Happy Elvis Bowie Day!!!!

 

It's Elvis Bowie Day! A day that should become a holiday to celebrate the Gods who were born on that day. The King in Elvis Presley and David Bowie.



It is also the birthday of such notable figures such as Graham Chapman of Monty Python, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sarah Polley, Gaby Hoffman, Cynthia Erivo, and Dr. Stephen Hawking.



© thevoid99 2025

Moonage Daydream

 

Written, directed, and edited by Brett Morgen, Moonage Daydream is a documentary about the life and music of David Bowie told through rare and unreleased footage including live concert footage that are Bowie’s own personal archives. The film that is made with the approval of the Bowie estate showcases the artist’s unique evolution and many personas he had created from the mid-1960s to his death in early 2016. The result is an immersive and kaleidoscopic film from Brett Morgen.

When it comes to the subject of an artist like David Bowie, it is truly difficult to pinpoint exactly what he is and who he is as the man himself never stuck to one style let alone any style. Up till his death in January 10, 2016, the man continuously maintained a sense of intrigue as well as keep people guessing as he refused to live life by anyone’s expectations. What this film does isn’t really go into the many aspects of his life as an artist and as a person but rather a man who is often trying to find something and continue to find out whoever he is. A traditional documentary would’ve played by the numbers and sometimes tell things that people already know but what Brett Morgen does is have the man himself tell his own story through archival audio and video footage including rare and unseen material that had been kept by Bowie for years with the permission from his estate to allow Morgen to tell Bowie’s story.

Using all sorts of footage from Bowie’s lifetime including concerts, rare home films, pictures, paintings, interviews, and the films that Bowie had appeared in. Morgen creates a film that doesn’t have a traditional narrative as it play more into a man growing up and finding himself as this alien rock star from Mars, a troubled singer with a serious cocaine problem, a nomad living in Berlin, a traveler in transition as he goes around the world and do movies, a superstar who reached the masses only to compromise himself as an artist, and a man who found stability and love in all aspects of life while living in the present. Throughout the course of the film, there are these images of outer space as if the cosmos are being created as they kind of serve as structure breaks to play into Bowie moving from one persona and into another.

While the film doesn’t dwell too much into Bowie’s personal life other than bits about his early life including his love for his older half-brother Terry and later his second marriage to the model Iman. Morgen chooses to focus mostly on Bowie as he constantly changes and goes from one place to another in his own search for identity and meaning while it doesn’t include bits about Bowie’s time in Tin Machine from 1989 to 1992 which is just a minor omission as it doesn’t have any effect on the film’s unconventional narrative. Notably as it play on these key events such as Bowie’s stardom in the 70s to becoming this mega-superstar in the early 80s only to struggle with who he is as an artist and what people want in the second half of the decade. In the 1990s, Bowie found personal happiness in both as an artist and as a person up till the end of his life as he also talks about the idea of embracing chaos early and then eventually into finding some form of order with elements of chaos.

Among some of the footage shown in the film aren’t just films that Bowie starred in but also other films that play into Bowie’s own philosophies on life and art that include some of his own paintings where he explained why he never did an art gallery mainly because he considers his own paintings to be personal. Among some of the rare footage include some live performances as well as outtakes from music videos, promotional bits, his 1980 stage performance for The Elephant Man on Broadway, and other rare films including projects such as Love You Till Tuesday and the documentary Ricochet. One notably rare bit that is given some restoration is from the D.A. Pennebaker’s 1983 concert documentary film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars that features Bowie and the band playing The Jean Genie with the Beatles’ Love Me Do with Jeff Beck that never made it to the final film and had often been shown in poor condition. What the film shows is a new look and the performance itself is among one of the gems shown.

Serving as the editor, Morgen does use a lot of footage, TV interviews, and rare footage presented and mix it with some film footage as well as some unique animated pieces by Stefan Nadelman and Vello Virkhaus that includes a rotoscope animated piece from outtakes for the music video Fame ’90 by Gus Van Sant in which Bowie is dancing with Louise Lecavalier of the Quebecois contemporary dance group La La La Human Steps who toured with Bowie in 1990 as it played into Bowie’s new outlook on life in the 1990s. Sound designers Samir Foco, Nina Hartstone, and John Warhurst help gather many of the audio from the many interviews that Bowie did in his lifetime along with excerpts from films and his music.

The film’s music is presented in a bit of a remix and collage style as it play into his many evolutions and periods in those years as a lot of it is supervised by Bowie’s longtime producer Tony Visconti with Morgan also doing some of the mixing as well. Using not just some of Bowie’s hits but also deep cuts and instrumentals made throughout his career as it adds to the dramatic presentation of the film. Even as some of the deep cuts are presented in a new lights along with some of the live performances as the music sounds not just broader but also effective in their live setting.

Moonage Daydream is a tremendous film from Brett Morgen. While for anyone that doesn’t know much about David Bowie or are new to him are going to be confused at first by its unconventional structure yet will be amazed by the footage it does provide. For fans of Bowie, this film is a must to watch in terms of the rare footage as well as the chance to experience something that is more than just an audio/visual tribute to Bowie but also as a film that play into the man and his many guises and journeys he took into being this great figure of popular culture that the universe know and love. In the end, Moonage Daydream is a spectacular film from Brett Morgen.

Brett Morgen Films: The Kid Stays in the Picture - Crossfire Hurricane - Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck - (Jane (2017 film))

Related: Cracked Actor - Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - Jazzin' for Blue Jean - David Bowie: Five Years - David Bowie: The Last Five Years - David Bowie: Finding Fame

© thevoid99 2022

Just a Gigolo

 

Directed by David Hemmings and written by Ennio De Concini and Joshua Sinclair, Just a Gigolo is the story of an officer who finds work as a gigolo following the end of World War I as he deals with a growing conflict in Berlin between Nazis and Communists. The film is a dramatic piece where a man deals with his new role just as the world he’s in is changing as he’s unsure of what to do. Starring David Bowie, Sydne Rome, Kim Novak, Maria Schell, David Hemmings, Curd Jurgens, and in her final film performance, Marlene Dietrich. Just a Gigolo is a nonsensical and ridiculous film from David Hemmings.

Set from 1918 to 1926, the film revolves around an officer who returns to Berlin three years after World War I with nothing that suits his skills other than menial jobs where he eventually becomes a gigolo amidst a growing conflict between Nazis and Communists. It is a film that explores a man just trying to find his role after the events of the world but it’s a film that wants to be a comedy but also a drama as well as a period piece but writers Ennio De Concini and Joshua Sinclair create a story that is just a fucking mess. Notably as the protagonist of Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski (David Bowie) is always in some situation where he is often lost and is often made to look like a buffoon. Notably as he would take jobs that are humiliating while is pining for a longtime childhood friend in the revolutionary prostitute in Cilly (Sydne Rome). Paul would often find himself in situations such as being an unwilling participant in a resistance group led by his former superior in Captain Herrmann Kraft (David Hemmings) that would eventually become the Nazis and eventually become a gigolo for the Baroness von Semering (Marlene Dietrich) where he woos older women including an officer’s widow in Helga von Kaiserling (Kim Novak).

David Hemmings’ direction is all over the place where it begins in the battlefield where Paul is at the front line of a battlefield where he meets Captain Kraft only to be hit with a shell that lead him to a French hospital where he’s mistaken for a French officer. There are some unique shots that Hemmings creates but the film has a lot of tonal issues in whether he wants to create something serious that is meant to be played for laughs or the other way around and it never works. There are also these moments on whenever a new year in the story begins, there is this recurring gag of two old ladies talking as it never establishes their purpose in the film while Hemmings’ direction with the actors has them in some situations that is humiliating with the exception of the two scenes with the Baroness. Even as it wants to be some political film or a character study yet there is never sense of cohesion throughout the film where Hemmings wants to make this some kind of political-comedy or a character-drama about a man who is lost after World War I. Overall, Hemmings crafts a messy and meandering film about a World War I Prussian officer who later becomes a gigolo.

Cinematographer Charly Steinberger does nice work with the film’s cinematography as it has some stylish lighting for some of the scenes at the Hotel Eden where the Baroness lives as well a few exterior scenes at night. Editors Siegrun Jager and Alfred Srp do fine work with the editing though given that the international version was cut down from the 147-minute premiere version to 105 minutes though there are moments in the film where it does meander. Production designer Peter Rothe does excellent work with the look of the home where Paul and his family live in as well as the ballroom of the Hotel Eden and the home of the Prince whom Cilly is sleeping with. Costume designers Mago and Ingrid Zore do amazing work with the stylish dresses that the women at the time with the former creating some designer clothing for the Baroness, Cilly, and the clothes that Paul wears.

Hair/makeup artist Antony Clave do terrific work with the look of the characters as it is stylized for the times. The sound work of Gunther Kortwich is good as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations though there’s moments that it does too much to play into the humor. The film’s music by John Altman and Gunther Fischer is wonderful as its mixture of jazz and folk to play into the music of the times do play into the humor while music supervisor Jack Fishman provide a soundtrack including some standards as well as an original song written by Bowie that a group of rebels sing early in the film as well as the titular song that is sung by the Baroness.

The film’s ensemble cast do have their moments though a lot of them were hampered by the film’s nonsensical script and messy direction as it include some notable small roles from Hilde Weissner as Paul’s aunt Hilda, Evelyn Kunneke as an old woman that is one of Paul’s conquests late in the film, Erika Pulhar as a prostitute who lives at the apartment where Paul’s family live in, Werner Pochath as Captain Kraft’s brutish yet idiotic henchman Otto, Rudolph Schundler as Paul’s catatonic father who spends much of the film not moving in a stupid way, and Curd Jurgens in a wasted two-scene appearance as a Prince whom Cilly is having an affair with as he barely does anything in the film. Maria Schell is fantastic as Paul’s mother who is amazed that he is alive while worries about the thing he is doing as a gigolo but also in his time with Captain Kraft. Marlene Dietrich is incredible in her brief two-scene appearance as Baroness von Semering as she just maintains this presence in her role as this woman who runs a brothel of gigolos as she is just a joy to watch.

David Hemmings’ performance as Captain Herrmann Kraft is just terrible in the fact that he is this former military officer who is trying to be part of the Nazi movement is often played for laughs though there is nothing funny in what he’s doing while he takes it way too seriously to be engaging. Kim Novak’s performance as an officer’s widow in Helga von Kaiserling is an odd performance that really doesn’t do much for Novak to be engaging but rather be this seductress who tries too hard at times while her attempts to be funny are forced. Sydne Rome’s performance as Paul’s childhood sweetheart Cilly as this revolutionary prostitute who later becomes a Hollywood film star is badly written as someone who wants Paul but then wants to be with the Prince and follow her dreams where Rome does have her moments as a cabaret performer but never finds her balance as someone who really is Paul’s love interest. Finally, there’s David Bowie as Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski as a Prussian World War I officer who is lost in trying to find work only to become a gigolo where Bowie never really gets to find his footing in the role where his attempts to be funny is forced while the dramatic moments barely has him doing anything as it is definitely one of his worst performances in his acting career.

Just a Gigolo is a horrible film from David Hemmings. Despite the two-scene performance from the late Marlene Dietrich in her final film performance, the film is a meandering mess that never finds its footing while giving its ensemble cast nothing to do. Even fans of David Bowie will find the film to be a chore as the man himself also made his dislike about the film after its release as he is given nothing to do other than look ridiculous. In the end, Just a Gigolo is just a bad movie by David Hemmings.

© thevoid99 2022

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Based on the books The Seed and the Sower and The Night of the New Moon by Sir Laurens van der Post, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is the story of a British POW who defies the Japanese while being their captor while another British officer tries to mediate between the two sides. Directed by Nagisa Oshima and screenplay by Oshima and Paul Mayersberg, the film is a look into life in a Japanese prison camp during World War II as well as how some cope with being in prison as some deal with their own guilt as it relates to the pain they’re suffering in camp. Starring David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano, Jack Thompson, Johnny Okhura, Alistair Browning, and James Malcolm. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a riveting and haunting film from Nagisa Oshima.

Set in 1942 at a Japanese prisoner of war camp, the film revolves around a new prisoner who would defy the orders of his captors leading to some intrigue and terror while another British officer tries to smooth things between both the British prisoners and the Japanese guards. It’s a film that play into a clash of cultures and ideals between two different factions as a few of them try to understand one another. The film’s screenplay by Nagisa Oshima and Paul Mayersberg opens with life at the camp where the British lieutenant colonel Lawrence (Tom Conti) confers with Sergeant Hara (Takeshi Kitano) about an incident involving a Dutch soldier and a Korean soldier as the latter tries to commit hara-kiri but fails as Lawrence is still new to the concept of hara-kiri. Upon the arrival of Major Jack Celliers (David Bowie) to the camp having been on trial by the Japanese war council as he is a rebellious figure who has caught the eye of POW camp’s commandant Captain Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto) whom he sees as an equal.

The screenplay explore the dynamics of these four men at the camp with Lawrence and Sgt. Hara both being men who try to create a dialogue between both the British and Japanese while there are these two extremes in Celliers and Captain Yonoi with the latter seemingly having a fixation on the former. The script showcases the world of the camp as well as some of the labor the prisoners have to endure as the prisoners’ representative Captain Hicksley (Jack Thompson) has a hard time trying to deal with the Japanese despite being one of their captors. Upon viewing an act of seppuku which makes Lawrence and Captain Hicksley uneasy, things do intensify with Lawrence and Celliers getting into trouble over some misunderstandings as the latter admits to his own demons as some believe that Celliers is a demon that is trying to haunt Captain Yonoi.

Oshima’s direction has elements of style as it play into the life inside a POW camp. Shot mainly in Indonesia with some scenes shot in Cook Island and parts of Auckland, New Zealand, Oshima recreates the world of the Japanese prison camp where the prisoners don’t live in great conditions though Lawrence is given a bit of special privilege due to his friendship with Sgt. Hara. There are some unique compositions in the wide and medium shots that include a scene of Captain Yonoi doing a sword fight with another officer as a way to hold on to the ideas of the samurai. It’s a scene that showcases Japanese culture as it is foreign to the likes of Lawrence and Celliers as the former does become frustrated following a scene where Sgt. Hara is doing a traditional prayer with Captain Yonoi watching.

Oshima’s close-ups add to this intrigue between Captain Yonoi and Celliers as both men are both hiding some source of guilt as the former isn’t willing to show his feelings as he is consumed with shame. Celliers’ guilt would be unveiled in an extended flashback sequence as it relates to his own actions towards his little brother (James Malcolm). Oshima also play into this element of homosexual tendencies as it relates to the Dutch and Korean soldiers in the film’s opening scene but also within Captain Yonoi as it creates a lot of dramatic ambiguity into Celliers’ action during its climax. Its third act that does relate to the event of Christmas is more about action and its consequences as it is followed by a somber aftermath in the ending that takes place a year after World War II ended. Especially in light of the sense of inhumanity of war and how a few was able to try to bring some humanity back into themselves. Overall, Oshima crafts a rapturous yet evocative film about a culture clash and exploration of shame at a Japanese POW camp.

Cinematographer Toichiro Narushima does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of filters for a few nighttime exterior scenes at the camp along with some naturalistic imagery for the daytime scenes as well as a vibrantly-rich look for a dream sequence in the film. Editor Tomoyo Oshima does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the dramatic tension that occurs within the film. Production designer Jusho Toda and art director Andrew Sanders do amazing work with the look of the prison camps as well as the places where the Japanese officers stay at including the room where Captain Yonoi practices his sword work.

Special effects supervisor Kevin Chisnall does nice work with the special effects as it is mainly for a shot for the film’s climax. Sound recordist Mike Westgate does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the camp as well as the sparse and natural sounds that occur within the film. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto is incredible for its mixtures of traditional Japanese string music, orchestral flourishes, and electronic textures as it add a lot of dramatic flair to the film while Sakamoto also contributes to the film’s theme song Forbidden Colours with David Sylvain while additional music include traditional choir pieces and Christmas songs.

The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Hideo Murota as a camp commandant who appears late in the film, Chris Broun as the twelve-year old Celliers, Kan Mikami as one of Captain Yonoi’s aides in Lt. Ito, Tamio Ishikura as a prosecutor in Celliers’ trial, Ryunosuke Kaneda as the trial judge in Col. Fujimura, Alistair Browning as the Dutch prisoner, Johnny Okhura as the Korean prisoner, and James Malcolm as Celliers’ younger brother whom he would become a victim of an event that played into Celliers’ guilt. Jack Thompson is fantastic as Group Captain Hicksley as the POW camp representative for the Allies who isn’t fond of being captured or having to answer to the Japanese but does try to hold on to some idea of civility but also stand his own ground on what he feels is right.

Takeshi Kitano is excellent as Sgt. Hara as a POW camp leader who handles punishments and such yet is a more reasonable man due to his growing friendship with Lawrence as well as being someone that cares about tradition as well as understanding the ideas of Western culture. Ryuichi Sakamoto is brilliant as Captain Yonoi as the POW camp commandant who is charged with overseeing the camp as he takes an interest in Celliers while trying to hide his own guilt and shame over an incident that occurred years ago as it is a chilling performance filled with anger and regret. Tom Conti is amazing as Lt. Colonel John Lawrence as a British officer who is trying to be civil with the Japanese as he befriends Sgt. Hara while having concerns for their own ideas including the concept of hara-kiri yet is amazed by their ideas of honor. Finally, there’s David Bowie in a phenomenal performance as Major Jack Celliers as a British officer captured by the Japanese as he tries to defy their orders and punishments while is consumed with guilt over his past as it a performance filled with humor and defiance as well as a sensitivity where Bowie gives a performance for the ages.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a tremendous film from Nagisa Oshima that features great performances from David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Takeshi Kitano. Along with its gorgeous visuals, Sakamoto’s evocative score, and exploration of cultural clashes in a prison camp. It is a film that explore different cultures, intrigue, guilt, and shame in a prison camp where four men are at the center of this emotional turmoil that is happening around them. In the end, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is an outstanding film from Nagisa Oshima.

Nagisa Oshima Films: (Tomorrow’s Sun) - (A Street of Love and Hope) - (Cruel Story of Youth) - (The Sun’s Burial) - (Night and Fog in Japan) - (The Catch) - (The Rebel) - (A Small Child’s First Adventure) - (It’s Me Here, Bellett) - (The Pleasures of the Flesh) - (Yunbogi’s Diary) - (Violence at High Noon) - (Tales of the Ninja/Band of Ninja) - (Sing a Song of Sex (A Treatsie on Japanese Bawdy Songs)) - (Double Suicide: Japanese Summer) - (Death by Hanging) - (Three Resurrected Drunkards) - (Diary of a Shinjuku Thief) - (Boy (1969 film)) - (Man Who Left His Will on Film) - (The Ceremony (1971 film)) - (Dear Summer Sister) – In the Realm of the Senses - Empire of Passion - (Max, Mon Amour) - (Taboo (1999 film))

© thevoid99 2020

David Bowie: Finding Fame

Directed by Francis Whately, David Bowie: Finding Fame is a documentary film about the early years in the career of David Bowie from the time he would change his name to events and early moments of success that would kick-start an illustrious career. The third and final film in a trilogy of documentaries by Whatley, the film would feature rare and archival footage of Bowie in his early years trying to make it as a pop star while trying to find his own voice that would make him the beloved icon of music. The result is an engrossing and evocative film from Francis Whately about the early years of one of popular music’s most enduring artists.

The film chronicles the early years of the career of David Bowie from 1965 to 1971 having been in several failed bands and a solo career under his real surname in Jones where he would be called Davie Jones until another British singer with a similar name became a pop star before him. Through archival audio and TV interviews from Bowie as well as interviews from several colleagues and friends including music producers Tony Visconti and Mike Vernon, musicians Mick “Woody” Woodmansey, John Cambridge, John “Hutch” Hutchinson, Mark Plati, Gail Ann Dorsey, Carlos Alomar, Mike Garson, Earl Slick, and Rick Wakeman who all bring insight into Bowie’s music of those early years.

Along with interviews from other musicians who played in some of the early bands Bowie was in as well as those who knew him personally like Geoffrey MacKormick, George Underwood, and famed mime/choreographer Lindsay Kemp (whom the film is dedicated to) in one of his final interviews as well as Bowie’s cousin Kristina Amadeus and former girlfriends in Dana Gillespie and Hermione Farthingale. The film also touches upon Bowie’s early life in Brixton and Bromley that would shape a lot of the music he would create early on including a key moment where Amadeus enters the old Jones family home in Bromley as she would talk about Bowie’s parents and their troubled family life often due to histories of mental illness including Bowie’s half-brother Terry who would suffer from schizophrenia as he would inspire a few songs Bowie would create.

Francis Whately’s direction utilizes a lot of archival and rare audio including a widely-rare audio of a BBC audition Bowie did with one of the bands he was in the Lower Third as band members Phil Lancaster and Denis Taylor talk about the audition where the former reads a review of the audition. It’s one of the film’s comical moments where Lancaster looks at this old piece of paper that claims that Bowie as a singer is someone that lacks personality which amuses Lancaster who is aware that the BBC figures on that audition clearly missed the boat of what this young singer would become. Much of the interviews that Whately and cinematographers Louis Caulfield and Richard Numeroff would show are straightforward with Amadeus’ scene at the old Jones’ family home in Bromley being a major highlight as it must be a big surprise that the current owners of that home couldn’t believe they’re living in the childhood home of one of Britain’s great treasures.

Editor Ged Murphy would help Whately compile many archival footage including archival interviews from one of Bowie’s early managers Ken Pitt and music producer Gus Dudgeon from the early 1990s as well as interview footage from Mick Ronson from a related Bowie documentary that’s about Bowie’s collaboration with Ronson. The archival footage that includes remastered footage of the rarely-seen promotional film Love You Til’ Tuesday as well as footage of Bowie’s collaboration with Lindsay Kemp and some of Bowie’s early TV appearances. Sound re-recording mixer Greg Gettens would also compile some rare audio including an audio clip of Bowie’s performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 1971 where he played at dawn to an audience of a few hundred people that would include work-in-progress versions of songs he would later create in his 1972 breakthrough album Hunky Dory and then perform those songs 29 years to a massive audience at Glastonbury where he was the headliner in what some consider to be his most legendary performance.

Hermione Farthingale is among one of the most interesting individuals interviewed in the film as she was considered the first love of Bowie’s life as she revealed a lot about their relationship and collaboration as a multimedia trio known as Feathers with John Hutchinson. Even as she talked about their break-up and events afterwards as she wouldn’t see him during the time he would become famous until 2013 which was the last time they saw each other. The film also play into the many influences Bowie had at the time including the Velvet Underground where longtime collaborator Carlos Alomar reveal similarities to a song by the Velvet Underground with an early single by Bowie in The Laughing Gnome. Another music piece that is unveiled relates to the song The London Boys as it’s considered to be one of Bowie’s early gems as he would re-record it in 2000 for the unreleased Toy album as it features a rarely-seen clip of Bowie performing the song for 2000 BBC performance with the musicians he was playing at the time playing to the re-recording of the song in a studio.

David Bowie: Finding Fame is a sensational film from Francis Whately. It’s a film that explore Bowie trying to find himself in his attempts to be famous where he would get his first taste of success with Space Oddity and continuously search to stand out. The film is a rich documentary that serves as a fitting end to a trilogy of documentaries that explore the music and life of David Bowie told by the man himself as well as those who knew him. In the end, David Bowie: Finding Fame is an incredible film from Francis Whately.

Related: Cracked Actor - David Bowie: Five Years - David Bowie: The Last Five Years

© thevoid99 2019

Baal (1982 TV film)

Based on the play by Bertolt Brecht, Baal is the story of a poet who commits a murder and engage in various sexual affairs with different women including one he would abandon. Directed by Alan Clarke and teleplay by John Willett, the experimental TV production is a theatrical take on the story that features David Bowie playing the titular character. Also starring Tracey Childs, Zoe Wanamaker, Juliet Hammond, and Jonathan Kent. Baal is an eerie yet unsettling TV film from Alan Clarke.

Set in the early 20th Century in Germany before the First World War, the film revolves around a poet who travels around Germany to scrounge up anything he can get in an act of defiance towards bourgeoisie society. Through his misadventures, Baal would engage in many affairs with different women whom he would treat with indifference while doing what he can to survive without the conventions of society despite his popularity with the ordinary people for his poets and songs. The film’s teleplay by Alan Clarke is mainly a character study of this man who is an artist that creates great poets, songs, and drawings yet he does it for money that he often spends on women and booze. During this time, he would gain different lovers while trying to deal with the changes in society to a world that he feels like he has no part of forcing him to survive on his own terms.

Clarke’s direction does have elements of style in its framing as well as the small interludes in between chapters that has Baal singing at the edge of a frame with the other half of the frame focusing on what is to happen next or a landscape. Shot on soundstages in London, Clarke doesn’t aim for a lot of big camera movements but rather maintain something theatrical by shooting scenes mainly on wide or in medium shots as there aren’t many close-ups in the film. Still, Clarke maintains this air of drama into the situations that Baal is in as he’s with different lovers or singing about those he loved and left behind while defying the many ideas of bourgeoisie society who wants to use him for their own reasons. The framing device and compositions are abstract in the presentation whenever Baal sings during an interlude as it would include these eerie moments of cruelty that Baal would lay upon someone whether it’s a lover or close friends. Overall, Clarke crafts a dark yet riveting film about a poet’s journey of decadence and defiance in early 20th Century Germany.

Cinematographer John Timbers does excellent work with the cinematography as it has a crudeness to its look as it was shot on video while does use some nice lighting to help maintain an atmosphere for the scene. Editor Howard Dell does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a dissolve in one shot in the film as it play into the drama. Production designer Tony Abbott and art director Andrew Christian do brilliant work with the look of the sets from the pubs and places that Baal goes as well as the garage that he lives in. Costume designer Reg Samuel does fantastic work with the costumes from the ragged look of Baal as well as the cleaner look of the other characters.

Makeup artist Pauline Cox does amazing work with the look of Baal in his ragged look as well as the fact that he doesn’t have many teeth. Visual effects by Dave Jervis does nice work with the film’s minimal visual effects for some of the video look and the backdrops that are used in a few scenes. The sound work of John Howell and Mike Jones is superb for the sparse sounds used in the film as it help maintain that air of theatricality that is prevalent in the film. The film’s music soundtrack that is based on the arrangements by Dominic Muldowney is mainly folk-based with Bowie singing and playing a banjo with many of the lyrics by Bertolt Brecht that play into the misadventures and conquests of Baal as it’s one of the film’s highlights.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast include a few notable small roles from Julian Wadham as a rich patron in Johannes Schmidt, Robert Austin as the publisher Mech, Juliet Hammond as Mech’s wife Emelie whom Baal would sleep with, Polly James as a pub singer, James Duggan and Bill Stewart as a couple of policeman, and Brian Coburn as a woodcutter watching over the ailing Baal. Tracey Childs and Zoe Wanamaker are fantastic in their respective roles as a couple of Baal’s lovers in Johanna and Sophie as two women who would embark on affairs with him as the former succumbs to tragedy while the latter is abandoned once she becomes pregnant. Jonathan Kent is excellent as Baal’s friend Ekart as a fellow traveler who often speaks fondly of Baal yet would become frustrated by Baal’s antics as the years go by. Finally, there’s David Bowie in an incredible performance as the titular character as it shows Bowie displaying some charm into a character that is detestable and cruel where Bowie isn’t afraid to play dirty while showcasing elements of a man who defies convention yet doesn’t care who he hurts as it’s one of his finest roles.

Baal is a marvelous TV film from Alan Clarke that features a great performance from David Bowie. It’s an abstract yet engaging TV film from the BBC that uses Bertolt Brecht’s story of a man who defies the idea of convention and society yet would take part in decadence as a way to rebel while also displaying cruelty to those who become close to him. In the end, Baal is a remarkable film from Alan Clarke.

Related: Baal EP

© thevoid99 2019

Yellowbeard

Directed by Mel Damski and written by Graham Chapman, Peter Cook, and David McKenna with additional work by David Sherlock, Yellowbeard is about a pirate who goes on the search for his lost treasure while trying to avoid the Royal Navy who want to increase his 20 year tax evasion sentence by 140 years. The film is an offbeat comedy that has Graham Chapman in the titular role as he copes with changing times and other rivals trying to vie for the treasure. Also starring Peter Boyle, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Peter Cook, Madeline Kahn, James Mason, Eric Idle, Peter Bull, Martin Hewitt, Michael Hordern, John Cleese, and Marty Feldman. Yellowbeard is a very silly but whimsical film from Mel Damski.

The film revolves a notorious pirate named Yellowbeard who had stolen some treasure from a Spanish despot only to eventually to captured and sent to prison for 20 years on tax evasion only to escape after learning his sentence has been extended to 140 years. Upon his escape, he learns from his estranged wife that he has a 20-year old son while stowing away on a merchant ship that had been taken over by his former first mate and a henchman. The film’s screenplay does have a straightforward narrative yet it is very messy as it relates to many of the situations that is happening as well as the multitude of characters involved that all want a piece of this long-lost treasure. Some of the characters are interesting but others such as Yellowbeard’s son in Dan (Martin Hewitt) aren’t so interesting as he is introduced to the world of piracy and the only reason Yellowbeard has him around because he has the map on top of his head.

Mel Damski’s direction is definitely all over the place in terms of trying to capture all of the natural elements of comedy as well as do whatever to keep the laughs going. Shot on location in England and the scenes on the beach set in Mexico, the film definitely plays into this very chaotic world of piracy where much of Damski’s compositions are straightforward but also playful. Still, the weak aspects of the script doesn’t give Damski a lot to do in creating scenes to help drive the story more in favor of trying to bring in as much laughs as he can. Some of it is very funny and definitely help create moments that are enjoyable yet there are moments where the attempt at humor feels forced. Even as it tries so much to really create something that is exciting and fun where it would succeed for some of the film’s climax but would also fall flat in some parts as it relates to Yellowbeard seeing women and raping them. Overall, Damski creates a worthwhile but very messy film about a pirate trying to reclaim the treasure that he had buried twenty years ago.

Cinematographer Gerry Fisher does excellent work with the cinematography as it play into the sunny locations of the beach and the island as well as some unique lighting for the scenes at night. Editor William H. Reynolds does terrific work with the editing as it mostly straightforward to play into the comedy and sense of adventure in the film. Production designer Joseph R. Jennings does brilliant work with the design of some of the interiors in the frigates as well as in the designs of some of the places in England and on the island. Costume designer Stephen Miles does nice work with the costumes from the ragged clothing of the pirates as well as the lavish clothing of the Spanish despot and his majordomo. Sound mixers Brian Simmons and Manuel Topete do superb work with the sound in capturing some of the action as well as the funny moments in the film. The film’s music by John Morris is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score that play into the adventure as well as some of its humor.

The casting by Michael McLean is fantastic as it feature notable cameo appearances from Peter Bull as Queen Anne, Susannah York as Lady Churchill, Spike Milligan as a flunkie, and David Bowie as a shark. Other notable small roles include Greta Blackburn as a prostitute disguised as a naval officer, Beryl Reid as Lady Lambourn, Nigel Planer as Commander Clement’s aide Mansel, Stacey Nelkin as the despot’s daughter Triola, Kenneth Mars in a dual role as a naval officer and the despot’s torture machine creator Verudo, and James Mason in a terrific role as the naval officer Captain Hughes. John Cleese is terrific as a blind spy named Harvey Pew who works for the government and for anyone that pays him while Madeline Kahn is wonderful as Yellowbeard’s estranged wife Betty who told him about Dan and wants a share of the treasure. Michael Hordern is excellent as Dr. Gilpin who helps Yellowbeard in the quest while Peter Cook is hilarious as Lord Lambourn who also joins the journey as he has some funny moments.

Cheech Marin and Thomas Chong are superb in their respective roles as the Spanish majordomo and despot with Marin as an insubordinate who always insults his leader while Chong acts as a buffoon who thinks he’s a god. Martin Hewitt’s performance as Yellowbeard’s son Dan is really dull and awkward where he never does anything to make the character interesting as he‘s just there. Eric Idle is brilliant as Commander Clement as a Royal Navy officer who is determined to find the treasure and bring ruin to Yellowbeard as well as become a ruler of his own. Peter Boyle is amazing as Yellowbeard’s former first-mate Moon who betrayed Yellowbeard as he pretends to be a naval officer just so he can find the treasure and keep it for himself. Marty Feldman is great in his final film performance as Gilbert as Moon’s friend who escapes prison as he tries to do whatever to help Moon while being very funny in anything he’s in. Finally, there’s Graham Chapman in a crazed and fun performance as the titular character as it’s very over-the-top but it’s never dull as he just does whatever he can to bring laughs as well as be a very despicable yet fun character.

Yellowbeard is a good but very messy film from Mel Damski. While it does have a great ensemble cast and some funny moments, it’s a film that definitely isn’t for everyone in terms of its offbeat humor though it is entertaining no matter how messy it is. In the end, Yellowbeard is a fine film from Mel Damski.

© thevoid99 2017

David Bowie: The Last Five Years

Directed by Francis Whately, David Bowie: The Last Five Years is the follow-up to the 2014 BBC documentary David Bowie: Five Years about the final five years in the life of one of music’s most creative and revered icons. Told through rare footage and audio clips of Bowie as well as new interviews from many of his collaborators including the musicians that worked with him in the final years of his life. The film follows the events that led to his seclusion and then his unexpected return with 2013’s The Next Day as well as the creation of his final album Blackstar and the play Lazarus. The result is an engrossing yet heartfelt film about the final years of one of the greatest people who lived on the face of the Earth.

On January 10, 2016 just two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album Blackstar, the world received news that David Bowie has died as it was followed by grief and tributes. It was news that shocked everyone as no one knew the man was ill yet it proved how mysterious he was as a person and as an artist who had often refused to be defined by any category. The film is about the final five years of his life broken down into these five years but also with reflections of his life during his time as a musical icon with a prologue that begins in 2003 during the tour to promote his twenty-third studio album Reality as he got rid of the personas that he was known for and was being himself in a jovial way. It was during the European leg of the world tour in 2004 where things went wrong as a show in Prague, Czech Republic had Bowie feeling ill during the performance as he was unable to finish the song as it was clear something wrong. Then on June 24, 2004, Bowie would play at the Hurricane Festival in Hamburg, Germany as he performed with some restrained power as it would be the last time he would play to large audience.

It was in that moment that Bowie suffered a mild heart attack as he would made sporadic public appearances in the next two years to do a few live performances and then he disappeared from the public eye for good only to make rare appearances at events. Then the film would shift into the final five years that led to the slow creation of his twenty-fourth album The Next Day which took two years to make where many of the musicians he had played with for years including producer Tony Visconti would make the album in secrecy with everyone signing non-disclosure agreement contracts. The musicians that include longtime collaborators like guitarist Earl Slick and pianist Mike Garson reveal the process of what Bowie wanted to do musically as Slick, guitarists Gerry Leonard and David Torn, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, drummers Zachary Alford and Sterling Campbell, and multi-instrumentalist Catherine Russell play a few of the songs on that album.

Francis Whately’s direction doesn’t just feature the interviews with those musicians that also include old collaborators Geoff MacCormack and Carlos Alomar but take a look through old and rare footage of Bowie in the past during his time of stardom. Especially as a few of the songs on The Next Day doesn’t just evoke elements of nostalgia but also his disdain towards fame and celebrity culture as well as his own view of life in the 21st Century told in the song Valentine’s Day. The years focused on 2014 and 2015 isn’t just about the creation of the song Sue (Or in a Season of Crime) with collaborators Maria Schneider and Donny McCaslin. It’s also in the making of the play Lazarus as actor Michael C. Hall, co-writer Edna Walsh, director Ivo Van Hove, and one of the producers talk about the making of the play as it was something Bowie wanted to do for a long time going back to his attempted play adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 that was rejected by Orwell’s estate.

Whatley and his editors would unveil rare footage of an unmade and unfinished film staging of Diamond Dogs that featured elements of his aborted 1984 play as it showed that long ambition of Bowie to stage a play. It would then be inter-cut with the making of his final album Blackstar with very few people including video director Johan Renck who knew that Bowie was dying. There is also a rare picture of Bowie in the rehearsal for Lazarus that is quite devastating as it shows how much his cancer was taking away from him yet he was still fighting. Whatley also would unveil the vocal outtakes of Bowie singing the songs from that album as it showed a man fighting to sing with every ounce of his body no matter how little time he had.

David Bowie: The Last Five Years is an incredible film from Francis Whately and BBC Films. It’s a documentary film that fans of Bowie will definitely want to see but it also offer something for those who don’t know much about Bowie or his music. Yet, it is portrait of a man who remained defiant to his dying day in making you think he’s this when he’s really indefinable. In the end, David Bowie: The Last Five Years is a remarkable film from Francis Whately.

Related: Cracked Actor - David Bowie: Five Years - David Bowie: Finding Fame

© thevoid99 2017

Happy Birthday Elvis & Bowie!!!

If they were alive, the King would be 82 and Ziggy Stardust would've turned 70 today. So here is duet of what could've been...


© thevoid99 2017

Absolute Beginners

Based on the novel by Colin MacInnes, Absolute Beginners is the story of a young photographer who tries to deal with the changes in his life due to his girlfriend wanting to become a fashion designer while being lured by a businessman into a world that would cause trouble. Directed by Julien Temple and screenplay by Richard Burridge, Christopher Wicking, Don MacPherson, and additional dialogue by Terry Johnson, the film is a musical set in late 1950s London in its Soho district where young people deal with a changing world. Starring Eddie O’Connell, Patsy Kensit, James Fox, Anita Morris, Bruce Payne, Graham Fletcher-Clark, Sade Adu, Ray Davies, and David Bowie as Vendice Partners. Absolute Beginners is a dazzling yet flawed film from Julien Temple.

Set in the summer of 1958 in the Soho district of London during a youth boom, the film revolves around a photographer trying to live his life and impress his girlfriend only to lose her when she becomes a hit at a fashion show and be engaged to an aging fashion designer. In turn, he gets lured by an exploitive adman for his photographs where he becomes blind to what is happening in the streets of London as racial tension starts to occur from White Supremacists. It’s a film that is a young man trying to define himself as a photographer while hanging out with his friends and listen to jazz yet is unsure of what he has to do to impress his girlfriend who would unfortunately be part of a world that she would eventually not like.

The film’s script doesn’t just play into the world of the youth culture in the late 1950s but also into the conflict that its protagonist Colin (Eddie O’Connell) endures in trying to impress his girlfriend Suzette (Patsy Kensit) who wants to be a fashion designer. The film also has these characters who are willing to exploit the youth culture such as the fashion designer Henley of Mayfair (James Fox) and an adman in Vendice Partners. The latter of which is this eccentric yet charming man with a transatlantic accent who could convince anyone to sell out. The film’s third act becomes serious and changes its tone from being this whimsical and playful musical into a film about racial tension. While the first two acts would hint and reveal events slowly that would cause the tension, how it gets unveiled is clunky where it definitely feels like an entirely different film.

Julien Temple’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the world he creates where it is largely shot at a studio to recreate the world of the Soho and neighborhoods in London. Featuring an intricate yet stylish tracking shot that goes on for several minutes early in the film, it does capture a lot of what was happening in Soho as Temple’s usage of wide and medium shots capture that vibrancy. Especially in the clubs where there is a lot of dancing as it was choreographed by David Toguri as well as moments where the dancing occurs in other sequences including the riots which is one of the odd moments in the film that doesn’t feel right. The scenes relating to the race riots, as it’s based on the real-life Notting Hills race riots of 1958, feels like it’s a different film where despite carrying similar visuals and compositions. It’s third act is quite problematic as it is clear Temple wasn’t sure what kind of film he wants to make but also is having trouble going back to just being an upbeat and lively musical despite its ending. Overall, Temple creates a messy yet enjoyable film about a young photographer trying to impress his girlfriend in late 1950s London.

Cinematographer Oliver Stapleton does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography in the way Soho was shot for the scenes set at night as well as its nightclubs along with the more lavish and brightened lights of people in London‘s high society. Editors Richard Bedford, Michael Bradsell, Gerry Hambling, and Russell Lloyd do nice work with the editing as it‘s very stylish in the jump-cuts, transitions, and other cuts to play into the energy of the film. Production designer John Beard, with art directors Stuart Rose and Ken Wheatley, does amazing work with the set design from the look of the clubs and posh homes to some of the musical numbers including the sequence where Partners wins over Colin by song.

Costume designers Sue Blane and David Perry do fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes that Henley creates to some of the suits of the men as well as the dresses that the women wear. Sound mixer David John does terrific work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of the clubs and parties that the characters venture into. The film’s music score by Gil Evans is wonderful for its mixture of jazz and early rock n‘ roll to play into that world of late 1950s Britain as the soundtrack itself would feature original songs sung by Ray Davies of the Kinks, the Style Council, Sade, Slim Gaillard, Tenpole Tudor, Smiley Culture, and three songs by David Bowie including its title track and a cover of Volare.

The casting by Leonara Davis, Susie Figgis, and Mary Selway is incredible as it features cameos from Robbie Coltrane as a shopkeeper, Sandie Shaw as a mother of a teen idol, Bruno Tonioli as a lodger at the home of Colin’s parents, Slim Gaillard as a singer at a posh party, and Smiley Culture as the reggae singer at the end of the film. Other notable small roles include Carmen Ejogo as Cool’s young sister Carmen, Julian Firth as the Misery Kid, Paul Rhys as the mod Dean, Joseph McKenna as Colin’s gay friend Hoplite, Chris Pitt as the young teen idol Baby Boom, and Sade Adu as the nightclub singer Athene Duncannon. Performances from Steven Berkoff as a supremacist leader, Edward Tudor-Pole as the Teddy boys leader Ed the Ted, and Bruce Payne as the supremacist enforcer Flikker are superb in their antagonistic roles while Alan Freeman as the talk show host Call-Me-Cobber and Lionel Blair as the pop impresario Harry Charms are fantastic as the men who would exploit the youth movement.

Eve Ferret and Tony Hippolyte are excellent as Colin’s friends in the flamboyant lesbian Big Jill and the jazz-trumpeter Cool, respectively, who deal with the chaos of their world. Graham Fletcher-Cook is terrific as Colin’s ambitious friend Wizard who is very cynical about everything as he does whatever he can to make money and align with anyone with power. Ray Davies and Mandy Rice-Davies are amazing as Colin’s parents with Ray as the neglected and melancholic father who wants a quiet life and Mandy as the mother who is very cruel to her husband. Edward Fox is brilliant as the snobbish Henley as this fashion designer who marries Suzette to help his business only to take her for selfish reasons. Anita Morris is wonderful as the gossip columnist Dido Lament as this woman who would exploit both Suzette and Colin but also would play a key part in helping the latter in its third act.

Eddie O’Connell is terrific as Colin as a young photographer that is trying to live his life to the fullest as well as dealing with the need to sell out in order to impress his girlfriend. Patsy Kensit is radiant as Suzette as a young woman that wants to make it in the fashion world only to realize what she had to do forcing her to make compromises that she doesn’t want. Finally, there’s David Bowie in a small yet spectacular performance as Vendice Partners as this adman with a transatlantic accent that is about selling dreams as he would convince Colin the way to succeed is to sell out as a form of motivation.

Absolute Beginners is a stellar yet messy film from Julien Temple. While it features a great cast and a phenomenal soundtrack, it’s a film that wants to be a lot of things but loses sight in its third act. In the end, Absolute Beginners is a terrific film from Julien Temple.

© thevoid99 2016

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Directed by D.A. Pennebaker, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a documentary concert film that chronicles David Bowie’s final show as Ziggy Stardust on July 3, 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Featuring footage from the show as well as backstage material where Bowie would wear different costumes throughout the entirety of the show. The film also showcases Bowie’s final performance with the band that were part of the Spiders from Mars in guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, and drummer Woody Woodmansey. The result is a powerful and evocative concert film from D.A. Pennebaker.

On July 3, 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, David Bowie would play the final show of his world tour that promoted 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and 1973’s Aladdin Sane. The show was to be a triumphant moment for the British superstar who a year ago had changed the landscape of popular music in Britain by pretending to be an alien rock star from Mars. The show itself would be not just one of Bowie’s greatest concerts but also a defining moment in his career where he would kill the character of Ziggy Stardust once and for all as it would also mark the last time he would play with his backing band in the Spiders from Mars.

Shot entirely in 16mm film, D.A. Pennebaker creates a film that doesn’t just capture the concert from the view of the audience and what is happening on the stage. Pennebaker also shows footages of what is happening backstage where Bowie would change costumes between songs or during a major instrumental break. Some of the backstage footage would show Bowie not only putting makeup on with some staff but also conversing with Ringo Starr who is at the show watching backstage. Along with cinematographers Mike Davis, Jim Desmond, Nick Dobb, and Randy Franken, Pennebaker maintains a hand-held style with a lot of close-ups and medium shots to capture the performance and the audience’s reaction. While the lighting may seem a little low for what was presented in the concert as it’s largely red lights and such. It does play into something that is unlike anything that was happening in 1973.

With the aid of editor Lorry Whitehead, Pennebaker gathers a lot of footage while creating some unique cutting of Moonage Daydream being performed while it’s heard in the background while Bowie is doing another costume change. It’s among these fine moments in the editing as well as showing how the audience reacts to songs where they sing along or just be enamored with the visuals. The performances themselves are just incredible not just of what Bowie was doing on the stage with mime and other aspects in his role. It was also the interaction he had with the audience and how he would share the spotlight with his band as Mick Ronson was a guitarist that was unlike anyone at the time who was doing guitar hero poses and moments that were just amazing. The rhythm section of Trevor Bolder and Mick “Woody” Woodmansey were just as great where Pennebaker gave those three men a chance to shine. Also in the performance were additional music that featured another of Bowie’s key collaborators in keyboardist/pianist Mike Garson as well as percussionist/backing vocalist Geoff MacCormack, guitarist/vocalist John Hutchinson, and saxophonists/flutists Ken Fordham and Brian Wilshaw.

Helping to make the music sound just as big as well as providing a nice balance in the mixing with the music and audience is Bowie’s longtime producer Tony Visconti who would help supervise the mix for the film’s 2002 re-release and remastering. The look of the film would be more crisp where Pennebaker would also maintain that raw look of the 16mm film while cleaning some of the footage up a bit.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a phenomenal film from D.A. Pennebaker. Not only is it one of the finest concert films ever made but it’s also a fascinating document into the world of 70s glam rock as well as a period in the life and career of David Bowie where he was probably Britain’s biggest star then. In the end, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a spectacular film from D.A. Pennebaker.

Related: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (album)

© thevoid99 2016

Great Moments in Film Featuring the Music of David Bowie

When used correctly, music can be a powerful tool to help drive a film or a scene. It can enlighten a scene or set a mood for something sinister or dramatic. If there was anyone whose music was not just the ultimate soundtrack for the world of music but also can make a film probably more special than it is. It was David Bowie. For anyone who had listen to his music would probably feel something when watching a scene or be introduced to something that is just cool. For this list in tribute to Bowie, this list would include films that featured Bowie’s music to great effect. Yet, it would not count films that featured Bowie in the film as that is for another list. Here is the list of 15 films moments featuring the music of Bowie:

1. Mauvais Sang/Frances Ha-Modern Love



The first pick is a tie as one film does something original while the latter is a homage to that film. Yet, both Leos Carax and Noah Baumbach are aware of the power of music and how something like Modern Love can be used as an expression of love and joy. In Carax’s Mauvais Sang, it’s a scene where Denis Lavant expresses his own pain and anguish in his love for Juliette Binoche as it showcases a sense of passion through that song. In Baumbach’s Frances Ha, the scene isn’t just a homage of sorts to Mauvais Sang but it’s also something of its own which play into Greta Gerwig’s Frances’ in a new home but still in a state of transition while trying to remain upbeat. Though both films are very different, the way they used this song proves that it displays not just a sense of passion and determination for both characters but also to display the song’s message on the fallacy of modern love.



2. A Knight’s Tale-Golden Years



There are moments that just makes a scene all cool and such but this one is one of the most enjoyable in cinema. Here’s Heath Ledger’s William aka Sir Ulrich at a ball where he is trying to get people to learn his dance from his fictional land. Ledger’s performance is so perfect in how awkward he tries to present his dance to the many people at the ball as he looked lost until Shannyn Sossaman’s character comes in and helps. While the film is set during medieval times and the music starts off as being very folk with its flutes and woodwinds, the strains from Golden Years would emerge little by little as it manages to fit in with the period of the film. Then Bowie’s vocals come in and everyone starts to dance to the song as it has this sense of exuberance and joy that makes life worth living. Plus, why would anyone not want to dance to a song as funky as Golden Years?

3. Cat People/Inglourious Basterds-Cat People



One of the darkest tracks Bowie has created in the 1980s was a collaboration he made with Giorgio Moroder as is considered one of his finest songs. It was first used in Paul Schrader’s remake of the 1940s noir film of the same name as Bowie’s song just fits in with the tone of that film. Especially for a film that is very sexually provocative and filled with a lot of dread and terror. When it was used for Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 war film Inglourious Basterds, it plays into a great montage where Melanie Laurent’s Shoshanna gets ready for her own revenge against the Nazis. It is one of the most powerful usages of that film as it showcases Tarantino’s mastery in blending music and image.



4. Intimacy-Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise) & The Motel

Patrice Chereau’s 2001 film is one of the most raw portraits of adultery as it plays into a man and a woman who have sex with each other and that’s it without the need to know who they are. From the 1974 Diamond Dogs album, the medley of Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise) plays into Mark Rylance’s character and the sense of abandonment he has created for himself as it plays into flashbacks of the life he once had until he fucked it up. From 1995’s Outside is The Motel as it plays during the final credits as it plays into the severity of not just the affair but also what Rylance and Kerry Fox know about each other as it’s a film that many people need to see as Bowie’s music helps give the film some depth.



5. Lost Highway-I’m Deranged



Also from 1995’s Outside is I’m Deranged as the song is used to open and close David Lynch’s 1997 film as it definitely sets the tone for the film in its ode to noir and identity. After all, it is the perfect song to open and close that film where it is like this wild rider of who is who and what is going on. Lynch’s usage of the song that is given some editing by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails for its soundtrack would help play into many of the things that goes on in the film.

6. The Ice Storm-I Can’t Read

For anyone that is a super Bowie fan, this song is probably one of its most obscure because the song doesn’t originate from Bowie but from his late 80s/early 90s band Tin Machine. For Ang Lee’s 1997 film, Bowie would do a re-recording of the song with Tin Machine guitarist Reeves Gabrels in a stripped-down acoustic presentation. There, the song is given a more direct feel than its blazing rock version as it adds to the melancholia of the film and the events that had happened which is played during the film’s final credits.



7. Guardians of the Galaxy-Moonage Daydream



With rumors that Bowie was supposed to be in the upcoming sequel to the 2014 blockbuster hit in a cameo, it’s sad that it will never happen as it probably would’ve been cool. Among the many awesome tunes in Starlord’s Awesome Mix Vol. 1 is a song from 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The song is played just as the Guardians are set to arrive in the mining planet where they would meet the Collector about this artifact Starlord had stolen. It is definitely the perfect song for that moment as it plays into the world that is the galaxy as it indicates that one cannot have a movie set in the galaxy and not use David Bowie.

8. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story-Starman



OK, this is sort of a cheat considering that Bowie doesn’t actually contribute a song into the soundtrack. In fact, Starman is presented in the form of a kooky cover by John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox. It is actually one of the finest covers ever as Reilly definitely does the song justice as it plays into the world that Cox is in during the 1970s where he is hosting his own variety show. It is also hilarious considering what Cox is doing as he would sort of turn it into a disco song.

9. Kinky Boots-The Prettiest Star

From one of 2005’s finest films definitely plays true to Bowie’s spirit as someone who was willing to embrace sexual identities and what it means to be one’s true self. The song is used where Chiwetel Ejifor’s Lola character reminisces hearing the song as he dances around in high heels like he did when he was a child until his father tells him to stop that. It is probably one of the most effective usage of the song yet the version that is presented is the original 1970 version that features Marc Bolan on lead guitar instead of the 1973 re-recording from Aladdin Sane with Mick Ronson playing the solo note-for-note with saxophones. Yet, the one with Bolan is the definitive version of that song.



10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower-”Heroes”



From the 1977 album of the same name comes one of Bowie’s best songs as it plays into a scene where Logan Lerman’s Charlie is coming from a party with Emma Watson’s Sam and Ezra Miller’s Patrick are about to enter this tunnel. Yet, the moment is where they hear this song that they have no idea what it was but it is very powerful as Sam would go behind the truck and just free herself with that song playing. The trio would eventually found out what the song is and who is it by as it is one of the powerful moments in film and shows how many generations Bowie has managed to touch for so many years.

11. The Runaways-Lady Grinning Soul



While the film itself isn’t great as it took too many liberties with the real story about the influential all-women rock band. There are moments in the film that are still interesting which gave Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning some excellent work. Especially in the latter as Cherie Currie where she plays a song from 1973’s Aladdin Sane for her high school talent show performance. It’s a moment where Fanning really got to display a moment that is just powerful despite being booed and heckled where she had a great response to her classmates. After all, anyone who boos Bowie is a jabroni.

12. Hanna-Kooks



While the scene is only very brief, it is probably one of the most effective moments in film where Saoirse Ronan’s titular character has just escaped and is on the run. She would encounter a couple of kids and a family where she would hide in their RV as she sees them singing along to a song that is actually appropriate. A song by Bowie from 1971’s Hunky Dory that he wrote for his son as it plays into the idea of family and Hanna’s encounter with this strange and kooky family as if she is the alien. It makes total sense since Bowie was considered an alien and he played an alien rock star.

13. Juno-All the Young Dudes

OK, this is another cheat as it’s a film that doesn’t feature a song by David Bowie but it is a song written by David Bowie for Mott the Hoople. The song which is considered a glam rock anthem and a big fuck you to 1960s idealism serves as a fitting moment where the titular character goes to meet Mark Loring where the two share a dance to the song. It’s a moment where Juno believes that she had found the ideal father for her baby while having a crush on this man because he listens to cool music and watches cool films but it’s also this sort of sad moment when Mark gives her some very startling news.



14. Cool World-Real Cool World



While the Ralph Bashki live action/animated film was an OK film, the song that Bowie contributed to its soundtrack which played in the final credits is a fitting one considering that it plays into that strange mix of off-the-wall animation with strange reality. Especially for a song that mixes rock, electronic music, jazz, and bits of hip-hop as the film itself has that strange mix of jazz, rock, and industrial music which adds to the weirdness of the film. It’s really one of Bowie’s more overlooked gems just as he was starting to return to make music that mattered in the 1990s.

15. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou-Queen Bitch



Wes Anderson’s 2004 prominently featured Bowie’s music through a few of the originals while much of Bowie’s songs were covered and translated into Portuguese by Seu Jorge for what would be an incredible album. In the film’s final moments and credits, Anderson closes the film with a great sequence to the tune of a classic cut from Hunky Dory as it would showcase some of the cast members. After that, the credits would continue with Seu Jorge’s cover of the song as it is one of the finest covers of the film.



© thevoid99 2016