Cinematheque unfolds retro of helmer Hodges

Seminal 'Carter' kicks off tribute

By LEONARD KLADY

Director Mike Hodges has had a wild ride of a career in which he's embraced everything from lowbrow comedy to lavish fantasy, with stops in between for gritty crime mellers and elegant satire. Tonight, the American Cinematheque kicks off a retro of the iconoclastic Brit filmmaker with a double bill featuring his seminal 1971 meditation on violence and mayhem, "Get Carter," and his latest, the smooth cat-and-mouse thriller "Croupier," set amid London's legal casinos.

The nod to Hodges' oeuvre -- tagged "Shoot to Kill: The Cool Crimes of Mike Hodges" -- is a down and dirty reminder of his versatility. Screenings include such pics as "The Terminal Man," a 20th century high-tech "Frankenstein" riff; and the droll "Pulp," in which Michael Caine's hardboiled writer winds up in Italy ghosting a mobster's bio amid a rogues' gallery reminiscent of "Beat the Devil."

Hodges will intro and discuss his films at the screenings tonight and Saturday. He'll also be feted Monday by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, L.A. Further details on the current and upcoming programs is available by contacting the Cinematheque at (323)-466-FILM, ext. 2.