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The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976

In Nicholas Roeg’s 1976 adaptation of Walter Tevis’s novel, extraterrestrial space explorer Thomas Newton (David Bowie) journeys to Earth to find an alternative source of water for his drought-stricken home planet. Quickly seduced by the Earthly vices of power of money (and the material luxuries that they afford), Thomas loses sight of his original intentions, gradually drifting into a state of existential crisis.

Reflecting Bowie’s own personal circumstances following the turbulent Ziggy Stardust years, the star’s pale complexion, thin frame, and permanently dilated left eye (first noticed by Roeg in Alan Yentob’s 1975 documentary Cracked Actor) made him the perfect fit for the role, resulting in one of Bowie’s most memorable on-screen performances.

Bowie’s intentionally peculiar depiction of the Thomas Newton character coupled with California’s harsh desert landscape, are masterfully harnessed by Roeg, resulting in an uncanny distancing effect, making the audience feel like outsiders looking in.

139 minutes | R18+ | High impact nudity and sex

The Image 1969

An artist tormented by his past paints a portrait of an ethereal figure that mysteriously comes to life to haunt its creator. 

After a slow start to his musical career in the 1960s, David Bowie’s first agent Ken Pitt encouraged the young musician to try his hand at acting. Directed by Michael Armstrong, The Image is an experimental black and white horror short featuring a twenty-year-old David Bowie in his first on screen role.

Although The Image received mixed reviews at the time of its release, the film’s edgy storyline partnered with Bowie’s eerie performance would inform the star’s later roles in films such as Tony Scott’s The Hunger 1983 and Nicholas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976.

13 minutes | Ages 15+ | Contains adult themes and violence