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The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth
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The Man Who Fell to Earth

The Man Who Fell to Earth

1976
Drama, Sci-fi
2h 19m
Thomas Jerome Newton is a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to get water for his dying planet. (imdb)

Directed by:

Nicolas Roeg

Screenwriter:

Paul Mayersberg, Walter Tevis

Starring:

Rip Torn, Buck Henry, David Bowie, Candy Clark, Bernie Casey, Jackson D. Kane, Adrienne Larussa, Rick Riccardo, Tony Mascia, Linda Hutton, Hilary Holland, Lilybelle Crawford

Genres:

Drama, Sci-fi

Country:

UK

Language:

English
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The Man Who Fell to Earth

1976
Drama, Sci-fi
2h 19m
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Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 52.6% from 1075 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 28 Sep 2021
81
75th
(A true story) Me: “What’d you watch tonight?” Mom: “[Dramatic Ugh] I couldn’t even finish it! It was a pornography!” Me: “Ok, what was it.” Mom: “So, Andy Warhol was walking down a hill.” Me: “That’s The Man Who Fell to Earth. Warhol’s not even in it.” Mom: “Well who was it, then.” Me: “That’s Ziggy. You got to go to a concert when you were high and my age this isn’t fair at all.” Mom: “Oh! I didn’t finish it do you see Bowie’s” “No.”
Rated 28 Sep 2021
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 11 Jun 2012
53
21st
Runs through a million themes but never consolidates them into something with meat, and the wandering visual aesthetics just further divide any meaning. Bowie gives a good spin on his character, but we can't connect to him, and ultimately the film just ends up an annoying bore.
Rated 11 Jun 2012
nobletNoblet
Rated 16 Apr 2012
60
35th
There are some great individual scenes, and some great individual shots. But overall, I felt like the film's deliberate alienating tone didn't mesh well with the absurd content of the story. It ends up being both silly and occasionally dull.
Rated 16 Apr 2012
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 01 Mar 2007
79
64th
It's original, for sure. I haven't really loved anything by Roeg, but I have to admit he's got a unique vision. His films always feature striking visuals. This one's a trifle long, though. I was into it and wanted to see what would happen next, but towards the end I started to lose patience. Also, I think Roeg is a bit pervy. Every one of his movies I've seen has included somewhat gratuitous nudity, especially in this case.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
kojilessKojiless
Rated 18 Nov 2015
30
32nd
Before David Bowie was frightening a generation of impressionable 80s children with the unsolvable labyrinth beneath his goblin-tights, he was waging his androgynously fortified battle of the bulge on a generation starved for LSD-induced forays into the far reaches of fantastically fictitious science. What I learned from this movie: never trust a ginger with patents.
Rated 18 Nov 2015
kasperlKasperL
Rated 11 Mar 2011
30
10th
Mostly plotless. Occasionally experimental. Really, really bad.
Rated 11 Mar 2011
piratebpirateb
Rated 31 Jan 2009
60
10th
Most of its potential for brilliance was ruined by the sloppy editing.
Rated 31 Jan 2009
djfntstquedjfntstque
Rated 14 Aug 2007
66
38th
Totally frustrating. Roeg's observations on modern life are fine in themselves, but his approach simply too obscure for the film's own good. The best example I can point to is the gun sequence.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 06 Apr 2007
75
90th
With the first 15 minutes I felt Roeg hit the spot this time, then I went back and forth dizzied by the experience but always left on the surface. More than half of the movie extraordinary imagery seems like pastoral textures waiting to be explored to their tiniest pieces, but then there isn't any lead. If you're going for the process of alienation and alienization Bowie is your man. The soundtrack goes fine with psychedelia. If only Roeg stepped in and went further with the themes offered...
Rated 06 Apr 2007
djrossdjross
Rated 05 Jun 2020
40
26th
Seems to be about a man who is genuinely different from others (a creator, let's say) with an interest in facilitating the migration of a small threatened tribe, but who gradually finds himself worn down by conventionality and eventually falls into addiction. Without having read the source material, it seems promising, but the manner of presentation is off-putting and some scenes egregiously poor, with compensations few and far between. Diller's alleged reaction is quite understandable.
Rated 05 Jun 2020
bofbof
Rated 26 Jul 2019
72
64th
Nicolas Roeg presents: The Elon Musk Story. (Ironically, it's partly the rise of tech moguls and their algorithms that ensure nobody makes movies as wonderfully weird as this anymore...)
Rated 26 Jul 2019
groovysoulsGroovy_Souls
Rated 09 Apr 2019
70
56th
I see this movie as one with great ideas that could have used some better execution. To point out the elephant in the room, David Bowie is an absolute star, but the rest of the movie is only just good, which felt disappointing. It often felt overlong and never emphasized the right points, but still, it's definitely worth a watch for its unique perspectives and direction, as well as the late, great Bowie.
Rated 09 Apr 2019
three-questions_ii???
Rated 04 Jan 2019
87
90th
It wasn't clear to me on the first viewing, but The Man Who Fell to Earth actually has a story, it's a tragedy about trying to travel and connect alternate realities and crashing in between them. Roeg makes every cut out of fascination with the co-existence of seperate realities, side by side or crashing into each other. It's all a little pretentious, but poppy and fun thanks to a sense of dysfunctional robotic justice, and the hilarious overreactive Candy Clark.
Rated 04 Jan 2019
icarusIcarus
Rated 23 May 2018
75
49th
Bowie might be the only person on earth who could pull this role off. However, what is essentially a meditation on how we humans have taken the path toward debauchery and dehumanization, and are therefore not the advanced civilization we appear, is too thin to hold up to the 140 minute run-time.
Rated 23 May 2018
ag0stomesmerAg0stoMesmer
Rated 26 May 2013
4
91st
Willfully difficult and artsy sci-fi, some parts didn't work (that gun scene for instance) but there's a scrappy kind of truth here.
Rated 26 May 2013
xacviantxacviant
Rated 18 Apr 2013
89
89th
David Bowie is the titular alien, who becomes wealthy by patenting his race's technology and intends to use his resources to save his dying family...but the influence of human society may be too much for him to overcome. The elliptical storytelling can be frustrating, and the tone is anything but uplifting, but Nicolas Roeg's direction is beautifully audacious, Bowie is perfectly cast (the entire cast is superb), the visual design is consistently top-notch, and it truly engages the intellect.
Rated 18 Apr 2013
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 16 Feb 2012
5
44th
Sometimes brilliant, sometimes terrible. A weird movie, but it never felt like they were being weird just for the sake of it which a lot of these films typically do. Bowie was good, can't say the same for the rest of the cast. Has tons of beautiful naked chicks, so if nothing else thanks for that. That entire sequence with the gun was ridiculously bad. Pretty average movie that I won't watch again.
Rated 16 Feb 2012
overratedoverrated
Rated 16 Jun 2011
54
55th
Not much happening here besides unravelling the mystery of Labyrinth and finding out, after all these years, what David Bowie's package looks like.
Rated 16 Jun 2011
stainStain
Rated 18 May 2008
50
33rd
Murky and cerebral. One of those rare movies that, if anything, may be a little *too* different
Rated 18 May 2008
cinematicespCinematicESP
Rated 31 Mar 2007
73
28th
I like the visual style of this film, and the comments on society, but it seems like it purposely tries to lose its viewer. It makes it difficult to relate to Bowie's character.
Rated 31 Mar 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 26 Feb 2007
70
82nd
Excellent.
Rated 26 Feb 2007
braddad68braddad68
Rated 23 May 2024
94
74th
Really a strange one, but i'm glad I finally got to it. David Bowie as the alien who comes to Earth to find a way to save his dying planet. This is a very unique movie experience.
Rated 23 May 2024
danny42Danny42
Rated 26 Dec 2023
70
57th
While I'm a huge Bowie fan, I have to say that the pacing on this is fairly slow, and I did find it a bit boring at parts. I did like it though, especially Bowie's acting, which I found very natural, and I did like the film's visuals aswell.
Rated 26 Dec 2023
doyler29doyler29
Rated 12 Sep 2023
90
87th
One of the main things that Nicolas Roeg seems to have been doing with the amazing run of films he made in the 1970's is freeing film from the logic of words and making films that follow the logic of images. This film feels very much like the culmination of that project since it's by far the most narratively and temporally fractured film he made, but at the same time, the large gaps in it's narrative don't feel like they need filling.
Rated 12 Sep 2023
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 27 Jan 2023
50
27th
I love David Bowie with all my heart and I desperately want to like this movie but I just don't. I'd be curious to read the book or see the new series adaptation because I don't think the issues lie in the story, they lie in how Roeg presents it. For every one directorial choice Roeg makes that I like, he makes eight or nine others that I'm either baffled by or outright dislike. There is no reason for this to be such a muddled, stylistically jumbled experience.
Rated 27 Jan 2023
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 25 Nov 2022
68
35th
Odd, challenging, but mostly compelling. Bowie is inspired casting, but I can't help feeling that this was one of those movies that isn't as good as the individual pieces indicate it should be. Has an odd tone throughout that is sometimes effective but sometimes a bit dull. I didn't really care for Mary Lou much as a character, and I can't really say that I totally got the point at movie's end. Still, it's an interesting and ambitious effort.
Rated 25 Nov 2022
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 27 Aug 2021
58
13th
The story is pretty decent, but this movie was more dedicated to trying to be arty rather than entertaining. If you've ever had an inexplicable desire to see David Bowie's dong, this is probably your only opportunity, if not, don't waste your time.
Rated 27 Aug 2021
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 23 Jul 2020
70
56th
A whole bunch of ideas with not a whole lot to tie them together. A shame this wasn't better because I do like the idea of connecting the legendary Kane-esque figure with the supernatural. Has a nice cinematic flair to it on top of the campy 70s space visuals. And that scene with the gun firing blanks is mint.
Rated 23 Jul 2020
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 22 Apr 2020
60
35th
I'd think if I were directing a movie about a space creature and wanted to show that copious amounts of physical -- and perhaps mental -- sex aren't quite enough to stop homesickness, I could probably do it in about half the time and with not as many artistic visual images. Maybe with the extra time I'd have, I'd try to give a little more exposition to the ending. But Bowie certainly is perfect for his role and there is quite a film-school feel to it all.
Rated 22 Apr 2020
ieuandpIeuanDP
Rated 16 Mar 2020
65
48th
A really bad adaptation, but with a lot of redeeming idiosyncrasies. Wasn't expecting it to be so weird and hyper-sexualised (for seemingly no reason at all). A few great scenes and nice shots, which is mostly abstract stuff that deviates from the source material. The editing and casting (other than Bowie) is dire though.
Rated 16 Mar 2020
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 14 Apr 2019
60
27th
Thomas Jerome Newton: "Television. The strange thing about television is that it - doesn't tell you everything. It shows you everything about life on Earth, but the true mysteries remain. Perhaps it's in the nature of television. Just waves in space."
Rated 14 Apr 2019
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 15 Jan 2019
4
55th
the way roeg withholds so much exposition and rejects narrative progress or catharsis is frustrating, but genuinely radical. a guy starts out earning millions in pursuit of a goal before slowly falling into the same traps and ruts as everyone else, until the film just meanders and deflates along with him... CITIZEN KANE, this is not. the way roeg shoots bowie and his experience of our world is something else - its datedness actually adds to the alienation for me. candy clark can fuck off though.
Rated 15 Jan 2019
auhasarderikauhasarderik
Rated 27 Oct 2018
5
22nd
Style as fetish, a classic example of a smug auteur who won't let you watch the damn movie. Choice visuals.
Rated 27 Oct 2018
metalhankmetalhank
Rated 21 Sep 2018
67
68th
I've seen this in several top Sci-fi lists, I wouldn't go that far, but it is good. There are some new ideas thrown around which can be appreciated. It is kinda weird and jumps around a bit, Bowie was quite good in basically his first full length film.
Rated 21 Sep 2018
wongfooWongFoo
Rated 24 May 2018
54
50th
I used to genuinely believe that I'd go to my grave without having seen Rip Torn's penis.
Rated 24 May 2018
zmoatszmoats
Rated 10 Jun 2016
77
48th
What the hell, Nicolas Roeg? I have no idea what most of what I just watched actually was, but for some reason, that made it that much better. Roeg cuts to different flashes of images - often brooding, often sensual, often terrifying to some extent. My only issue is that I often lost myself and my understanding of where the movie was going inside of those images. David Bowie's performance as Thomas Jerome Newton was perfect for this film though, he was superb.
Rated 10 Jun 2016
caffecaffe
Rated 09 Mar 2016
69
63rd
Hypnotic and haunting, there is truly no other movie like it. Still it seems of a piece with Roeg's earlier works such as Walkabout and Don't Look Now. There's a fascination with physicality and focus on the individual's perception of highly enigmatic events that binds them together and watching one makes the memories of the other shine even more brightly. The cinema snob in me who values originality and vision above all certainly appreciates that.
Rated 09 Mar 2016
rthornhillrthornhill
Rated 09 Feb 2016
30
1st
a very dissapointing and overrated film. it consists almost entirely of mr. bowie a. tumbling around naked b. wandering around aimlessly c. being probed and dissected endlessly. i couldn't wait for the end to come quickly...
Rated 09 Feb 2016
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 27 Jan 2016
83
72nd
A stellar "performance" from Bowie - with Roeg making the source material psychological, mythical, and pastoral all at once, with some disturbing imagery that evokes a paranoid, nightmare-like atmosphere when it's needed most.
Rated 27 Jan 2016
boxcarsBoxcars
Rated 12 Jan 2016
7
49th
I'm sure I am one of many who chose to watch this today in memory of a monumentally important icon who will be fondly remembered forever. 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' is an appropriately alien picture in every single way, to the point of being off-putting, slow, and even ridiculous. Bowie as the alien Newton was an inspired, if obvious, casting decision; he stands at the center of this disjointed film, holding together abnormal imagery, and an ambitious, if incoherent, narrative.
Rated 12 Jan 2016
metropolitanMetropolitan
Rated 06 Dec 2015
85
86th
An interesting quasi-autobiography of David Bowie during 1974-76. It was touching in a peculiar way.
Rated 06 Dec 2015
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 13 Oct 2015
7
64th
Man, David Bowie really pulls off that red hair. Utterly gorgeous film to look at. Plots a little all over the place yet I still enjoyed the experience overall.
Rated 13 Oct 2015
glm01glm01
Rated 10 Jun 2015
77
55th
76.500
Rated 10 Jun 2015
neonmanNeonman
Rated 29 Oct 2014
81
66th
One of the film's main goals is to convince you that David Bowie is an alien, and for that the film succeeds immensely. It's got a hell of a disconnected way of presenting its narrative, but it gives a peculiar and appropriate feeling of alienation, much like the way our rocker character feels.
Rated 29 Oct 2014
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 22 Jul 2014
7
67th
I generally dislike Nicolas Roeg. I find his movies to be drab, overly fetishistic without justification, and worst of all, boring, and all three of these traits can be found in The Man Who Fell to Earth. Yet, either because I'm currently going through some kind of sci-fi kick, or because I find the subject matter more fascinating than his other movies, this one mostly won me over, and I definitely like it. Newton is effective as a dark mirror for humanity. Bowie is great.
Rated 22 Jul 2014
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 22 Jul 2014
3
38th
Campy, unique, uneven, scattershot, beautifully shot, weirdly soundtracked, often entertaining, eventually exhausting, thoroughly weird-ass piece of science fiction.
Rated 22 Jul 2014
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 21 Jul 2014
60
20th
Begins really well, and then slowly disintegrates as it goes along until by the final act it's become almost excruciatingly boring. It's far too long, the plot, which was pretty stupid to begin with, disappears halfway through and is replaced with endless scenes of people lying around doing nothing, Bowie doesn't so much act as pose for a series of photoshoots, the effects are abysmal. The man who fell appears to be Roeg himself, and it appears to happen over the course of this movie.
Rated 21 Jul 2014
naypalmNaypalm
Rated 11 Feb 2014
59
19th
Pretty bad, feels pretentious, is kinda shit, nothing really happens. Watch "They Live" instead.
Rated 11 Feb 2014
lrampartllrampartl
Rated 09 Feb 2014
59
43rd
I originally thought this should be called "The Mess Who Fell to Earth", but it's grown on me, and was definitely ahead of its time.
Rated 09 Feb 2014
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 22 Dec 2013
92
91st
Ficção Científica deveras bizarra que insufla toda a decadência dos terráqueos e particularmente da sociedade americana. Ao mesmo tempo que fica-se vidrado com tudo que acontece na tela, desde a edição peculiar passando pela crítica social até o magnetismo de Bowie, também conjectura-se se este é na verdade um bom filme ou não.
Rated 22 Dec 2013
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 14 Nov 2013
85
59th
Starring Station to Station-era Bowie, Buck Henry and Rip Torn's penis, The Man Who Fell to Earth is a rather bizarre, oft-confusing, unexpectedly sad sci-fi film. There isn't much out there like this. I feel like this is something I could watch more and more until I finally figure it out.
Rated 14 Nov 2013
talonmalontalonmalon
Rated 18 Aug 2013
51
21st
Very much an art film, but far from one of the better ones. Still, it's okay.
Rated 18 Aug 2013
nepetaNepeta
Rated 22 Mar 2013
70
44th
Some stylistic flourishes don't work for me (in particular the gun scene, and the rupturing of time and space which leads to the settlers seeing the car). Also the attitude towards sex - the film seems to try to equate sex and violence - is veeeery old fashioned and conservative. And yet it's a hard film not to like. It's so earnest and youthful, and more noticeably strange and psychedelic (it's hard to look away).
Rated 22 Mar 2013
mwgerbmwgerb
Rated 26 Feb 2013
49
42nd
Looking back at the overall plot, I really wish I had enjoyed it more. There's so much potential for exploration and excitement, and it's exactly the kind of concept I'd normally love. Unfortunately, I think the meandering storytelling and the offbeat direction (which I understand some people love) ultimately prevents this from being anything more than good. David Bowie is great; using sex scenes to introduce side characters probably isn't.
Rated 26 Feb 2013
michaelhashMichaelhash
Rated 01 Nov 2012
77
18th
77.000
Rated 01 Nov 2012
trixrabbiTrixRabbi
Rated 23 Jul 2012
80
70th
A bit too bizarre for it's own good at times. It starts off really strong, but veers off in too many directions to really feel solid at all.
Rated 23 Jul 2012
glmglm
Rated 10 Jul 2012
75
55th
74.500
Rated 10 Jul 2012
tathieltathiel
Rated 19 Jun 2012
59
15th
Interesting premise but lame execution. Not on Bowie's side, he gives a really good performance. And because of that I want to see something in that movie that actually isn't there.
Rated 19 Jun 2012
docbenwaydocbenway
Rated 07 May 2012
73
57th
Great alien sex scenes, crazy white women, corruptive influence of TV, wealth, corporation. 70s decor. "You know I believe Christmas is less commercial this year.
Rated 07 May 2012
shewasSheWas
Rated 27 Apr 2012
90
94th
I was shocked to find that I gave it 15 points when I first watched it, 9 years ago, in 2012. Luckily, since then Tarantino has took on the mission to educate the masses (myself included) on the subject of how to appreciate the B aesthetics. Breathtaking and heartbreaking
Rated 27 Apr 2012
sellissellis
Rated 16 Apr 2012
45
13th
Roeg must be the most hit-or-miss director for me. He's made two of my favorites in Bad Timing and Don't Look Now, and two of the most frustratingly laughable arthouse films in Walkabout and this.
Rated 16 Apr 2012
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 30 Nov 2011
75
50th
#509
Rated 30 Nov 2011
lady_moeLady Moe
Rated 09 Sep 2011
63
22nd
This is an odd little cult film. It stars one of my favorite artists, David Bowie, as an alien who comes to Earth in search of water for his planet. It's definitely more of an art film and I appreciate it's artistic merit. It meanders a bit but ultimately leaves you feeling satisfied. Not for everyone.
Rated 09 Sep 2011
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 08 Nov 2010
30
78th
"Among the most bizarre films in Nicolas Roeg's oeuvre." - Matt Noller
Rated 08 Nov 2010
jkathrensjkathrens
Rated 29 Aug 2010
92
97th
David Bowie was born to play this role. This film is weird and wonderful, and only a slow final act keeps it from being among my favorites of all-time.
Rated 29 Aug 2010
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 02 Jul 2010
82
67th
Surreal visuals and style drenched with humanity make this quite an experience. It's sometimes hard to take it all in, at times it feels aimless, but once you adjust it's very rewarding and enjoyable.
Rated 02 Jul 2010
jeffvjeff_v
Rated 24 Feb 2010
81
92nd
A compassionate study of alienation/loneliness as well as a commentary on the wastefulness of modern civilization, enhanced by Roeg's unique editing.
Rated 24 Feb 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 14 Jan 2010
76
52nd
479
Rated 14 Jan 2010
bixleebixlee
Rated 30 Dec 2009
47
19th
Watch this movie if you want to see David Bowie's penis.
Rated 30 Dec 2009
purgatospurgatos
Rated 24 Aug 2009
73
56th
In its favour, the film never took the directions I would have predicted and it had an incredibly unique visual tone that I liked. It's definitely too long, however, and I had run out of patience quite some time before the end.
Rated 24 Aug 2009
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 29 Jul 2009
100
96th
This is everything that was great about 1970s cinema. It's mysterious, it's abstract, it's deliberately paced, and the plot only begins to become clear about half way through the film. This movie is horribly under-appreciated.
Rated 29 Jul 2009
janusjanus
Rated 08 Apr 2009
80
77th
David Bowie's just as good an actor as he is a musician, and he's working under a great director from a believable and down-to-earth (har har) script. The sci-fi fan in me would have liked a stronger sci-fi aesthetic but looking again it probably would have hurt the film's story. Not 100 percent my kind of movie but still affecting and enjoyable.
Rated 08 Apr 2009
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
76
52nd
482
Rated 19 Dec 2008
optimusmikeOptimus_mike
Rated 17 Dec 2008
70
48th
An interesting take on your average Sci-fi story.
Rated 17 Dec 2008
edkrakedkrak
Rated 14 Aug 2008
60
44th
Quite good film but spoiled by terrible acting (especially by David Bowie).
Rated 14 Aug 2008
joojooJooJoo
Rated 08 Aug 2008
5
81st
Usually I like when a movie can throw me through a loop, but this got me dizzy. Still a very good watch. Expectations were soaring early on.
Rated 08 Aug 2008
katjekatje
Rated 02 Jul 2008
79
74th
If scoring how delicious David Bowie is in this film on a scale from 0 to 100, my answer would raise considerably. The movie itself is a bit silly, though still endearing.
Rated 02 Jul 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 01 Mar 2008
79
66th
# 430
Rated 01 Mar 2008
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 04 Feb 2008
78
79th
Interesting movie, but it doesn't work quite till the end.
Rated 04 Feb 2008
yilbyilb
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
58th
This is a really interesting picture that is a bit long & overly difficult. Still, well worth a look.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
irvinejumpirvinejump
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
51st
I wanted to like this, but couldn't. Lots of other people do though make up your own mind
Rated 14 Aug 2007

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