FilmBar to Screen David Bowie Films in Downtown Phoenix as Tribute to the Late Artist

After news broke on Monday, January 11, that musician, artist, and fashion icon David Bowie had died the night before, Phoenicians were quick to commemorate the life and work of the late creative force.

Valley Bar promised an evening of spinning nothing but Bowie's records on Monday. And this weekend, FilmBar will screen three Bowie-starring movies: The Hunger, Labyrinth, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.

It's a small sampling of Bowie's film career, which spanned some 425 soundtrack credits and 39 acting roles, including video shorts, TV appearances, and cameos. From cult classics to blockbusters such as The Prestige to memorably playing himself in Zoolander, Bowie's résumé ran the gamut. 

"Bowie touched countless people through his music and personas he developed, and I think a public gathering is a great way to remember the life of this man and to reflect on how his life and music impacted our lives," FilmBar owner Kelly Aubey says of the tribute screenings. "As for why we chose the films we have: Bowie developed a variety of personas through several decades and, I think, different people will appreciate and remember him in many different ways. We chose the films we have in order to try to reflect those differences."

The Hunger plays at 9:50 and 11:55 p.m. on Friday, January 15. The Tony Scott erotic-horror film stars Catherine Deneuve and Bowie as a pair of vampire lovers on the hunt for blood, eternal youth, and also some steamy action with Susan Sarandon, a doctor who studies aging. While the 1983 film was met with mixed reviews upon release, it has garnered a cult following and served as inspiration for Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive.

At 8:50 and 11 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, FilmBar will screen Jim Henson's Labyrinth. Bowie plays Jareth, the Goblin King, a temperamental keeper of said labyrinth who kidnaps a baby because a teenage girl played by Jennifer Connelley wishes him gone. Musical numbers, creepy creatures, and an M.C. Escher-inspired scene of moving and morphing stairs ensue. 

Closing out the tribute on Sunday, January 17, will be an all-ages screening of The Man Who Fell to Earth at 4:10 p.m. The 1976 sci-fi film marked Bowie's first starring role, one as an alien who has come to Earth in search of water for his drought-stricken planet. 

Tickets to the screenings are $9 apiece and available through the FilmBar's website. Those under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for The Hunger and Labyrinth screenings. Some proceeds from ticket sales will go to Keep a Child Alive, a charitable organization Bowie supported that works to end AIDS by combatting HIV.


Editor's note: This post has been updated from its original version with new screenings and times.