12:01 PM
- 1990
- 25m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Myron Castleman is stuck reliving the same 59 minutes of his lunch break.Myron Castleman is stuck reliving the same 59 minutes of his lunch break.Myron Castleman is stuck reliving the same 59 minutes of his lunch break.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
Photos
Ric Stoneback
- Man on Bench
- (as a different name)
Rick Ford
- Jr. Executive #2
- (as F. Richards Ford)
Kirk R. Thatcher
- Newstand Man
- (as Kirk Thatcher)
Caroline Sposto
- Newstand Woman
- (as Carol Zarlengo)
Joe Casino
- Man in Park
- (uncredited)
Helen Kelly
- Woman Reading Magazine
- (uncredited)
Richard Lupoff
- Extra
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I remember watching this film when it was first broadcast on Showtime. I really liked it then, and still do now. Good writing and performances all around, especially by Kurtwood Smith who rarely gets a chance to play the lead in any project.
This was a corker of a short SF film - highly intelligent writing, and loads better than Heap's full length remake a few years later - which had an unnecessary happy ending - and tons better than the (undeservedly) better known Groundhog Day.
Last seen on Channel 4 in the UK about 12 years ago, and never commercially released, as far as I can tell ... if anyone's got this on video please get in touch - maybe we can trade. Cheers
Last seen on Channel 4 in the UK about 12 years ago, and never commercially released, as far as I can tell ... if anyone's got this on video please get in touch - maybe we can trade. Cheers
A more realistic portrayal of spending an eternity in a repetitious cycle, as compared to "Groundhog Day" and other films of its kind. The thought of being in this situation is absolutely horrifying. Excellent performance by Kurtwood Smith.
Imagine that, for some inexplicable reason, the entire Universe has been set to a continuous time loop. As soon as the specified time is over, everything in the Universe is reversed back to where it was, the loop restarts, and nobody even realises that this is happening over and over and over again
except for you. If, in your mind's eye, you've already formulated a mental image of a frustrated-looking Bill Murray and a cute little groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, then you can be forgiven for the oversight. I am not referring to the hit 1993 film 'Groundhog Day,' but to a fascinating short film from three years earlier entitled '12:01 PM.'
'12:01 PM' is based on a short story of the same name, written by Richard A. Lupoff and published in the December 1973 edition of 'The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.' The film stars Kurtwood Smith as Myron Castleman, a meek office worker who finds himself stuck in the aforementioned predicament. However, unlike Bill Murray, Myron is only afforded 59 minutes at a time before the inevitable loop repeats itself. Desperate to uncover an explanation for the maddening phenomenon, he eventually seeks the help of a physicist, Prof. Nathan Rosenbluth (Don Amendolia), who had predicted the "time bounce."
Stunningly acted by Smith, and astoundingly clever and original in its execution, '12:01 PM' is an intriguing science-fiction short, sometimes funny and sometimes terrifying. In 1993, it was remade as a feature-length television movie (called '12:01'), starring Jonathan Silverman and Jeremy Piven. 'Groundhog Day' was also released that same year, and it could be argued that Harold Ramis and his team stole the film's general concept, but Jonathon Heap and Richard A. Lupoff ultimately decided not to pursue legal action.
'12:01 PM' is based on a short story of the same name, written by Richard A. Lupoff and published in the December 1973 edition of 'The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.' The film stars Kurtwood Smith as Myron Castleman, a meek office worker who finds himself stuck in the aforementioned predicament. However, unlike Bill Murray, Myron is only afforded 59 minutes at a time before the inevitable loop repeats itself. Desperate to uncover an explanation for the maddening phenomenon, he eventually seeks the help of a physicist, Prof. Nathan Rosenbluth (Don Amendolia), who had predicted the "time bounce."
Stunningly acted by Smith, and astoundingly clever and original in its execution, '12:01 PM' is an intriguing science-fiction short, sometimes funny and sometimes terrifying. In 1993, it was remade as a feature-length television movie (called '12:01'), starring Jonathan Silverman and Jeremy Piven. 'Groundhog Day' was also released that same year, and it could be argued that Harold Ramis and his team stole the film's general concept, but Jonathon Heap and Richard A. Lupoff ultimately decided not to pursue legal action.
Following the main character through his trials and investigations you really get a feeling of the horror and turmoil the simple every man is going through.
I also came away from this film with the quote "Consciousness is an independent variable".
Of the two 12:01 movies I consider this the more impressive. As other reviewers have mentioned the film focuses on a 59 minute loop, and shows that if you only have one hour to live over and over again then you can't achieve very much.
If you've seen Groundhog day and seriously got into the time loop, wanting to know more about why the main character was stuck then this movie might appeal as you here some science.
I also came away from this film with the quote "Consciousness is an independent variable".
Of the two 12:01 movies I consider this the more impressive. As other reviewers have mentioned the film focuses on a 59 minute loop, and shows that if you only have one hour to live over and over again then you can't achieve very much.
If you've seen Groundhog day and seriously got into the time loop, wanting to know more about why the main character was stuck then this movie might appeal as you here some science.
Did you know
- TriviaThe firm that Myron Castleman works for is Glamdring and Glamdring. "Glamdring" is the name of the sword that Gandalf used in the War of the Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings."
- GoofsThe main character was walking around and carrying his briefcase by its handle, so everything should fall to the bottom (the hinged side). But when he sits down and opens the briefcase on his lap, everything inside (like his sandwich and juice box and calculator) is neatly arranged without anything holding each item in place.
- ConnectionsRemade as 12h01 - prisonnier du temps (1993)
Details
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content