Freeview film of the day (UK) : saturday 25th of May

The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976 113min.) [BBC2 10.50pm]

Cult science-fiction drama starring David Bowie. A humanoid alien from another planet mysteriously arrives in New Mexico. Calling himself Thomas Jerome Newton, he rapidly amasses a fortune by coming up with a series of revolutionary inventions, money he hopes will enable him to return to his home planet. But Newton's success arouses the curiosity of a chemistry professor whose investigations threaten to reveal the visitor's true identity.

Nicolas Roeg's sci-fi drama benefits enormously from the casting of non-actor Bowie in the lead role; his limited range is used to great effect to portray the disconnection with those around him that marks out his character as not of this world.

I'm a huge fan of Roeg's work and though the story is rather slight and the performances rather underwhelming the film is cleverly structured, beautifully photographed (especially the exteriors) and directed with his usual fluidity of movement.

Not exactly a classic but a film that was ready made for the move into the cult category.
Interesting.