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Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)
What Happens: Harold And Kumar get stoned and try to make it out to a fast food chain White Castle for a burger, but end up in a series of misadventures along the way.
Worst Hour: After picking up hitchhiker Neil Patrick Harris, who is high on ecstasy, he steals their car and the pair are then harassed by a racist police officer who puts them in jail.
If It Had Taken A Year: Their munchies would have subsided and they’d carry on with their lives.
Adventures In Babysitting (1987)
What Happens: Chris Parker agrees to babysit three kids for the night but then is called up by a friend to be rescued from a down-town bus station. Taking the kids with her, Chris ends up on a night filled with misadventures and mishaps.
Worst Hour: During a shootout, the kids hide in a Cadillac currently being hot-wired by car thieves who agree to help them escape, after taking them to their own base. The kids then escape from the thieves, and find themselves in a blues club and forced to sing about their ordeal (to rapturous applause).
If It Had Taken A Year: There would be an arrest warrant out for Chris Parker and a media frenzy would ensue calling for the safe return of three abducted kids.
The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
What Happens: A group of criminals take a subway train hostage and hold them for ransom, while rail officials attempt to control the situation, meeting their demands and trying to figure out how they intend to escape. Meanwhile, the mayor raises the ransom, and Garber, a lieutenant with the New York City Transit Authority, uses his know-how of the train system to try to apprehend them.
Worst Hour: The criminals escape by setting the train off to pick up speed with no one controlling it and get into an argument among themselves, resulting in leader Blue shooting Grey dead for not leaving his gun behind as agreed. Then, an undercover officer shoots another man dead and Garber manages to catch up with them.
If It Had Taken A Year: There would be even more delays and annoyed commuters.
Dredd (2012)
What Happens: Judge Dredd, along with newbie Judge Anderson wage a two-person war on the drug dealer-infested, 200-storey tower block under the control of drug lord Ma-Ma.
Worst Hour: Ma-Ma orders the entire block of flats to seek out and kill the judges, causing them to fight through an small army of thugs, killing several of people in the process.
If It Had Taken A Year: The judges could probably wait it out until back-up arrive. Either that or the amount of firepower being dispensed around the block would eventually bring the whole thing crumbling to the ground.
Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)
What Happens: A lone police officer defends a police precinct from a lengthy attack by a brutal criminal gang determined to do as much damage as possible.
Worst Hour: As prisoners are placed in their cells, the telephone lines are cut and the gang opens fire on the precinct, killing six people in an all-out assault.
If It Had Taken A Year: The precinct would no longer be standing and our lone police officer would be left defending the air around it.
Rope (1948)
What Happens: Two young men kill a former classmate and then proceed to host a dinner party with the body still in the apartment, as a way of proving that they can pull off the perfect muder.
Worst Hour: Guest Rupert returns at the end of the night after being given the wrong hate and attempts to catch the two men out, theorising as to the disappearance of their victim. Eventually, he discovers the body, seizes a gun from them and fires off shots in order to attract the police.
If It Had Taken A Year: The guests would definitely start to wonder about the smell.
Falling Down (1993)
What Happens: D-Fens finds himself stuck in traffic and has a nervous breakdown which leads to him going on a violent rampage across LA, all while he tries to make it to his ex-wife’s house on time for his daughter’s birthday.
Worst Hour: When D-Fens stops at a military store, he gets into an argument with the owner, and ends up stabbing him and then shooting him, gets changed and then leaves with a rocket launcher, which he then uses to blow up a construction site because a road repair crew weren’t working.
If It Had Taken A Year: Los Angeles would be rubble and perhaps D-Fens would finally be happy.
A Single Man (2009)
What Happens: A homosexual English professor in 1960s Los Angeles struggles with his grief eight months after his lover’s death and plans to kill himself. But not before spending his day with an old friend and an interested new student.
Worst Hour: At the end of night, suicidal George goes to a bar and finds that student Kenny has followed him. They drink, go skinny dipping, go back to George’s house, drink more and pass out.
If It Had Taken A Year: Well, at the end of the film, George manages to make peace with his grief, so maybe he would have found himself in a much happier place given more time.
Rebel Without A Cause (1955)
What Happens: A teenager arrives at new school, takes a liking to a girl, rebels against his parents and has to confront local bullies.
Worst Hour: A showdown at Griffith observatory, which sees rebel Jim sees a thug slash his tire and then gets drawn into a knife fight before being challenged to a game of ‘Chicken Run’.
If It Had Taken A Year: Jim the rebel probably would have had more time to mellow out and make friends at school and with the locals. Everybody lives happily ever after. Probably.
High Noon (1952)
What Happens: A retired marshal has to face off against the convict he sent to prison and tries to rally the townspeople to help him before the parolee arrives.
Worst Hour: Facing off against the convict and his gang, there’s gunfire, the renunciation of religion, hostage-taking and, of course, lots of killing. All of which occurs in real time.
If It Had Taken A Year: The marshal probably would have been able to convince the town to help him out after all, meaning that there’d be plenty of support when the convict finally arrives.
