Set in Orange County, California, in an age where America has lost its ‘war on drugs', a reluctant undercover cop is ordered to start spying on his friends, the consequence of which is a paranoid journey into the absurd, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode and even your own motives become unclear. Scanner Darkly is a cautionary tale of drug use based on the novel by Philip K Dick and born of his own experiences. Like a graphic novel come to life, the film uses live action pho find out more...

Manga's version of '1984' (one wonders what it's version of 'Howards' End' will be like). Dastardly semi-human biodroids administer all aspects of public life to the wrath of a shadowy minority of dissident human terrorists, who must first steal their weapons and discover the secret of the central computer controlling mankind before they can launch what could be man's final fight. find out more...

Japan, the future, and cyber technology is out of control with nobody quite sure who's alive and who exists purely on the net. When elite officer, Motoko Kusangi and her two colleagues are sent on the trail of a data thief, they find he has a sinister interest in Motoko herself. Violently complex... find out more...

A dark ‘Bladerunneresque' interpretation of the near future where humans, replicants, cyborgs and robots co-exist. Batou is a detective plunged deep into a world of corruption and murder in his search for a killer that leads him to fear for his own humanity. A stunningly rendered 2-D and 3-D animation, Ghost in the Shell 2's story may pale in comparison with the greats such as ‘Akira' but as a visual feast it's a bench mark for what precedes it. NB you don't have to have watched Ghost in the She find out more...

Over five nights last November the musical collaborators behind Gorillaz' second album Demon Days assembled in Manchester to take on the task of recreating the album onstage. This was the very first live rendition of the record, as sanctioned by band members 2D, Murdoc, Russel and Noodle themselves. find out more...

In the near future, a revolutionary new psychotherapy treatment called PT has been invented. Through a device called the "DC Mini" it is able to act as a "dream detective" to enter into people's minds and explore their unconscious thoughts. Before the government can pass a bill authorizing the use of such advanced psychiatric technology, one of the prototypes is stolen. In the wrong hands the DC Mini can be used to completely annihilate a dreamer's personality while they still sleep, so scientis find out more...

Rodney Copperbottom comes from humble origins but he has big dreams, to work for Bigweld, the benevolent owner of Robot City's repair and design empire. Unfortunately there has been a take over at Bigweld and older robots are finding themselves in danger of becoming scrap. Can the ingenious inventor, Rodney, along with his ramshackle friends, save the day and restore order? Of course he can! Robots is a very slick, shiny CGI animation and though way below the knowing heights of Shrek and Toy St find out more...

Twentieth Century Studios and Locksmith Animation's "Ron's Gone Wrong" is the story of Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally-connected device, which is supposed to be his 'Best Friend out of the Box.' Ron's hilarious malfunctions set against the backdrop of the social media age, launch them into an action-packed journey in which boy and robot come to terms with the wonderful messiness of true friendship.

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Iron Giant is based upon a story that Ted Hughes told his children following the death of their mother, Sylvia Plath. Set in 1958, it is a lyrical tale about a giant metal machine that falls from the sky and frightens a small town in Maine. A lonely boy, Hogarth, befriends the kind-hearted alien and, hiding the giant from his mother, teaches him to communicate. The greatest threat, however, comes from the military who are out to destroy this metallic threat to wholesome America. The animation find out more...

 

 

The Mitchells vs the Machines is a ridiculously fun and thought-provoking satire on how humanity has become over-reliant on technology, so much so that a simple dinner conversation with your family has become a rare occurrence.

 

Abbi Jacobsen voices Katie, a teenage misfit who tries to keep her weird family together during a robot uprising. Danny McBride voices her technophobic dad who strives to get his children more in touch with nature an find out more...