Seconds (Criterion Collection) (1966)

We've all had days where we wished we could escape our ourselves and our lives, to be someone else somewhere else. But even if it were possible, could we really start over? Seconds asks and answers that question some might argue quite cynically through some of the most searing and surreal images and dialogue on film, in a story both jarring and emotionally resonant because it tells truths about humanity.

Without giving up too much of the plot, it is difficult to convey just how profoundly disturbing and haunting this film is, even after multiple viewings. From the pipe-organ score by Jerry Goldsmith that breathes with an eerie, heretic fervor; to the distorted faces in the titles by Saul Bass; to the stunning wide-angle black-and-white photography by James Wong Howe; to the peerless direction by John Frankenheimer; and of course, to the career-topping performance of Rock Hudson as the protagonist striking the faustian bargain to trade in his humdrum, middle-age existence for a new beginning, this film is simply one of the most overlooked and underrated gems of '60s cinema.

That it was made nearly 40 years ago is evident because of the film's many on-location shots, but the movie transcends its era and its genre (science fiction?) because it deals with timeless themes and a premise that in today's world of cloning and biotechnology seems increasingly plausible (at least physically). Seconds also remains more chilling than Frankenheimer's more popular masterpiece, The Manchurian Candidate, because it speaks poignantly about something we can all identify with: identity.

The new DVD is very much worth the price of admission: the picture transfer is really superb, and the sound isn't bad relative to most films of its time period. The disc also contains a trailer and a commentary by Frankenheimer. While Frankenheimer's thoughts are informative, I was disappointed that he focused mostly on technical aspects of the movie (e.g., "here's James Wong using the wide-angle lens again . . . ). I wish he had provided more insights about plot and thematic elements; maybe he thought these were better off left to the viewer to figure out. You likely won't be able to rent this one at Blockbuster, because unfortunately it remains a cult classic only.

Seconds is director John Frankenheimer and lead actor Rock Hudson's finest hour, and I can't recommend it more highly. This is one movie that will make you think differently about yourself, your life, and your loved ones.

The core concept of this film has special relevance almost 40 years after its initial release, given recent developments in genetic engineering: Recycling of human beings, whole or in parts. As I again watched it, I thought about several themes which have intrigued man throughout history, such as eternal youth (e.g. the fountain of youth) and unholy pacts (e.g. in the Garden of Eden and, later, Dr. Faust). Dissatisfied with his life, Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) presents himself to The Company and agrees (for a substantial fee) to become a different person and have a lifestyle about which he has obviously fantasized for many years. After extensive surgery, he becomes Antiochus ("Tony") Wilson (Rock Hudson), twenty years younger, strikingly handsome, physically fit, and living what is for many males an idealized bachelor's life. He seems to have everything Hamilton once desired and yet....

This is among the subtlest but also one of the most frightening of films. To say more about its plot would be a disservice to those who have not as yet seen it. Suffice to say that, under the brilliant direction of John Frankenheimer, the cast plays out what becomes a horror story of almost unbearable impact. My opinion is that Hudson's performance is his strongest throughout a lengthy film career. Will Geer appears briefly but memorably, as do others in a diverse cast which includes Murray Hamilton, Jeff Corey, Richard Anderson, and Salome Jens. Also noteworthy is James Wong Howe's cinematography which nourishes, indeed intensifies the gradually-increasing sense of terror as Wilson attempts without success to re-negotiate the terms and conditions of his surgically-enhanced life. Whenever I recall the final scene, I shudder despite the fact that I have seen this film several times and know that it is "only a movie."

Buy Seconds (Criterion Collection) (1966) Now

"Every man has, inside him, a key left unturned."

SECONDS, directed by John Frankenheimer, may be perhaps one of the greatest American movies that no one has ever seen or heard of. It's obscurity is a real crime considering that the inferior (but still very good) AMERICAN BEAUTY and the absolutely wretched EYES WIDE SHUT (not to mention the bloated LAST TANGO IN PARIS) have enjoyed greater notoriety while dealing with exactly the same material.

In fact a great festival would be to show all four films together. Although one may want to shoot themselves afterword.

SECONDS, like all the great tragedies, truly is a pessimistic and depressing film on one hand, and yet, on the other hand, manages to elate the viewer in terms of the incredible mastery of storytelling craft that the filmakers John Frankenheimer and James Wong Howe so expertly display. The acting, script, direction and cinemaphotography all blend perfectly together to create a shattering and unforgettable experience.

The narrative, dealing with a middle aged suburbanite getting a chance at a new start via a shadowy company with real Satanic overtones, is filled with haunting, frightening and utterly truthfull revelations about the fragile human condition. Arthur Hamilton/Tony, the sad protagonist (expertly played by both John Randolph and Rock Hudson(!)) finds all too late that there is no place like home, and once you're gone, you're gone. This is a lesson that Hamilton/Tony doesn't learn until it is too late.

The film proposes this as a fact of our existance that ultimately we all must come to face and accept. Our choices will then lead us to either making our present state better or diving off into changing what cannot be changed: the past.

Watching this film is not escapist entertainment. It is challenging, disturbing and creepy. It is however, a work of art. Don't miss this. A 10 out of 10.

Read Best Reviews of Seconds (Criterion Collection) (1966) Here

More than 40 years old now, this small, darkly powerful film still packs a devastating, heartbreaking punch. The story itself is simple, and one that anyone can appreciate: a middle-aged man, vaguely dissatisfied with his supposedly successful life, is offered a second chance in a remade, rejuvenated body, complete with a new life. And of course it's a monstrously Faustian bargain, something that's made clear from the first ominous notes & disorienting graphics of the opening credits.

But it's the relentlessly oppressive tone & the fine acting that take this basic premise into nightmarish territory. For anyone who thought that Rock Hudson was only capable of lightweight comedy or soap opera melodrama, this will be a real eye-opener. He gives it his all & lays his soul bare, nakedly raw, especially in the final scenes. His despair, his anguish, his hunger for something so desperately lost & never found, burns through the screen. It's such an intense & vulnerable performance that it's almost physically unsettling to watch!

There have been complaints about the length of the vineyard scene -but I think that drawing it out actually adds to the meaning of the film. What begins as a potential orgy, an invitation to release all inhibitions & revel in sensual pleasures, becomes something dreary & nasty as it drags on & on, revealing the spiritual emptiness beneath the facade of endless sensation & instant gratification. There's no real love to be found here, no real human connection, not even the release of genuinely earthy & healthy sex. There's only constant noise & movement to cover the unbearable truth.

And it's a truth that our doomed protagonist learns too late -what required changing wasn't the outward appearance, but the inner man. All the plastic surgery, the fast cars, the beautiful women, the glamorous lifestyle -all of it is hollow, if you're still the same person within, unwilling or unable to grow spiritually & emotionally. If only he could go back, try again! But there's no going back.

What's especially chilling is how the emptiness depicted so scathingly here has become a guiding principle for so much of contemporary society. The promise of a new life is even glossier today, far more glittering, as trendy & uber-hip as it could be ... but in the end, still as unsatisfying as ever, offering nothing, taking everything.

If you're looking for horror, forget the adolescent titillation of torture porn & zombies & CGI monsters this is the real thing. For me, it's one of the finest & most frightening examinations of midlife that I've ever seen -most highly recommended!

Want Seconds (Criterion Collection) (1966) Discount?

Without question, "Seconds" is a disturbing and unique film. It's odd, unclassifiable, and not easily forgettable. It is also one of the few films that will upset you with each subsequent viewing. The passing of John Hamilton gives me pause to reflect on this underrated films one of the best dramas of the mid-1960s, and one of the best psychological thrillers ever put to film.

John Randolph is Arthur Hamilton, a man haunted by the thought of life passing him by. Arthur is brought to a strange agency, and is given a unique opportunity: the agency will erase Arthur's old persona via a convenient faked death, perform plastic surgery, and give him a new life as a "second". Rock Hudson plays Tony Wilson, his post-surgery "second" persona. In his new "second" identity, Tony learns that a new body and new identity don't address his need for individuality. Tony never lets go of his supreme self-centeredness, which eventually leads to his downfall.

The film settles in the pit of your stomach with several strange and unsettling scenes. At the agency, he meets a friend who has something on his mind...he seems very intent that Arthur adopts a "second" identity. When Tony awakes from surgery he is bandaged, and is told not to talk because his teeth have been removed. As he recovers, he is given a strange personality and occupational aptitude battery (I have never trusted these after seeing this movie!) Eventually After having too much to drink, he realizes all of his friends are fellow "seconds". Tony visits his wife, who think's he's dead. The gravity of Arthur/Tony's choice is clear; he can never go back. Eventually Tony returns to the agency, and is asked to suggest fellow clients...he never realizes the danger of not ponying up a new candidate. And the final scene...I won't spoil it, but you'll feel cold afterwards.

Hudson is brilliantly and presciently cast, as it was made before his sexuality was common knowledge. It's little wonder that "Seconds" is recognized as Hudson's best work. John Randolph as the gray, depressed Arthur Hamilton is overshadowed by Hudson, but his understated performance is critical to the Hudson's portrayal as Hamilton's "second" chance. Never a great actor, Murray Hamilton is at his best as a frightened agency client we know why he's nervous, but wonder why Arthur can't see it. Will Geer is eerie and unforgettable as the agency's patriarch, who waxes philosophical with his failed clients. Frankenheimer's work is brilliant. "Seconds" takes a toll on it's viewers, and I find that I have to steel myself to watch this great film again. Strongly recommended.

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