SXSW 2013 Preview: Midnight, 24BPS, SXGlobal, and Festival Faves

We're back with part three of our SXSW Preview Series. We took a look at the Headliners and Competition slates on Tuesday and yesterday we previewed the Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, and Visions programs. Today we finish off the catalog with a tour through the Midnight, 24 Beats Per Second, SX Global, and Festival Faves. Here is a selection of the films from those sections. We'll be back tomorrow with our top picks.

Midnight


CHEAP THRILLS
Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton, David Koechner, and Amanda Fuller star in E.L. Katz's thriller about an offer that's too good to be true.


YOU'RE NEXT
Oh boy! Oh boy! After a way-too-long wait of almost eighteen months, Lionsgate is finally ready to bring Adam Wingard's home invasion thrill ride to a theater near you. First stop is SXSW and we'll be waiting with open arms.
Read Todd's Review


V/H/S/2
S-VHS no more. The latest entry into the found horror anthology series has been retitled by Magnolia to match the treatment of the first. Look for the Barrett/Wingard/Evans/Tjahjanto/Hale/Sanchez/Eisener production to come to a VOD source near you, soon.
Read Ryland's Review


PLUS ONE
Dennis Iliadis's follow-up to Last House on the Left is a story about things going way wrong for three friends at a college rager.


THE RAMBLER
A man (played by Dermot Mulroney) leaves prison in a psychedelic attempt to find his brother in Calvin Lee Reeder's follow-up to The Oregonian
Read Chase's Review


KISS OF THE DAMNED
This feature narrative debut from Xan Cassavetes about a vampire community is all set to be released by Magnet soon.


BIG ASS SPIDER
Mike Mendez's fifth feature (The Convent, The Gravedancers) is a creature feature about... well...


HAUNTER
Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) returns with this story of a girl destined to relive the day of her murder.


LORDS OF SALEM
Rob Zombie's latest is a modern day take on the Salem witch legend.
Read Ryland's Review and Read Brian's Counterpoint Review

24 Beats Per Second


A BAND CALLED DEATH
Mark Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett's chronicle of 70s black Detroit punk band Death was just picked up for distribution by Drafthouse Films.
Read Lainna's Review


THE PUNK SINGER
Sini Anderson's debut feature goes inside the life of Bikini Kill & Le Tigre frontwoman Kathleen Hanna.


REINCARNATED
Snoop Dogg goes to Jamaica to record an album and comes back Snoop Lion in this TIFF premiering debut feature from Vice Magazine's global editor Andy Capper.


FINDING THE FUNK
Chris Rock producer (CB4, Good Hair) and director in his own right (ESPN's The Announcement) Nelson George explores the history and future of funk music in his latest doc.


THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX
Jeanie Finlay explores what happens when two up and coming Scottish rappers get caught in a lie about being authentically American.

SX Global


THE PUNK SYNDROME
Veteran Finnish documentarians Jukka Kärkkäinen and J-P Passi return with this story of a punk band made up of four developmentally disabled dudes.
Read Dustin's Review


DOG FLESH
Fernando Guzzoni's debut feature about a former torturer in Chile's Pinochet regime searching for a new identity won Best Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival.


THE FIFTH SEASON
Spring fails to come to a small Belgian village in Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth's Venice/TIFF/IFFR selected third feature after Khadak and Altiplano.

Festival Faves


THE SPECTACULAR NOW
Hailed by many as one of Sundance's best, this teenage romancer from James Ponsoldt (Smashed) is all about the remarkable chemistry between leads Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. Brie Larson, Jenifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Kyle Chandler co-star.
Read Chase's Review


DON JON'S ADDICTION
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's hilarious directorial debut that casts him opposite Scarlett Johansson as New Jersey lovers was snatched up at Sundance for distribution by Relativity. Look for them to do big things with this crowd-pleaser.
Read Chase's Review


BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Sony will be distributing Richard Linklater's latest in the series, which finds Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy's Jesse and Celine in Greece.
Read Ryland's Review


UPSTREAM COLOR
Shane Carruth left plenty of heads a-scratching and academics a-swooning when his Primer follow-up premiered at Sundance. The film plays SXSW before launching a self-distributed campaign in April.
Read Eric D. Snider's Review


A TEACHER
Lindsay Burdge stars as a high school teacher who's hot for student in Hannah Fidell's Oscilloscope pickup.


THE ACT OF KILLING
Drafthouse Films has already scooped up rights to Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn's Danish film challenging the celebrity of Indonesian death squad leaders.
Read Jason's Review


PIT STOP
Yen Tan's (Deadroom) latest is the story of two working class gay men in small Texas town. Bill Heck, Marcus DeAnda, Amy Seimetz, and John Merriman star.


PRINCE AVALANCHE
Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch star in this emotional buddy comedy hailed at Sundance as the indie return of David Gordon Green. It's worth seeing for the Explosions in the Sky soundtrack if for nothing else (but there is plenty else).
Read Eric D. Snider's Review


AT ANY PRICE
Ramin Bahrani's (Man Push Cart, Chop Shop) latest is this father-son competitive farming drama starring Dennis Quad, Zac Efron, and Heather Graham. Sony Pictures Classics is distributing.
Read Eric D. Snider's Review


MUD
Matthew McConaughey gives another award-worthy performance in this Cannes premiering Take Shelter follow-up from Jeff Nichols to be distributed by Roadside/Lionsgate.