Zal Batmanglij’s cult drama Sound of My Voice was the hit of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, leaving many to wonder why the film has yet to receive a proper release. Now that the picture’s planning to drop in April, Fox Searchlight is testing the marketing waters. Recently, the studio teased the first two minutes of Batmanglij’s picture. Next, they’re pulling the curtain back even further by posting a full, 12-minute opening sequence on the film’s official Web site. We have it below:
In the film, journalists Peter (Christopher Denham) and Lorna (Nicole Vicius) investigate a mysterious cult leader, played by Brit Marling of Another Earth, who claims to be from the future. But the more the couple learns about Marling’s character, the more they question the motives of their original story.
The 12-minute clip doesn’t show you much more than you would have assumed knowing the premise. We see Denham and Vicius’ characters being prepared to meet Marling’s prophet, and the teaser gives you an idea of Batmanglij’s eerie tone. The bigger question is this: Does this unconventional approach to marketing help sell you on the film? Would you like to see more films reveal their openings, or would you prefer to go into a movie cold? Truthfully, I think it depends on the film. The first 12 minutes of The Avengers, for instance, aren’t going to convince me to see Joss Whedon’s film. I’m on board already. But knowing next to nothing about Sound, I appreciate getting a sense of what Batmanglij and his crew have in store. What are your thoughts? And will you dial into Sound of My Voice when it opens on April 27?
