With all the hype and press surrounding big budget studio films, we need to keep in mind the smaller films that don’t have the marketing budget but also need coverage too. This time around that smaller film is director Jon Hewitt’s X.

The film, which tells the story of Holly Rowe, a callgirl on her last night on the job who’s just looking to finish up and get out of the business. Naturally, things don’t go as she planned when she encounters Shay Ryan, a teenage runaway, broke and alone, who just has to get through her first night as a hooker.

Fate throws them together on a job that goes horribly wrong and they’re trapped on an out-of-control roller coaster ride, through the twilight zone of sex-for-sale. Funny, I don’t remember seeing that ride at Disneyland last time I was there. Oh well.

The film stars the terrific Viva Bianca of Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Hanna Mangan-Lawrence, who was in the director’s previous film, Acolytes. IFC has sent us a trailer for the film and we are, of course, going to share it with you right here.

Take a look after the jump. X debuts in select theaters today and then on demand from IFC Midnight, via Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, Time Warner, and Bright House starting April 13th.

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Tiny Furniture is an indie film that enjoyed festival acclaim earlier this year.  It won the Jury Prize for  Best Narrative Feature at the competitive SXSW film festival, and the film has since been acquired by IFC films.  The film opens in Los Angeles and New York on November 12, folllowed by a slow nation-wide roll-out.

Aura (Lena Dunham) graduates from college and promptly finds herself right back at her mother’s Tribeca loft apartment.

She’s recently been dumped by her college boyfriend (who had to “find” himself) and she is rapidly realizing that her film theory degree does not make her an ideal candidate for future employment.  She spends the weeks after graduation aimlessly lying around the apartment, trying to figure out what to do with her life.

She runs into her prententious, obnoxious childhood friend Charlotte (Jemima Kirke) who has nary a thing to worry about because she lives off of her father’s credit cards. Consequently, Charlotte is always playing devil’s advocate to Aura’s greater sensibilities.

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Primal made its North American debut at Fantastic Fest, and was one of four movies featured by IFC Midnight.  The film is available on IFC On Demand until December 22.

In the film six friends are on a trip exploring ancient cave paintings.  Mel (Krew Boylan) decides to take a skinny dip, and becomes “infected” with an ancient entity.  Bad things ensue as the pals quickly realize it is kill (Mel) or be killed.  Primal is a genre bending movie that always has its tongue firmly planted in cheek.

We got to sit down with director Josh Reed and stars Krew Boylan and Wil Traval during the festival for an exclusive interview.

The Flickcast: Josh, you directed the movie, did you write it as well?

Josh Reed: I wrote it from a story that Nigel (one of the producers) and I wrote.

TF: How did you guys come up with the concept?  Did you draw on anything for inspiration?  To me, there were some obvious nods to Cabin Fever, did you guys see that movie?

Krew Boylan: I haven’t seen that.

JR: I hadn’t seen it before, but I have seen it. I’ve seen and really like Cabin Fever, but we’d actually written the initial story, but I hadn’t written the script before I saw Cabin Fever.

TF: So did you have any Australian movies that served as influences?

JR: No, not really.

TF: Well, you have the whole “the water is infected” plot device.

JR: I mean, there were definitely a lot of films that influenced that film, but that specific idea of the water hole becoming infected was more a result of wanting to get that young group of people out camping, and just having fun and messing around and stuff.

Then you have an aspect of things going pear-shaped on a specific one of them, and I guess it gave us a device that we could use later to reinfect another one. It was more that it worked as a really good device for the story. It wasn’t based on any legend or anything in Australia.

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Just when you thought it was safe to try and forget about director Tom Six’s rather unique take on ATM in The Human Centipede (First Sequence), along comes a promo for Six’s next chapter in the saga entitled The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence). Event though some may be offended by the first film or what it contains, we’re going to go ahead and show you the new promo anyway in the interest of presenting you with lots of choices on how to spend your entertainment dollar.

If you recall the first film, it follows two rather unfortunate American girls who are kidnapped by a German surgeon. Then, along with a Japanese man, they are surgically transformed into a gory centipede-like creature. Yes, its just about as disturbing as you can imagine.

According to Six, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) will steer away from “realism” this time and instead promises to be “pretty nasty.” Did he not see the first film?

“I had so many ideas that I couldn’t fit them all in the movie,” the director told IFC. “I wanted the audience to get used to this crazy centipede. Now, in ‘Part 2,’ I can use all my ideas. So everything is in it this time. I don’t hold back anything.” I guess he was holding back with part one? This should be interesting. And by interesting I mean even more disturbing.

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is due in 2011 but if you’re curious now (and after the above why wouldn’t you be?) check out the promo after the break.

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Austin’s Fantastic Fest gets underway next week, and officials have announced a partnership between Fantastic Fest and IFC Midnight, a new genre label for IFC Films.

Four IFC Midnight movies will play at Fantastic Fest, but you will be able to participate right from your living room, because they will be simulcast on IFC’s Video on Demand.  How cool is that?

Here are the films with a brief synopsis. All four are new acquisitions for IFC Midnight films.

High Lane, directed by Abel Ferry

Towering heights and beautiful vistas turn into a haunting mindtrip in Abel Ferry’s gripping French scarefest that will definitely make you think twice about your next mountain climbing trip.  In the film, a group of friends on vacation in Eastern Europe embark on an ambitious mountain expedition along a trail that they discover – way too late – is closed for repair.  The thrill of this foolish challenge quickly turns sour as it becomes clear that not only is the path a lot more dangerous than they thought, but also that they are not alone. Fear exposes old traumas and brings up hidden emotions to the surface, and soon, everyone is fighting tooth-and-nail for their survival.

Red, White and Blue, directed by Simon Rumley

Erica (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER’s Amanda Fuller) is a tough, troubled nymphomaniac with wounds across her soul.  For Erica, sleeping with multiple men forms the core of her life, until she meets the mysterious Iraq vet Nate (THE PROPOSITION’s Noah Taylor).  Despite his quiet air of danger, Nate’s the only guy who doesn’t immediately want to sleep with her, and the two form a hesitant bond. But in a shocking twist, one of Erica’s earlier sexual encounters, with wannabe rock star Franki (Mark Senter), will have unexpected – and devastating – consequences on both of their lives.

Incidentally we caught the film at SXSW, and called it, “visceral, raw and shocking.”  You can read the full review here.

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Warning: This review contains mild spoilers and contains disturbing subject matter. Read at your own risk.

Tom Six is one sick bastard, and that isn’t necessarily an insult. The Danish filmmaker wrote and directed The Human Centipede (First Sequence), one of the most visually disturbing films I have ever seen. I almost had to take a break while watching it, and that has never really happened to me before.

The Human Centipede takes place in Germany. Dr. Heiter is a maniacal ex-surgeon who became world renowned for separating Siamese twins. Now he is obsessed with connecting things, and his first experiments are on his three Rottweilers. A tombstone on his property is engraved with “My sweet 3 dog,” a foreboding sign of things to come.

He is ready to start experimenting on humans, and much to his delight, two unwitting victims literally come knocking on his door. American tourists Jenny and Lindsay get lost on their way to go clubbing, then get a flat tire. While they are trying to decide what to do, they are approached by a gentleman in a Mercedes, who doesn’t speak English and starts making lewd gestures toward the gals.

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We don’t usually post video from late night shows like Jimmy Fallon’s unless they contain something very special. Well, in this case, these three videos do contain something very special. In a very rare TV appearance, the surviving members of the legendary Monty Python appeared on television as guests on Jimmy Fallon last night — and we’ve got video.

On the show, Fallon asked the guys about how they started the group, where they got their name and their new IFC documentary. Plus, Eric Idle got up on stage with The Roots to perform the Python classic “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.” I’m not going to lie, I love Monty Python and seeing these guys together sure is fun. Yes, I realize they were probably on the show in large part to promote their upcoming IFC documentary but who cares, its frakking Monty Python!

Anyway, be sure to check out the three videos (complete with descriptions) after the break. Monty Python’s IFC documentary “Almost the Truth” airs October 18-23 on the channel.

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