One of the main reasons I covered Toronto’s FanExpo this year was to be among the first to hear about the 2012 Toronto After Dark lineup (and not to get groped in the massive crowds by adolescent dudes in “U MAD BRO?” t-shirts As it turns out, I got both).

If you aren’t up on things, Toronto After Dark is the name, the best in genre films is the game. It’s a growing annual celebration of horror, sci-fi, action and cult movies which is rapidly becoming an official Big Deal and spoken of with the same kind of reverence as Fantasia. This year they are bringing it with a vengeance and hosting a record nine nights of films from October 18th to the 26th at the restored Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. If you are in or near the Toronto area and want to have any idea what is happening in genre film, TAD is the comprehensive guide to cool.

So, what's in store for TAD 2012? The first 10 films were announced and trailers were shown at the TAD FanExpo booth this past weekend and I have to say they are doing it again with an innovative offering set to shock and amaze! Here’s the rundown:

• [REC] 3: GENESIS (Spain) – Canadian Premiere! The third instalment in the groundbreaking [REC] series has a dream wedding descend into a nightmare of undead chaos. This daring new entry in the series makes some very bold moves, taking the saga into some uncharted territory.

• EXCISION (USA) – A seriously troubled teen manages her anxiety and indulges her dark fantasies with surgeries on herself and others. Look at this cast! Traci Lords! John Waters! Malcolm McDowell! Ray Wise! This is a bloody shocker I can’t wait to see.

• UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING (USA) – Canadian Premiere! Van Damme is back alongside Dolph Lundgren for the latest – rumoured to be best – entry in the UNIVERSAL SOLDIER franchise. Don’t pretend you aren’t psyched for this or that you can’t tear yourself away from the original when it plays on TV. JCVD forever baby!

• GRABBERS (IRELAND) – Audiences at Sundance were thrilled by this nutty little picture where a small Irish town is beset by tentacle alien bloodsuckers. It seems that alcohol in the bloodstream is the only hope to resist these creatures! Man, did they ever pick the wrong country to invade.

• A FANTASTIC FEAR OF EVERYTHING (UK) – Simon Pegg as a neurotic writer (is there any other kind?) battling his inner demons, while writing a novel about Victorian serial killers. This dark comedy, penned by former Kula Shaker frontman Crispian Mills, should rock the house.

• DEAD SUSHI (Japan) – Killer sushi unleashes bloody hell at a vacation resort. What else do you really need to say about this? Killer sushi. Japan. Did I mention it comes from the sick freaks who made MACHINE GIRL and TOKYO GORE POLICE? Well there, now I did. How can you miss murderous sushi? You can’t.

• DOOMSDAY BOOK (Korea) – This mini-anthology picture just took Best Film at Fantasia! Three tales of possible end times scenarios play out here; a machine holocaust where sentient robots strike back, zombie plague and an asteroid set to annihilate the planet. This is a huge one to watch for!

• WRONG (USA) – It looks like RUBBER director Quentin Dupieux ate another blotter of acid and made a new movie! This time we get a surreal and absurdist crime thriller about a man searching for his kidnapped dog. This is clearly another must see.

• LLOYD THE CONQUEROR (CANADA) – Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! If you don’t know what LARPing is, then let this movie be your crash course. An epic battle of foam swords sorcery is brewing when three guys aim to take on Derek the Unholy for the title of king of the nerds. I predict this one is going to be a big crowd pleaser.

• SUSHI GIRL (USA) – Another mind-blowing cast on display here – Tony Todd (CANDYMAN), Michael Biehn (TERMINATOR), Danny Trejo (MACHETE), Sonny Chiba (KILL BILL, STREET FIGHTER) and Mark Hamill (STAR WARS) all get together for a reunion dinner of some of the most savage and cunning criminal masterminds. Naturally, things get a bit bloody.

So there you have it folks, the first ten! Keep watching this space for more in-depth coverage of each of the films over the weeks approaching the festival. Also, keep watching for the next ten films to be announced because there is a whole lot more awesome to be had here!

Check out the festival website (http:/www.torontoafterdark.com) for more information and to get your passes!

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