By Ray Walton

Seconds (1966) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

An unhappy middle-aged banker agrees to a procedure that will fake his death and give him a completely new look and identity – one that comes with its own price.

Written by: Lewis John Carlino and David Ely

Directed by: John Frankenheimer

Starring: Rock Hudson, John Randolph, Frances Reid, Frank Campagnella

I love it when I find films from the 60s and 70s that are different from the norm, and I would have definitely expected John Frankenheimer to churn out something like this. However, just watching this movie, I can easily see why it bombed at the box office. There’s no way 1966 moviegoers were ready for something like this. I do feel bad for Rock Hudson, though, since I read that he was especially hurt by this movie’s failure since it was intended to prove that he was a more versatile actor. I haven’t seen a lot of his rom coms, but you don’t have to see a lot to know what Hudson was mainly known for. He does a great job here. Since he was a closeted gay, it does seem really fitting that he would star in a movie about someone forming a completely new identity and trying and failing to forget his old one. It’s very easily an extended Twilight Zone episode. I hope that I can find more conventional films from this time period.

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Ray Walton

Neurodivergent movie lover. Here to share reviews for horror and non horror movies that fall into the “Dark Cinema” category.