Ethical screed aside, what does A Clockwork Orange have to offer beyond its curiosity value and a crash course in humanism? Well, for a start there's Kubrick's dazzling visual style which, rather in the manner that Trainspotting did 25 years later, translates the substance of an "unfilmable" book into the language of cinema. And at the dramatic core of the film is a simply astonishing performance by Malcolm MacDowell as Alex. It also features an orgy sequence that would have had Von Stroheim laughing his jackboots off — you'll certainly never listen to the William Tell Overture in quite the same way again. And as for Singin' In The Rain...

Connery has a ball with great stunts, snappy dialogue and a bevy of typically Bondish beauties.

Like Lansbury, the film has aged well and retains almost all of it's magic.

A lengthy, visually impressive period piece with little in the way of new material or fresh spins on history to distinguish it.

A made-for-TV movie that proved so remarkable it received a theatrical release (first in Europe, then 10 years later in the US), Spielberg's calling card is as distinctive a piece of visual storytelling as you're ever likely to see.

The Man With No Name faces a whole lot of pain in Clint's thrilling directorial debut.

It still stands up as an upbeat portrait of pre-revolutionary Russia, and will have you whistling If I Were A Rich Man for days.

Bogdanovich’s perfect recreation of the sense of time and place, and his ability to mix wit with poignancy that make this such a charming, timeless film.

Friedkin's hand-held documentary style was the perfect vehicle for the film's pumped-up verite.

It's not the plot that disappoints, it's the poor dialogue between action sequences. Sadly another film to file under not as good as the book.

Whatever the moral perspective, it keeps you gripped right to the end.

This is not a film about narrative but loneliness and life on the road, which it captures with a mysterious brilliance.

It's a deep film, but also elusive, accepting that some mysteries can never be solved.

Roald Dahl's immortal, sugar-coated morality play finds Gene Wilder as disturbing and fault-ridden but compelling as the book described. Okay, so its pacing may be slightly off (taking nearly 40 minutes to arrive at the factory gates), but this is still a Golden Ticket if ever there was one.

Alan J. Pakula directs with an aptly chilly eye on blue steel and grey walls, favouring whirring tape recorders and silently lurking voyeurs. Sutherland's melancholy title character is constantly challenged and prodded into the background by Fonda's Oscar-winning turn, which takes centre stage until the film becomes more obsessed with probing the riddles of her personality than solving the fairly transparent mystery.

They say that great actors are never knowingly caught acting; Altman's best movies are similarly effortless - experiences to be lived in, rather than simply watched.

The usually reliable thriller-director Lumet falls short. With an irritating score and bizarre performance by Martin Balsam, it's alleviated by a promising performance by a young Christopher Walken.

Poor attempt by Hammer to create their version of Frankenstein, featuring the usually reliable Bates offering a rather irritating performance as the scientist who goes beyond the call of science. Meanwhile before the call of Darth Vader Prowse begins to practice his heavy breathing and ominous walk.

With the potency of the central idea diminishing, Escape still manages the tricky move of carrying on a story that really should have ended with the last film, while setting up the series' mythology and paving the way for future chapters. But it's still a dilution.

Flimsy plot (as usual for Argento) but stunning set pieces and camera work.

Although there are fine homages to Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Eisenstein and Harold Lloyd here, this is a scattershot offering full of apolitical mockery.

Another coming-of-age tale about three boys and their quest to become men, which invariably revolves around having sex and puerile behaviour but then changes tack completely by giving us lush scenery. If the director had remained with one idea then perhaps the end product wouldn't seem so varied.

One of the best Amicus anthology movies, this is an enjoyable affair full of affectionate horror homage.

One of the least famous of Clint's Western this is an enigma of the genre with ambiguity and psychological depth all over the place.

Arguably the best British gangster movie ever made.

Wise (and Crichton) concoct the most absorbing, riveting take on science fiction tempered with science fact.

Downright depressing.

Amusing and imaginative and, of course, beautifully animated, this movie has all the superficial hallmarks of a great Disney picture.