SXFantastic and SXSW Midnight Movies Announced

Lots of exciting news is coming out of Austin as the town braces for the SXSW Film, Interactive, and Music festivals.  The official midnight movies have been announced, and they are sure to offer up some of the usual scares and surprises.

Midnighters

Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.

ATTACK THE BLOCK (UK-England)

Director & Writer: Joe Cornish A funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of alien monsters. It turns a tower block into a sci-fi playground. It’s inner city versus outer space. Cast: Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Luke Treadaway, Jumayn Hunter and Nick Frost (World Premiere)

THE DIVIDE (US-Canada)

Director: Xavier Gens, Writers: Karl Mueller & Eron Sheean To survive the end of the world…you must first survive each other. Cast: Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, Courtney B. Vance (World Premiere)

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN

Director: Jason Eisner, Writer: John Davies A Hobo finds himself in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Molly Dunsworth, Brian Downey, Nick Bateman

INSIDIOUS

Director: James Wan, Writer: Leigh Whannell Dark spirits have possessed the home of a family whose son has fallen into a coma.  Trying to save him, the family moves only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted. Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey (U.S. Premiere)

PHASE 7/FASE 7 (Argentina)

Director & Writer: Nicolas Goldbart Coco just moved to his new apartment with 7-month pregnant wife. When the building is in quarantined for a deadly flue. The neighbors became unexpected enemies. Cast: Daniel Hendler, Federico Luppi, Jazmin Stuart, Jose “Yayo” Guridi (North American Premiere)

Another film festival has gained traction in recent years, and that is Tim League’s Fantastic Fest, which takes place in the fall. League owns the Drafthouse Cinema brand, which now has a lifestyle website, several beloved theaters, and the infamous Fantastic Fest film festival. The festival revels in the bizarre, the truly terrifying, and the outrageous offerings in film.

Fantastic Fest also features a series of  films at SXSW.  Last year the infamous A Serbian Film and the innovative Monsters made an appearance at the festival. The 2011 slate has now been released.  The SXFantastic films will be the following:

COLD SWEAT/ SUDOR FRIO (International Premiere, Argentina)

Director Adrián García Bogliano What do you do if you are a right-wing Argentinean terrorist and your state-sanctioned organization is disbanded?  We can’t say, but it involves chatrooms, bare breasts and a generous slathering of nitro-glycerine.

GEORGE THE HEDGEHOG/ JEZ JERZY (International Premiere, Poland)

Director Wojciech Wawszczyk Jez Jerzy is a skateboarding hedgehog who likes to drink beer and fondle breasts.  He finds it hard to pursue his passions, however, while being tormented by neo-nazi skinheads, mad scientists and a drooling, flatulent clone of himself.

KILL LIST (World Premiere, UK)

Director Ben Wheatley

Eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred, ex-soldier turned contract killer, Jay, is pressured by his partner, Gal, into taking a new assignment. As they descend into the dark, disturbing world of the contract, Jay begins to unravel once again – his fear and paranoia sending him deep into the heart of darkness.

LITTLE DEATHS (North American Premiere, UK)

Directors Sean Hogan, Andrew Parkinson and Simon Rumley A provocative, cutting-edge horror/thriller that explores the lives of three couples who are immersed in twisted games of psycho-sexual obsession and revenge resulting in a price, which inevitably must be paid.

THE FP (World Premiere, USA)

Directors Brandon and Jason Trost For years an underground war has raged for dominance over the town of Frazier Park between two clans. Dominance isn’t determined through fistfights or petty brawls, but the dancing video game Beat-Beat Revelation.

What do you want to bet that one of these will become a cult favorite this year?