# Short movies (possible spoilers, none in OP) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199 "2004-06-07T23:50:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/1 "2004-06-07T23:50:22Z")
I recently purchased Clue: The Movie, and realized that the whole thing takes place over the course of a single night. It got me to wondering what other movies take place pretty much in real-time and therefore take place over the time period of at most, two or three hours. Russian Ark (the long continuous shot thing) is one, I think, though I’ve never seen it. Any others? Please note: I’m not looking for “flashback” (or flash-forward, for that matter) movies, in which most of the action takes place a long time ago (or a long time in the future). Forrest Gump, for example, wouldn’t qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/2 "2004-06-08T02:17:58Z")
_High Noon_, _Inserts_, and \*My Dinner with Andre \* all come to mind immediately as movies that take place in real time. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/3 "2004-06-08T02:34:20Z")
_12 Angry Men_ is in real time. So was **['Night, Mother](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090556/)** _Adventures in Babysitting_ takes place in one evening while the parents are out; it’s not in real time, but portrays only four hours or so at most. _Run Lola Run_ is in real time, though it portrays the events three different ways. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/4 "2004-06-08T02:37:14Z")
Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope” takes place in real time. It’s also famous for its first very long scene that is pretty much done in one continuous shot. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/5 "2004-06-08T02:40:34Z")
I believe **Nick of Time** was supposed to be done in real time so that the movie and the events in that movie were over the same time period. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/6 "2004-06-08T02:45:25Z")
Doh! :smack: I don’t know how I could’ve forgotten 12 Angry Men… I haven’t seen any of the others, though, but thanks for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/7 "2004-06-08T03:56:33Z")
Actually, now that I think of it, I believe the entire movie “Rope” is edited to appear as one continuous shot. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/8 "2004-06-08T04:31:27Z")
Searched through my movie collection and found my “shortest” movie is _Clerks_, which takes place in one day. _Pulp Fiction_ takes place over about 2 days and 1 night, if I remember correctly. _Reservoir Dogs_ is a few hours, but has flashbacks from weeks before so it doesn’t really count. _Shrek_ takes place over about 4 days. At the other extreme, _Shawshank Redemption_ lasts something like 19 years. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/9 "2004-06-08T05:27:18Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > At the other extreme, _Shawshank Redemption_ lasts something like 19 years. Just out of curiosity, I put it in and indeed, [spoiler]from the time Andy gets the rock hammer to the time he breaks out, Red says is “Less than 20 years.” Also, the first parole hearing Red attends, he’s served 20 years of a life sentence. At the last one, where he’s approved for released, he’s served 40 years.[/spoiler] So, the entire movie runs about 20 years and some change. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/10 "2004-06-13T04:37:51Z")
I can’t believe no one’s mentioned Cohen & Schumacher’s [_Phone Booth_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183649/) (2002) yet, which takes place in real-time… > [@](#): > > Stuart Shepard [Colin Farrell] finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist’s sniper rifle. Some people have compared it to [_Liberty Stands Still_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280870/) (2002) by Kari Skogland… > [@](#): > > The wife of a gun manufacturer [Linda Fiorentino] is held hostage by a man [Wesley Snipes] seeking revenge for the death of his daughter in a high school shooting incident. For some reason, I get the impression that I may have seen that one, but I’m not sure. I believe Rod Lurie’s [_Deterrence_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158583/) (1999) - with Kevin Pollak, Timothy Hutton and Sean Astin - was in real-time… > [@](#): > > The President of the United States [Kevin Pollak :eek:] must deal with an international military crisis while confined to a Colorado diner during a freak snowstorm. There’s another [_Phone Booth_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221475/) (1998) from Singapore with a synopsis that sounds like it could be in real-time… > [@](#): > > A fight ensues between a man and a woman who need to use the only public telephone at the same time. Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/11 "2004-06-13T16:18:11Z")
Oh, yeah! I forgot about the one film that I may have watched more than any other - [_The Breakfast Club_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/) (1985), starring Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald and… _Judd Nelson!_. It may not technically be a real-time film, but it comes pretty close. Other films in the most-watched category - the original [Star Wars](http://www.imdb.com/find?tt=on;nm=on;mx=20;q=star%20wars) trilogy (1977-1983), and [_Transformers: The Movie_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092106/) (1986), starring Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and… _Judd Nelson!_. However, I actually own copies of those films. I don’t own a copy of _The Breakfast Club_. But, it’s on TV all the time, and whenever it’s on I can’t help but watch. And I tend to be so absorbed in the film, that I often don’t even change the channel during commercials. :eek: Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/12 "2004-06-13T16:27:05Z")
_Dr Strangelove_ takes place within the span of a couple hours. Which I always find confusing, because I thought that it took place in the middle of the night but the outdoor combat scenes appear to be shot in broad daylight… ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/13 "2004-06-13T19:42:41Z")
> [@Beauty Personified](#): > > Oh, yeah! I forgot about the one film that I may have watched more than any other - [_The Breakfast Club_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/) (1985), starring Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald and… _Judd Nelson!_. It may not technically be a real-time film, but it comes pretty close. Doh! :smack: I forgot about _The Breakfast Club_. Sorta along the same vein, I guess, would be _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_ which runs for about a day. Also, I forgot about _Phone Booth_. The previews looked interesting, but I never saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/14 "2004-06-13T23:46:30Z")
> [@porcupine](#): > > Actually, now that I think of it, I believe the entire movie “Rope” is edited to appear as one continuous shot. It is. However, it’s really comprised of nine shots, each the length of a reel of film. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/15 "2004-06-14T02:20:01Z")
The Japanese movie Battle Royale takes place over about 2 days. Not really all that short, I guess. I just wanted to mention it because it kicks ass. (I, however, am too retarded to be able to do an imdb link.) ZJ ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/16 "2004-06-14T03:02:54Z")
_Halloween_ takes place over the course of a few hours. Sort-of. In the first ten minutes of the movie we see something that happens one night, then another night (and the following morning) 18 years later. But then the real action begins at about 3:00 PM that afternoon. When it ends is open to interpretation, but I’d say no later than about 10:00 PM. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/17 "2004-06-14T08:04:56Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > _Halloween_ takes place over the course of a few hours. Sort-of. In the first ten minutes of the movie we see something that happens one night, then another night (and the following morning) 18 years later. But then the real action begins at about 3:00 PM that afternoon. When it ends is open to interpretation, but I’d say no later than about 10:00 PM. No, it ends in the small hours of the morning. Still less than twelve hours total, though. ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/18 "2004-06-14T14:19:41Z")
> [@Evil Death](#): > > No, it ends in the small hours of the morning. Still less than twelve hours total, though. indeed, it’s the small hours of the morning, but it also takes place across several timezomes. The military admin guys are somewhere in the US while the bombers slowly fly towards Russian airspace, so the daylight scenes can be accounted for… no they can’t. Cos it’d still be dark in the USSR when the sun was rising in the US. um… I don’t know. Must watch again. ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/19 "2004-06-14T14:25:05Z")
> [@Beauty Personified](#): > > There’s another [_Phone Booth_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221475/) (1998) from Singapore with a synopsis that sounds like it could be in real-time How interesting. Given the VERY small number of films made here every year (yes, i’m in Singapore for those in the know) that one just completely slipped by the radar of this resident! I asked the rest of the house and a couple of colleagues just now and nary a one has heard of it! [/pointless post] ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199/20 "2004-06-14T14:28:26Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > _Reservoir Dogs_ is a few hours, but has flashbacks from weeks before so it doesn’t really count. As does [Rashamon](http://imdb.com/title/tt0042876/). Four guys sit around and chat for two hours. With falshbacks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-movies-possible-spoilers-none-in-op/249199.md?page=2)