David Bowie,”The Man Who Fell to Earth” (1976) Photo Courtesy Cinema 5 Distributing / The Hollywood Archive
David Bowie, falls to earth again in a restored version of one of his most mesmerizing performances the Cult Classic,‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’.
As part of the 40th-anniversary celebration that will also see the original soundtrack released for the first time, the restored version of Nicolas Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth” is being re-released by STUDIOCANAL and is part of the ‘Vintage Classics collection’ – showcasing iconic British films, all fully restored and featuring brand new extra content. For now, this is for UK consumption only and we have yet to see if there will be any plans for release in the USA.
Recognized as one of David Bowie’s best film performances it has endured as an arthouse sci-fi cult classic for years.
Bowie, in this quintessential performance, stars as an extraterrestrial who crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought. The film maintains a strong cult following for its use of stunning surreal imagery and its performances by David Bowie (in his first starring film role) and co-stars Candy Clark, and Hollywood Veteran Rip Torn.
“The Man Who Fell to Earth” arrives in theaters (unfortunately only in the U.K.) on September 9 and will be released on DVD/blu-ray on October 24.
According to the David Bowie website, the film was restored by Deluxe London and is based on a 4K scan of the original camera negative, followed by a full 4K workflow, with the approval of cinematographer Anthony Richmond and with the blessing of Nic Roeg.
For the serious fan, the soundtrack (featuring the score by Stomu Yamashta and John Phillips) will be available in a two-disk set on the same day as the U.K. re-release date, September 9, 2016. A more comprehensive box set, which contains both vinyl and CD versions of the soundtrack as well as a 48-page hardcover book and a poster, will be available in the U’K. on November 18, 2016. Finally, a new Blu-ray with the new restoration is set to arrive November 18, 2016, in the U.K. as well.
In an interview with Variety, co-star Candy Clark talks about working with David Bowie. “David wasn’t a person who ever expressed what he was feeling,” recalls Clark. “He never revealed anything he was feeling, such as ‘I’m so nervous,’ so you never knew what was going on inside him. Plus, he only spent time with what I would call ‘his entourage.’ So outside of acting together, we never had dinner or spent any non-working time together. He was very removed and quiet and of course this was perfect for me, because my character, Mary-Lou, (his lover) never knew what was going on inside Thomas Newton.”
About the Film:
Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) is an alien who has come to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. Aided by lawyer Oliver Farnsworth (Buck Henry), Thomas uses his knowledge of advanced technology to create profitable inventions. While developing a method to transport water, Thomas meets Mary-Lou (Candy Clark), a quiet hotel clerk, and begins to fall in love with her. Just as he is ready to leave Earth, Thomas is intercepted by the U.S. government, and his entire plan is threatened.
For more about the film visit IMDB.