As always there are spoilers ahead!

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Seconds is a visually striking and thoroughly uncomfortable film. A 1960s film that examines dissatisfied suburban living, mid-life crisis and the yearning for youth and freedom. I think it's vastly underrated which is probably something both of my genuinely amazing guests agree with. (Apologies for not offering more of a counterpoint to this view!)

Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.

Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has also written/edited extensively about science fiction.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:31 Frankenheimer's fantastic films

05:55 Science fiction in the 60s

07:55 The striking work of James Wong Howe

12:18 Saul (and Elaine) Bass credits

14:42 Mid Life Crisis in the 1960s

19:20 Dissatisfaction in the middle class

21:38 The Tennis Trophy

24:40 Rock Hudson and John Randolph

31:54 The Wine Stomp

37:02 Corporation as "The Monster" and PK Dick

38:48 Frankenstein and face surgery

41:44 The business model and Tech Bros

45:08 Legacy

50:39 Trivia tidbits

53:51 Recommendations

Recommendations:

Phase IV (1974)

Face of Another (1966)

Mark also mentions: Eyes Without a Face (1960) and Darkman (1990)

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we take a dive into the 1966 François Truffaut science fiction film Fahrenheit 451. The film is very annoyingly tough to get hold of on streaming platforms but can apparently be found on Fandango and you can search the Just Watch website to check where it might be available in your region. You can buy the DVD quite easily for not extortionate prices in many places. There do seem to be dodgy websites that also have the film but obviously I would never encourage you to search for such things.

As always there are spoilers ahead!

You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.

If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm

Apologies in advance for my butchering of Italian pronunciation during this episode.

Although we mentioned in the Planet of the Vampires episode the copycat nature of Italian cinema in the 1960s, The 10th Victim by Elio Petri does not fit that mould. The film has a definite style that may offer commentary on Italian film, comics and culture but looks to set a new mould for films coming out of Italy. Cultural change in Europe and America in the 1960s came in many different flavours and with different driving forces. My excellent guests help to unravel the cultural context of this stylish cult classic.

Stephen Gundle is a Professor of Film and Television at the University of Warwick. He has a special interest in Italian cultural history.

Leon Hunt is a retired Senior Lecturer of Screen Studies at Brunel University with a special interest in Italian Genre Cinema.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction.

01:17 Collectively written script

04:02 Italy in the 1960s

05:19 Marcello Mastroianni Commedia all'Italiana and global fame

09:33 Echoes of La Dolce Vita

15:02 Style over substance?

17:03 Gender roles

20:38 The violence of man

23:28 The gun bra, design and pop art

26:17 Comic book culture in Italy

32:46 Religion and belief systems

36:55 Changing Italian culture: American influence, economic growth and celebrity worship

45:52 Legacy

51:07 Recommendations for the listener

Recommendations:

Danger Diabolik (1968) directed by Mario Bava

Modesty Blaise (1966) directed by Jospeh Losey

La Dolce Vita (1960) directed by Federico Fellini

NEXT EPISODE!

You have two weeks to find and watch Seconds (1966) by John Frankenheimer as we finally head into 1966! The film is available to rent or buy on Apple TV in the UK, and for free on Kanopy in the US. You can check the JustWatch website for details of where it's available in your region. (Waves frantically at new global listeners!)

As always there are spoilers ahead!

You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.

If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm

Despite a failed pilot Star Trek made it to TV in 1966. Creator, Gene Roddenberry's vision of a future that was beyond the contemporary struggles of civil rights and racism and global Cold War tensions but very much aligned with the style of the 1960s. As a diverse crew faced alien planets and tackled ethical questions audience numbers dwindled and cancellation loomed. The show was finally axed in 1969 but a growing fanbase aided by syndication meant what could have been a small part of TV history actually became a huge phenomena.

My amazing Trekkie guests discuss the origins of my favourite franchise.

Julian Chambliss is a scholar and a professor at Michigan State University. He has taught Star Trek as part of his Media Race and Culture classes.

Carey Millsap-Spears is a professor of communications/literature at Moraine Valley Community College. She has written extensively about Star Trek including the 2023 book Star Trek Discovery and the Female Gothic.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:36 Gene Roddenberry's pitch and the pilot episode

04:29 A new kind of frontier

08:34 The fans

11:06 Woke and the 1960s

17:26 The gothic in Star Trek

20:39 Captain Kirk as Casanova?

26:09 That kiss and Uhura

30:42 Utopia!

36:47 Propaganda

39:24 The Alien others

44:08 Technology, NASA and Nichelle Nichols

47:29 The Next Generation

51:52 Why do we love Star Trek?

54:32 Recommendations

Recommendations

The Centre Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (2021)

StarTrek II: The Wrath of Khan

NEXT EPISODE!

You have two weeks to find and watch The 10th Victim (1965) by Elio Petri. Another Italian film (like last episode's Planet of the Vampires) but a very different feel. Although coupld contend with Mario Bava's Danger Diabolik (1968) for the most 60s film ever made! The film is available to rent online in many places. You can check the JustWatch website for details of what it's available in your region.