This film is part of Free
Only a Fool Breaks the Second Rule - Clock
Cometh the hour, cometh a sinister road safety film.
Overview
The clock strikes death in this sinister road safety spot. As is often the case, this bite-sized public information film borrows from the conventions of another genre: namely, horror, here plundered for doom-laden atmosphere rather than gore. The film is fronted by a deathly man in black coldly intoning the simple but often forgotten two second rule - to make sure you leave sufficient distance between you and the car ahead - to the many foolish mortals watching.
Director John Krish recalls that in the 1970s he himself was affectionately known in the business as Dr Death, on account of the numerous grim safety ads he made for the Central Office of Information. But the driving force of these films was always a humanist one: to save life, not to dwell on destruction. Public information campaigns, like advertising, often saw several films produced with an identical message but slight variation in content: compare this spot with Pile-Up and Hospital, other entries in the Two Second Rule campaign also available on BFI Player.
Related
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.