Rock Hudson is a revelation in this sinister, science-fiction-inflected dispatch from the fractured 1960s. Seconds, directed by John Frankenheimer, concerns a middle-aged banker who, dissatisfied with his suburban existence, elects to undergo a strange and elaborate procedure that will grant him a new life. Starting over in America, however, is not as easy as it sounds. This paranoiac symphony of canted camera angles (courtesy of famed cinematographer James Wong Howe), fragmented editing, and layered sound design is a remarkably risk-taking Hollywood film that ranks high on the list of its legendary director’s achievements.
SPECIAL FEATURES
New, restored 4K digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
Audio commentary featuring director John Frankenheimer
New interview with actor Alec Baldwin
Excerpts from Hollywood on the Hudson, a 1965 television program featuring on-set footage and an interview with actor Rock Hudson
New program on the making of the film, featuring interviews with Evans Frankenheimer, the director’s widow, and actor Salome Jens
Interview with Frankenheimer from 1971
New visual essay by film scholars R. Barton Palmer and Murray Pomerance
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic David Sterritt
New cover art based on original theatrical poster by Saul Bass
