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The HR clerk Barry Thomas (Jonathan Silverman) works in the office of a power plant with his best friend Howard Richter (Jeremy Piven) and has a crush on the scientist Lisa Fredericks (Helen Slater). One day, he wakes-up late and heads to the office. On the lunch time, he has a contact with Lisa at the restaurant and by the end of the day, Barry and Howard witness Lisa being assassinated by hitmen in a van. On the next morning, he wakes-up late and when he see Lisa, he realizes that the day is repeating. Soon he realizes that he is trapped on the same day and is the only person who knows it. What can he do to save Lisa and let life goes on?

"12:01" is an unknown little gem for many viewers and unforgettable for those who has seen it. Released in the same year of the blockbuster "Groundhog Day", the cute "12:01" is more engaging with nice characters and situations. Unfortunatelly this B-movie was only released on VHS in Brazil. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "12:01 - Meia-Noite e Um" ("12:01 - One Minute Past Midnight")

Note: On 08 Feb 2018, I saw this film again on DVD.

Don't let the premise fool you into thinking this is a rehash of Bill Murray's movie - this is a GREAT little story unto itself. It's closer to Office Space & Back to the Future than to Groundhog Day.

With a well-constructed plot & engaging characters, you can ignore the obvious writing & cinematography constraints of working on a TV budget. Watch for the pearls: Jeremy Piven & Marin Landau will sneak through with their organic performances if you're not paying attention. But everyone from the office dominatrix to the wiry assassin are well-developed; I even felt like "Mom" was part of the cast! So what IS the story about? A hard-working downtrodden everyday guy with a little tardiness problem. On the day that he FINALLY works up enough nerve to talk to the office cutie that he's had a crush on for longer than his mother can stand, she gets killed. And he has to watch it happen. ...again. And if he doesn't figure out what to say & do, he'll have to keep watching it. But the key is to figure out who ELSE is watching her, and why his interest in her has caused our hero to wake up Tuesday after Tuesday after Tuesday...

12:01 is definitely worth watching again, and again, and again, and...

This isn't as good as "Groundhog Day," but it's not bad. I compare it to that film because a similar storyline with each day repeating itself. The main difference in this story is that it's a crime story in addition to the romance, and it doesn't have the likable lead characters the much more famous Groundhog Day had. Here, we get Jonathan Silverman, not exactly Bill Murray. Helen Slater, meanwhile, should have terminated her career after Supergirl. The movie also could have used a little better humor.

Despite all these negatives there is something appealing about the film. Maybe it's just the interesting premise that once it hooks you in, has you to stay just so you can see if the hero is going to make everything right. For that, it gets five points but only a point for the rest. Still, if you see it on TV, check it out.

...out of all the good reviews from people that liked this film, a crummy review was displaying on the main page.

This movie stuck with me, and every time I watch it I enjoy it all the more. As with Groundhog Day, I enjoy watching this movie over and over. But they are two different movies, altogether.

I must say (without spoiling) that the scene in the office where Jonathan Silverman tells Slater how he feels about her is one of the most touching, romantic, well-played scenes I have ever seen.

I thought the underplayed comedy was great and perfect for Silverman's abilities, and as for Slater and her performance, all I can say is: YUMMY!

12:01: 6 out of 10: As made for television sci-fi films go this is defiantly one of the better ones. The sense of deja-vu one gets from watching it however is not necessarily from the same day repeating plot device but from the invariable comparisons to Groundhog Day.

In my always humble opinion Groundhog Day was one of the best films of the nineties. It told an eternal truth that many of us just repeat the same day over and over again without living any particular day to the max. 12:01 doesn't quite successfully hit upon that theme and so for much of the film it simply goes through the motions.

12:01 stars Helen Slater and Jonathan Silverman. Both actors never quite reached the promise of their early careers but both are certainly competent here. Slater just doesn't quite have the charisma of say a Helen Hunt and Silverman just never quite reaches the comedy of say a Jerry Seinfeld. Nevertheless they are both quite likable in their respective roles.

The story is a more serious sci-fi affair complete with giant science machines and bad guys that wouldn't be out of place in a TJ Hooker episode. With a relatively appealing cast and some nice humor 12:01 makes for a decent timewaster. Just don't be surprised if you feel you have seen it all before.

Not a bad movie for simple late-nite entertainment...but don't expect any depth from this one.

12:01 and Groundhog Day both posit a hapless fellow caught in an enternally recurring day. Whereas 12:01 tries to explain the "time bounce" in terms of some pseudo-physical mumbo-jumbo (utterly laughable to anyone who knows anything about the subject), Groundhog Day dispenses with all such explanations, and basically focuses on the effects of the anomaly on the main character.

The quasi-physics lecture is so much nonsense. In both movies, the only aspect of interest is the effect of the (semi-) eternal recurrence on the hero. Groundhog Day is the most optimistic of movies--it tells us that humans are malleable, perfectible, if they're only given enough time, if they're just made to face their own faults, recognize that they depend on others. In contrast, 12:01 is not a particularly bad movie, but it doesn't begin to aspire to the same grand heights. It is a popcorn movie, promptly forgotten. It teaches us no grand truths; it does not inspire, or edify, or enlighten.

SPOILER: Barry Thomas is having one. The really bad news is it keeps coming back.

Barry starts out as a likable, well-intentioned goofball marking time in a dead-end job. Underutilized, doing his best but going nowhere fast under the heel of the department head from Hell. A lot of people can empathize when he writes on his calendar: "Get new job or die!" Jonathan Silverman does a good job as Barry, making him sympathetic (maybe a little pathetic, as well) and vulnerable, but his unique circumstances eventually bring out a steely determination born of sheer frustration.

Unlike "Groundhog Day," there's a lucid explanation for why this is happening to Barry and the film revolves around how he tries to "get off the hamster wheel," as he puts it. "Groundhog" seems to offer an almost divine explanation, that all would progress once Bill Murray's character got things right. Barry was trapped in a self-perpetuating science experiment gone awry and he knew early on how to get out of it. Too bad it's easier said than done.

Helen Slater basically reprises the role she played six years earlier in "The Secret of My Success." Attractive, driven, young prodigy, brilliant beyond her years, emotionally cold in the beginning, worshiped from afar by a kind, wisecracking young man who eventually wins her heart and turns her into a giggling schoolgirl.

The plotting is intricate and it's fun to watch how each cycle changes even without Barry's direct intervention. Some things, like the coworker getting splashed with hot coffee, seem unavoidable in the grand scheme.

The editing in the home video edition is exceptionally fluid. Unlike most TV-movies available on tape or laserdisc, it's nearly impossible to remember where the commercial breaks were.

Still, if there were one flaw, it would be that Barry should have waited through one more cycle before breaking out. He'd only gone through four or five repetitions; one more wouldn't have been so bad. Getting out when he did left one of the good guys irrevocably dead.

It's interesting to see how many of this cast went on to NBC comedies. Silverman went on to star in two seasons of "The Single Guy." Paxton Whitehead and Robin Bartlett had recurring roles in "Mad About You." And Helen Slater had a guest role as a pyromaniac on "Caroline In the City," finally playing a role other than harmless ingenue.

One possible in-joke. Lisa confides to Barry that her favorite music is from the Carpenters. Coincidence? Or was this story originally called "Yesterday Once More"?SPOI

Whatever happened to Joanathan Slverman? He made some mildly entertaining movies for cable in the 1990s and then. ... Well, anyhow, here he is in a reasonably decent knockoff of GROUNDHOG DAY, only this one involves murder and a faulty particle accelerator that could spell doom. Silverman plays a mild mannered office worker who falls for a curvy scientist played by Helen Slater. (Get in line, Jonathan.) Problem is, he no sooner meets her when she's shot dead. And he wakes up the next morning to find it's the same day all over again. He tries to save her but fails. On the third day, he starts to get smart. She of course finds it hard to believe they are in a time loop, since she doesn't recall any of the things he does. The movie is actually lighthearted and lively, thanks to Silvermaa and Slater and a script that doesn't take itself too seriously. Jeremy Piven has a supporting role as Silverman's wisecracking office buddy, and Martin Landau plays an obsessed scientist. 12:01 is breezy and easy to take, if a little too much like GROUNDHOG DAY.

The dead end clerical life of lovable loser Barry Thomas (Jonathan Silverman) literally goes for a loop when an atomic mishap at work traps him in a time bubble. Every morning the alarm clock announces the same Tuesday and every afternoon Barry is forced to witness the murder of Lisa, the brilliant co-worker he adores from a distance. Like other TV movies of its time, this one hedges its bets with the kitchen sink approach of hinging the resolution to both misfortunes on an industrial espionage mystery.

1993's leaner 'Groundhog Day', from which 12:01 borrows much, demonstrates the pitfalls of tripling down. The plot is as credible as Barry's predicament. Helen Slater as the love interest is appealing if slightly bland and confused, and much too trusting of "I'm a time traveller, baby" advances. The bigger problem however is Barry. On the surface a cloying, goofy good guy recognizable from dozens of 90's sitcoms, he expresses the most distress about Lisa's death that he missed the chance to sleep with her. His reaction to the world altering realization of time travel is lame humour and he's frustratingly slow on the uptake. The writers seem to forget only Barry recalls his previous Tuesdays with Lisa. Real coworkers would respond with repulsion and disciplinary action to Barry's approaches later in the movie. The result is a confused, unconvincing mess mixing phony love-at-first-sight platitudes with uncomfortable sexual pursuit. Solid performances from Hollywood stalwarts like Martin Landau go wasted.

12:01 is a very forgettable time waster for those hoping for a return to formulaic 90's TV plots, an exercise in prime-time déjà vu minus the laugh track. Watch Groundhog Day over instead.

12:01 is one of those movies that no one ever heard of but if they see it will remember it forever. In the same vein as Groundhog Day but with a much more interesting plot, 12:01 is the story of someone caught in a time bounce who must live the same day over and over and each day see the woman he secretly adores killed before his eyes. Silverman plays the part beautifully from answering his Mothers pointed questions to his impatience to finally get it right. Helen Slater is also wonderful as the love interest killed each day.

The movie moves quickly through the days and provides all sorts of interesting little moments as Barry Thomas tries to stop the bounce while saving his girl.

A beautiful story acted out by excellent acting and directing. I strongly urge you to find it in a video store or tape it off late night TV if you have the chance. Once you have seen it you wont forget it.

When you write a review you are meant to do just that, review it. So please can people stop writing the synopsis of the movie over and over, that is already done, we don't need to read it re-worded umpteen different times over and over.

This film is good, a little dated, but solid plot and reasonable acting (for the most part) make up for it. I got a hold of it as I thought it was a Sci-fi movie, it sort of is, but probably more comedy than Sci-fi. Still it is a reasonable flick and it is quite light viewing which sometimes can be a welcome break.

Enjoy.

This is my my second movie I saw where the day keeps repeating. The first one was a short on Showtime. It was a serious flick. In that one, it was worse; in that movie the same HOUR kept repeating as opposed to the same DAY repeating, not to mention that that flick was NON-comedy. Anyway, I was glad to see that that this film had some comedic elements. I like to find my favorite line in a movie. In this one, it would have to be where his mom calls, and Barry tells his mom "I can't talk right now, mom. The day's repeating" and hangs up. I saw it when it ORIGINALLY came on TV, so I don't remember it much, but I do remember I thought it was 2 hours well spent.

On a side note, I saw Groundhog Day after this movie. Groundhog Day is different enough from this movie so you can watch both and not feel like you're having the day repeat. (sorry, COULDN'T resist).

While the plot was nothing original, it had other good aspects to it. It was entertaining the whole way through and was done quite well with a TV budget. Jonathan Silverman did a pretty good job as a leading man in this role. He had humor, yet was a believable business man.

I wonder which movie came out first, 12:01 or Groundhog Day? Both were released in the same year - yet 12:01 was made for TV. I've just watched it and it wasn't at all bad for a TV movie. Worth a look - but not if you haven't seem most of the well known movies in your local Blockbuster :-)

Who copied who? What came first, the chicken or the egg? Did Harold Ramis write this plot or did the three unknown TV writers for this movie write the plot for Groundhog Day (an obvious identical plot). The fact that both screenplays were written in the SAME year (1993) poses the question of who copied whom?

This film is highly entertaining on its own, as it combines comedy with a bit of serious science and violence; something that Groundhog Day avoids. Was the subplot added later on 12:01, or did Groundhog Day just ditch the dramatic stuff and stick just to comedy? Another mystery of film that should be solved by someone willing to do more research on the subject. Somebody OBVIOUSLY copied somebody else here.

The plot should be familiar to anyone who has seen Groundhog Day. A personnel clerk uncovers a plot by a doctor to swindle the government. He also falls in love with a doctor working on the project (played by Helen Slater). The day unfolds over and over again until the proper conclusion is reached; just like Groundhog Day. Enjoy both films.

I put a tape in the video machine one night to record this unknown film called "12:01" - the synopsis in the TV guide seemed interesting. I kept that tape for months, watching it over and over, just to see the subtle changes in each day being lived again. Brilliant.

Everybody seems to rave about how "original" Groundhog Day was/is but I saw "12:01" on UK TV well before Groundhog Day even hit the cinemas over here. "12:01" may have been a low-budget TVM and may have its flaws but the concept of the day after day scenario is just as good.

The sad thing is that I actually logged on tonight to order both "12:01" and Groundhog Day but I can't find a UK supplier of "12:01" and it would be such a shame if it were never seen again.

Released around five months after of GROUNDHOG DAY it shall be taken by a cheaper copy of the successful forerunner, the premise is the same just changing the genre in Sci-Fi story without the classy Bill Murray, instead they offer the promising young actor Johnathan Silverman to play the boring accountant Barry Thomas and the gorgeous Scientist Dra. Lisa (Helen Slater) as romantic couple in a sugary rapport, however it has an auspicious beginning indeed, with great supporting casting improving the whole offering.

As Barry Thomas joking workmate Howard Richter (Jeremy Piven) and his nagging chief Annie Jackson (Robin Bartlett), also a clever joke about another work friend Ted Fallow (Jonathan Emerson) that guy who used to those hairspray where Barry supposes as main problem at ozone layer, what a punchline, the weak point certainly was the implausible story about a huge research complex Utrel sponsored by US's government in developing an advanced project that would stop the time, a kind of time bouncer.

Undoubtedly it would be much better on a best screenplay treatment, hilarious quite sure, nonetheless the early preposition on beam accelerator devised by a greedy older scientist Martin Landau no make sense at all, it brings irretrievable damages on picture, worst when they enforcing a hitmen to erase a key character it looks like some lousy conspiracy theory, to sorry for a missing opportunity, in other hand if you forget these mismatches not bad at all, in time it was released in Brazil in VHS format only.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1996 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-Cable TV-Youtube / Rating: 7.5.

I can't really express in writing just how extremely happy I am that 12:01 is finally out on DVD. It's been on my wish list since the DVD format was invented. The only copy I had was on the VHS that I had recorded off the air (with commercials (:(( on FOX-TV in 1993 and watched over and over and over, not unlike Barry's day repeating. As others have noted, the always beautiful Helen (Supergirl) Slater positively glows in this film. In the lead role, Jonathan Silverman excels as the discouraged office worker who witnesses his only real love being murdered in broad daylight, then being given the chance to undo it, while being thwarted at every turn.

As a fan of all time-warp stories, I count this as my favorite. Had it been released in the theater, it would have done very well indeed. It is good for all ages to see the the lengths that the hero of the story goes to in his desperate attempt to save the lady that he loves from afar. Ten stars out of ten and two thumbs up from me.

Run, don't walk, to get this exceptional movie while it's available!

Lots of laughs in this one; some because a character made a joke and some because the movie is a joke. Great representation of the early '90s, with the business attire, hair, cars, and doomsday-motif office building. Enjoyed the premise and the main character's different approach to each repeated day. The music is a dead giveaway that this was a made-for-tv movie, but gets progressively better as the movie goes along.

Try to imagine a combination of Back to the Future and Groundhog Day, and you've got 12:01

This was a decent scifi flick, and I found it highly enjoyable. It was a great combination of scifi, fantasy, romance, and humor. Jonathan Silverman and Helen Slater were both well cast, and if you rent this, you will not be disappointed.

*** out of ****

The good: Interesting enough premise with the time loop. It doesn't try to science it's way to an explanation for what's happening - but that serves the movie well, as it doesn't need to. And I just like watching the dude from weekend at bernies do his 'dumb but not an idiot' schtick. He nails it. The bad: Some cringe dialogue, shoddy sets and average directing. Meh, it's what you'd expect. Should you watch it? If you like rom-com time-loop movies then you'll enjoy this one. It's a simple, sweet and fun ride that doesn't overstay its welcome. A pleasant surprise.