manwhofellpackStarring David Bowie

StudioCanal, out now

The definitive edition of the classic SF film as David Bowie arrives on Earth, a man on a mission…

This really is one of those movies that if you’ve not seen it and you don’t know what it’s about, then simply go and buy this edition straightaway… For those who have watched it over and over, then it’s fair to say that you’ve almost certainly never seen a better quality version of this film, the 4K treatment rendering it in incredible detail.

The movie itself pretty much stands up 40 years after its first release, with Bowie excellent as Thomas Jerome Newton whose view of life on Earth throws up a mirror that we still can find uncomfortable to look into. Nicholas Roeg’s distinctive vision and the non-linear approach means that as an audience we’re never quite sure what’s coming next, and the film is peppered with images that stay in the mind for years after – from Newton’s arrival on Earth and first encounter with Candy Clark’s Mary Lou to that final shot of him, a man who has fallen in so many ways. Sure, it’s dated in some ways but that shouldn’t put you off seeing it.

StudioCanal have gone to town with the extras with a number of new interviews that go behind the scenes on the movie (along with some of the classic pieces that have been available for some time) and add to our technical appreciation of the film’s creation – but it’s the restoration work that makes this worth adding to your collection, even if you have a previous Blu-ray edition.

Verdict: One of those movies that you find more in each time you watch it. 8/10

Paul Simpson