Missing Pieces gets a new trailer – featuring Flickering Myth...

The first thing you see in a trailer can leave a lasting impression. In The Dark Knight Rises teaser it’s some atmospheric graphics, setting the tone for one and a half minutes of pure anticipation. The final Harry Potter trailer takes you back to the very beginning with the first shot, showing his mother whispering words of strength to her oblivious baby. The trailer for upcoming romantic comedy Friends with Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, opens with a shot of Manhattan skyline and upbeat music. The Hangover Part II trailer begins with Zach Galifianakis sounding stupid.

Sometimes the start of a trailer can tell you everything you need to know about a movie. So what do we learn from the new trailer for Missing Pieces, starring Mark Boone Junior (Memento, Batman Begins, 30 Days of Night) and Melora Walters (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, The Butterfly Effect) and directed by Kenton Bartlett? Well the first thing you’ll see is a quote from my positive review for Flickering Myth. Surely a good sign?

But this trailer also underlines the importance of sticking with a video for its duration. After a mysterious and smartly edited teaser, packed with positive quotes, we get a brief glimpse behind the scenes courtesy of an interview with writer/director Kenton Bartlett. He explains why Missing Pieces is more than a good film and why the trailer was laced with quotes for a reason, not simply out of arrogance.

It’s an almost four year long passion project, worked on by hundreds of people. It’s a quality film and original story made for just $80,000. He puts it far better than me when he says that “movies are worth it” and that by spreading the word about Missing Pieces you can prove that people following their dreams “actually have a chance”.

This year we’ve endured total turkeys like Green Lantern at the cinema. Despite a terrible critical reception and a disappointing vibe even from diehard fans, the big money behind Green Lantern is set to ensure a sequel. Meanwhile independent projects like Missing Pieces go unseen. In such a climate this is more than just a trailer. Bartlett makes an uplifting appeal for this new promo to show that people power really works.

Here’s a reminder of my initial endorsement. Watch the trailer here and decide for yourselves if there’s enough promise to help out a fellow film fanatic, living the dream.


Liam Trim (follow me on Twitter)