Fantastic Thirteen

Psychic tires, South African zombies, Australian cop-killers and kung fu extravaganzas: With the announcement of the first 13 films for its 2010 lineup, Fantastic Fest is delivering the gruesome goods.

As any FF veteran will tell you, it's impossible to guess what will blow everyone away, but the big advance buzz will probably surround four movies. First up, Takeshi Kitano goes back to his gangster roots for Outrage: New-style martial art fable Ip Man 2 beat Iron Man 2 in its opening weekend in Hong Kong; Life and Death of Porno Gang comes with the same health warnings and shocked praise as SXSW's shocker A Serbian Film; And Rubber – the story of a killer psychokinetic tire (yes, you did read that right: watch the trailer above) – became the unexpected smash at Cannes this year.

As for the rest, as always the line-up has scoured the rest of the world bloody in search of the finest, freakiest and goriest.

Taking it by continent, as always Asia is out in force. There's a double outing from South Korea, with the I Spit On Your-Grave-esque revenge-fest Bedevilled, and the latest from the creator of the beloved Fish Story as Yoshihiro Nakamura returns with Golden Slumber. If the trailer is anything to go by, Hong Kong's Gallants has a Grind House meets Kung Fu Hustle vibe that could make it unmissable.

Nipping over to Europe, Swedes better watch out for the neighbors in Corridor and sonic terrorists in Sound of Noise, while Germany is the latest nation to fall foul of zombies in Rammbock. The shambling flesh eaters are also tearing up South Africa in desert trek The Dead starring Ghanaian superstar Prince David Osei, and if that's not sandy enough for you, Australian cop-killer drama Red Hill will get all kinds of gruesome.

Don't worry, the US makes a showing too, with the aptly-named Butcher Brothers presenting biker bloodbath The Violent Kind.

We already knew that the Re-Animator masterminds Jeffrey Combs and Stewart Gordon will be in attendance, plus the world will get all powerglovetastic over the inaugural Fantastic Arcade. At the recent Predators premiere, festival maestro Tim League dropped some deliciously dark hints that there are still lots more surprises in score.

Catch the full announcement at the Fantastic Fest blog. The festival runs Sept. 23-30, and passes are available now