David Bowie

Acting

David Bowie

Born 1947-01-08 · London, England, UK

David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades, regarded by critics and musicians as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded nine platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, releasing eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and seven gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Born and raised in South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. “Space Oddity” became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single “Starman” and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterized as “plastic soul,” initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single “Fame” and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that would come to be known as the Berlin Trilogy. Heroes (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes,” its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure,” a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance, with its title track topping both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. Bowie also continued acting; his roles included Major Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), the Goblin King Jareth in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped concert touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).

Acting credits

The Prestige poster
8.2

A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.

The Prestige

2006

Labyrinth poster
7.3

Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers.

Labyrinth

1986

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me poster
7.4

In the questionable town of Deer Meadow, Washington, FBI Agent Desmond inexplicably disappears while hunting for the man who murdered a teen girl. The killer is never apprehended, and, after experiencing dark visions and supernatural encounters, Agent Dale Cooper chillingly predicts that the culprit will claim another life. Meanwhile, in the more cozy town of Twin Peaks, hedonistic beauty Laura Palmer hangs with lowlifes and seems destined for a grisly fate.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

1992

Zoolander poster
6.2

Clear the runway for Derek Zoolander, VH1's three-time male model of the year. His face falls when hippie-chic Hansel scooters in to steal this year's award. The evil fashion guru Mugatu seizes the opportunity to turn Derek into a killing machine. It's a well-designed conspiracy and only with the help of Hansel and a few well-chosen accessories like Matilda can Derek make the world safe for male models everywhere.

Zoolander

2001

The Last Temptation of Christ poster
7.2

Jesus, a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas -- despite his protestations that love, not violence, is the path to salvation. The burden of being the savior of mankind torments Jesus throughout his life, leading him to doubt.

The Last Temptation of Christ

1988

Arthur and the Invisibles poster
6.4

Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, tiny people living in harmony with nature.

Arthur and the Invisibles

2006

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence poster
7.3

Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. British Major Jack Celliers arrives at a Japanese prison camp, run by the strict Captain Yonoi. Colonel John Lawrence, who has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture, and Sergeant Hara, brutal and simpleton, will witness the struggle of wills between two men from very different backgrounds who are tragically destined to clash.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

1983

The Hunger poster
6.7

Five-thousand-year-old vampire Miriam promises her lovers the gift of eternal life. When John, her cellist companion for centuries, discovers that he has suddenly begun growing old, he attempts to seek out the help of Dr. Sarah Roberts, a researcher on the mechanisms of aging.

The Hunger

1983

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse poster
7.0

Mickey Mouse is one of the most enduring symbols in our history. Those three simple circles take on meaning for virtually everyone on the planet. So ubiquitous in our lives that he can seem invisible, Mickey is something we all share, with unique memories and feelings. Over the course of his nearly century-long history, Mickey functions like a mirror, reflecting our personal and cultural values back at us. "Mickey: The Story of a Mouse" explores Mickey's significance, getting to the core of what Mickey's cultural impact says about each of us and about our world.

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse

2022

Into the Night poster
6.5

Ed Okin used to have a boring life. He used to have trouble getting to sleep. Then one night, he met Diana. Now, Ed's having trouble staying alive.

Into the Night

1985

The Man Who Fell to Earth poster
6.5

Thomas Jerome Newton is an alien who has come to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. Aided by lawyer Oliver Farnsworth, Thomas uses his knowledge of advanced technology to create profitable inventions. While developing a method to transport water, Thomas meets Mary-Lou, a quiet hotel clerk, and begins to fall in love with her. Just as he is ready to leave Earth, Thomas is intercepted by the U.S. government, and his entire plan is threatened.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

1976

Jim Henson Idea Man poster
7.8

Featuring unprecedented access to Jim Henson's personal archives, filmmaker Ron Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.

Jim Henson Idea Man

2024

Yellowbeard poster
5.6

For years Yellowbeard had looted the Spanish Main, making men eat their lips and swallow their hearts. Caught and convicted for tax evasion, he's sentenced to 20 years in St. Victim's Prison for the Extremely Naughty. In a scheme to confiscate his fabulous treasure, the Royal Navy allows him to escape and follows him, where saucy tarts, lisping demigods and some awful puns and punishments await.

Yellowbeard

1983

The Magic Voices of Pop poster
4.0

What is the vocal alchemy that propels pop singers to the pinnacle of success, decade after decade? Can we identify common characteristics in the immense diversity of voices from pop music, past and present?

The Magic Voices of Pop

2021

Christiane F. poster
7.3

A teen girl in 1970s Berlin becomes addicted to heroin. Everything in her life slowly begins to distort and disappear as she befriends a small crew of junkies and falls in love with a drug-abusing male prostitute.

Christiane F.

1981

Basquiat poster
6.6

The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.

Basquiat

1996

Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special poster
6.9

A TV special celebrating the 25th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. Before a celebrity audience, many of the former cast members and guest hosts return to perform their signature monologues and present a look back at some of the best comedy skits and musical numbers of the past two and a half decades.

Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special

1999

Moonage Daydream poster
7.4

A cinematic odyssey featuring never-before-seen footage exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey.

Moonage Daydream

2022

Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto poster
7.2

Documentary about the eclectic Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto during the recording sessions for his 1984 album "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia".

Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto

1985

Bandslam poster
5.8

A new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band — together, they achieve their dreams and compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.

Bandslam

2009

Eno poster
6.0

Visionary musician and artist Brian Eno — known for producing David Bowie, U2, Talking Heads, among many others; pioneering the genre of ambient music; and releasing over 40 solo and collaboration albums — reveals his creative processes in this groundbreaking generative documentary: a film that’s different every time it’s shown.

Eno

2024

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces poster
7.2

A feature-length compilation of deleted and alternate takes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, assembled by David Lynch to continue the story of the final week of Laura Palmer’s life.

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces

2014

Tina Turner: The Girl from Nutbush poster
NR

An overview of the singer's career includes comments from manager Roger Davies and ex-husband Ike Turner, as well as Mick Jagger, Elton John, David Bowie, Mark Knopfler.

Tina Turner: The Girl from Nutbush

1993

The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story poster
7.4

A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.

The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story

2019

Behind the camera

David Bowie: Jazzin' for Blue Jean poster
7.6

Jazzin' for Blue Jean is a 20-minute short film featuring David Bowie and directed by Julien Temple. It was created to promote Bowie's single "Blue Jean" in 1984 and released as a video single. The film depicts the adventures of the socially incompetent Vic (played by Bowie) as he tries to win the affections of a beautiful girl by claiming to personally know her favorite rock star, Screaming Lord Byron (also played by Bowie).

David Bowie: Jazzin' for Blue Jean

1984

Best of Bowie poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Best of Bowie

2006

No artwork available
6.0

David Bowie brings his Serious Moonlight show to the legendary Montreal Forum on July 13th, 1983 .

David Bowie: Serious Moonlight Montreal

1983

David Bowie: Best of Bowie poster
7.1

Disc 1: Oh. You Pretty Things, Queen Bitch), Five Years, Starman, John I'm Only Dancing, The Jean Genie, Space Oddity, Drive-in Saturday, Life on Mars?, Ziggy Stardust, Rebel Rebel, Young Americans, Be My Wife, "Heroes," Boys Keep Swinging, D.J., Look Back in Anger, Ashes to Ashes, Fashion, Wild Is the Wind, Let's Dance, China Girl, Modern Love, Cat People (Putting Out Fire), Blue Jean, Loving the Alien, Dancing in the Street (with Mick Jagger) Disc 2: Absolute Beginners, Underground, As the World Falls Down, Day-In Day-Out, Time Will Crawl, Never Let Me Down, Fame '90, Jump They Say, Black Tie White Noise, Miracle Goodnight, Buddha of Suburbia, The Heart's Filthy Lesson, Strangers When We Meet, Hallo Spaceboy, Little Wonder, Dead Man Walking, Seven Years in Tibet, I'm Afraid of Americans, Thursday's Child and Survive.

David Bowie: Best of Bowie

2002

Lazarus poster
10.0

Inspired by the book, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Lazarus focuses on Thomas Newton, as he remains still on Earth - a 'man' unable to die, his head soaked in cheap gin and haunted by a past love. We follow Newton during the course of a few days where the arrival of another lost soul - might set him finally free.

Lazarus

2018

Diamond Dogs Demo Video poster
NR

During his stay at New York’s Pierre Hotel, David Bowie and cameraman John Dove made a short concept video for a proposed Diamond Dogs film. The video was shot in black and white with a single RCA video camera. It included a title screen, opening credits, and shot of Bowie standing among cardboard-cutout denizens of Hunger City. Although the idea of a larger (presumably) film production was dropped, this demo video offers a tantalizing glimpse of what Bowie had begun to plan.

Diamond Dogs Demo Video

1974

Bowie: A Reality Tour poster
8.4

British Singer David Bowie performs at Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland, in November, 2003, during the A Reality Tour.

Bowie: A Reality Tour

2004

No artwork available
NR

Made for Scottish TV and airing in 1970, "The Looking Glass Murders" is a filmed version of the mime improv play "Pierrot in Turquoise", which Lindsay Kemp and David Bowie first staged in 1967. Pierrot is a freaky mime who ventures into a mirror where he falls in love and rolls around with the equally grotesque Columbine. But when Columbine spurs him for Harlequin, Pierrot's jealousy takes over and drives him to murder. Cloud, perched on a ladder, watches over the proceedings and narrates in song.

The Looking Glass Murders

1970