Tomorrow's Memoir

"Tomorrow’s Memoir" is a 2004 short film written and directed by Jim Cliffe and produced by Kulchera Matson and Jim Cliffe.

Plot

One of the inherent paradoxes in the life of a superhero is that his civilian identity (required so a certain healthy psychological balance is maintained) is structured on a bedrock of lies; its facade is exactly that, a mask woven from half-truths and deceit. And though all this is done for the greater good-- to protect the hero's loved ones, to ensure the hero can continue to fight the good fight without fear of compromise-- the base falsity of it is inescapable.

This is just one of the several points touched upon by Jim Cliffe in his masterful take on superhero mythology, Tomorrow's Memoir, a 27-minute short film which can also be seen as a skillfully-crafted look at the twilight of one of DC's icons. Told in noirish voice-over, it's a melancholy tale of bitterness and regret, of the toll the life of the superhero can have on the individual, of the cost to one's self and soul.

Awards

Awarded ‘Best Comics-Oriented Film’ at the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con.

Cast

*Stephen Jefferys (Narrator/Old Man)
*Michael Collier (Agent Wayne)

Trivia

* While the old man walks up the stairs, he passes floor number signs "19" and "38". 1938 is the year Superman debuts in Action Comics No.1. Later, the character references the same year when he says, "...when I arrived in '38..."

* There are several hidden ‘S’ motifs throughout the film, including the path of cigarette smoke produced by the man in the coffee house.

* There's a brief shot of a comic book in the coffee house which displays the very scene that is currently unfolding in the film.

* The candy wrapper airplane, the birds, and the toy plane, are all part of a ‘flying' motif suggesting the film's twist.

* Writer/Director Jim Cliffe wrote and illustrated a prequel comic to Tomorrow's Memoir a week before screening at the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con.

* Luke 21:28, the Biblical doomsday warning etched on a street person's sign in the beginning, states: "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.", which foreshadows the final scenes of Tomorrow's Memoir when the citizens looks up to see the returned hero saving them from mysterious 'Haleo-13'.

External links

* [http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2654192 Movie on Ifilm.com]
* [http://www.tomorrowsmemoir.com Tomorrow’s Memoir – Official Website]
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* [http://filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=8019 Film Threat - Tomorrow's Memoir Review]
* [http://www.heroicartscomics.com/comics/publishers/temporal_ellipsis_productions/series/tomorrowsand39s_memoir/tomorrowand39s_memoir_prequel/articles/review/tomorrowand39s_memoir_independent_brilliance-1796.htm Heroic Arts Comics – Tomorrow’s Memoir Review]
* [http://www.jimcliffe.com/tm-prequel-intro.html Prequel comic book]
* [http://www.jimcliffe.com/dc-super-heroes-interview.html DC Comics Interview]
* [http://www.jimcliffe.com Jim Cliffe's Official Website]