The Hoover family are your typical suburban American demographic; dad's a failed inspirational speaker, grandpa's a coke snorting lay-about, the teenage son has embraced Nietzsche and abstains from the spoken word, the brother-in-law has just missed out on a successful suicide and the mum….well bless her, she really does try. The young daughter, however, is an upbeat bundle of positive energy and when the chance comes to enter the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant the whole family embark on a find out more...

The inspired, quirky, not to say down right weird, comedy drama, that revolves (tenuously) around Joel Fleischman, a born and bred New Yorker who finds himself transported to the remote wilderness of Cicely, Alaska, upon graduating as a doctor, a town populated by the good natured but single mindedly eccentric. Warm hearted, witty and perceptive, Northern Exposure garnered over 30 award nominations during its short run. Well worth a gander if the pleasure has so far eluded you. find out more...

Ulysses, Delmar and Pete have just escaped a chain gang and are high tailing it across the country to recover a fortune in hidden treasure. There is only one flaw in this otherwise faultless plan......they're clueless. 'O Brother Where Art Thou' is loosely based on Homer's Odyssey (when I say loose I mean like the jumper that you don't know whether to wear, or peg out as a tent) and is a rip-roaring comedy adventure, with all the quirky charm that you expect from the Coen brothers. The sound tra find out more...

When a gifted but unconfident Dublin street musician meets a young mother lost and alone in a new town, the two immediately relate to one another; pushing and encouraging each to reach for their dreams and perhaps even accidentally stumble into love. "Once" is a gentle joy, an understated musical drama, original and refreshingly simple, infused with wit and heart. find out more...

A tale of highway robbery set in the highlands of Scotland when two bored lads take their motor bike and start holding up tourist coaches in a Robin Hood style. Soon they are national folk heroes, but being infamous has its problems. Delightfully funny British comedy, along the lines of Gregory's Girl. Superb. find out more...

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...

When vertically challenged Finn Mcbride inherits an abandoned train depot slap bang in the middle of nowhere he's a happy man, finally life has provided him with the opportunity to escape the world's curious eyes, and he prepares himself for an existence of lonely bliss. Unfortunately for Finn, artist Olivia and hot dog seller Joe have other ideas and so begins a gentle, acutely observed comedy drama about the joys and the traumas of friendship. Sublime and brilliant. find out more...

A beautifully shot dramatisation of an elderly New Zealander's attempt to realise his dream. Charming, eccentric obsessive Burt Munro has spent years re-building an old 1920 Indian motorcycle into what he hopes will break the 1967 land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, but Burt's odyssey takes him through a series of human encounters on the road to Utah which broaden his horizons beyond that of the salt flats. While Hopkins' New Zealand accent may leave something to be desired find out more...

Woody is kidnapped by an antique toy collector, and kept with a new bunch of characters, while the rest of the gang come to his rescue. It's rare that sequels improve on their predecessors, especially when they're as entertaining and inventive as the original Toy Story, but this does. For those not in the know the two films are completely computer animated and full of great gags, dazzling action and deft action. Kids love it, adults may react more deeply. An absolute must. find out more...