David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars” Celebrates Its 51st Anniversary

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- 51 years ago, David Bowie released the landmark rock album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars."

Ziggy Stardust is a character in the album of a bisexual, androgynous alien rock superstar who became a conduit for alien beings in a dystopian alternate reality.

While Bowie has said that the album wasn’t originally conceived as a complete concept record or rock opera, it basically turned into one.

The album, tells the story of the spaceman and it’s a narrative that has since followed Bowie as he has helped flesh out the character, both literally and figuratively.

At its heart, the record was a reflection on the nature of celebrity and artifice. Speaking in 1976 of its follow-up, Aladdin Sane, Bowie remarked: “I packaged a totally credible plastic rock star, much better than any sort of Monkees fabrication. My plastic rocker was much more plastic than anybody’s.”

Bowie drew upon a variety of non-musical influences and sources for the concept, from pop artist Andy Warhol to films such as Metropolis, Pork, and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange. He also created powerful visual imagery, invoking Japanese kabuki theatre, mime, androgynous hair and make-up, and glam rock-era clothes including platform boots, jumpsuits, and an iconic red mullet haircut.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of his last show performing as his alter-ego, David Bowie’s "Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture" is returning to theaters.

On July 3rd, 1973 David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust, in front of 5,000 disbelieving fans on stage at London's Hammersmith Odeon.

This year on July 3rd, The Eventim Apollo (formerly the Odeon) will host the global premiere of the digitally restored "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture" with the film also being shown in over 1,000 cinemas worldwide throughout July.

Unfortunately there are no current showtimes in El Paso or Las Cruces. The closest city showing would be at Albuquerque, NM at Regal Winrock movie theater Sunday July 9th at 3pm.

Also, at Pheonix, AZ at AMC DINE-IN Esplanade 14 Sunday July 9th at 2pm and Monday July 10th at 8pm, AMC Ahwatukee 24 Sunday July 9th at 2pm, and Monday July 10th at 8pm, AMC DINE-IN Desert Ridge 18 Sunday July 9th at 2pm, and Monday July 10th at 8pm.

For ticket information visit: https://www.davidbowie.com/ziggy

The film will show one of the most iconic performances in the history of modern music. While Bowie's decision to retire his beloved extra-terrestrial Rockstar persona and to dissolve The Spiders From Mars was a shock to fans, it was a pivotal moment in securing his future.

In addition to providing the template for '70s glam rock, the impact of Ziggy Stardust's brief existence remains widespread across popular culture, having inspired artistic and ideological freedoms that are still being enjoyed by musicians and the wider creative community today.

The complete film and its companion soundtrack will also receive a physical release on August 11th. The digitally restored film will be available on Blu-ray, while the companion soundtrack with remastered audio will be packaged on vinyl and CD.