The highly eccentric and totally brilliant Alexandro Jodorowsky doesn't make films like anybody else. Directed, written by and starring the man himself "El Topo" is a violent, surreal, quasi-religious Western, if that makes sense (which like the film it doesn't). AJ plays the nomadic lone gunslinger of the title, mostly shooting people for the first half, before being reincarnated as the comedian-cum-holyman protector of a community of deformed outcasts. No doubt some would attempt to read all s find out more...

Guillermo Del Toro's blockbusting tale of a young girl struggling to make sense of the violent world around her was a big 2006 arthouse hit. Continuing his exploration of the impact of the Spanish Civil War on his generation (it was also the backdrop for his excellent ghost story, The Devil's Backbone) Del Toro's fantasy mixes strong horror with fairytale-style aesthetics to great effect, making Ofelia's escape into an imaginary realm a poignant response to the cruel realities of her existence. find out more...