Only God Forgives - New poster for Ryan Gosling's reunion with Nicolas Winding Refn

Derek Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines isn't Ryan Gosling's only re-pairing with a director this year; he also has Only God Forgives, the follow up to Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. The first poster has been released today, and it's suitably striking and more than a little bit ugly. But that's kind of the point for a film that will be known, at least a little bit, for its more shocking aspects.

Emblazoned with a garish neon Dragon that can be attributed to the film's Thailand setting, Only God Forgives sees Gosling star as Julien, a Bangkok drug trafficker seeking to avenge his brother's death in the criminal underworld, and as can be seen in the red band trailer, taking a few knocks along the way.

It's a poster that is certainly a talking point to generate interest in the film, but considering Gosling's current megastar status, I expect to see this poster usurped by one with his face on sometime in the near future.

Just in case I haven't persuaded you to watch Pitch Perfect yet, here's a video that should change all that.

Along with the excellent news that there will be a Pitch Perfect sequel arriving in 2015, today also saw the release of this music video for Anna Kendrick's When I'm Gone, more commonly known as Cups for reasons that will become apparent when you watch it. If they don't become apparent I don't quite know what to suggest, really.

Based on one of the most memorable scenes in the film and showing off the vocal talents of Anna Kendrick (who appears to have a music career now); I doubt it's all one shot once the cups start to move, but I sure as hell can't see the edits. Either way, it's an impressive piece of choreography that propels it beyond its current party trick status.

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

You want comedy? I got it. You want horror? I got it. You want horror-comedy? You better believe that I got it.

FILTH - New trailer and poster for the latest Irvine Welsh adaptation

Starring James McAvoy and based on the novel of the same name by Trainspotting writer Irvine Welsh, Filth sees McAvoy as a member of the Lothian Constabulary investigating a murder whilst engaging in all manner of debauchery and hedonism.

It's of no surprise that this originated from the pen of Irvine Welsh, as he depicts Scottish misery and drug addiction better than anyone. Of course there will be the obligatory harsh comedown and important life lessons to be doled out but, more than anything, Filth looks like a lot of fun. I've always found McAvoy to be a great screen presence, but he's still without that one defining role that people immediately associate him with. Using his own accent and sporting an unmistakably Scottish beard, McAvoy appears to be enjoying being back on home turf.

Sure to go down as one of the most exciting trailers of the year (not to mention the poster which is original and immediately iconic), its breakneck pace and montage of sex fuelled mayhem does a grand job of selling the title.

SCANNERS BLU-RAY review

Released this week in fancy new steelbook packaging, it's David Cronenberg's 1981 body horror classic, Scanners.

Obscurity Files - The Heavenly Kid

A movie released in 1985 that concerns a cool kid from one time travelling to another to teach a nerd how to get the girl? No, not that movie, this one.

THE WAY, WAY BACK - Trailer

A funny thing happened at last year's Oscar ceremony, when the man previously known as "the guy who plays the creepy Dean in Community"  stood up, collected his Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Descendants and flashed a bit of leg. A star was born.

As well as returning to his signature role on Community, the Dean, AKA Jim Rash, has kept busy (along with his creative partner Nat Faxon who bagged an Oscar along side him) by directing The Way, Way Back; a coming of age tale starring Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell.

Nothing to do with The Way Back, the Colin Farrell/Jim Sturgess prison escape drama from a few years ago, this film tells the story of Duncan, a typically shy teen who is forced to accompany his mother to her boyfriend's beach house where he meets pretty, cool girl AnnaSophia Robb. So far so Youth in Revolt, but the trailer also shows a healthy dose of Adventureland and Dazed and Confused in the mix too.

With appearances by Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph and Rob Corddry; not forgetting writer/director's Nat Faxon (as a creepy lifeguard) and Jim Rash (as a creepy... well, I don't know what he is but he looks creepy), when it gets released later this year, The Way, Way Back is sure to offer up many awkward reminders to those of us who spent their teenage summers wishing Sam Rockwell would turn up to act as their spirit guide and help them get girls.

Obscurity Files - Return to Horror High

Backing up the argument that you should never judge a film on the quality of its poster, let's take a look at George Clooney in Return to Horror High.

Carrie Trailer

There will come a time when horror remakes are bold enough to state that that is what they are. Until then, we have the likes of Carrie, which is of course based on the acclaimed novel by Stephen King and the well regarded Brian De Palma big screen version need not be mentioned here (nor the less well remembered 1999 sequel Carrie 2: The Rage which I still reckon should have been called Carrie 2: Carrie On Regardless).

This isn't something I'd say often, but I don't think the idea of remaking Carrie is completely redundant. The themes of adolescence and coming of age are timeless and De Palma's version has dated horrendously in some areas. It's still a classic of the genre, but an updated version isn't going to change that.

The core moments from the previous adaptation are all here and well displayed in the trailer (Prom, crazy mother, awkward communal showers, but now with added camera phones), with all of the effects given the requisite Hollywood makeover needed for 2013. The trailer does recall the attention given to Let Me In, another remake that starred Chloe Moretz in a central role.

Sissy Spacek is a tough act to follow, but I think that Chloe Moretz is a great screen presence and Julianne Moore looks to have nailed the role occupied by Piper Laurie in the original. The trailer does give away a little too much about the ending, but then "socially awkward teenager goes to prom" doesn't really get the crowds in; revenge fuelled shit fits do.

Directed by Boy's Don't Cry's Kimberley Peirce, Carrie arrives in cinemas at the end of November.

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

This week's new releases are dominated by the return of Middle Earth, but there's still a classic Cronenberg film and a documentary about an obscure punk poet to contend with.