7. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
Director: Nicholas Roeg Cast: David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark Rocker David Bowie made his film debut in the 1976 British sci-fi classic The Man Who Fell to Earth. (Incidentally, Bowies son, Duncan Jones, directed one of our favorite contemporary sci-fi flicks, 2009s Moon, starring Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey). Bowie plays Thomas Newton, an alien from a distant planet who is tasked with bringing much needed water back to his moisture-starved home world. Living as a human, Newton is able to amass a fortune which he will use in building a spacecraft to return him and the water back to his home planet. But becoming human ultimately proves too much for him. He enters a relationship with a woman named Mary Lou (Candy Clark). He quickly becomes an alcoholic. His addiction to television compels him to surround himself with dozens of TV screens. When he is discovered to be an alien by one of his employees, played by Rip Torn, Newton is taken captive by the American government and his mission ultimately fails. The film generated some curious controversy at the time. The films U.S. distributor, Paramount, backed out of its deal once the film was completed, so the movie received only a limited release in America. It was met with mixed reviews from American critics. But time has been kind to the film, and it has achieved a cult status in both Britain and the U.S. and still generates interest from old and new fans alike to this day.