Mark Kermode's Cult Film Corner: The Man Who Fell to Earth

[@edmund184]

Saw his movie again this week and it really shook me up. Very powerful timeless story about alienation and flawed humanity

[@thecinematicmind]

RIP David Bowie. The greatest man who fell to Earth.

[@James-nl6fu]

You said it❤️

[@edwardmulholland7912]

What’s so good about the film is that it bears up to repeated viewings - Roeg’s editing technique (which he first developed together with Donald Cammell in Performance and then took it somewhere else) starts to take shape. I’ve always thought that this film and Roeg’s films in general influenced Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction in a more populist manner. Anyone agree?

[@aruiz90]

I think this is a very underrated film with a unique narrative which can be frustrating if you're not prepared for it but the depth of this film is not to be looked over.

[@TulseLuper]

Bowie is quite good in The Last Temptation of Christ.

[@ggfffgggds]

It's like Fear And Loathing On Planet Earth

[@MartinKOC72]

Hi Mr. Kermode hope you are good sir ✊🐯✌ Something that fascinates me is Roeg filmed some of TMWFTE on location in Roswell, New Mexico. Bear in mind this was 1975 and the attention around 'UFO's crashing in Roswell which was documented in 1947 (then dismissed) did not begin in interest again until 1980, when first hand witness Jesse Marcel (Army Intelligence Roswell base) made claims about encountering UFO saucer. Another film reference to Roswell appears in John Frankenheimer's Seven Days in may, (1963/64) in which Roswell can clearly be seen written as part of map behind Burt Lancaster. Both these are interesting, as I have already stated, interest in the 'Roswell' phenomenon was not sparked again until the 1980's by Jesse Marcel.

[@ninfilms]

Great piece of cinema.

[@danthemango]

Bowie was amazing in the Prestige though, best casting ever

[@robertmcelwaine7024]

Have to disagree with Kermode on Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. Good movie with a fairly decent performance from Bowie.

[@KDjupiter]

Disappointingly poor insight into the film by Kermode. The name 'Bowie' is mispronounced throughout which is irritatingly enough, but Kermode has very superficial understanding of the film 'grammar' Roeg developed. No attempt is made to understand it. Time is clear in the film, not confused- Thomas Newton does not age while everyone around him does. He is the victim of a CIA/government plot to stop him, so his alcoholism is a reaction to that, and this is very relevant today. The editing and way the music is used is unique. I'm wondering whether we are seeing the same film? It's a masterpiece.

[@albiehay5567]

KDjupiter He also mispronounced Roeg multiple times

[@slyslaughter5115]

I'm shocked at the vapidity of the review. I agree with you.

[@stereomagic1]

I also agree; once the profound nature of Newton's scientific breakthroughs and their wider economic ramifications become apparent then the Establishment contain, blind and effectively imprison him. The title of Teavis' novel is a clue to the Newtonian discoveries within this modern fable of over weaning government and the necessary destruction of anything or anyone that threatens their deleterious worldview, or more importantly harms their profit margins. A brave and beautifully peculiar film and I love the anticipation of mini-music formats, multi-channel TV and cheap digital photography in it too.

[@vancecrofoot]

Stating that it's a 'masterpiece' is an assertion based on your personal taste. It had it's good moments and lots of silly, nonsensical moments as well. It was ok.

[@ivorbiggun710]

@@vancecrofoot Stating that 'it had its good moments and lots of silly, nonsensical moments as well. It was OK.' is an assertion based on YOUR personal tastes.

[@ianfindly3257]

You didn't mention The Elephant Man! And what do you mean "his career went down" after this movie? . .. he went on to make several successful and highly influential albums - Station to Station, Low, Heros, Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, Let's Dance - it was after the LAST MENTIONED one there that his career as a rock star declined.

[@rhysroberts515]

I think he talked about his career going down in terms of his film career as an actor.

[@ivorbiggun710]

It's just Kermode talking bollocks, as usual. Film critics are always people who weren't good enough to make films themselves.

[@oilthatgate]

That wasn't the spaceship, that was the train that took him to the spaceship.

[@Kreln1221]

*So that's where Iron Maiden got their logo font...*

[@attackofthecopyrightbots]

Thank you this movie I really wonder if the book makes more sense

[@gwildar]

Thanks for posting this!

[@JanPBtest]

1:54 What? Have you seen the film?

[@ledzzappa]

i love this film it was great

[@bibifreeaerle2527]

the thruth water is the importent thing what we have to appreciat because good for body swimming drinking but to much drinking water is bad the liver can't not bar that like with alcohol.

[@aarongoldsmith8620]

weird to see mark kermode young

[@KasandraOConnell]

Wish they would pronounce his name correctly though.

[@billshire2681]

Why the Patrick McGoohan title music ?

[@jeffreystevens5137]

Because Patrick McGoohan is God!

[@Somewhere-in]

I used to make films like this at uni, short films that at times looked good but made no sense. I was always wasted and never bothered to develop the story which was very stupid.

[@FelfopReturns]

Time in this movie is horribly disjointed. I watched it on a 2 laserdisc set, changing sides often resulted in a wtf, did I get the wrong side moment.

[@LornaEGL]

Bowie looked 42 in mwfte????

[@linklawson5633]

It was always hard to tell his age.

[@LornaEGL]

up until about 1987

[@billshire2681]

Pronounced "Ro-egg ?" Nooo...! As in "rogue..." Rogue is the total creator. You're not bringing him up at all. Or his use of dmt on set with everybody, especially in Performance. Bowie was coming off addiction, hence his gauntness that served the film's character's look in the film which is why Rogue chose him.

[@PeterZeeke]

the birth of narrative incoherence

[@ivorbiggun710]

Sometimes I really so think Mark Kermode is a bit of a hack. At no point does this film become 'completely incoherent', unless Kermode is a bit of a thicko, of course.

[@ivankaramasov]

Agreed. It is not that incoherent

[@franzmittner6395]

Silly rabbit on too fast , slow down and review with thought.

[@AvaGamerStuff]

Am I the only one who's not impressed by this movie?

[@helvete_ingres4717]

I liked it more the second time I saw it.

[@johncarroll772]

Plenty of people don't like the movie. I don't like Star wars

[@jeffreycoogan09]

I'm surprised they didn't mention that this movie was based on the 1963 Walter Tevis novel of the same name.

[@cmoran9103]

00.45 seconds in, he says it quickly

[@jeffreycoogan09]

+Christopher Moran Your right, he did. He said it so fast its easy to miss.

[@davidwatkins204]

Yeah man, utter, utter, BULLSHITE.

[@storyiseverything2219]

I hate this film.