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Seconds (1966)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
5 October 1966 (USA) moreTagline:
What Are Seconds?... The Answer May Be Too Terrifying For Words! morePlot:
Want out of your life? Just pay the fee and we'll fake your death, change your face, and set up a new identity for you... full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Playing it Straight (From AfterElton.com. 7 April 2009, 6:31 PM, PDT)
Tiff Review: Sauna
(From Twitch. 6 September 2008, 3:41 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
the best midlife crisis film moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Rock Hudson | ... | Antiochus 'Tony' Wilson | |
| Salome Jens | ... | Nora Marcus | |
| John Randolph | ... | Arthur Hamilton | |
| Will Geer | ... | Old Man | |
| Jeff Corey | ... | Mr. Ruby | |
| Richard Anderson | ... | Dr. Innes | |
| Murray Hamilton | ... | Charlie Evans | |
| Karl Swenson | ... | Dr. Morris | |
| Khigh Dhiegh | ... | Davalo | |
| Frances Reid | ... | Emily Hamilton | |
| Wesley Addy | ... | John | |
| John Lawrence | ... | Texan | |
| Elisabeth Fraser | ... | Plump Blonde | |
| Dodie Heath | ... | Sue Bushman (as Dody Heath) | |
| Robert Brubaker | ... | Mayberry |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for some nudity.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
100 min | USA:107 min (re-release: 1996) | Australia:103 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
UK:X (1966) (cut) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (1996 re-release) | Australia:MFun Stuff
Trivia:
French censorship certificate: -13. moreGoofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When Tony is turned round to face the mirrors after having his bandages removed, part of the camera becomes visible in the middle one. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Man in Station: Mr. Hamilton?
Arthur Hamilton: Yes?
[Man in train station hands Hamilton a folded sheet of paper and turns to walk away; Hamilton stares after him, then opens the folded paper to find an address, with no explanation]
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Midlife crisis films are rare beasts, but everybody loves them. Look at the success of "American Beauty," probably the most stereotypical depiction of middle-class America that I've ever seen. Quite shallow in its way, "Beauty" was a hit because of its subject matter - it tackled some taboos and had the nerve to portray the problems of "ordinary" people. But you know what - it had been done before, and better, here.
"Seconds" is the story of a middle-aged banker who undergoes surgery to become - this part is really a gas - Rock Hudson! He's given an outlet to escape from his loveless family life and tedious job, and he becomes a swinging painter/playboy with a beautiful house on the coast. Of course, he soon finds that good looks and money are no substitute for what he really wants - some kind of genuine intimacy in his life.
Is this message a bit too predictable? Oh, I dunno - we all seem to agree that the pursuit of wealth is an empty one, yet we indulge in it all the same. The social problems explored in "Seconds" are still very much with us, and our awareness of these problems certainly hasn't solved them. The film ultimately acts as a powerful, sobering reminder that most of us aren't doing what we really want to do.
Plenty of great style on display here from director Frankenheimer. There's a wonderful "wobbly camera" drunk scene that is so realistic, you'll feel as though you've been hitting the bottle yourself. There's also consistent effective use of point-of-view shots and unusual angles. In terms of subject matter and directorial flair, this film is incredibly innovative...it's taken years for us to catch up to this kind of material, and yet we still haven't topped it. Definitely in my top twenty.