experience in cinematic depravity… Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse! Prepare yourself to enter into a world of face-flaying forgotten and forsaken films… Made-for-TV, Direct-to-Video, VCR games, underground cinema, and more wiley weirdness than your minds can handle! In a world dominated by AI, CGI, mega streaming platforms, and cinematic universes, Media Meltdown celebrates the amateur, the low-budget, the handmade, the experimental, and the weird! Commit yourself every 3rd Sunday to … MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE!
My Neighbor Totoro (Dubbed)
G
My Neighbor Totoro, 1988 ‘となりのトトロ’ Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
My Neighbor Totoro (Subtitled)
G
My Neighbor Totoro, 1988 ‘となりのトトロ’ Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
Songs of Slow Burning Earth
Songs of Slow Burning Earth follows the lives of Ukrainians during the first two years of Russia’s full- scale invasion. The film captures the everyday resilience and deep personal losses of a country living through war. Through intimate scenes with civilians, children, and aid workers, it reveals how ordinary people endure extraordinary circumstances in the shadow of ongoing violence.