The legendary Santo stars, along with fellow luchadores Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras in this goofy action/horror flick out of Mexico.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Sat. Apr. 12
Doors – 7:00 PM
Organ Overture – 7:30 PM
Film – 8:00 PM
Tickets - $6
1hr 44min | R | Action/Western | USA
Guns, guitars and guts in the dirt and dust. It must be Desperado, the bloody, bombastic neo-western from maverick director, Robert Rodriguez, starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek!
In the wake of Quentin Tarantino mid-90s American cinemas were brimming with pulp—gritty crime stories reaching back to the genre tales of the past, updating them for a flashier modern style and a disdain for the very idea of “good taste.” Desperado fit right in there, telling a timeworn “stranger comes to town” tale with a manic sense of pacing and a relentless focus on action, action, action. Bold in its narrative simplicity, the film dazzles the viewer with stylized but still dreadful brutality. It is the kind of popular entertainment that dares audiences to confront their attraction to violence while at the same time saying, “Because it’s so much fun!”
Come see for yourself 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
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
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
Film – 8:00 PM
Tickets - $12
2hr 34min | NR | Adventure/Fantasy | United States
Live Organ Accompaniment by Andrew Rogers
Presented with the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives
Silents at the Senate, along with our partners at the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives, is proud to present the silent film classic, The Thief of Bagdad!
Few films are as extravagant, as romantic, as fantastic, or epic. With enormous sets, innovative special effects, and a cast of thousands, this loose adaptation of several stories from One Thousand and One Nights tells the tale of a thief named Ahmed—scoundrel turned hero, transformed by the power of love. In order to win the hand of his beloved princess, he must embark on a dangerous quest across vast distances, beset by gigantic beasts, mythical creatures, and sinister rivals.
Released at the height of Douglas Fairbanks’ career, the film cemented the star as a matinee idol of lavishly staged adventure films, a dazzling screen presence known for acrobatic stunts, physical prowess, and boyish charm. It was an enormous hit. Today, The Thief of Bagdad stands as a premier example of the art of silent filmmaking and has deeply influenced subsequent works inspired by or adapted from the folktales of One Thousand and One Nights.
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 a gated parking lot on Gilbert St., behind the theater.
Doors – 7:00 PM
Film – 8:00 PM
Tickets - $12
Shorts Program: The Goat (1921) and One Week (1920)
48min | NR | Comedy | United States
Feature: Sherlock Jr. (1924) 100th Anniversary Screening!
45min | NR | Comedy/Fantasy | United States
Live organ accompaniment by Dennis Scott
Irate cops stepping into open elevator shafts, a crudely assembled house with teetering walls, a movie screen turned into a doorway toward which a dreamer falls, searching for a way back to his beloved. Even after a century or more, his films—overflowing with physicality, absurdity, mischief, and even wonder—remain as captivating and hilarious as ever. They are . . .
And their magic will be made all the more powerful by the internationally known silent film accompanist out of Chicago, Dennis Scott. At the console of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, Mr. Scott is sure to show off our instrument’s kaleidoscopic tonal color without ever showing up the images on the screen as he creates a live film score in real time, right before your very ears!
Be sure to stick around after the show for a chance to ask the organist a question and take a tour of the organ pipe chambers. This is a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the inner workings of this marvelous musical machine!
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 a gated parking lot on Gilbert St., behind the theater.
Doors – 7:00 PM
Organ Overture – 7:30 PM
Film – 8:00 PM
Tickets - $6
2hr 1min | PG | Sci-fi/Adventure | USA
Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy in Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope. Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begin Luke’s Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of Darth Vader and the evil Empire.
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 38min | R | Kung-fu/Mystery | Hong Kong
In a feudal world of violence, corruption and intrigue, a young novice of the Poison Clan must seek out and discover the identities of the five former pupils of his kung-fu master so that he might reclaim the good reputation of their clan. But will he be able to tell which of them can be trusted and which of them must be defeated?
The Senate is excited to present this kaleidoscopic blend of kung-fu action, superhuman exploits, and intricate mystery from Hong Kong’s storied Shaw Brothers Studio. This is the film, perhaps more than any other martial arts picture in the post-Bruce Lee era, that kept kung-fu in the cultural consciousness within the United States. Through screenings at urban “grindhouse” theaters and steady rotation on television throughout the 1980s a cult following developed.
We're being joined at Five Deadly Venoms by our friends at the Detroit Kung Fu Academy for a special guest introduction and a 5-10 minute kung fu demonstration during intermission.
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
