It is my sincere belief that the majority of modern movies have very little point to them at all. I simply find them bland, bland, bland! They all seem to centre on seriously oversized budgets, overpaid actors and masses of computer generated special effects. And those are the main reasons why I tend to look to the past when I want something good to watch. At least movies had a bit more substance to them back then, even when they were action-based…

And if I were to name my all-time favourite action movies, then the first three Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns would be right at the top of my list. These were pure magic and I will never, ever tire of watching them! They may have featured oodles of gunfights, but they also happened to have a damn fine story; something which seems to be sadly lacking in most modern films.

Clint Eastwood was perfectly cast in these movies. In fact, I cannot imagine any other actor taking his place. The photography was superb, the supporting cast were great and the soundtracks… WOW! Ennio Morricone’s music really was nothing short of genius at the time!

I know about artistic licence, but I’m pretty sure that the Wild West really was like this. Things must have been pretty tough back then (especially if you were hopelessly naff when it came to gunfights) and in those days you certainly didn’t have equine insurance cover for your one and only horse…

‘A Fistful of Dollars’, ‘For a Few Dollars More'and ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly'are truly iconic movies. They all had a major impact on filmmaking and even after the better part of fifty years (!) they have still not aged one little bit. Sigh, if only more modern day directors would stick to this same amazing formula!

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Like your good self, I work for a living (already I have assumed you are 1) good and 2) a worker. See how generous I am?). That means I get up every day and deal with Red Diesel Prices …and I know…I know…you’re probably thinking what a bore I am. I was actually just beginning to think that myself…

But the point is this: sometimes really interesting things do happen as a result of my direct connection with diesel, and now I am going to tell you about one of these such occasions. Luck you, right?

It was an ordinary day: I had got in on time and was making phone calls to different suppliers and generally doing my diesel admin work. Sometimes it’s more interesting than others, but one thing is for sure: like anything, after a while it can get mundane…

It’ll transform your views on the world as we know it, and seriously make you think twice about where we will be if we keep going as we are

But not today, because the moment I had resigned myself to a boring day I received an interesting email from Jake, who sits opposite me. Don’t ask me why he didn’t just open his mouth and speak to me – just blame it on the curse of the digital age.

The email was about a film and had I seen it? The film was An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore – the guy who almost became President of the United States. And somehow…somehow I had missed this film out. Jake pointed out repeatedly how important it was that I saw it as soon as possible. The next evening I sat down with Jake’s borrowed DVD and got stuck in.

The DVD astounded me. Not only did the film relay important – vital – facts about the world and what was happening with Global Warming, but it also explained all the complicated stuff in such a way that anyone could understand. It was mindblowingly eye-opening and something which I truly believe everybody ought to see at least once, preferably twice. Not only is it a feature film, but it is also a discourse on humanity and how far wrong things have gone in the past 50 or so years…

This film, I guarantee it, will change your life. Definitely seek it out! It’ll transform your views on the world as we know it, and seriously make you think twice about where we will be if we keep going as we are. (The answer to that question is this: in a right and proper state which none of us can dig our ways out of.)

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‘Searching for Bobby Fischer’ was released in 1993 but still never fails to make an impact on an audience whenever it is viewed. On its initial release, hundreds of cinemagoers reported afterward that they felt compelled to go and buy chess sets which considering the content of the movie is hardly surprising. Unlike a lot of modern films though, ‘Searching for Bobby Fischer’ was not designed with product placement in mind.

The film follows the story of Josh Waitzkin – a typical American boy only interested in playing baseball. That is until one day he challenges his Dad to a chess match and wins. Realising that he’s found something he’s good at, Josh ventures into the outdoor matches held in Washington Square in New York City and quickly makes friends with a chess hustler names Vinnie. Vinnie teaches him ‘speed chess’ whilst Josh’s parents hire a renowned chess coach called Bruce who teaches Josh the value of measured and tactical planning. Like all kids, Josh becomes impatient and tires of Bruce’s system and chess in general and deliberately throws an important match leaving the chances of winning a national championship in serious doubt.

If you don’t come away from the movie without wanting to buy chess sets for everyone you know as well as your self, then you have a hardened soul. ‘Searching for Bobby Fischer'shines a glorious light on a game (indeed it is now an Olympic sport) often overlooked as being too intellectual for the common man or woman. Of course there is the obligatory Hollywood message displayed about overcoming preconceptions, but for once it doesn’t feel forced or jaded.

All the cast are on top form including some well known names – Ben Kingsley and Joan Allen are on board – but the film would fall flat on its face if it weren’t for the presence of Max Pomeranc playing the lead character of Josh. Throughout the film he quietly convinces you of Josh’s struggle between his status at school with his peers and his desire to play chess. Whilst Ben Kingsley and Joan Allen are always good value for money, Joe Mantegna surprises in a highly nuanced performance as Josh’s Dad. Out of everyone else, it is Mantegna’s presence that helps highlight the struggle Josh faces as he tries to reconcile his need to be accepted at school and his need to be a chess champion.

The scenes with Josh playing in Washington Square in New York are amongst the best ever committed to film and all the players he faces off against are real chess players and champions (with the exception of one). The atmosphere contained within these under-played moments showcase everything that is great about chess as well as everything that is colourful and odd about some of the people who play. Watching Josh make his moves against masters of the game really does convince you to go out and buy chess sets to see if you can recapture some of the magic of the film.

Unlike his idol Bobby Fischer – one of the most famous but highly unlikable chess prodigies to grace the planet – Josh refuses to allow the game to turn him into a human robot that no one wants to talk to. It is the relationships between him self his father and the various chess masters he plays that keep Josh sane and prevent him from becoming alienated and nasty.

‘Searching for Bobby Fischer'never did great things at the Box Office despite good reviews and feedback from general audiences. It is a shame because it is one of the classic films of the 90s. However like ‘The Shawshank Redemption'released around the same time, ‘Searching for Bobby Fischer'is finding its feet on the home movie market. And it will make you want to buy chess sets for your friends!

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I was bored of working on the payroll software for my firm and decided to check out Die Hard 4.0 instead. The movie has a very simple plot line that has been used for quite some time now. John Mclane is this guy who never quits and who has no problem in getting under the skin of his villains. On the other hand, the villain is a very smart guy who comes up with the most outrageous plots and nearly gets away with it. Not surprisingly, the only person who sees through the villain and breaks the plot is John Mclane himself.

Things would have been very boring had it been a straight fight between the good and the bad guy. However, there is always an innocent third party who gets entangled without any fault of his. When this happens, John learns to coordinate and cooperate with the third party stranger and does a better job than he originally intended.

Of course, you have a lot of action, explosions and arrogant lines delivered by the hero himself. There never was a lot of mush in Die Hard movies and that is a good thing because that would only serve to take your attention of the action. However, I was not really impressed with the stunts because it was too outrageous and expected too much from the hero. The tunnel scene was particularly difficult to believe because any other person would have simply crashed into the first concrete wall and would have ended his life in a burst of flames. John Mclane survived the crash and did so without suffering a scratch.

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People think “Batman” = another childhood favourite turned to smut by Hollywood. But they’re wrong. The Dark Knight remains one of my all time favourite films to date. A film that dwarfed its predecessors and competitors and still continues to thrill me to this day.

That scene when the Joker lets lose on someone on national television, or where a police officer crashes into the Mayor’s window still make me jump with excitement. The constant twists and developments in the plot are the groundings for some brilliant acting, particularly on Michael Caine’s part.

I have to say though, what really made the movie stand out from the other greats is Heath Ledger’s brilliant acting. I was sorrowful when he passed away, truly he was a gifted actor.

Anyway, on to a less miserable note, his performance as “the Joker” bared semblance to the Shakespearian Machiavellian Villain - Iago. The Joker is the puppet master in the movie; whether they be criminals in the slums, Mafia bosses in penthouses or a senators in three piece suits, the Joker gets them on his side or kills them.

After Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises must deliver, and it promises to. With a cast of esteemed Hollywood actors, the next instalment in the Batman Saga promises to deliver. All we can hope for is that Christopher Nolan can pull it out of the bag once again, and give us a spectacular film that we can enjoy time and time again.

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It is not often that a film leaves me in a state of real awe, not just about the filmmaker’s ability, but also about the subject of the movie.

The Cave of Forgotten Dreams excelled all expectations in leaving me in a awe-struck, dream-like haze for days afterwards. In fact, even weeks after I first saw the film, whenever I think about it, I am still easily drawn into a state of wonder.

It is such a simple premise. In 1994 some cavers found what they were sure should exist, a large cave inside the limestone cliffs in southern France. Gleefully, they scrambled in, only to be drawn up short but something they had never expected – the cave walls were covered with fantastic prehistoric paintings. They turned out to be the oldest known in the whole world, dating back to 30,000 years ago, and since the cave system is so extensive, it was literally an historic find.

Named after the caver Jean-Marie Chauvet, the Chauvet caves are strictly guarded, and are only open to scientists for a few days a year. The condensation from visitors'breath and modern lights can destroy cave paintings, so the French authorities rigidly control entrance. So it is a miracle that veteran German filmmaker Werner Herzog and his small team were allowed to accompany a short expedition by archaeologists into the caves.

The stunningly beautiful art is revealed slowly and lovingly in the resulting film, with flickering lights such as our ancestors might have known. It is a powerful, moving film, and my only concern is that with the rubbish retail display equiptment some DVD rental shops have, an art-house film such as this might never reach a wide audience, although it deserves the attention of us all.

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The other day I took my girlfriend along to see Insidious at the cinema. What usually when we see a scary film together is she will become terrified and I will sit there un-phased holding her hand and comforting her. Hollywood horror for a while has become too formulaic in my opinion. You can tell when there is going to be something that will make you jump around the corner simply by the rhythm of the film. I usually end up losing my attention in tinking about whether or not the old Hollywood actor they’ve roped in to the film to get the funding has had botox injections. Insidious might just be the horror I’ve been looking for. Rather than sitting there only jumping in reaction to my girlfriend grabbing my hand when she got scared I found myself gasping, even screaming, in reaction to some of the images I saw in this masterpiece. If you want to be scared witless, get along and see this movie.

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Never Let Me Go is, as you may know, a story of human cloning brought back down to earth and made simple. It is not filled with special effects, is a film which is carried wholly on the few major cast members – Keira Knightley is excellent, and believe me I don’t often say that after “Domino” appeared – and is a film with a great deal of depth. Strangely, the first time I watched it it didn’t grab me too much, but on the second viewing I enjoyed it more – by then very familiar with the story, I was then able to devote myself to understanding the dynamics of the lead characters and how they change and grow-up.

Even my dad liked it, and he usually only watched documentaries on Dave about red diesel suppliers . Or Ice Road Truckers, of course. His all-time favourite.

The last great point I want to mention is that here is a film which is for the boys and the girls. Moving and full of impact, it’s a sad take which will ask a lot of you but also give a lot back.

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Until the day the movie surfaced, and everyone realised that what he had created here was a serious piece of work that was both one-of-a-kind and spectacularly true to the original story that almost begged cinema goers not to watch it.

But watch it they did: 127 Hours turned out to be one of the best surprise hits in recent years. How did he do it? Well, using real sets mimicking the rock crevice that the climber fell into. That and some pretty astonishing special effects and method acting by James Franco.

Watching the behind the scenes feature on the DVD and reading the book by Aaron Ralston himself – the real climber who was forced to amputate his own arm to escape with his life – you can’t help but envy Boyle for his commitment to doing the job properly. He could have made it much easier on himself, but instead, he saw fit to replicate the situation Aaron found himself in perfectly, using the book as a guide. The resulting footage is terrifyingly real, and most agree it’s set the bar for the psuedo-documentary film-making trend set by films like Touching The Void.

Whatever your opinion, whether you’re a human resources software person who secretly loves gore, or a secretary who’s never got through a horror movie before, 127 Hours is a film which needs to be seen, whatever your feelings on the unfolding events.

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Fast forward a few years and the sick jokes in American Psycho – as well as the running theme of man’s obsession with material things – have become a main-stay of modern society. Now, commerce is more obsessed with money and violence than it ever has been before. Reading those books now, it’s a strange feeling. It’s almost as if both those authors had insight into a window of the future and wrote about it with raging honesty to warn us. Not that we bothered listening, of course.

No: we want our dog insurance, and we wants our levitating toilets that can easily be cleaned under. We want the best of everything, and are duped into buying it while the government spends money on things to keep an eye on us. Call me a crackpot conspiracy theorist if you like, but take a walk down your city street and count the CCTV cameras, then get back to me.

Of course, Pahlaniuk and Easton Ellis didn’t really see into the future. They merely took their cues and unravelled where we were going. Strange, then, that so many people complained about those books. Or who knows, maybe people complained because they could see themselves in the faces of the protagonists?