![]() |
World of Westfahl |
Encyclopedia Introduction |
All Entries |
Acknowledgements
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
(David Jones 1947–2016). British musician and actor.
But I am writing
a Biographical Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film, not a Biographical
Encyclopedia of Rock Music, and I will henceforth focus on the task I am better
qualified for, evaluating Bowie's contributions to science fiction film. Of
course, Bowie first exploited science fiction in his early days as a musician
and performer, most notably in adopting the persona of alien rock'n'roller
Ziggy Stardust, and one could argue that his first science fiction film was a
documentary of one Ziggy Stardust concert, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders
from Mars (1973). But his official acting debut in The Man Who Fell to
Earth, playing an alien visiting Earth to obtain assistance for his dying
planet, established that Bowie was a brilliant actor, and it remains both his
best role and one of the two performances in science fiction film (the other by
the unlikely Joanna FRANK) that most effectively contrives to convey a genuinely
alien presence.
After The Man
Who Fell to Earth, Bowie mostly concentrated on realistic films for a
while, though he was effective as a dying vampire in The Hunger (1983)
and did an uncredited cameo as a shark in the farcical Yellowbeard
(1983). The turning point in his career, I believe, came when he agreed to
star in Jim HENSON's puppet-filled fantasy Labyrinth (1986). At the
time, it must have seemed like a good idea, an opportunity to combine his
interests in acting and music with a musical role, but even with his talents,
Bowie could not overcome the burden of a script that provided absolutely no
clue as to who this villainous Goblin King really was or why he was so
dedicated to kidnapping little children. Some commentators now, and oddly, have
identified Labyrinth as a "cult classic," but in its day, the film was
considered both a financial and artistic failure, and as a consequence, Bowie
apparently resolved to henceforth focus his energies on music and restrict his
acting to supporting roles.
What seemingly
happened is that people producing strange films would seek out Bowie to add an
extra touch of strangeness to the proceedings. Thus, among other roles, Bowie
seemed surprisingly perfect as Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of
Christ (1988), fit right into the surreal world of Twin Peaks in the films Twin
Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) and the later compilation Twin Peaks:
The Missing Pieces (2014), and stood out as Nicolas Tesla in The
Prestige (2006), making a dramatic entrance through a curtain of
electricity. He also co-hosted a horror series, The Hunger (1999-2000),
contributed his voice to the animated film Arthur and the Invisibles
(2006) and "Atlantis SquarePantis" (2007), an episode of Spongebob
Squarepants, and appeared as himself in the film Zoolander (2001)
and elsewhere.
However much one
might admire his acting skills, however, Bowie may ultimately achieve screen
immortality primarily because of his music—particularly his early, spaced-out
songs—which seemingly remain irresistible soundtrack choices for the makers
of science fiction and fantasy films. Just between 2013 and 2017, for example,
his songs were heard in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013), Guardians
of the Galaxy (2014), The Martian (2015), and Kong: Skull Island
(2017). Further, even the more standard Bowie songs habitually chosen, like
"Changes" (1972) and "Rebel, Rebel" (1974), were all released before The Man
Who Fell to Earth—suggesting that, from the perspective of film
producers, Bowie had completed all of his significant music by 1976 and thus,
arguably confirming my argument, he then should have quit while he was ahead
and instead devoted himself exclusively to screen acting.
|
To contact us about encyclopedia matters, send an email to Gary Westfahl.
If you find any Web site errors, typos or other stuff worth mentioning,
please send it to our Webmaster.
Copyright © 1999–2018 Gary Westfahl All Rights Reserved Worldwide