BAM to Host John Carpenter Retrospective; Director in-conversation

Is seminal filmmaker John Carpenter bigger than ever? Lately, it seems so. His iconic style, both cinematically and musically, is consistently referenced and revered in todays genre cinema. Meanwhile, Lost Themes, his first album of original music not scored to any particular film, approaches and so does the 20^th anniversary of In the Mouth of Madness. The latter, much like the director, is finding great appreciation, and all three will be celebrated by Brooklyns BAM in a retrospective this February.

Kicking off on February 5^TH with a live conversation between Carpenter and NPRs Brooke Gladstone on the directors legacy of films and the release of Lost Themes, John Carpenter: Master of Fear will then screen almost all of the filmmakers features. Of course, all-out classics like Halloween, The Thing, Escape from New York and Assault on Precinct 13 are on deck, as are the undervalued treasures like Mouth of Madness, Prince of Darkness and The Fog. Most films, including Madness, Prince of Darkness, Vampires, Starman and EFNY will be presented in 35MM.

The retrospective also features a sidebar of films programmed by Carpenter himself. Carpenter Selects includes Forbidden Planet, Sam Peckinpahs Straw Dogs and William Friedkins unbearably tense Sorcerer. All are cited by Carpenter for their scores, as well as being major influences.