Customer Reviews

Man Who Fell to Earth

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

It was an odd year. 1976 saw the release of Logan's Run with its occasionally heavy handed parable about the youth culture, Ralph Bakshi's Wizards gathered steam at the box office and included a trailer for some movie called Star Wars. Along came Nicolas Roeg with his arthouse science fiction epic and totally mystified everyone. David Bowie is perfect as the alien in this classic science fiction film. He's left his arid, dying planet and come to Earth in hopes that some of "his" inventions could create enough capital so that he can take resources from our planet to save his.

Unfortunately, Bowie's character pretends to be human all too well--he's sucked into the very flaws that cripple humanity. He becomes a victim of our culture rather than master of it. Roeg's film is fragmented and spooky (particularly the scene where Candy Clark discovers that Bowie's character has various attachments to make him seem human). The visually unsettling photography and editing help bring an edge to the film. Roeg manages to fuse science fiction to his European art sensibilities very well. In fact, Man is probably Roeg's most powerful film outside of Don't Look Now his gothic take on the horror film.

I'll get to the point about the difference between the excellent Anchor Bay release and the Criterion release. Both studios had released this film for the first time (there was a previous Fox-Lorber bare bones edition). The Criterion edition looks sharper with better clarity and richer color than the Anchor Bay edition. Detail is better on the Criterion edition and there appears that the Anchor Bay release wasn't digitally restored as the colors are a bit muted and faded in some sequences. Both feature the full length European cut that Roeg intended for the US market as well. The 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound mix for the Anchor Bay is superior to the 2.0 original soundtrack on the Criterion. The entire sound system is used nicely but keep in mind this was never meant to sound as aggressive as the 5.1 ES (or 6.1) releases of more recent movies.

As to the extras, both have excellent extras. The Anchor Bay features a short documentary "Watching the Alien" (a great play on words related to one of Bowie's songs as well as the film), the original theatrical trailer, TV spots, talent bios, a good poster and still gallery as well as Paul Mayersberg's original screenplay in DVD-ROM format. All of these are great extras to be sure and are included on the second disc which allows for a higher bit rate for the movie and, hence, very good video as well. A note about the packaging--Anchor Bay's edition of the movie was fine but came in a very flimsy case with a slip over sleeve. When you took that off the movie and extras disc were held by flimsy plastic holder. The exterior had an image from the original poster and there was a short booklet included as well discussing the film. While normally I could care less about packaging it does bug me when it's as poorly designed as this one which seems like a compromise between an Amray (hard plastic) and snapcase (what Warner used until recently for all their releases). It doesn't stand up to wear and tear well and the discs could potential fall out.

Criterion's transfer is a new, restored high definition digital transfer supervised by Roeg (which explains the color corrections compared to the Anchor Bay edition which was pulled from restored negatives but done three years before). The audio commentary isn't new but is from 1992 (I believe it may be the same one on the original Criterion laserdisc release) and features Roeg and star David Bowie recorded together and Buck Henry recorded on his own. The commentary track is exceptional but that will only matter if commentary tracks are important to you. Some folks never listen to them and never take more than a cursory look at the extras. The second disc includes excellent audio interviews with May Routh who designed the costumes and production designer Brian Eatwell. There's another audio interview with author Walter Tevis recorded in 1984 in which Tevis discusses his novel and the film. There's some great stills, behind-the-scenes photos dominate these and were taken by David James. This section features an introduction by James. The trailers are included as is Tevis' original novel. Finally there's a 28 page critical essay by Graham Fuller about the film and an appreciation of novelist Tevis by another novelist Jack Matthews. Criterion's packaging has the movie in a hard Amray two disc holder and, in turn, within a cardboard cover that houses the movie and the novel. It's very nice and will stand up a better to wear and tear.

Both versions have their strong points. If you purchased the Anchor Bay edition and are satisfied with the exceptional transfer, then you may not want to purchase this new set. The crisper, sharper images and richer colors for the Criterion is the strong selling point while the audio 5.1 on the Anchor Bay has nice presence and sounds better than the audio mix for the Criterion edition. The extras for both are quite good although the commentary track gives the Criterion edition the edge in my mind. The image quality and color are better on the Criterion Edition of "Man" but the Anchor Bay remixed sound has the edge for audio. If you don't have the Anchor Bay or are looking to upgrade to a better looking picture, the Criterion is the stronger of the two. Criterion wins by a nose due to the extra featurettes and audio commentary as well as the Roeg supervised transfer.

A thin, pale, androgynous David Bowie is THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH -- Special Edition (Anchor Bay), a two-disc set of Nicolas Roeg's film.

Previously available on DVD, this widescreen (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) edition looks sharper, the clean DTS surround sound is THX approved and there's a new, interesting 24 minute featurette, "Watching the Alien."

Slow moving and beautifully photographed, this movie adaptation is faithful in theme to Walter Tevis's novel. An alien being, disguised as a human, comes to earth to seek a way to save his home planet from turning into an arid wasteland. He funds this project by designing inventions worth gazillions and becomes bigger than Bill Gates. Unfortunately, he also becomes contaminated by our earthly ways and sinks into a mystical malaise of depression and alcohol. A sweet and chirpy Candy Clark lures him into an affair that, strangely, doesn't help.

This hypnotic and provocative film long ago achieved cult status. More than anything, it's a visual meditation about an outsider, stymied by material success, who is on a journey back to a home that cannot in fact be reached. (Hey, who can't relate to that?)

Fully restored and uncensored (there's full frontal nudity), this new digital transfer is from original materials. Recommended.

i've always found that solitude and loneliness are two of the best outlets for artistic expression. prime examples of this include, 'the metamorphosis,' by franz kafka, 'wish you were here,' by pink floyd, and this astounding film, 'the man who fell to earth.'

the movie has a relatively simple plot. an alien comes to earth looking for water for his dying planet. he meet's a sensitive (yet boring and boozy), young woman who he has an affair with, but all the while, his heart is not on earth. it is on his home planet where his family is dying of thirst.

at first, his mission stays on track. he starts a huge electronics corporation and begins building a machine that will be able to transport water into out space (nobody knows it's true purpose). however, he is soon corrupted by alcohol, meaningless sex, and television, and his mission starts to fall apart.

on top of that, there are higher powers bent on destroying his mission and siezing the money he has made, and soon finds all those he thought were his friends desert him in his time of need. as he goes into an alcoholic daze, we realize that all of the characters are aging except for him, so presumably he has spent decades here on earth. it is at this point that his mission is completely lost, and he will never be able to return home.

bowie's performance in this film is astounding. he assumes the role of an alien so perfectly, and he is simply so beautiful and androgynous. it's a wandering, isolated movie, not to be watched alone.

Let me begin by saying this is one of the greatest studies of lonliness and alienation on film that exists today. The sadness inherent in each scene is brilliant and devastating. The viewer is drained by the end. That is, if you're receptive to it. Those expecting a sci-fi blow out will be very upset. This does to a sci-fi story what Interview with the Vampire did with the monster movie format. It uses sci fi as a foundation to create something entirely different. Sure its confusing, but it is not beyond comprehension, nor does it dumb down for the audience. That said, this DVD does it no justice whatsoever. Sure, its widescreen, but there is no chapter index, no trailer, no production notes, and no booklet on the inside of the box. The only extra is a difficult to read filmography. And what happened to the voice over by Bowie and Roeg that exists on the old laserdisc edition? I have a feeling that a real company will put this out on DVD with all the extras eventually, and those of us who bought this sorry edition because they love the film will be ripped off. Is there no justice?

It's a shame that only 5 stars can be given to this classic film.
David Bowie, whom I adore anyway, makes an excellent debut in this superb film.

The film follows Walter Tevis's novel very well and adapts to the screen to create a very saddening tale of corporate America and how it can be a boon or a bust to some, including aliens.

That alone is a scary thought.

Upon his arrival from a dying planet, Thomas Jerome Newton sets out to create an empire to obtain money to purchase water for his dying planet. Occasional scenes are shown of him leaving his wife and children behind, and throughout the film we see other scenes of them waiting for his return.

What is never shown is how he is going to transport this to his home planet.

Along the way to his path to success, he is plagued by metaphorical leeches who will do anything to stop him. Greed, lust, and several other deadly sins are thrust upon our protaganist as he tries in vain to overcome them in the process.

David Bowie was the perfect person to be cast for this movie. He moves along in it with an icy perfection that is or was appropriate to his character at the time.

Keep in mind, this film is not without it's flaws. Some scenes were restored to make this the original theatrical release. One involving Rip Torn and his student could have been done without as it makes no sense and attributes nothing to the overall affect of the movie. Again, that is just an opinion, and die hard fans of this movie will be happy that it is included.

This film, upon it's release, was well ahead of its time and to this day, many of the themes implied still are appropiate to what constitutes success vs. failure in the American business sense.

The films ends on a saddening note, however, and should be a reminder that what goes around, comes around. You do not have to be a fan of David Bowie to appreciate this film, he just makes it all work and the end result is stunning. Nicholas Roeg did everything possible to steer away from the persona of David Bowie and his music. The end result is a very good solid acting part on his behalf. Ironically, some of the incidental music later became working pieces on David Bowie's LOW album, which has a stunning shot from the movie. Highly recommended, and not for anyone looking for a quick plot or storyline and a happy ending, this film is chock full of storylines and plots that keeps you interested throughtout it's prescence.

Science fiction movies, like the literature with which they have an uneasy relationship, have long suffered from stereotyping and cookie-cutter plotting. In the 50s, it was monster movies; in the 70s, it was "Star Wars", "ET" and "Close Encounters"; warm and fuzzy with lots of action. More recently SF films such as "Demolition Man" have become vehicles for action stars. Real stories, particularly thoughtful adaptations of great SF books, are extremely rare.

This film, based on a superb novel by Walter Tevis (who also wrote "The Hustler" and its sequel, "The Color of Money"), is the story of an alien who comes to Earth to obtain water for his planet. By introducing superior technology he amasses a large fortune and develops a huge international corporation --- but develops addictions to both TV and alcohol and struggles with the isolation of living on a world where he doesn't belong.

Roeg's film is by no means as straightforward a narrative as the novel it's based on, and is definitely not for all viewers. There are virtually no special effects, keeping the focus where it belongs --- on the characters and story. However, some may be put off by the film's abstract approach; it does require several viewings to appreciate some of the subtle details Roeg packs into it.

Like "Blade Runner", this is a dense movie, although it doesn't have the visual flash. David Bowie's performance is astonishing (for the record, I was not a Bowie fan when I first saw this movie). Rip Torn, Buck Henry, and Candy Clark are equally superb in supporting roles.

If you're looking for dazzling visual effects and space battles, you won't find them here. However, if you enjoy great acting and a unique approach to storytelling, you'll find this movie easily rewards multiple viewings --- and gets better each time you watch it.

Anybody who loves science fiction as much as I do should have seen this movie a long time ago and studied it closely. Yet I only recently was introduced to The Man Who Fell to Earth and was mesmerized.

For the time period it was made, it is visually incredible. The story line is also excellent considering how unbelievable the premise is. I would also state it is probably easily misunderstood because of the subtle use of cues and disjointed plot structure. But this movie cements what I already believed to be true: David Bowie is a creative genius who deserves more acclaim than he gets.

It's interesting that in a movie in which Bowie was cast, the music is very non-Bowie. I'm sure that was meant to not overshadow his performance, which is incredible. I don't want to give away too much detail, but the title kind of says it all. If I had to summarize this movie briefly, I would say it was like Starman meets E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial and Valley of the Dolls.

I will add this: please avoid the reviews with spoilers. Several comments have been made which are not totally accurate. Watch the movie yourself and watch carefully. Then you can draw your own conclusion.

Like I said, the special effects are very good, yet tastefully done for the time period. They are not overly done as some other sci-fi of the late 70s and early 80s.

We learn about Bowie's character little by little through a series of flashbacks. These definitely highten the anticipation, but they also make the story disjointed. When we do finally see what Bowie truly is, it's an incredible climax.

There's also plenty of hippie-like scenes as Bowie's character is pulled out of his shell by a very unique female character. I personally felt like her lines could have been better, but she does a good enough job.

Rip Torn's character is perhaps the biggest enigma. I suspect that the film-makers purposely left some ambiguity as to his role in Bowie's demise.

I am not surprised by those who want simple explainations all laid out for them in a movie like this. This is meant to be an unconventional story told in an artistic way. Despite what some may say, there is a great deal of beauty and profundity in the way this story is told.

The supporting cast is good, though there are definitely some characters who are given less dialogue than they deserved.

The closure of this movie definitely made me feel sad for the world and mankind in general. Draw your own conclusions, but watch carefully or you will misunderstand what is really happening.

I would say anybody who loves sci-fi and hasn't seen this should see it soon. I may have been the last guy to this party, but if there are any others out there like me definitely check this out.

Enjoy.

When The Man Who Fell to Earth was shown in the United States it was trimmed of 20 minutes of footage because the studio was worried that people wouldn't understand what was going on. These cuts only made the movie more incomprehensible. This new Criterion Collection DVD restores Roeg's original version in a very attractive package that celebrates this important science fiction film.

The first disc features an audio commentary by Nicolas Roeg and actors David Bowie and Buck Henry (whose track was recorded separately). Bowie and Roeg engage in an intelligent conversation about the themes of the movie and reminisce about making it. Henry talks about how the film is all about alienation - not just Newton as an alien but how all the characters are isolated in some way. This is a solid track typical of Criterion's high standards.

The second disc starts off with a "Paul Mayersberg Interview." The film's screenwriter found that Walter Tevis' book was unclassifiable and that this is what has marginalized him. Mayersberg also talks about how he went about adapting the novel into a film in this excellent interview.

"Walter Tevis Audio Interview." Writer and broadcaster Don Swaim interviewed Tevis for CBS radio in 1984. They discuss Tevis' life and career.

Two of the film's actors are interviewed in "Performance - Candy Clark and Rip Torn." They both talk about their dismay at seeing the truncated U.S. version and about what attracted them to the film in the first place.

"Production and Costume Design" features production designer Brian Eatwell and costume designer May Routh talk about their work on the movie. They offer their recollections and some of their intentions as well as showcasing some of the sketches they did for the movie.

Also included are seven trailers for the movie including one narrated by none other than William Shatner!

Finally, there are galleries of photographs, Roeg's continuity book (a funky collage of stills, notes and pages from the screenplay), some great posters from Roeg's films, and behind the scenes snapshots.

Way back, when this came out, I was the only one I knew who liked it. I still like it, and I'm still not completely sure I know why.

It's about mood, without being a moody film itself. It's a study in loneliness, the feeling of isolation that can only come from other people - never from mere solitude. In the 1970s, the inter-racial couple and the same-sex couple were novel, maybe a bit hard to take, but effective. They said a lot about the many ways to be together. Tommy (David Bowie) and MaryLou said a lot about the ways to be apart, no matter how close. I've known women like MaryLou, unsophisticated and uncomplicated, but devoted. That created a tilted asymmetry between them, with components that are nothing to be proud of. Still, their affection was real. It's almost painful to see an alcoholic buffer rising up between them, blocking both the pain and the pleasure.

It's stylish and nonlinear, and has the humorous moment where Bowie seems to work at singing badly (the only time he does sing in this movie). It somehow documents emotion without itself bein emotional. And it's still strange.

//wiredweird

Many may call it dull and disjointed, too abstract or just give it a pass, since they haven't heard of it anyway! But they'd be missing a great movie, a unique and intellectual work of art. And that it is. I myself have never been much of a sci-fi fan so I don't particularly enjoy movies about space when they're too complicated and technical, but THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH is written in such a simple, but meaningful way- unlike most films nowadays- that makes it ageless, even after 30 years it cannot be considered outdated. Another thing I admire about it is a certain touchy feeling it has; it's hard to explain as it's so surreal, something out of this world! The first time I saw it, I was left with a sense of confusion and melancholy even, without consciously knowing why. I can't rally say I completely understand it to this day because there are so many hidden messages and feelings that make each time I watch it a whole new experience!
Despite my being a Bowie (super-) fan, I think everyone looking for a new experience in an interesting, smart and thought provoking, non-linear film should definitely buy the special edition DVD! It's worth every penny because it's a movie you can't just watch once, the VHS edition does not do it justice and the 2nd disc offers a very interesting and helpful `Watching The Alien' documentary!