12:01 PM
Encyclopedia
"12:01 PM" is a short story
by American
writer Richard A. Lupoff
, which was published in the December 1973 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story was twice adapted by Hollywood, first in 1990 as a short film
, and again
in 1993 as a television movie. Lupoff appeared in both films as an extra.
The major plot device is a time loop
or time bounce, and bears great similarity to that of 1993's Groundhog Day
. Lupoff and Jonathan Heap, director of the 1990 film, were "outraged" by the apparent theft of the idea, but after six months of lawyers' conferences, they decided to drop the case against Columbia Pictures.
. Directed by Jonathan Heap, it originally aired on the cable television
network Showtime in 1990 as part of the Showtime 30-Minute Movie anthology series.
In this version, Kurtwood Smith
plays Myron Castleman, an everyman
-type who keeps repeating the same hour of his life, from 12:01pm to 1:00pm. The character is fully aware that the time loop
is occurring, and nobody else appears to be aware of it. Each time the hour resets, Myron retains his memory (or as the film puts it, his consciousness), and despite his best attempts to understand what is happening, he ultimately realizes that he is entirely helpless to prevent the time bounce. Myron cannot even break the loop by killing himself, as he reappears, alive, at the next iteration; he is trapped in the loop for eternity.
This version has not been released on DVD or VHS in the United States, but 12:01 PM is available on DVD in the UK, collected with seven other short films.
, Jonathan Silverman
, Jeremy Piven
and Martin Landau
, and it originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States. In this version, Silverman’s character keeps reliving the same 24-hour period (which in this case restarts at one minute past midnight, rather than midday as in the other versions). Slater plays his romantic interest, and Piven provides comic relief
as his best friend. This version differs from the short film in that it features a much lighter and more comedic tone, and that the protagonist ultimately finds a way to correct the time loop
over the course of the film. This version was released on DVD in the United States on November 28, 2006.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer Richard A. Lupoff
Richard A. Lupoff
Richard Allen Lupoff is an American science fiction and mystery author, who has also written humor, satire, non-fiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he has also edited science-fantasy anthologies. He is an expert on the writing of Edgar Rice...
, which was published in the December 1973 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story was twice adapted by Hollywood, first in 1990 as a short film
12:01 PM (1990 film)
12:01 PM is a 1990 short film starring Kurtwood Smith. Directed by Jonathan Heap, it originally aired on cable television in 1990 as part of the Showtime 30-Minute Movie anthology series. It was nominated for an Academy Award....
, and again
12:01 (1993 film)
12:01 is a 1993 television film directed by Jack Sholder, and starring Helen Slater, Jonathan Silverman, Jeremy Piven, and Martin Landau. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States....
in 1993 as a television movie. Lupoff appeared in both films as an extra.
The major plot device is a time loop
Time loop
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
or time bounce, and bears great similarity to that of 1993's Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (film)
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
. Lupoff and Jonathan Heap, director of the 1990 film, were "outraged" by the apparent theft of the idea, but after six months of lawyers' conferences, they decided to drop the case against Columbia Pictures.
Short story
Myron Castleman, an executive in New York City, finds that he is reliving the same hour of the same day, over and over. His "time loop" starts at 12:01 PM and lasts until 1:01 (or 1:00 -- the story isn't entirely clear on this), when he is somehow returned to the same place where he began the hour. All the people around him are unaware of the loop, and everyone repeats their actions exactly over the course of the hour, except insofar as they interact with Castleman. In one of his loops, Castleman learns of a local physicist's theory that appears to describe his situation. The physicist, Nathan Rosenbluth, theorized a "disfiguration of time" that could cause the universe to snap backward and repeat the period of one hour. Over his next three time-loops, Castleman tries desperately to contact Rosenbluth and ask him for advice. In the last of these attempts, Castleman collapses, suffering a heart attack. He realizes he is dying, but is grateful that this will finally break the loop and free him. He dies, and the hour of 1:01 arrives. Castleman awakens and sees he has been returned to the place where he begins every hour. The time is 12:01 PM.1990 film
"12:01 PM" was first adapted into an Academy Award-nominated 1990 short film starring Kurtwood SmithKurtwood Smith
Kurtwood Larson Smith is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and stern parental characters , and for his appearances in the genre of science fiction...
. Directed by Jonathan Heap, it originally aired on the cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network Showtime in 1990 as part of the Showtime 30-Minute Movie anthology series.
In this version, Kurtwood Smith
Kurtwood Smith
Kurtwood Larson Smith is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and stern parental characters , and for his appearances in the genre of science fiction...
plays Myron Castleman, an everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
-type who keeps repeating the same hour of his life, from 12:01pm to 1:00pm. The character is fully aware that the time loop
Time loop
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
is occurring, and nobody else appears to be aware of it. Each time the hour resets, Myron retains his memory (or as the film puts it, his consciousness), and despite his best attempts to understand what is happening, he ultimately realizes that he is entirely helpless to prevent the time bounce. Myron cannot even break the loop by killing himself, as he reappears, alive, at the next iteration; he is trapped in the loop for eternity.
This version has not been released on DVD or VHS in the United States, but 12:01 PM is available on DVD in the UK, collected with seven other short films.
1993 film
12:01 is an adaptation of the same short story, produced as a television movie in 1993. It stars Helen SlaterHelen Slater
Helen Rachel Slater is an American actress and singer-songwriter.She appeared in the title role in the 1984 film Supergirl. In the following years she starred in several very successful comedy-drama films such as Ruthless People, The Secret of My Success, and City Slickers...
, Jonathan Silverman
Jonathan Silverman
-Personal life:Silverman was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Devora and Hillel Emanuel Silverman, a rabbi. He is the grandson of famous Conservative Rabbi Morris Silverman. David Schwimmer was his best friend in high school. He is married to actress Jennifer Finnigan who he briefly co...
, Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
and Martin Landau
Martin Landau
Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
, and it originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States. In this version, Silverman’s character keeps reliving the same 24-hour period (which in this case restarts at one minute past midnight, rather than midday as in the other versions). Slater plays his romantic interest, and Piven provides comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
as his best friend. This version differs from the short film in that it features a much lighter and more comedic tone, and that the protagonist ultimately finds a way to correct the time loop
Time loop
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
over the course of the film. This version was released on DVD in the United States on November 28, 2006.