Perhaps the most influential period in cinema history was the Italian neo-realism period of the late 40s and director Vittorio De Sica was one of the prime reasons for this important period of film-making. "The Bicycle Thieves" is a film about a poor man whose only means for a job is his bicycle, which gets stolen. The film follows him and his young boy throughout war-ravaged Rome in search of the stolen bike. The trip involves some of the most brilliant vignettes in film history; the church, th find out more...

Nothing more can be said about this classic melodrama from the peak of the Hollywood studio-film era. Hardened cynic Bogart softens when he meets old flame Bergman who is now a refugee in neutral wartime Casablanca. Together they outwit the Germans... and of course there's that famous song. Watch this classic or some day you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... find out more...

A father is haunted by the death of his young child. Omens point to disaster and hallucinations predict the future as this wonderful atmospheric film moves to its disturbing climax. Shot in the beautiful city of Venice and based on the book by Daphne du Maurier.

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Phyllis Dietrichson is trapped in a loveless marriage to a man who inspires in her nothing but contempt, but rather than leave him Phyllis decides to kill him and collect on the insurance policy she's had set up with the help of her lover, and naive partner in crime, insurance salesman Walter Neff. The only flaws in their plan are the company's reluctance to pay out so much, the diligence of Neff's increasingly suspicious colleague, (and his 'little man'), and the exemplary ruthlessness of Ph find out more...

The best film in the history of comic British cinema. A black tale of sex, adultery, murder and social class told with low key irony. Alec Guinness plays all the leading roles, and the delightfully witty and sardonic script is ideal for him. A landmark of British film. find out more...

Undoubtedly one of Hitch's best. An innocent businessman is mistaken for a spy by enemy agents and learns the true meaning of persecution, while a deceptively beautiful blonde in the pay of his tormentors steals his heart. A tense and compulsively gripping nice-guy's nightmare. Obligatory viewing. find out more...

This masterpiece by Preston Sturges is perhaps the finest movie-about-a-movie ever made. Hollywood director John Sullivan, tired of churning out lightweight comedies, decides to make "O, Brother, Where Art Thou?" - a serious, socially responsible film about human suffering. After his producers point out that he knows nothing of hardship, Joel hits the road as a hobo. While on his travels the director finds the lovely Veronica Lake, and more trouble than he ever imagined. Some truly inspired set find out more...

All time classic wonderfully filmed by Wilder, featuring great performances from Holden, as a bankrupt screenwriter seeking refuge, and Swanson, a faded star in a crumbling mansion, who pins her hopeless hopes of a comeback on the writer. Deliriously dark and nightmarish masterpiece. find out more...

A brooding epic, exposing the darker side of Hollywood and the winner of 5 Oscars. The stories of a star, a writer and a director, all "made" by a ruthless producer (Douglas), and all disowning him now that they've reached their pinnacles of success, are told in retrospect. Ice-queen Lana Turner is superb as the sex kitten who, once she reaches the top, turns into a cat.

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