Programmed by Jesse Trussell
To read the work of literary enigma Thomas Pynchon is to enter a world of paranoid conspiracies, globe-spanning histories, and oddball characters with even odder names. With his affinity for slapstick, silly songs, and bumbling detectives—even as he charted power in the postwar global order and the afterlives of 1960s leftist counterculture—it’s little wonder this movie-mad writer went on to influence generations of filmmakers. Our wide-ranging series gathers films that could be called “Pynchonesque,” spanning 96 years and orbiting his signature obsessions. Replete with rockets and musical numbers, hidden truths and shadowy organizations stretching from Europe to California and beyond, these films—whether predecessors, contemporaries, or tributes—offer a cinematic map of the writer who most cogently predicted our fractured modern world.
To read the work of literary enigma Thomas Pynchon is to enter a world of paranoid conspiracies, globe-spanning histories, and oddball characters with even odder names. With his affinity for slapstick, silly songs, and bumbling detectives—even as he charted power in the postwar global order and the afterlives of 1960s leftist counterculture—it’s little wonder this movie-mad writer went on to influence generations of filmmakers. Our wide-ranging series gathers films that could be called “Pynchonesque,” spanning 96 years and orbiting his signature obsessions. Replete with rockets and musical numbers, hidden truths and shadowy organizations stretching from Europe to California and beyond, these films—whether predecessors, contemporaries, or tributes—offer a cinematic map of the writer who most cogently predicted our fractured modern world.
Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:
Leadership support for
BAM Access Programs provided by
the Jerome L. Greene Foundation
Leadership support for
BAM programming provided by:
Leadership support for
BAM Film provided by
The Thompson Family Foundation
Major support for programs in
the Lepercq Cinema is provided by
The Lepercq Charitable Foundation
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FilmInherent Vice
May 8—15, 2026
Inherent Vice
May 8—15, 2026The second Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master, There Will Be Blood) adaptation of a Pynchon novel follows Larry "Doc" Sportello (Phoenix), a bungling private investigator fumbling through the criminal underworld of 1970 Los Angeles. -
FilmDuck Soup
May 8—12, 2026
Duck Soup
May 8—12, 2026In this classic from the Marx Brothers, two nations head towards war as Pynchonesque antics beget global consequences. -
FilmMr Arkadin
May 8—10, 2026
Mr Arkadin
May 8—10, 2026Zipping around postwar Europe in a mystery that reveals the criminal capitalism that rose in the wake of fascism, this Orson Welles masterpiece screens on 35mm in the so-called “Corinth” version. -
FilmWho Framed Roger Rabbit
May 9—17, 2026
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
May 9—17, 2026In a mashup of Chinatown, ‘40s noir, and classic cartoons, a grizzly private detective embarks on a mission to prove the innocence of a poorly-performing cartoon star. -
FilmLos Angeles Plays Itself
May 9—16, 2026
Los Angeles Plays Itself
May 9—16, 2026Thom Andersen's documentary explores the complicated tapestry woven between the city of Los Angeles and the myriad works created within it. -
FilmThe Big Lebowski
May 9—15, 2026
The Big Lebowski
May 9—15, 2026In a case of mistaken identity, “The Dude” is thrust into an intentionally over-complicated mystery that—like Pynchon’s Inherent Vice—traces a derelict of the New Left navigating the power systems of Southern California. -
FilmRepo Man
May 9—15, 2026
Repo Man
May 9—15, 2026Cox’s out-of-this-world (in some ways, literally) black comedy follows a young punk working under a seasoned repo man as they embark on a series of increasingly outlandish adventures. -
FilmOne Battle After Another
May 10—15, 2026
One Battle After Another
May 10—15, 2026Loosely riffing on the narrative arc of Vineland, but updated to the modern world of ICE raids and new American brownshirts, Paul Thomas Anderson’s (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights) Best Picture winner returns to BAM screens. -
FilmMiracle Mile
May 10—21, 2026
Miracle Mile
May 10—21, 2026Mostly portrayed in tense real-time, De Jarnatt’s apocalyptic thriller follows a young man who overhears a phone call revealing that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit Los Angeles within 70 minutes. -
FilmTrouble in Mind
May 10—16, 2026
Trouble in Mind
May 10—16, 2026Set in a realistic but outside of time environment, Alan Rudolph’s grimy ensemble movie follows ex-cop Hawk (Kristofferson) as he returns from prison to the fictional “Rain City,” inspired by Seattle. -
FilmWoman in the Moon
May 11—18, 2026
Woman in the Moon
May 11—18, 2026The successor to his revolutionary Metropolis, Fritz Lang’s next foray revisited science fiction with a portrayal of the first lunar expedition, and introduced audiences to concepts of rocket travel for the first time. -
FilmUnder the Silver Lake
May 11—19, 2026
Under the Silver Lake
May 11—19, 2026Maligned on release but now reappraised as a cult classic, David Robert Mitchell’s (It Follows) feature is an almost explicit riff on Pynchonian themes of unraveling conspiracies and alienation. -
FilmA Grin Without a Cat
May 12—18, 2026
A Grin Without a Cat
May 12—18, 2026This epic film-essay from Chris Marker (La Jetée) investigates the worldwide political wars of the ‘60s and ‘70s, especially the emergence of the New Left. -
FilmDr. Strangelove
May 13—17, 2026
Dr. Strangelove
May 13—17, 2026A gut-busting examination of the height of Cold War tension, Stanley Kubrick’s (2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining) 1964 comedy chronicles an American general’s sudden order of a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. -
FilmMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World
May 13—20, 2026
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
May 13—20, 2026In this saga set during the Napoleonic Wars, a captain of the British Royal Navy (Russell Crowe) pursues his enemy across the seas—posing questions about the interplay between duty and loyalty along the way. -
FilmBerlin Express
May 14—20, 2026
Berlin Express
May 14—20, 2026In the aftermath of World War II, a diverse group of train passengers band together in search of a kidnapped German peace activist. -
FilmOrnette: Made in America
May 14—21, 2026
Ornette: Made in America
May 14—21, 2026Returning in 1983 to his home in Fort Worth, Texas, documentary footage and dramatic scenes recall legendary performer and composer Ornette Coleman's rise from oppressed youth to cultural pioneer. -
FilmSouthland Tales
May 14—17, 2026
Southland Tales
May 14—17, 2026Set in the then futuristic landscape of 2008 Los Angeles, this ensemble comedy about the city’s impending social collapse satirizes the military-industrial complex and accelerating infotainment industry. -
FilmLe Pont du Nord
May 16—21, 2026
Le Pont du Nord
May 16—21, 2026A gorgeously rendered portrait of Paris imbued with an ever-present ominous rhythm, this playful middle period work from Rivette shares with Pynchon an interest in conspiracy and secret histories. -
FilmThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
May 16—20, 2026
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
May 16—20, 2026Buckaroo Banzai (Weller), a cartoonishly over-qualified physicist, neurosurgeon, test pilot, and rock star, must stop alien invaders in this campy sci-fi cult film. -
FilmParis Belongs to Us
May 17—19, 2026
Paris Belongs to Us
May 17—19, 2026The tale of a young literature student (Schneider) and her group of young friends bonded over the death of an acquaintance serves as a time capsule of the social and aesthetic milieu of post-World War II Paris.
