Nicolas Roeg, director and cinematographer for such lauded genre films as The Witches and the Gizmodo favourite The Man Who Fell to Earth, has passed away at age 90, Variety reports.
Roeg, who got his start in the film business in the 1960s, is known for making strange, idiosyncratic films. In particular, he’s famous for The Man Who Fell to Earth, which starred David Bowie in a beguiling and original performance.
He also directed The Witches, a critically acclaimed comedy/horror film based on a book by Roald Dahl.
Roeg’s work was beloved and influential, and I’ll never forget Bowie’s striking, alien performance. It’s been a huge shaping factor in how we portray alien-ness on screen. What a director. He’ll be missed.