Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

Remixed and restored in conjunction with a 30th anniversary re-release of David Bowie's monumental album in the history of rock, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, D.A. Pennebaker's documentary captures the final concert of the Ziggy Stardust tour at the Hammersmith Odeon outside London on July 3, 1973. Unlike veteran documentarian Pennebaker's previous Bob Dylan film Don't Look Back, which captured the offstage caustic energy of the then-rising young pop balladeer, Ziggy Stardust is a concert film that only peeks backstage during Bowie's many costume and make-up changes (Ringo Starr can be seen hanging out backstage in one shot). Viewers only familiar with this glam-rock period from recent movies such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Velvet Goldmine will be intrigued to discover this historical moment in all its flamboyant glory. Despite the reconstruction, the film's sounds and images are still a bit murky; however, the potency of the songs and the glitter still shine through.