Sat. Mar. 29 

Doors – 7:00 PM  

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM  

Film – 8:00 PM  

Tickets - $6  

1hr 25min | R | Action/Comedy | Hong Kong/USA 

Thirty years ago, Jackie Chan, the undisputed king of kung fu comedy, broke through to worldwide mainstream success and superstardom with Rumble in the Bronx.  

Beloved by kung fu heads everywhere, the Hong Kong action star had long earned fans with his incomparable feats of agility and a timeless sense of physical comedy. But with this flick, set in the New York City borough of the Bronx, (looking suspiciously like Vancouver, Canada) Jackie was unleashed onto North American screens like never before. And audiences were enthralled, reveling in its antic fights and chases, delighting in its goofy charms. They laughed and gasped at its thrills and absurdities, marching in droves to theaters as the film tumbled and leapt its way improbably toward becoming the most profitable film of the year.  

Join us as we relive the stunts, the brawls, the goofy hijinks, (and the ridiculous dubbing) on the Senate’s big screen! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue 

Dolemite (1975)  

Sat. Feb. 8 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 30min | R | Comedy/Action | USA 

Join us for an anniversary screening of Dolemite, the quintessential independent blaxploitation flick! 

2025 marks fifty years since the theatrical debut of comedian Rudy Ray Moore’s character Dolemite, the foul-mouthed proto-rapper and manager of a certain class of lady. Long a part of Moore’s X-rated nightclub act, the Dolemite character jumped to the big screen in 1975, taking with him his dirty jokes and adding to that action hero antics and a stable of kung-fu chicks. Moore himself, who co-wrote the film and starred in the title role, mostly self-financed the endeavor, much as he did with his self-released comedy records.  

Following a pimp’s (somewhat ironic) quest to clean up the streets, revive his reputation, and reclaim his nightclub after a stint in prison, Dolemite is everything you expect from the blaxploitation genre, but with jokes. Don’t miss it! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue 

Sun. Dec. 1 – World AIDS Day

Doors – 5:30 PM 

Film – 6:30 PM 

Tickets – FREE (RSVP and Donate at the link)

1hr 51min | NR | Drama/Comedy | United States 

In attendance: Director Tom E. Brown

Live Organ Pre-show

100% of donation proceeds will go directly to our LGBTQ+ community partners for their ongoing work in the community

The Event

Bugsby Pictures and the Senate Theater present free public film screening and discussion to commemorate World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day has become one of the most widely recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, honor those who have died, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

The Feature Film

When a struggling writer, HIV-positive for 20+ years, accidentally deposits a $100 birthday check, he is dropped from his health plan for earning too much. In this new era of sort-of universal care, can he take on a helpless bureaucracy or come up with $3000 a month to buy meds on his own? Danny Glover, James Roday Rodriguez, Khandi Alexander, and Robin Weigert star in PUSHING DEAD, a film about being strengthened by a challenge, not weakened by a disease.

The Writer/Director

Tom E. Brown (in attendance) is about to celebrate his 40-year anniversary living with HIV. Tom’s films have been featured at the American Museum of Natural History, the Walker Art Center, and the Guggenheim. He is a Rockefeller Foundation and Sundance Institute fellow. Tom has given lectures across the country focusing on his experience with chronic illness and how he finds the funny in the ache.

Sponsor

• Gilead

Community Partners

• Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center

• Cinema Lamont

• Ferndale Pride

• LGBT Detroit

• The Market Detroit

• Motor City Pride

• Ruth Ellis Center

• SEMHAC

Additional Support

• Sundance Institute

• Synergetic Distribution

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Sat. Nov. 9

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 35min | R | Action/Comedy| Hong Kong/China 

Dubbed in English 

Presented in partnership with Cinema Lamont

This autumn at the Senate, kung fu returns to our big screen for the 20th anniversary of the wacky action extravaganza, Kung Fu Hustle! As the leaves fall outside so too will the karate chops and flying kicks rain down, bludgeoning your eyeballs with acrobatic martial arts action, leaving you reeling, clutching a belly made sore by a relentless slapstick comedy attack. 

Directed by and starring filmmaker, actor and master of the absurd Stephen Chow, Kung Fu Hustle follows the travails of Sing, an inept wannabe gangster. In the slums of 1940s Shanghai Sing struggles to find the true hero within as he faces off against a tornado of axe-wielding thugs, hidden powers, and cartoonishly nasty villains.  

This award-winning new classic is as brazenly brutal as it is beautifully silly, combining the energy of Bugs Bunny’s most manic antics with artful and elaborate fight choreography.  

This is Hong Kong cinema at its biggest and boldest. See it big. See you at the Senate! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 33min | PG | Comedy/Musical | USA 

We all know rock music is dangerous, but did you know it might just blow up your children’s school? 

That’s according to the cult teen movie classic, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, a delightful alchemy of sneering punk rock attitude, goofball energy, and campy performances! 

Produced by Roger “King of the B-movie" Corman, this tongue-in-cheek comedy follows the exploits of a plucky teenage troublemaker Riff Randall as she attempts to meet her idols and hopefully kickstart a nascent songwriting career. It was originally conceived as Disco High, an update of the rock ‘n’ roll exploitation films Corman and others made in the 1960s. That concept was soon abandoned, however, as the script veered deep into screwball antics and back towards rock music, eventually leading to the hiring of (then unknown) punk rock legends The Ramones.  

The result lands somewhere between Grease and Animal House, with a soundtrack featuring a heavy dose of The Ramones, alongside the likes of Brian Eno, The Velvet Underground, and Detroit’s own MC5. 

See you there. Don’t be a square. 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Sat. Jul. 20 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 23min | NR | Exploitation/Comedy | USA 

It’s summer at the Senate and we’re once again getting Hot, Sweaty & Weird with a series of flicks to satisfy your burning desire for schlock and subculture, camp and cult! 

First up is Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, the grandmama of “sexploitation” films from writer/director/producer and consummate boundary pusher, Russ Meyer—hailed as the “best movie ever made” by director John Waters (Hairspray, Pink Flamingos).

This low budget masterpiece follows the violent exploits of three go-go dancers/sports car enthusiasts led by the terrifying and shockingly busty speed demon, Varla (Tura Santana).  

Originally dismissed by the film critics, this boldly bad and brazenly bawdy film has since been reevaluated as a sneaky satire with cheeky humor and quotable dialogue; its b-movie aesthetics and production values elevated by its subversive and still relevant takes on sexuality and gender. 

Don’t miss it! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

2hr 1min | R | Drama/Comedy | USA 

 A good man may be hard to find but friendship is always there. 

In Waiting to Exhale, directed by Forrest Whitaker, four Black women struggle against the tumult and disappointments of their lives. Through their bond with each other they find joy, love, hope and kinship—with a little help from some vehicular arson. 

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Terry McMillan (How Stella Got Her Groove Back) this trailblazing hit film spurred the production of similar films for at least a decade and has had a long-lasting cultural impact. Though it focuses on middle class Black women and their particular problems it remains a touchstone of representation for any woman. Meanwhile, it dared to buck the trend of popular Black films that focused on the poverty stricken and violent lives of young Black men, proving once again the viability of films made for and about women—their desires, their issues, and their triumphs.  

Of course, with a cast like this how could you miss?

Superstar singer/actress Whitney Houston and critically acclaimed actress Angela Bassett lead the stacked ensemble,

a who’s who of Black actors from the mid-1990s featuring Loretta Devine, Gregory Hines, Giancarlo Esposito, Wesley Snipes and more. Add to that a soundtrack and score written by R&B giant, Babyface, and it’s no wonder that this film has remained one of the most relevant and beloved classics of the era. 

And we haven’t even mentioned how funny it is.  

We hope to see you there! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Sat. Feb. 17 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 11min | NR | Drama/Romance | United States 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Lance Luce 
 

Depravity seizes upon poverty as extravagance collides with innocence in Queen Kelly,

a silent drama of doomed romance, presented with live musical accompaniment by Lance Luce on the Senate’s Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ! This incomplete but still captivating exercise in cinematic excess from director/screenwriter Erich von Stroheim proves that even an unfinished work from a master is still a masterwork. 

Co-produced by and starring Gloria Swanson, one of the silent era's biggest stars, what survives of the film tells the story of a playboy aristocrat who balks at his betrothal to his mad queen. On the eve of the marriage, he falls for an enchanting and fiery convent girl (Swanson) and then schemes to possess her, no matter the cost.  

In its existing form, the film presents a meticulously realized world in beautiful detail, a simple but sumptuous tale of worlds colliding—an ill-fated meeting that ends, (spoiler) in tragedy.  

But the epic and transgressive melodrama that could have been was never completed, itself a victim of incompatibility. But rather than a clash of class and circumstance, what doomed Queen Kelly from reaching its potential was the battle between art and business, the vision of an auteur versus censorship. 

Silents at the Senate is proud to present the 1932 release of this almost lost piece of silent film history!

Released only in Europe well into the “talkie” period, this is the most concise and cinematically pure version of the film. It features the so-called “Swanson” ending, filmed after the dismissal of Stroheim and shot two years after the abrupt end to the production due to massive cost overruns and the directors’ efforts to skirt the demands of censors. 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Sat. Dec. 2 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

2hr 10min | PG |Drama/Comedy | USA 

Merry Christmas, Detroit! Merry Christmas Michigan Avenue! Merry Christmas you wonderful old Senate Theater! 

We’re kicking off the season of giving this year by bringing you It’s a Wonderful Life. More than seventy-five years on, this enduring holiday classic remains just as romantic, funny, and heart wrenching as ever.  

You’ve seen it again and again, but now you can see it on the big screen in a theater that was playing movies back in 1946 when this classic was released. 

George Bailey (James Stewart) is an idealist, dedicated to his family and neighbors. Almost universally beloved, he is known as a man of integrity and generosity, living his entire life within the quaint confines of his hometown. But will a stifled ambition, the cruelty of fate, and the darkness lurking beneath his picturesque surroundings lead him over the edge of despair into ultimate destruction?  

You probably know the answer. But the strength of this film, where integrity, generosity and the power of community defeats deceit, greed and a lust for power, is that knowing the end doesn’t matter. It never gets old, watching the life story of our flawed but thoroughly decent hero. We laugh and cheer at his triumphs. We ache and cry with him in his moments of darkness. We long to descend into the picture as Clarence, his guardian angel, descends from heaven to save his soul. 

Come experience this beautiful picture once again at the Senate. We’ll see you there! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society, a non-profit and all-volunteer organization, is supported in part by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Sat. Nov. 4 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 8min | NR | Comedy/Drama | USA

Live Organ Accompaniment by Lance Luce
 

Brace yourselves for the magical and magnificent sounds of our Mighty Wurlitzer!  

It’s another installment of our ongoing silent film series, Silents at the Senate. This time we’re screening one of the most significant, well regarded, and beloved silent films, The Kid. Watch as Charlie Chaplin’s iconic face and physicality grace our screen. Listen as organist Lance Luce enhances the action with the Senate’s powerful theater organ. 

A poignant and charming mixture of pathos and playful comedy, The Kid is a masterwork in visual storytelling and one of the most financially and artistically successful films of the silent era.  

It should not be missed. 

Released in 1921, The Kid marks a turning point for Charlie Chaplin, who wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film. Previously Chaplin had almost exclusively appeared in or directed short films, almost all of which were comedies. With The Kid, however, he set out to not only lengthen the runtime, but also break free from the constraints of pure comedy and create a perfect blend of what he termed, “raw slapstick and sentiment.” There was perhaps no better vessel to achieve that aim than through his beloved character, the Tramp. With his trademark ill-fitting clothes, silly mustache and clownish walk, Chaplin’s iconic vagrant had already delighted audiences for years. But never had he pulled so deliberately upon their heartstrings as he does in The Kid, which proclaims at the start to be, “a picture with a smile—and perhaps, a tear.” 

Which is exactly what our organ is built for. From comedy to melodrama, from epic and grandiose to idyllic and domestic, the theater organ is an instrument built to evoke the full spectrum of human emotion. But first and foremost, these instruments were built so that they might enhance the feelings a filmmaker endeavored to provoke within the viewer. Indeed, there is no better way to enjoy a silent film than with a theater organ, blasting air through its pipes and notes into your ears, blending its aural artistry seamlessly with the visual artistry on screen.  

We’ll see you at the theater! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Cantinflas en El Bolero de Raquel
EN ESPAÑOL with English Subtitles 

Sat. Sep. 23 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 41min | NR | Comedy | USA 

Presented in partnership with La Carpa Theatre and Cinema Lamont 

The Senate Theater, La Carpa Theatre and Cinema Lamont are proud to present El Bolero de Raquel, a classic farce from the legendary Mexican comedian Mario Moreno, better known as Cantinflas!  

In keeping with the kind of roles he was known for, Cantinflas portrays a poor shoeshine man who makes up for his lack of education with quick wit and charm. After finding himself in charge of his newfound godson, he embarks on a quest to better himself so that he might better take care of the young boy. But will his bad luck, hijinks and a new romance get in the way? 

Probably.  

But if you know Cantinflas you know that, win or lose, he’ll always have something clever to say about it! So don’t miss your opportunity to see this classic of Mexican cinema on the big screen at the Senate Theater. 

But this event is not only an opportunity to celebrate the genius of the so-called “Charlie Chaplin of Mexico.” It also doubles as a fundraiser for the Detroit teen theatre ensemble, La Carpa Theatre! Which is fitting, considering that Cantinflas got his start in the “carpa” travelling theater circuit of Mexico from which La Carpa Theatre gets its inspiration. The carpas of Cantinflas’ day typically took place in travelling tents and featured a variety of performances, including comedic sketches, dance, acrobatics and more. Today the La Carpa Teen Ensemble offers an opportunity for the youth to “embrace their voice and shed light on their community and their future” through the arts. 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

The Senate Theater, La Carpa Theatre y Cinema Lamont están orgullosos de presentar El Bolero de Raquel, una farsa clásica del legendario comediante Mexicano Mario Moreno “Cantinflas”. 

Como era la tradición de sus característicos personajes, Cantinflas interpreta a un pobre bolero de zapatos quien, aunque falto educación, tiene un gran ingenio y encanto. Después de heredar la tutela de su nuevo ahijado, decide cambiar de rumbo para mejorar su vida y cuidar mejor del joven niño. ¿Pero, será que su mala suerte y un nuevo romance se interpondrán en su camino?  

¡Probablemente! 

Pero si conoces a Cantinflas, sabes bien que, gane o pierda, el siempre encontrara una ingeniosa perspectiva ante la vida. Así que no te pierdas la oportunidad de ver este clásico del cine mexicano en la pantalla grande del Senate Theater!  

Además de ser un evento para celebrar al llamado “Charlie Chaplin de México”, será también una recaudación de fondos para el grupo de teatro juvenil La Carpa Theatre! Lo cual tiene mucho sentido, ya que Cantinflas empezó su carrera artística en “las carpas” un tipo de teatro mexicano ambulante a principios del siglo 20. Es de ahí de donde surge la inspiración para el nombre del grupo de teatro juvenil La Crapa Theatre. Las Carpas de la época de Cantinflas, eran carpas que se montaban en diferentes comunidades para ofrecer facil acceso a diferentes presentaciones artísticas como “sketches” cómicos, acrobacias, bailes, música y más. Hoy el grupo juvenil de La Carpa ofrece a los jóvenes la oportunidad de abrazar su propia voz, iluminando así a su comunidad y a su futuro por medio de las artes escénicas.  

The Senate Theater y The Detroit Theater Organ Society es patrocinado por The Michigan Arts and Culture Council y The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue 

Polyester (1981)  

Sat. Jul. 15 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets – $6 

1hr 26min | R| Comedy/Satire | USA 

Summer is here, which means the Senate is once again getting Hot, Sweaty, and Weird. Our cult film series begins this year with a classic that has a decidedly . . . funky reputation. 

Prepare your eyes, ears, and—yes—YOUR NOSE for John Waters’ Polyester, presented in Odorama!  

You'll gasp. You’ll guffaw. You may even be scandalized by the sounds and sights on screen. But your mind won’t believe your sniffer as your nostrils collide with this, the most astoundingly aromatic gimmick to ever invade the unsuspecting schnozzolas of moviegoers anywhere. 

Don’t miss it! Sniff it!

(By “it,” of course, we mean the scratch and sniff card given to the first 100 patrons through the door, allowing them to “smell” the action on screen.) 

In keeping with its goofy marketing ploy Polyester is a sleazy comedy with ridiculous characters and a low-brow sensibility, starring Divine, the unmatched (drag) queen of garish flamboyance. Sure, we can’t deny it, this is an outrageous and crass piece of trashy cinema, but it is also a witty satire. (No, really, it is.) Lampooning the dramatic excess of the suburban melodramas of 1950s Hollywood, it tells a story of infidelity, murder, strange sexual addictions, and anti-social teenage angst.  And it does it all with a cheesy organ soundtrack right out of a daytime soap and a visual style that crudely apes the king of 50s melodrama, Douglas Sirk.  

It’s one of John Waters’ best. Cheap and gaudy, but also thoughtful and remarkably crowd-pleasing. We hope to see you there! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Sat. Jun. 17 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 30min | PG | Comedy/Family | USA 

An oddball star, an oddball script, and an oddball director walk into the basement of the Alamo with a trucker named Large Marge, an ill-fitting suit, and a cast of the quirkiest weirdos this side of Alice’s Wonderland.  

If you haven’t figured it out by now—and the heading above didn’t tip you off—it can only be Pee-wee's Big Adventure! It’s a bizarro road trip masterpiece for all, (except perhaps the very small).  

Following the trials and triumphs of a child-like man on a search for his missing bicycle, this classic family comedy was the breakout success of actor Paul Reubens and his iconic character, Pee-wee Herman. Not only that, but it was the mainstream feature film debut of director Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman. A manic score combines with Burton’s off-kilter sensibility and visual flair to compliment a truly absurd series of events. It’s simply brimming with slapstick action, silly circumstances, and over-the-top performances. 

Yes, it's about as ridiculous as pancakes topped with fried eggs and Mr. T breakfast cereal! Expect outrageous chases, surreal dream sequences, guys in rubber lizard suits, Santa Clause, goofy dance numbers, other wacky things to put into zany lists, and a great time at the movies!  

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Moonstruck (1987)  

Sat. Feb. 18 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 42min | PG | Romance/Comedy | USA 

Love blooms and endures, tradition is revered and disregarded, and passion explodes beneath the mystical power of the moon . . . with jokes. 

It’s Moonstruck, an ensemble romantic comedy starring Cher, Nicolas Cage, and Olympia Dukakis! 

Italian American widower, Loretta Castorini (Cher) is about to get re-married when she finds herself helplessly attracted to the intense and seductive Ronny Cammareri, (Nicolas Cage) who happens to be her fiancé's younger brother. Now, Loretta must reconcile her heart’s desire, the pressure to live up to the expectations of her family, and the traditions of her community.  

Witty dialogue and eccentric characters play against an operatic background of infidelity, devotion, tenderness, and rapture. All of which earned Moonstruck widespread acclaim. The film received six Oscar nominations and won three for Best Actress, (Cher) Best Supporting Actress, (Olympia Dukakis) and Best Original Screenplay, (John Patrick Shanley).  

Come see it at the Senate! And if you bring along a certain someone you just can’t keep away from, don’t worry. We’ll understand. 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts.