The Cinemania section - which was, ironically, formerly known as Midnight - is back to wearing its dead-of-night credentials on its sleeve this year, with the emphasis moving back away from the quirky mixture of recent years back into more squarely horror/sci-fi territory.
Frankenstein's Army and V/H/S/2
Dark Touch
(Country: France, Ireland, Sweden; Year: 2013; Director: Marina de Van; Writer: Marina de Van; Stars: Art Parkinson, Anabel Sweeney, Padraic Delaney, Mark Huberman, Marcella Plunkett, Olga Wehrly, Marie Missy Keating, Robert Donnelly, Ella Hayes, charlotte Flyvholm, Susie Power)
A child is haunted by abuse.
World premiere
Frankenstein's Army
(Country: Netherlands, US; Year: 2013; Director: Richard Raaphorst; Writer: Chris W Mitchell, Richard Raaphorst, Miguel Tejada-Flores; Stars: Karel Roden, Joshua Sasse, Robert Gwilym, Alexander Mercury, Luke Newberry, Hon Ping Tang, Andrei Zayats, Mark Stevenson, Cristina Catalina, Jan de Lukowicz, Zdenek Barinka, Linda Balabanova, Valentine Berning, Ivana Lokajová, Klaus Lucas)
Russian soldiers try to track down an evil scientist who is working for the Nazis.
International premiere
Fresh Meat
(Country: New Zealand; Year: 2012; Director: Danny Mulheron; Writer: Brad Abraham, Joseph O'Brien, Briar Grace Smith; Stars: Temuera Morrison, Nicola Kawana, Hanna Tevita, Kate Elliott, Jack Sergent-Shadbolt, Leand Macadaan, Ralph Hilaga, Kahn West, Will Robertson, James Ashcroft, Richard Knowles, Andrew Foster, Phil Grieve, Thomas Rimmer, Peter Doile)
After a poorly executed escape from the police, a gang of dysfunctional criminals flees to the suburbs and gets more than it bargained for when it crash lands in the garage of an upper-class Maori family whose refined palates have developed a taste for human flesh. This action-packed horror comedy tells a blood-spattered tale of basement butchery and shifting allegiances as these unlikely adversaries enter a deadly showdown.
New York premiere
The Machine
(Country: UK; Year: 2013; Director: Caradog W James; Writer: Caradog W James; Stars: Toby Stephens, Sam Hazeldine, Caity Lotz, Denis Lawson, Lee Nicholas Harris, Ben McGregor, Stuart Matthews, Helen Griffin, Sule Rimi, Alan Low, Pooneh Hajimohammadi, Clark Fisher, James Burn)
A cybernetics expert tries to create an android super-soldier.
World premiere
Mr Jones
(Country: US; Year: 2012; Director: Karl Mueller; Writer: Karl Mueller; Stars: Rachel O'Meara, Jon Foster, Mark Steger, Jessica Dowdeswell)
Scott is a filmmaker in need of inspiration. He and his girlfriend Penny move into a desolate house hoping to make a breakthrough. Then they discover their neighbour, the elusive Mr Jones. Famous for his haunting sculptures, Mr. Jones has remained a mystery to the world. Scott and Penny, convinced that they have found the perfect film subject, sneak into his workshop and realize that their curiosity may have chilling consequences. Who is Mr Jones?
World premiere
Dark Touch and The Machine
Raze
(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Josh C Waller; Writer: Robert Beaucage, Kenny Gage, Josh C Waller; Stars: Zoe Bell, Rachel Nichols, Tracie Thoms, Sherilyn Fenn, Doug Jones, Bruce Thomas, Bailey Anne Borders, Rebecca Marshall, Adrienne Wilkinson, Allene Quincy, Kelly Thiebaud, Nicole Steinwedell, Tara Macken, Tonya Kay, Amy Johnston)
Women-in-prison tale. After Sabrina is abducted, she finds herself in an underground lair, forced to do battle with other innocent women for the amusement of unseen spectators. Each of these reluctant warriors has something to lose, but only one will remain when the game is done.
World premiere
V/H/S/2 (S-VHS)
(Country: US, Canada; Year: 2013; Director: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Edúardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans, Jason Eisener; Writer: Simon Barrett, Jamie Nash, Timo Tjahjanto & Gareth Huw Evans, John Davies; Stars: Adam Wingard, Lawrence Levine, LC Holt, Kelsy Abbott, Hannah Hughes)
An anthology of short found footage horror films using inventive visual perspectives.
New York premiere
