The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today a weeklong series focusing on David Bowie, the actor. 2013 has seen the re-emergence of the always fascinating musician, performer and artist with the release of a new album ("The Next Day") and a sold-out museum exhibition in London (David Bowie Is). In honor of his genius for shape shifting, the Film Society will present Watch That Man: David Bowie, Movie Star (August 2-8), a retrospective of what is arguably his finest work on the big screen-plus two special rarities from the BBC archives, one of which has never been seen in the U.S.
Film Comment Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Gavin Smith, said, "David Bowie's move into film acting was inevitable given his charismatic presence and keen sense of how to constantly reinvent himself in iconographic terms. His film roles set up an intriguing and unique dialogue with his shape-shifting image as a musical performer. Some roles intersect with phases of his musical career as in THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH and JUST A GIGOLO. Others take off in bold new directions that had captured the pop culture
Zeitgeist as in THE HUNGER and ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS. And of course he was also one of the first music artists to harness the potential of the music video in the pre-MTV era."
Bowie's turn as Catherine Deneuve's vampiric partner in Tony Scott's THE HUNGER (1983) opens the series with a special midnight screening on Friday, August 2, followed the next day with his collaboration with Muppet master Jim Henson in a Family Films presentation of LABYRINTH (1986) and a screening of his risk-taking performance in Nagisa Oshima's homoerotic drama set in a Japanese POW camp in MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. LAWRENCE (1982).
Two special highlights of the series are rarities culled from the BBC's archives including the U.S. Premiere of Alan Clarke's musical adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's BAAL with Bowie in the title role, and a rare screening of Alan Yentob's BBC documentary CRACKED ACTOR (1975) which will be paired with D.A. Pennebaker's concert film ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE
Spiders FROM MARS - THE MOTION PICTURE (1973).
Additional screenings include a very rare showing of CHRISTIANE F (1981), Ulrich Edel's harrowing drama about a 13-year old girl's heroin addiction featuring a Bowie concert performance of "Station to Station" (as well as an after party at Film Society following the screening), and David Hemmings' JUST A GIGOLO (1978), in which Bowie shared the screen with both Marlene Dietrich (in her last appearance on the big screen) and Kim Novak. The screening of JUST A GIGOLO will be attended by Joshua Sinclair, the film's Executive Producer. Other films include Julian Temple's love letter to the bohemian scene of late 1950s London, ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS (1986), Julian Schnabel's BASQUIAT (1996) featuring Bowie's portrayal of Andy Warhol, and Christopher Nolan's THE PRESTIGE (2006), in which Bowie portrayed inventor Nicola Tesla.
All screenings will take place at the Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th Street. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, June 27. Single screening tickets are $13; $9 for students and seniors (62+); and $8 for Film Society members. A three-film package is $30; $24 for students and seniors (62+); and $21 for Film Society members. Discount prices apply with the purchase of tickets to three films or more. Please note: Special $6 ticket price for the Family Films screening of LABYRINTH. The screenings of BAAL are free-to-the-public! Visit
http://www.FilmLinc.com for complete film festival information.
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