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David Bowie. The Man Who Fell to Earth (Bibliotheca Universalis)
Loving the Alien
Behind the scenes of Nic Roeg's 1976 sci-fi masterpiece starring David Bowie
First advertised as a -mind-stretching experience, - Nicolas Roeg's 1976 The Man Who Fell to Earth stunned the cinema world. A tour-de-force of science fiction as art form, the movie brought not only hallucinatory visuals and a haunting exploration of contemporary alienation, but also glam-rock legend David Bowie in his lead role debut as paranoid alien Newton.
Based on Walter Tevis's 1963 sci-fi fable of the same title, The Man Who Fell to Earth follows alien Newton from his arrival on earth in search of water; his transition to wealthy entrepreneur, leveraging the advanced technologies of his native planet; his sexual awakening with the young Mary-Lou; and then the discovery of his alien identity, his imprisonment, abandonment, and descent into alcoholism. Throughout, Roeg coaxed a beguiling performance from his cast, presenting not only Bowie in ethereal space-traveler glory, but also pitch-perfect supporting performances from Candy Clark, Rip Torn, and Buck Henry.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this cult movie, TASCHEN's The Man Who Fell to Earth presents a plenitude of stills and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James, including numerous shots of Bowie at his playful and ambiguous best. A new introductory essay explores the shooting of the film and it's lasting impact, drawing upon an exclusive interview with David James, who brings firsthand insights into the making of this sci-fi masterwork.
About the series:
Bibliotheca Universalis-- Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!
Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, the name TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together nearly 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.
Bookworm's delight -- never bore, always excite!
Text in English, French, and German
Behind the scenes of Nic Roeg's 1976 sci-fi masterpiece starring David Bowie
First advertised as a -mind-stretching experience, - Nicolas Roeg's 1976 The Man Who Fell to Earth stunned the cinema world. A tour-de-force of science fiction as art form, the movie brought not only hallucinatory visuals and a haunting exploration of contemporary alienation, but also glam-rock legend David Bowie in his lead role debut as paranoid alien Newton.
Based on Walter Tevis's 1963 sci-fi fable of the same title, The Man Who Fell to Earth follows alien Newton from his arrival on earth in search of water; his transition to wealthy entrepreneur, leveraging the advanced technologies of his native planet; his sexual awakening with the young Mary-Lou; and then the discovery of his alien identity, his imprisonment, abandonment, and descent into alcoholism. Throughout, Roeg coaxed a beguiling performance from his cast, presenting not only Bowie in ethereal space-traveler glory, but also pitch-perfect supporting performances from Candy Clark, Rip Torn, and Buck Henry.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this cult movie, TASCHEN's The Man Who Fell to Earth presents a plenitude of stills and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James, including numerous shots of Bowie at his playful and ambiguous best. A new introductory essay explores the shooting of the film and it's lasting impact, drawing upon an exclusive interview with David James, who brings firsthand insights into the making of this sci-fi masterwork.
About the series:
Bibliotheca Universalis-- Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!
Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, the name TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together nearly 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.
Bookworm's delight -- never bore, always excite!
Text in English, French, and German
480 pages, Hardcover
Published October 27, 2017
4 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 23, 2020
I am a huge fan of the novel The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis. I thought the film was a disappointment, and I blame the director, Nicolas Roeg, for not capturing the tragedy of Thomas Jerome Newton as well as the book. I did love the performances, particularly Bowie's and Candy Clark's, and, of course, it is an interesting and memorable film.
The hundreds of photos in this book are magical and out-of-this-world. If you loved the film The Man Who Fell to Earth or just love Bowie, this picture book of the making of the film is a must-have on your shelf.
The hundreds of photos in this book are magical and out-of-this-world. If you loved the film The Man Who Fell to Earth or just love Bowie, this picture book of the making of the film is a must-have on your shelf.
November 1, 2023
This colossal "little" book scores on two levels. People who love the 1976 Nicolas Roeg sci-fi film will devour the content eagerly and for those who collect anything to do with the late David Bowie this is an essential item to add to their Bowie memorabilia.
This Taschen book is absolutely crammed full of stills from the film and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James. Book editor Paul Duncan provides an excellent introductory essay on the making of the film and its lasting impact with audiences. The text is written in three languages: English, German and French.
My only issue with this amazing tribute to the cult film is the size of the book. It's one of those pocket type editions produced to make it more affordable to the general public. And when compared to the high prices for their large books this is no doubt very pleasing for budget conscious collectors. As a somewhat cranky old book collector, excuse me for being a bit picky (and I know the content should take precedent over packaging) but I'm not a fan of the size (8"x6") of these books. I described it as a pocket-type book, but you would have to have a mighty big (and reinforced) pocket to hold this 480-page hardcover edition.
This Taschen book is absolutely crammed full of stills from the film and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James. Book editor Paul Duncan provides an excellent introductory essay on the making of the film and its lasting impact with audiences. The text is written in three languages: English, German and French.
My only issue with this amazing tribute to the cult film is the size of the book. It's one of those pocket type editions produced to make it more affordable to the general public. And when compared to the high prices for their large books this is no doubt very pleasing for budget conscious collectors. As a somewhat cranky old book collector, excuse me for being a bit picky (and I know the content should take precedent over packaging) but I'm not a fan of the size (8"x6") of these books. I described it as a pocket-type book, but you would have to have a mighty big (and reinforced) pocket to hold this 480-page hardcover edition.
August 20, 2018
4.5 stars
I received this small-sized coffee table Taschen book as a gift from a fellow Bowie lover. I love David Bowie! I’m not going to wax nostalgic because I’ll be going for hours...
This beautiful book is full of photographs, mostly but not exclusively black and white, of Bowie on the set of his 1976 sci-fi movie, The Man Who Fell To Earth. The book is great but I would’ve enjoyed more context with the photos. Some shots are of the amazing thin white duke in various off-camera photos around the New Mexico locale.
A strange, cult classic and it would take a publisher like Taschen to do it justice.
Bowie rules! Know that....
I received this small-sized coffee table Taschen book as a gift from a fellow Bowie lover. I love David Bowie! I’m not going to wax nostalgic because I’ll be going for hours...
This beautiful book is full of photographs, mostly but not exclusively black and white, of Bowie on the set of his 1976 sci-fi movie, The Man Who Fell To Earth. The book is great but I would’ve enjoyed more context with the photos. Some shots are of the amazing thin white duke in various off-camera photos around the New Mexico locale.
A strange, cult classic and it would take a publisher like Taschen to do it justice.
Bowie rules! Know that....
December 26, 2017
Scatti meravigliosi
December 27, 2017
Fantástico!!
September 4, 2018
Lovingly put together, it shows the process of filming along with stills from this wonderful film.
May 3, 2020
Though the text offers a good overview of the film's production, the real appeal here are the many photographs taken on set by David James.
December 11, 2020
beautiful
June 6, 2022
I had no idea a Man who fell to earth book existed! It's so pretty even if most of the photos are black and white. There are SO many of them, and they are a lovely look behind the scenes.
February 27, 2025
obsessed. i love it
February 17, 2018
Wonderful book with very interesting information about Bowie at the movie set and many great photos. I'm really glad I bought it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews