Silents at the Senate Presents: The Phantom of the Opera (1925) 
Sat. Oct. 12 
Doors – 7:00 PM 
Film – 8:00 PM 
Tickets - $12 
1hr 18min | NR | Horror/Drama | United States 
Live Organ Accompaniment by Tony O’Brien
Tarot readings before the show!

This spooky season Silents at the Senate is proud to present the 1925 adaptation of the world’s most famous gothic romance, The Phantom of the Opera, with live organ accompaniment by theater organist Tony O’Brien! 

Silent screen legend Lon “The Man of a Thousand Faces” Chaney stars as the title character. A seemingly supernatural figure, the “Phantom” terrorizes patrons and employees at the Paris Opera House, all in the hopes of furthering the career of Christine, a singer and object of his deranged affections. But the real star just might be Chaney’s self-devised make-up work. Nearly a century on this grotesque tour deforce still represents the pinnacle of cinema—how imagery can creep into our minds, lurk in the shadows, and strike with vengeance when we least expect it. 

And to that visual power the Senate will add the unmatched auditory majesty of a Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, an instrument literally made to accompany a silent film. There is no better way to see The Phantom of the Opera!  

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 

Puertas – 8:00 PM 

Pelicula – Oscuridad (approx.9:00 PM) 

Entradas - GRATIS! (FREE!)

1h 25m | NR | Horror/Sci-fi | USA 

En Español (with English subtitles) 

Es verano en el Senado y una vez más con calor, sudorosos y raros con una serie de películas para satisfacer tu ardiente deseo de tonterías y subculturas, exageramientos y cultos, e incluso un superhéroe/detective/héroe popular mexicano de lucha libre!

El Santo, el legendario luchador convertido en actor protagonista de El Santo vs. Los Zombies. Una película de misterio y crimen con un estilo de cómic al estilo de Dick Tracy pero con mucha más lucha. Esta mezcla de géneros (que presenta zombis al estilo anterior a la Noche de los Muertos Vivientes) es típica de las películas de luchadores de la época. En esta primera aparición de El Santo, el enmascarado de plata hace tiempo entre combates de lucha libre para luchar por la justicia contra enemigos viles, sobrenaturales y algunos otros un poco más extraños. En donde las autoridades locales han fallado, El Santo debe intervenir para detener esta ola de crímenes violentos con un toque de vudú.

Únase a nosotros para esta PROYECCIÓN GRATUITA AL AIRE LIBRE en el Senate Coney Lot (al lado del teatro en Michigan Ave.) y disfrute de esta exagerada y cursi pieza de la historia de la cultura pop mexicana.

¡NO OLVIDES TRAER TU PROPIA SILLA!

¡EL PUESTO DE CONCESIONES Y LOS BAÑOS ESTARÁN DISPONIBLES DENTRO DEL TEATRO!

¡PELÍCULA AL AIRE LIBRE GRATIS! (FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING!) 

Sat. Aug. 10  

Doors – 8:00 PM 

Film – Dusk (approx. 9:00 PM) 

Tickets - GRATIS! (FREE!)

1hr 25min | NR | Horror/Sci-fi | USA 

En Español (with English subtitles) 

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, and even a wrestling Mexican superhero/detective/folk hero! 

El Santo, the legendary luchador turned actor stars in Santo vs. The Zombies. A mystery crime film with a comic book style ala Dick Tracy but with a whole lot more wrestling, this genre mashup (featuring pre-Night of the Living Dead style zombies) is typical of the luchador films from the period. In this early Santo outing, the perpetually masked crusader makes time in between wrestling matches to fight for justice against nefarious foes, both supernatural and otherwise. Where the local authorities have failed, Santo must step in to stop this violent crime wave with a voodoo twist. 

Come join us for this FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING in the Senate Coney Lot (next door to the theater on Michigan Ave.) and enjoy this campy piece of Mexican pop culture history. 

DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR!  

CONCESSIONS STAND AND BATHROOMS WILL BE AVAILABLE INSIDE 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. 

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

Sat. Jan. 20 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 32min | Not Rated |Noir/Thriller | USA 

Love and hate. Darkness and light. A terrifying evil that only righteousness can overcome.  

The stuff of fables, of scripture, of the deep and eternal struggle in our souls. An old story, but rarely has this tale been told with such indelible and nightmarish beauty as in the noir/thriller classic, The Night of the Hunter! 

Robert Mitchum stars as Robert Powell, a murderous “preacher” in Great Depression era West Virginia. After being released from the state penitentiary he quickly closes in on the stash of stolen money he knows to be hidden somewhere in the home of his now executed cellmate. With charisma and sex appeal he insinuates himself into the life of the widow Willa Harper, (Shelley Winters) presenting himself as a man of God as he preys upon her unfulfilled desire and the innocence of her children. 

The first and last film directed by acclaimed British actor Charles Laughton, The Night of the Hunter was initially ignored by audiences and harshly reviewed by critics. This, despite its daring visual style, a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner James Agee, and a movie star lead. Over the decades, however, the film developed a cult following thanks to television and revival art house theaters. Audiences were drawn to its strange synthesis of film noir mood, horror aesthetics, elemental themes, and abstract set design. As a result, its cult burgeoned while simultaneously undergoing a critical reassessment that now places it among the best of all time. 

Don’t miss this masterpiece on our 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

6:30 p.m. Doors open, audience check-in begins

7:00 p.m. CALIGARI begins

8:45 p.m. Intermission - Check-in for NOSFERATU ticketholders

9:00 p.m. NOSFERATU begins

CINEMA DETROIT presents INVINCIBLE CZARS and their nightmarishly fun live soundtracks to THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920) and NOSFERATU (1922) at the Senate!

This immersive live sound experience will transport you back 100+ years via these age-old tales accompanied by chilling modern scores and sound effects, created with an impressive blend of traditional acoustic and present-day electronic instruments. Known for performing their own eclectic live film soundtracks nationwide, INVINCIBLE CZARS will mesmerize you into the world of these films.

The world’s first feature-length horror film, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI has inspired many artists including Tim Burton and David Bowie (among many others) with its strikingly modern visuals. Its craggy edges, disjointed backgrounds and heavy makeup have earned this dark fairy tale a reputation as the quintessential German Expressionist film. Its influential twist ending is also considered the first in cinematic history.

NOSFERATU, the first feature-length vampire movie, has endured for more than a century inspiring countless vampire films, video games, memes, publications and other content. The Invincible Czars’ chilling soundtrack, inspired by everything from Romanian folk music to horror sound design, amplifies the scariness to a goosebumps-inducing heights.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The first film, CALIGARI, starts at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 each for either of the films or $30 for both. Complete info and tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cinema-detroit-presents-invincible-czars-tickets-554667283777

Sat. Aug. 5 in the Senate Coney Lot  

Doors – 8:00 PM 

Film – Dusk 

Tickets – FREE 

1hr 37min | NR | Horror | USA 

We’re once again heading outside this summer for a FREE film screening in the Senate Coney Lot!

Just like last year concessions and bathrooms inside the theater are open, and you’ll have to be sure to bring your own chair. 

And, for the third year running we’re going to play the mother of all zombie flicks, Night of the Living Dead. It's a movie—much like an ambling, undead monster out for brains — that will never get old, thanks to a tense script and iconic, boundary smashing imagery.   

Most horror flicks have tended to lose their terrifying luster as the genre pushes ever onward into the realm of guts and gore, but Night of the Living Dead remains a frightening experience that will make you wonder if they really are, “coming to get you” whether your name is Barbara or not. 

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

Sat. Jul. 29 

Tickets – $6 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM  

First Film – 8:00 PM 

Second Film – 9:30 PM (approximately) 

The Screaming Skull 

1hr 8min | NR | Horror/Thriller| USA 

Manos: The Hands of Fate 

1hr 14min | NR | Horror | USA 

Our Hot, Sweaty & Weird summer cult film series wouldn’t be complete without a movie so bad it’s almost . . . good?

This year, we’re bringing you Manos: The Hands of Fate, a film so legendarily terrible that it makes Ed Wood’s Plan 9 from Outer Space look like Citizen Kane. In no universe would this independently (and ineptly) made film be considered quality, but we can at least guarantee a quality time at the theater, provided you like laughing at bizarre and strangely unsettling cinematic failures. 

And, yes, much like on Mystery Science Theater 3000, the television series responsible for the film’s cult following, good natured heckling at the screen is encouraged! 

A unique and personal vision, the film was conceived by one man, Harold P. Warren, a fertilizer salesman who had never written, directed, or produced anything. To describe the plot of this cult film about a cult would be useless. That’s not the appeal. It is a strange glimpse into one man’s subconscious and a mood piece that has been described as a “brave experiment,” “a train wreck,” “unnerving outsider art,” “a crime against humanity,” and “made by people with absolutely no business making a movie.” 

In short, Manos: The Hands of Fate is an eccentric failure that fails so completely it just might be a triumph. 

And, since we know bad movie aficionados are nothing if not gluttons for punishment, you’ll be treated to a bonus piece of horror schlock, a not-so-classic of the drive-in era with a title that truly delivers, The Screaming Skull. This ghost story was intended as a psychological horror/thriller. Unfortunately, the road to audiences smirking at accidental humor on screen is paved with good intentions. 

We hope to see you all at the theater for this night of D-movie fun! 

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

Sci-fi Double Feature! The Last Man on Earth (1964) & The Omega Man (1971) 

Sat. Apr. 22 

Tickets - $6 

Doors – 6:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 6:30 PM 

First Film – 7:00 PM 

Second Film – 8:45 PM (approximately) 

The Last Man on Earth 

1hr 26min | NR | Horror/Sci-fi | USA 

The Omega Man 

1hr 38min | PG| Horror/Sci-fi | USA 

Two films. Two acting titans. Two takes on I Am Legend, the classic novel of a post-apocalyptic world, ruled by a humanity transformed into monsters by plague.  

It’s The Last Man on Earth, starring the incomparable Vincent Price, and The Omega Man, starring the unparalleled Charlton Heston! For one night only, the Senate is placing them side by side, one final man against another, in a fight to the end of the night to see which film does it better.  

Will it be Price’s Last Man, with its garlic averse creatures who lumber about in the dark like zombies? Or, will it be Heston’s Omega Man, with its mutant, albino maniacs created by warfare in a Soviet biological weapon attack? It’s not an easy decision. But, if it helps, one has a dog and one has Charlton Heston wearing a green velvet blazer and ruffled shirt.  

It will be up to you to choose your champion!  

Yes, science fiction reveals to us the possibilities of the future — endless and often terrifying, but sometimes filled with groovy super 70s fashion. In this double feature you will see two futures, both revealing the consequences of profound upheaval and the horror of difference. Seen one after the other they will uncover the limitless possibilities of the road ahead, but also of the myriad ways to tell the same story. 

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.