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