Antiviral – very strange horror from Brandon Cronenberg (yes, son of the illustrious David) starring Caleb Landry Jones as the lab technician who harvests viruses from celebrities to sell off to their deranged fans. After infecting himself with the virus that kills uber-celeb Sarah Gadon he becomes the target for her crazed followers. So Branders is a chip off the cinematic block? Official site is here; showing at key cities only.

Bullet to the Head – showing nationwide, this Walter Hill directed revenge thriller stars Sylvester Stallone as a hit-man who takes on the bad guys when they kidnap his daughter (Sarah Shahi). Trailer seems classy and Stallone has some killer one-liners (“You see, I’m a people person”). Official US site is here.

Bullhead – Rust & Bone‘s Matthias Schoenaerts stars as a cattle farmer who gets into trouble when he initiates a dodgy deal with a mafia type beef baron. Brokeback Mountain it ain’t! The official site is here and the film will be showing at key cities only.

Chained – it must be a week for gory North American films; Jennifer Lynch directs this horror about a taxi driving serial killer (Vincent D’Onofrio) and his young protogee (Evan Bird). Bird must decide whether he follows in D’Onofrio’s footsteps or makes a break for it on a night cruising the streets for victims. No official site, but IMDb has the technical details here and, mysteriously, this is on a ‘limited release’ only.

Cirque de Soleil: Worlds Away 3D – James Cameron is one of the big names behind the camera of this 3D circus/love story, showcasing the talents of the titular acrobatic troupe. It looks sexy and beautiful. The official (if rather ponderous) website is here and the film will be showing at key cities only.

Do Elephants Pray? – Jonnie Hurn is the advertising Exec who is shaken out of his dull life by free-spirited French girl Julie Dray. Sounds slightly samey, although this one has a bit more bite than the usual mid-life crisis wakes up story as Dray puts Hurn through a series of demoralising tasks. Official site is here and (for once) contains details of exactly where you can catch the film.

Flight – featuring possibly the most aggravating performance to be Oscar nominated this year, Denzel Washington stars as the ridiculously calm and clear-headed pilot who saves many lives during a daring move as his plane crash-lands. Trouble is, the experts who analyse his moves are unable to replicate it and an investigation finds he was drunk the night before the flight. He goes from hero to zero and it’s up to lawyer Don Cheadle to help him out. Robert Zemeckis directs from a script by John Gatins (Real Steel). The official site is here and it will be showing nationwide.

Hyde Park on Hudson – delectable sounding comic drama with Bull Murray starring as US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, hosting the British King and Queen (Sam West and Olivia Colman) for a weekend. They are trying to shmooze for American support during WWII, but FDR’s domestic life might complicate matters. Official Universal UK site is here; the film will play nationwide.

A Place in the Sun – Montgomery Clift is the socially aspirational guy who kills the dowdy factory girl carrying his child (Shelley Winters) so he can shack up with the factory owner’s daughter Elizabeth Taylor. Classic 1950’s melodrama from director George Stevens showcasing Clift and Taylor at their best – surely they were never lovelier than in this film? Official BFI website is here, but showing at BFI Southbank only.

Punk Syndrome – if Finnish punk rock is your scene, then this is the film for you. Showing at key cities; the Wikipedia page has a little more detail here.