Movies for Just 50¢ at the DIA

(WXYZ) - The Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts is offering 50¢ movie tickets to view some great film classics.

From Friday, June 12, to Sunday, June 14, the DIA will offer a mini-festival of classic silent comedies, including Charlie Chaplin's masterpieces "Modern Times" and "City Lights," as well as Buster Keaton's "Seven Chances" and "Sherlock Jr." Tickets are just 50¢ each. 


Movie Descriptions and Schedule

Friday, June 12, 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Modern Times
(1936–directed by Charles Chaplin; 88 min.)
One of Charlie Chaplin's most celebrated and beloved films—and the first movie in which his voice is heard—finds Chaplin out of work and discovering that making a living is no walk in the park. With his companion (Paulette Goddard), Chaplin tackles every adversity as he tries his best to maintain dignity while resisting the need to be a literal "cog in the machine." One of Chaplin's funniest and most enduring works features some of his greatest and most legendary comedy sequences, and a memorable musical score by Chaplin himself.

Saturday, June 13, 7 p.m. ONLY
Seven Chances and Sherlock Jr. (101 min. total)
In his brilliant 1925 silent comedy Seven Chances, bachelor Buster Keaton learns that he's in line to inherit seven million dollars, but only on one small condition: that he must be married by 7:00 today! How he sets out to accomplish this makes Seven Chances one of Keaton's most hilarious films, and one of the most incredibly inventive achievements of the silent era.

For brilliant and innovative sight gags, perhaps the only film that equals Seven Chances is Keaton's incredible 1924 Sherlock Jr., the surreal story of a movie theater projectionist turned amateur sleuth, who finds himself magically becoming a part of the films he projects. For sheer laughs-per-minute, this double feature is impossible to top.

Sunday, June 14, 2 and 4 p.m.
City Lights (1931–directed by Charles Chaplin; 87 min.)
A tramp (Charlie Chaplin) encounters a lovely, blind flower-seller (Virginia Cherrill) on the streets of the city. She's under the mistaken impression that he's wealthy, and so he vows to not only keep his financial straits a secret, but to somehow find enough money to pay for the operation that might restore her sight. Chaplin's sublime City Lights is one of the true masterpieces, and truly great experiences, in all cinema. As hilarious as it is touching, Chaplin's never-dated comic genius is at its height in several legendary sequences; in fact, the film's final scene was described by critic James Agee as "the highest moment in movies."

Tickets are available at the door or at www.dia.org.

These films are made possible in part by JPMorganChase, the exclusive sponsor of the Detroit Film Theatre.