David Bowie as Thomas Jerome Newton in "The Man Who Fell To Earth" (Image credit: British Lion Films) The 1970s were an evolutionary step for global science fiction films, with some of the most pivotal and game-changing releases helping to expand the genre by addressing environmental issues, political unrest, technology anxiety, societal decay, and existential questions of life and death. " Star Wars " and " Close Encounters of the Third Kind " will, of course, be remembered as the eventual heavy hitters of the ‘70s, but there were a multitude of other bold standouts that might have been left in the dust, yet deserve our rapt attention. British director Nicolas Roeg's " The Man Who Fell To Earth " is one such pioneering gem, and we’re celebrating the film’s 50th anniversary today to remind cinephiles of its dreamy atmosphere and poignant portrait of a benevolent extraterrestrial visitor ruined by human vices.…