''Second Time Lucky'' is a 1984 New Zealand

erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Michael Anderson and starring

Diane Franklin Diane Franklin (born February 11, 1962) is an American actress, producer, and model. Early life Franklin was born in Plainview, New York. Her parents were both German immigrants. Franklin is Hearing loss, deaf in her left ear. Education Fran ...

and Roger Wilson.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p137 The story centres on

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

and

the Devil Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or 'e ...

making a bet on the definitive salvation or condemnation of humanity, as well as the couple that will decide mankind's fate.

Synopsis

Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...

calls God by phone and asks him how is he doing, and if he is not tired of their eternal dispute for mankind's fate. Both decide to set up a definitive game, which will decide if humans deserve one last chance to reach Heaven or if they will be condemned forever to hell. They settle that Eve and Adam, an ordinary 20th Century couple, will be their "players"; travelling through time while fighting (or giving in) to temptation and carnal desire. Adam and Eve are then plunged back through time into a series of tableaus to test them: the

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, The Roaring Twenties and current modern times.

Cast

Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...

* Roger Wilson as

Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...

Smith *

Jon Gadsby Jonathan Ernest Gadsby (1 November 1953 – 12 December 2015) was a New Zealand television comedian and writer, most well known for his role in the comedy series '' McPhail and Gadsby'' co-starring alongside David McPhail. He died of can ...

as the Angel Gabriel * Robert Helpmann as the Devil *

Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, often in ...

as God *

John Michael Howson John-Michael Howson (born 8 August 1936) is an Australian writer, reporter, entertainer and Melbourne radio commentator. His involvement in the Australian entertainment scene as a writer, producer and performer spans more than 50 years. Earl ...

as the Devil's Assistant * Bill Ewens as Chuck * Eunice Ewens as Abby * Erna Larsen as Suzy * John Hudson as Jimmy * Gay Dean as Spinster * Brenda Kendall as Dykin * Onno Boelee as Ripperus * Melissa Miles as Sue * Paul Owen-Lowe as Roman guard * Derek Payne as Colonel Anderson * Norman Fairley as German officer * David Weatherley as British officer * Don Kjestrup as Inn-keeper * Bob Parker as Interviewer

References

Bibliography

*''New Zealand Film 1912-1996'' by Helen Martin & Sam Edwards p102 (1997, Oxford University Press, Auckland) –

External links

* 1984 films 1980s New Zealand films 1980s English-language films 1980s erotic films 1980s sex comedy films Obscenity controversies in film New Zealand independent films Films directed by Michael Anderson New Zealand comedy films Films about Adam and Eve The Devil in film Films about God 1984 comedy films English-language sex comedy films {{NewZealand-film-stub