Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars 1983

Critics score:
72 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: An excellent example of its genre, with Pennebaker capturing the excitement of what was a very special, emotion-charged occasion. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Purely as document, D.A. Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars could not be a more ruthless portrait of a time and a music. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: The result miraculously resurrects a seminal moment in rock history, elevating Ziggy Stardust into the landmark cultural event it always should have been. Read more

John Patterson, L.A. Weekly: Somehow poor pacing and this lack of visual variety manage to make a great show seem boring -- which is, I suppose, an achievement of sorts. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Bowie knew how to play his audience, and the documentary shows him as a fiercely concentrated performance artist on and offstage, who micromanaged everything from his makeup palette to the length of his kimono sleeves. Read more

Dave Kehr, New York Times: For fans familiar with the material ... Ziggy Stardust should be a satisfyingly nostalgic experience. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: The concert remains more of an historical curiosity than a must-see rock film. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Freed of the unflattering contemporary distractions offered by This Is Spinal Tap, Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars captures Bowie at perhaps his purest, punkiest rock 'n' roll peak. Read more

John Gill, Time Out: While the likes of 'Oh You Pretty Things' and 'All the Young Dudes' still raise a smile, the presiding image is of those flesh-crawling glam-rock costumes and stage antics. Go for the music, or not at all. Read more

Mike D'Angelo, Time Out: The entire movie, save for a handful of stolid backstage interludes, looks as if it had been shot by a determined group of fans perched on the shoulders of their buddies. Read more

Richard Harrington, Washington Post: Looks like a bootleg concert video made by a gifted fan. Read more