Ticking Clock

Last updated
Ticking Clock
Ticking Clock.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Ernie Barbarash
Written byJohn Turman
Produced by Brad Krevoy
Todd Williams
Starring Cuba Gooding Jr.
Neal McDonough
Nicki Aycox
Austin Abrams
Yancey Arias
Dane Rhodes
Danielle Nicolet
Adrianne Frost
CinematographyPhil Parmet
Edited byTricia Gorman
Music byRichard Friedman
Production
companies
Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release date
  • January 4, 2011 (2011-01-04)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5.1 million [1]

Ticking Clock is a 2011 American mystery action thriller film directed by Ernie Barbarash. The film stars Cuba Gooding Jr., with a supporting cast of Neal McDonough, Nicki Aycox and Austin Abrams. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on January 4, 2011. [2]

Contents

Plot

After killing a woman and cutting her open, Keech calms her crying baby boy.

Investigative reporter Louis has a rocky marriage to Gina, a girlfriend named Felecia, and a slumping career. District Attorney Felicia tells Louis she is ending the relationship. Later that day Keech murders Felicia in her home. Louis fights Keech who drops a book and escapes. The book is Keech's journal. Louis sees two more murders scheduled in the next three days. He writes the two names down, but Keech steals back the journal and the note.

Louis tries to tell the police but instead he becomes a suspect in Felicia's murder. Louis tracks down a scheduled murder victim, school teacher Vicki. He asks her out, but she goes to a bar. There, Keech talks with her about a boy she reported for abusing a cat. Vicki leaves for the restroom but Keech follows and murders her. Louis traces Vicki to the bar but finds her murdered.

The police still doubt his story. Louis' only evidence is a torn piece of Keech's coat, and a bloody fingerprint on a newspaper clipping. He sends both to a friend at a local crime lab. She tells him the blood matched an 11-year-old orphan living in a boys' home. The unfamiliar fabric of the coat reacts strangely to heat.

Boy's home Director Polly tells Louis the boy, James, has behavioral problems. James describes his wish to travel back in time to fix his life. James shows Louis a box with small animals that are dead and cut open. Lewis is shocked and James, feeling betrayed, starts yelling, sending Louis away.

Tracing the evidence, Louis realizes that Polly is the next woman on the list. Louis deduces that Keech is James, having traveled back from the future to "fix his life." The police do not believe this and jail Louis. Keech pretends to be Louis' lawyer, and reveals to Louis that he is James from the year 2032 coming back to fix his life, using a pocket watch time machine. James transports Louis and himself to the boys' home. Polly is tied up on the roof.

Keech threatens to kill Polly and forces Louis to bring James. Louis hides James in a restroom. Keech tells Louis he killed his abusive mother (the woman from the first scene) with the intention of changing his traumatic childhood. However, he further reveals that each change has simply resulted in another change, relentlessly steering Keech to his original horrific past: his teacher's actions condemned him to a similar fate, and after killing his teacher, a prosecuting attorney repeated the cycle, and now Polly will ultimately condemn James (young Keech) to yet another grim fate. Keech believes that by killing Polly, framing Lewis for the crime, and arranging for James to "capture" Louis and be hailed a hero, Keech can finally break the cycle and assure his younger self a happy future.

Unknown to either man, James has followed Louis, and interrupts the confrontation to ask Keech if he is his father. Keech says he is his future self. James is upset that Keech plans to hurt Polly, stating she has been nice to him, but Keech says she will send him to a mental hospital.

Keech drops a futuristic knife and James grabs it, slashing Keech's leg. Keech accidentally knocks James off of the roof and shoots Louis in the chest. Keech disappears as James dies from the fall.

Louis drives home. Since James died at age 11 he never became Keech, the serial killer. Each victim is shown alive including James, back with his mother again.

Cast

Production

It is set and filmed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on February 7 and April 1, 2010.

Reception

Ticking Clock has received negative reviews from critics. Dread Central panned the film, saying that it was a "fairly iffy serial killer thriller with a few decent moments and an intriguing but otherwise underdeveloped conceit behind its killer's modus operandi; the insulting ending left me wishing I could have turned the clock back and gotten those 100 minutes back." [3] DVD Talk also negatively reviewed the film, writing "Once you have accepted that you can predict exactly where the film is going, the proceedings are still watchable but far less exciting." [4]

Home media

DVD was released in Region 1 in the United States on January 4, 2011, and also Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2011, it was distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Related Research Articles

<i>After the Thin Man</i> 1936 film by W. S. Van Dyke

After the Thin Man is a 1936 American murder mystery comedy film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring William Powell, Myrna Loy and James Stewart. A sequel to the 1934 feature The Thin Man, the film presents Powell and Loy as Dashiell Hammett's characters Nick and Nora Charles. The film also features Elissa Landi, Joseph Calleia, Jessie Ralph, Alan Marshal and Penny Singleton.

<i>Perfect Stranger</i> (film) 2007 film by James Foley

Perfect Stranger is a 2007 American neo-noir psychological thriller film, directed by James Foley, and starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis in their first film together since The Last Boy Scout (1991). It was produced by Revolution Studios for Columbia Pictures.

<i>Wonderland</i> (2003 film) 2003 American crime and drama film by James Cox

Wonderland is a 2003 American crime drama film, co-written and directed by James Cox and based on the real-life Wonderland Murders that occurred in 1981. The film stars Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott, Carrie Fisher, Lisa Kudrow, Josh Lucas, Christina Applegate, Tim Blake Nelson, and Janeane Garofalo. Kilmer plays the role of John Holmes, a famous pornographic film star and suspected accomplice in four grisly murders committed in a house at 8763 Wonderland Avenue, in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles. The film uses a nonlinear Rashomon-style narrative structure to present conflicting accounts of the murders from differing perspectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicki Aycox</span> American actress (1975–2022)

Nicki Lynn Aycox was an American actress and musician, known for her roles in Supernatural, Cold Case, Jeepers Creepers 2, Perfect Stranger and The X-Files: I Want to Believe. She released her debut EP, Red Velvet Room, in 2015.

<i>I Wake Up Screaming</i> 1941 film by H. Bruce Humberstone

I Wake Up Screaming is a 1941 American mystery thriller film noir. directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of Grable's few dramatic roles. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. It was produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Paul Young (<i>Desperate Housewives</i>) Fictional character on Desperate Housewives.

Paul Young is a fictional character on ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor Mark Moses, and is the widower of Mary Alice Young, the show's narrator. After leaving the show in the third season, Paul returned in the sixth season's finale and becomes a regular again in the seventh season, in which he is the center of the yearly mystery.

<i>The Return of the Vampire</i> 1943 horror film starting Bela Lugosi

The Return of the Vampire is a 1943 American horror film directed by Lew Landers and starring Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch, Miles Mander, Roland Varno, and Matt Willis. Its plot follows a vampire named Armand Tesla, who has two encounters with Englishwoman Lady Jane Ainsley, the first taking place during World War I, and the second during World War II.

<i>Ripper</i> (film) 2001 film by John Eyres

Ripper is a 2001 slasher film directed by John E. Eyres, and starring A. J. Cook and Bruce Payne. It was written and produced by John Curtis and Evan Tylor, and by production companies Prophecy Entertainment and Studio Eight Productions.

<i>Sex Drive</i> (film) 2008 US road sex comedy film by Sean Anders

Sex Drive is a 2008 American road comedy film about a high school graduate who goes on a road trip to have sex with a girl he met online. It is based on the young adult novel All the Way by American author Andy Behrens. The film was directed by Sean Anders, and stars Josh Zuckerman, Amanda Crew, Clark Duke, Seth Green, and James Marsden, while Katrina Bowden, Alice Greczyn, Michael Cudlitz, Dave Sheridan, and David Koechner appear in supporting roles. It was released in North America on October 17, 2008, and in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2009. The film received mixed reviews, with the performances of Duke, Marsden, and Green receiving praise.

"Unconfirmed Reports" is the second episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by William F. Zorzi from a story by David Simon & William F. Zorzi and was directed by Ernest Dickerson. It originally aired on 13 January 2008.

<i>Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead</i> 2008 film directed by Louis Morneau

Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead is a 2008 American Direct-to-video horror film and the sequel to Joy Ride (2001). The film was directed by Louis Morneau and stars Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano, Kyle Schmid, Laura Jordan and Mark Gibbon. The film was released on DVD on October 7, 2008. It was followed by a sequel, Joy Ride 3: Roadkill (2014).

<i>The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations</i> 2009 American film

The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations is a 2009 American science fiction horror thriller film directed by Seth Grossman. It is the third installment in The Butterfly Effect franchise. The film is set in Detroit, Michigan with most of the filming done there.

<i>The Snake Woman</i> 1961 British horror film by Sidney J. Furie

The Snake Woman is a low budget black-and-white 1961 British horror film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Susan Travers and John McCarthy. It was produced by George Fowler. The film is set in a small English village at the turn of the 20th century. It tells the story of Atheris, a young woman who has the power to transform from human to cobra, and the Scotland Yard detective sent to investigate a series of deaths, unusual because all the victims died after being bitten by snakes that are not native to the UK.

<i>Lifted</i> (2010 film) 2010 American film

Lifted is a 2010 American drama film written and directed by Lexi Alexander, starring Dash Mihok, Nicki Aycox and Uriah Shelton. It premiered at the Feel Good Film Festival on August 14, 2010, and was released straight-to-DVD in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Leroy Lane</span> American murderer

Adam Leroy Lane is a convicted murderer and suspected serial killer who was dubbed the Highway Killer because his crimes took place near highways, which he frequently traveled due to his job as a truck driver.

<i>A Night to Dismember</i> 1983 American film

A Night to Dismember is a 1983 American slasher horror film, produced and directed by Doris Wishman. The film stars pornographic actress Samantha Fox as a psychotic young woman, recently released from a psychiatric institution, who is driven to kill by an ancestral curse. It was the first and only foray into the horror genre for Wishman, who mainly directed and produced sexploitation films.

<i>Jesse Stone: Night Passage</i> 2006 American TV series or program

Jesse Stone: Night Passage is a 2006 American made-for-television crime drama film directed by Robert Harmon and starring Tom Selleck, Saul Rubinek and Viola Davis. Based on the 1997 novel Night Passage by Robert B. Parker—the first novel in the Jesse Stone series—the film is about a former Los Angeles homicide detective who is hired as the police chief of a small New England town and finds himself immersed in a series of mysteries. Filmed on location in Nova Scotia, the story is set in the fictitious town of Paradise, Massachusetts.

<i>Criminally Insane</i> (film) 1975 American film

Criminally Insane,, is a 1975 horror film written and directed by Nick Millard. Shot on location in San Francisco, it was followed by a 1987 sequel titled Criminally Insane 2. A remake, Crazy Fat Ethel, was released in 2016.

<i>Evidence</i> (2013 film) 2013 American film

Evidence is a 2013 crime thriller film directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by John Swetnam. The film stars Torrey DeVitto, Caitlin Stasey, Harry Lennix, Svetlana Metkina, Dale Dickey, Radha Mitchell, and Stephen Moyer and was released by Bold Films on July 19, 2013. It follows two detectives on their investigation of a brutal massacre, with their only leads being recording devices found at the crime scene.

<i>Prom Night</i> (film series) Canadian horror film series

Prom Night is a Canadian slasher film franchise that comprises a total of five feature films, the first four of which are centered around events at the fictional Hamilton High School. The first film, Prom Night (1980), was a slasher film directed by Paul Lynch and produced by Peter R. Simpson, focusing on teenagers being stalked and murdered by a masked killer at their prom. The film was a box-office success, grossing nearly $15 million. The following sequel, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987), was envisioned as a standalone film, but producer Simpson and his company, Simcom, refitted it as a sequel to the original Prom Night. Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, a supernatural-themed slasher film, introduced the character of Mary Lou Maloney, a vengeful young woman who died on her prom night in 1957; its only connection to the first film was that both films take place in the same high school.

References

  1. "Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search" (Type "Ticking Clock" in the search box). Louisiana Economic Development. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  2. “TICKING CLOCK” strikes with pics and clips Fangoria
  3. Ticking Clock Dread Central
  4. Ticking Clock DVD Talk