''Running Time'' is a 1997

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

written, produced & directed by Josh Becker. Principal cast members are

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low ...

, Jeremy Roberts and Anita Barone. The movie was filmed in real time similar to

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of ...

's noir boxing film '' The Set-Up'' (1949). It also tracks as a continuous take with no cuts, rather like

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's ''

Rope A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...

'' (1948). For aesthetic and practical reasons, Becker opted for black & white, offering a neo-Noir feel and giving him fewer problems in scene transitions.

stated in an interview that ''Running Time'' is the film he is most proud of.

Plot

A prison inmate (

Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...

) receives early release only to immediately rejoin his former criminal comrades in a heist. In the hour or so he rekindles a romance with an old flame ( Barone) and realizes the "good ol' days" with his partner in crime (Roberts) just might not have been so good.

Cast

– Carl Matushka *Jeremy Roberts – Patrick *

Anita Barone Anita Louise Barone (born September 25, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for co-starring roles in sitcoms '' The Jeff Foxworthy Show'', ''Daddio'', ''Shake It Up'', '' The War at Home'' and ''Friends''. Life and career Barone was born ...

– Randi/Janie *

William Stanford Davis William Stanford Davis (born August 7, 1952) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as school custodian Mr. Johnson on the ABC sitcom ''Abbott Elementary'' (2021–present), for which he earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporti ...

– Buzz *Gordon Jennison Noice – Donny *

Art LaFleur Art LaFleur (September 9, 1943 – November 17, 2021) was an American character actor and acting coach. Life and career LaFleur was born in Gary, Indiana. He played football in 1962 as a redshirt at the University of Kentucky under Coach Char ...

– Warden Emmett E. Walton *Dana Craig – Mr. Mueller *Curtis Taylor – Prison guard *

Bridget Hoffman Bridget Hoffman (born 1961/1962) is an American voice actress and ADR writer who has provided voices for a number of English-language versions of Japanese anime films and television series, usually under an alias such as Ruby Marlowe. Prior to ...

– Receptionist

Reception

''Running Time'' received mixed reviews from critics. Dennis Schwartz of "Ozus' World Movie Reviews" gave it a negative review, calling it "the kind of dumb movie where you are encouraged to laugh at the pathetic losers on the screen". Super reviewer Patrick Dolan thought the film was "actually pretty engrossing. This is a great experiment, that I really enjoyed the hell out of for the most part", and fellow super reviewer Christopher Brown gave a positive review, calling it a "great low budget Becker film which follows

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's ''

'' in trying to make it seem like it's taken in one shot. The story is forgettable, though

Bruce The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...

is in it, but the filmmaking is very memorable".

External links

The making of ''Running Time''DVD review
* 1997 crime thriller films 1997 films American crime thriller films Films directed by Josh Becker One-shot films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films English-language crime thriller films {{crime-thriller-film-stub