Tomorrow's Bacon

This movie was truly amazing. It was great to see Claudia Belmont challenge herself by playing the waitress, and Robert Dean and Michael Morrows always hold their own. But to be honest, it was Arthur Roses' stunning portrayal of the voice of Roy that truly carried this film. Roses was able to climb inside his character's head and it was a pleasure to watch/hear. This was a story about people, but more importantly, it was a story about bacon. The irony of bacon being both something we eat as well as 'bring home' to support our families was not lost on the viewing audience. The vision and preparation that Arthur Roses brought to Roy made all of this possible. Roy IS bacon. He is both prey and predator in a world of breakfast items that lurk beneath the surface of our morning facades. The fact that this this film has gained a 'cult following' and is screened at film festivals and on college campuses across the country is a testament to Roses' brilliance. I highly recommend this movie.

The look and feel of the movie is unique and bizzare. Not a lot happens in 'Tomorrow's Bacon"- with most of big stuff occurring off screen. Also, some people seem to think that the ending is ambigiuos. IT'S NOT! It's totally clear that the older woman has stolen the knife in order to finally put an end to a hatefilled, loveless marraige. The actress who played the waitress is perfect. She has just the right balance of wit and endearing qualities. If you can find a showing of this, check it out.

The Old Twilight Zone used an anthology format to tell sf/horror/fantasy tales. Rod Serling's dialogue often overburdened into shrill moralizing, but when he wrote well - which was more often than not - his stories always ended on thoughtful O. Henry-esque twists. The short episodes ended in places of thoughtful uncertainty where one's original assumptions were not always what they seemed. The writer/director of "Tomorrow's Bacon" seems to understand and appreciate this appraoch to storytelling very well. The story in "Tomorrow's Bacon" is a good, old fashioned film noir done in the style and with the atmosphere of the classic black and white low budget TV series like 'Twilight Zone' and 'Night Gallery'. Those originals can't be bettered by putting flashy production values to them. They can't be bettered by putting a fresh face on them. Their appeal lies in their basic production, 50's background music, style and starkness, which "Tomorrow's Bacon" does beautifully. Even the performances are appropriately stagey in some scenes. The neat twist "reveal" at the end is in the best tradition of those old shows.

The title is obviously inspired by the T.S. Elliot poem of the same name that goes: "Pig in a poke, you better start shakin'. Today's pig is tomorrow's bacon".........Get it?? .

Most film audiences, especially modern viewers accustomed to unnecessarily long epics, would assume that it would be impossible to tell a concise, thought provoking, and effective story in under ten minutes. These people only need to refer to "Tomorrow's Bacon," a chilling and creative short that could easily fit into a collection of Twilight Zone episodes.

One of the film' strongest points is that it uses every second of screen time effectively and efficiently, never resorting to filler. All of the film's elements, including direction, photography, acting and sets, are excellent. Lastly, Bryan Norton's meticulous direction and writing thoroughly progress the narrative and engage the audience in subtle yet effective ways. It is because of these factors and many more that "Tomorrow's Bacon" comes across as impressive and engaging film, rather than just another student short.

Simply put, "Tomorrow's Bacon" is a great lesson in great filmmaking. I give this film a rating of 9 out of 10 stars.

Tomorrow"s Bacon was an exceptionally well done first film by this talented director. I considered it a drama that had me feeling the dark emotions of the storyline which Mr Norton captured on film and made it seem real.It brought back memories of Alfred Hitchcock's ability to present the audience with suspense, just by the actors eye contact. The scenery was a beautiful winter wonderland with the shadows of tragedy hanging in the fog. I am sure Mr Norton will have great success creating film magic ,for that is his talent.