New Yorkers can enjoy a retrospective of Dan O Bannon’s film work. Starting July 13, 2011 at BAM, America’s oldest performing arts center, founded in 1861.

‘On the occasion of the publication of Jason Zinoman’s Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror, this series of chillers and thrillers pays overdue credit to actor, writer sometimes credited, sometimes not), and director Dan O’Bannon, a leading, if unheralded, figure in the creation of modern horror.’ Link to showing times: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=3332

Chris first met Dan in 1975 when hired by director Alejandro Jodorowsky
to create visualisations for the unmade Dune film. Dan was designing the special effects for the film. In 1976 Dan invited Chris to work on Alien (1979).

Dan and Chris working on Alien, Fox studios, 1977

Pictured is Dan, probably on one his visits to see how Chris and Ron Cobb were getting on with their visualisations for Alien, tucked away as they were, in one of their cubby hole studios on the Fox lot 1977.  Dan’s enthusiasm and creative direction was really appreciated by Chris.

Dan was working at that time as the films visual design consultant, but he also co-wrote the story and wrote the screenplay. One of Chris’ all time favourite films is Dan’s Dark Star (1974).