About the film
- Directed by
- Nicolas Roeg
- Released
- March 18, 1976
- US theatrical
- May 28, 1976
- Certification
- R
- Country
- United Kingdom, Netherlands Antilles
- Starring
- David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, Tony Mascia, Buck Henry
More credits
- Language
- English
- Origin
- GB
- Studios
- British Lion Films, Houtsnede Maatschappij
- Written by
- Walter Tevis, Paul Mayersberg
- Produced by
- Michael Deeley, Barry Spikings, Si Litvinoff
- Cinematography
- Anthony B. Richmond
- Music
- Stomu Yamashta, John Phillips
- Also starring
- Bernie Casey, Adrienne La Russa, Claudia Jennings, Rick Riccardo, Jim Lovell
- Budget
- $1,500,000
By his own later account, a rock star who had barely eaten or slept for months, living on cocaine and milk, walked onto a film set to play a being from another planet. He barely had to act.
THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976) stars David Bowie as Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien stranded on Earth in search of water to save his dying world. He builds a technology empire with the help of a lawyer, Oliver Farnsworth, played by Buck Henry, while falling into a haze of gin and television with Mary-Lou, played by Candy Clark.
Nicolas Roeg directed from Walter Tevis’s novel and shot it largely in New Mexico, letting the empty land and endless sky swallow Newton whole. Rip Torn plays Nathan Bryce, a former chemistry professor who goes to work for Newton’s company and grows suspicious of him from the inside. The government eventually closes in on Newton just as his plan nears completion.
The film’s original cut runs 139 minutes (the US release was trimmed to roughly 118) and drifts across the years the way Newton does, unchanged while everyone around him ages.
It remains one of the strangest science fiction films ever made, cold, sexual, and heartbroken by turns.
Sources
- The man who fell to Earth - Catalog Search Results search.library.yale.edu
- Librarian View - Librarian View searchworks.stanford.edu
- BnF Catalogue général catalogue.bnf.fr
- The Man Who Fell to Earth - BFI Southbank Programme Notes bfidatadigipres.github.io
- David Bowie’s ‘Man Who Fell to Earth’ Co-Star on His ‘Heavenly’ First Movie Role - David Bowie’s ‘Man Who Fell to Earth’ variety.com
- How we made: Paul Mayersberg and Tony Richmond on The Man Who Fell to Earth - How we made: Paul Mayersberg and Tony Rich www.theguardian.com
- Original stationery created by David Bowie for The Man Who Fell to Earth, circa 1975 www.vialibri.net
- Actress Clark talks film, Bowie at Plaza Theatre www.elpasotimes.com
- The Man Who Fell to Earth: humanity, lost and found - The Man Who Fell to Earth: humanity, lost and found www.bfi.org.uk
- Man Who Fell to Earth, The - Man Who Fell to Earth, The sf-encyclopedia.com
- The Man Who Fell to Earth – Cinema preview.qagoma.qld.gov.au
- Movie review: David Bowie stars in 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' - ENTERTAINMENT www.jsonline.com
- Cocaine, bikers and aliens: The film that saved David Bowie at his lowest point - Cocaine, bikers and aliens: The film t english.elpais.com
- “I have only flashes of making it. I was personally going through a very bad time”: How a disillusioned and drug-addicte www.musicradar.com
- The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) - Full cast & crew - IMDb - Menu s.media-imdb.com
- Where and When was The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976 Filmed? | Kinoafisha www.kinoafisha.info
- Fenton Lake State Park mapcarta.com
- Golden years: David Bowie www.santafenewmexican.com
- Человек, упавший на Землю, 1976 - Где и когда снимали фильм | Киноафиша - Оповещения от Киноафиши www.kinoafisha.info
- General : Anyone knows the mine shown in themovie The Man Who Fell to Earth? zh.mindat.org
- Bowie in America - Bowie in America u.osu.edu
- Interstellar: 10 Superior Philosophical Sci-Fi Films whatculture.com
How to see The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
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I like this movie a lot but his wife was annoying!
Absolutely brilliant film 💥💥💥
I haven’t seen this in forever and I’ve been wanting to rewatch it again
Great film.
For those who like Bowie as an actor, make sure you see The Hunger, also with Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve.
I saw it in my late teens and loved it. It was unusual to see a fear response depicted so accurately.
Not a very good movie or the Hunger. Not a Bowie fan on film.
Rick Rosenblum well that’s your opinion, he’s fantastic in every film, if you think he isn’t it’s because you don’t understand what they are aiming at.
Lee Gibson LMFAO at you. He’s great in that Basquit film when he plays Andy Warhol loved him in that. Have every single album, saw him live in 1982 top 5 concert of my life, saw over 400 concerts. MWFTE is very interesting but not at all a classic IMHO. Not a great actor, his acting career never really panned out. Worth a try he was a great great singer, performer and producer.
Rick Rosenblum think of The Man Who Fell to Earth as a SciFi road movie, then he’s the best thing in it, it’s definitely of its time, if anything it shows too much and could have been edited back a little more.
Lee Gibson I saw it in the theater in its original release. It was OK at best. I’m NOT learning about music or movies from you, thanks.
Rick Rosenblum you clearly know nothing, and I have no intention of educating idiots. 🤣
Rick Rosenblum a self grandiose supposed chef, I bet you’re shit at cooking, and wrong about every subject you discuss. 🤣
Rick Rosenblum I like him, although he is often playing himself. Have you seen Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence? Quite good in that, and a different type of role for him.
Alan DeVore-Goodrich No, that’s something I need to check out and also forgot he’s in Twin peaks and he’s good in that but its a small role.
Bowie hadn’t really found his footing as an actor yet in 1976. He was better in Labyrinth (1986), and better still in The Prestige (2006).
He made this at the absolute height of his early career. His other worldly looks were played up for all they b were worth. I always liked Candy Clark….to be honest the story is a bit hard to get b until you reali z e hed become a hopekess alcoholic by the end.
I haven’t seen that in forever
Love watching The Man who Fell to Earth, it’s like a SciFi road movie.
And brilliant, sad, tragic compelling
Great film
My favourite movie of all time – I have seen it at least 120 times since I first saw it in theaters on release
It’s a lie he only drank milk! He ate peppers, too! 🤡
I saw it when it first came out. Truly bizarre in a good way.
Great movie, great score, very eclectic.
I watched it once a long time ago and tried to watch it again, still couldn’t figure out what the hell is going on. I found it boring and incomprehensible.  I love Bowie as a musician, but he wasn’t acting. He was posing.