Seconds (1966) John Frankenheimer’s disturbing
sci-fi thriller, based on a novel by John Ely, plays a bit like an extended Twilight Zone episode, with the central message that we must be careful of what we
wish for. A jarring Saul Bass opening title sequence sets the stage for the tone
of the film. Middle-aged banker Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) is offered an enticing
prospect from a shadowy organization – to leave his humdrum life and reinvent
himself. Through extensive plastic surgery and physical therapy, Arthur becomes
a different person with a new identity, Antiochus Wilson (Rock Hudson). He experiences
life as an artist in an exclusive Malibu community and encounters a free spirit
(Salome Jens). Despite months of physical and psychological conditioning,
however, he finds it difficult to adjust to his current reality. James Wong
Howe’s inventive cinematography keeps us on edge throughout, as we experience
things from Wilson’s distorted, outsider perspective. Seconds challenges
us with its relentlessly grim, bewildering vision, in which no one is quite
what they appear to be.
Film fans take
note: Seconds would pair nicely with Hiroshi
Teshigahara’s The Face of Another (also from 1966), which deals with
similar themes of isolation and identity.
Rating: ****.
Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Kanopy
Dave Made a Maze (2017)
In this clever little film by Director/co-writer Bill Watterson, Annie (Meera
Rohit Kumbhani) returns home to find that her boyfriend Dave (Nick Thune) has
constructed an elaborate labyrinth out of cardboard and scraps. His handiwork
becomes a prison, as he’s trapped inside, without a clear way out. Annie,
Dave’s friends and a documentary camera crew soon embark on a journey inside
the maze (which is much larger on the inside), fraught with many hazards, booby
traps and odd creatures lying in wait. The film displays a heap of ambition,
with inventiveness belying its low-budget origins (at one point, the characters
transform into paper bag puppets). Dave, who never seems to finish what he
starts, is best exemplified by one character they encounter in the maze, who
displays a moment of clarity, “Life is a series of incomplete moments from
which there is no escape.” His maze serves as an apt metaphor for the constraints
we place upon ourselves as we search for meaning in our lives.
Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Kanopy
Blue Sunshine (1977) Writer/director Jeff Lieberman’s
bonkers follow-up to Squirm (1976) raises
the bar for insanity. Zalman King stars as Jerry “Zippy” Zipkin, an educated
but aimless drifter, investigating the strange death of his friend. Clues point
to “Blue Sunshine,” a form of LSD that causes users (10 years after the fact)
to lose their hair and become homicidal. Zipkin traces the source to up-and-coming
congressional candidate Edward Flemming (Mark Goddard, of Lost in Space fame), who sold drugs during college. Bad acting, bizarre
characters and terrible bald caps add up to a one-of-a-kind viewing experience.
You can’t lose with lines like, “There’s a bald maniac in there, and he’s going
batshit!” After watching this, you might check your head for hair loss and question
your own sanity. Watch it if you dare.
Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD
Starry Eyes (2014) Sarah (Alex Essoe), a 20-something
aspiring actress, works at a degrading, dead-end job, while she pursues her
dream of landing a big Hollywood role. She jumps at the chance when she’s
offered an audition for a new independent production, but learns too late that
the role comes at an awful price. Now, Sarah is forced to endure a series of
indignities if she wants to stay in the running.
Starry Eyes works
two-thirds of the way, with its themes about doing anything for fame and
leaving one intolerable situation for another. It’s too bad the plot (think Suspiria meets Day of the Locust) devolves from psychological torment to ersatz
Cronenberg-style body horror. Her ensuing bloody rampage might satisfy those
looking for nothing more than a gory climax. Anyone looking for a more
substantive, thoughtful conclusion to these themes might consider looking
elsewhere.
Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Amazon
Prime
