IslandGuru Who payed the critics

Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

grantss Decent capture of David Bowie at his creative, flamboyant best. Good concert, and it's not all about Bowie. Mick Ronson's guitaring almost steals the show. Interesting behind-the-scenes footage adds a new, more personal, aspect to the live concert genre. Could have done with more of that though, as the behind-the-scenes stuff is fleeting, and sometimes seems token. Maybe some footage of practices and sound checks, or interviews with Bowie, would have been in order. Not perfect though. Production quality is quite raw and rough. Sound quality is variable. A must-see for all David Bowie fans.

S. M. Don't come expecting plot: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is just a concert film, recorded at the last show of David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" tour at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, July 3rd, 1973. However, to say it's _just_ a concert film doesn't quite cover the bases... Let's be blunt: if you like the idea of the 26-year-old Bowie in a skimpy satin tunic and boots, growling into a microphone and spreading his thighs for the fans, then you're going to love this film. If that idea does nothing for you -- and, frankly, if it doesn't then I think you're missing one of life's great kicks -- then you're not the target audience.I should add that there are also five or six costume changes, some amusing backstage conversation, plenty of shots of the audience (apparently mostly fourteen-year-old girls in varying states of sexual ecstasy), and some rather scorching extended solos from lead guitarist Mick Ronson. Oh, yes: and I shouldn't forget to mention that Bowie's showmanship is amazing and the musical performances range from interesting to excellent -- there's a truly fabulous version of "Cracked Actor," for instance, with Bowie maintaining a surprising level of fierceness while playing harmonica and draped in a satin kimono. Beyond the music -- "Ziggy" staples like "Changes," "Space Oddity," "My Death," "All The Young Dudes," etc., as well as covers of the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend The Night Together" and Lou Reed's "White Light, White Heat" -- the visual imagery is what really makes this interesting. The come-hither hip-shaking of "Moonage Daydream," or the guitar-sex-flavored performance of "Time" (with Bowie in unitard, garter and feather boa), all make this a fantastic education in what Bowie's original aesthetic -- and sex appeal -- were all about.Personally, I think this is a _Gesamtkunstwerk_ -- that is, a total work of art -- and should probably be beamed into outer space for the aliens to have fun with. But you can probably figure out which segment of the audience I fall into.P.S.: By the by, Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine made a hell of a lot more sense after I'd seen this film.

bob the moo In 1973, David Bowie return to the UK from a success world tour. July 3rd was to be his final show in the personae of Ziggy Stardust, playing alongside the Spiders From Mars. Thousands of fans crammed into the London venue to watch the great man go out on a high. Of course, it would have helped if the film crew had had more money, more technology or, dare I say it, more skill at their disposal, because, as a concert film this is a pretty grainy affair to watch.I should start on the good first I guess. The music is great and fans will not be disappointed with the delivery and the capturing of it. It all sounds great and, although I know others have talked about the use of miming, I must admit I was too into it to really care. As someone who falls into a later generation, I was never going to get a chance to see Bowie in concert at this stage of his career, so this my best chance to get to see it so, on that level it is worth a look. I enjoyed it because of the music but, as a film, I must admit finding it very hard to watch, preferring at some stages to get on with something else while just listening to the songs.Visually, it is a mess. The images are very blurred and grainy, an effect not helped by the lighting throughout the show. The couple of cameras offer a limited amount of shots and I didn't think any of them did a good job of capturing the atmosphere of the gig; and no, showing me screaming teens didn't cut it on its own. The chance to see the costumes and stage presence of Bowie made me keep watching but it is hard to ignore just how very amateurish the footage feels. I was able to forgive to some degree due to the lighting and the period it was shot in, but it is still hard to ignore the problems when they are constantly present – blurrily staring at me from my screen.Overall the music saves it, making it well worth a look for anyone with more than a passing interesting in the music of David Bowie. It seems to have been a great show and it must have been memorable to have been in the audience, but you wouldn't know it from Pennebaker's footage. Sadly the lighting has left the footage looking blurry, while the mobile nature of the cameras means that it is all shaky and regularly has a bad view as its best view. Still worth seeing but it does need your forgiveness at times.

Twins65 ...just way too much of it on film.I just finished watching a tape of ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS, but it wasn't "easy". This is obviously not Pennebaker's best work, even if it was only supposed to be a documentary of Bowie's "last" show. Well, maybe his last show as Ziggy, anyway.There appears to be several cameras set-up the concert, but we only get massive doses of Dave & Mick Ronson. The other two guys in band (Trevor & Mick Woodmansy) are shown ever so briefly, and where the hell is the sax player featured on "Changes"? Even the set list skimmed a few key cuts from the Ziggy album, and Ronson's guitar "noise" jam used to fill time while Dave changed duds certainly wasn't a decent substitute.So don't run out of your way to catch this, but it's not a total waste.