Coming at the end of the decade famous for its buddy cop movies and somewhat fluffy glamorising of American police detectives in ethnically mixed partnerships – Internal Affairs was Mike Figgis’ darker brooding take on the genre which pitted cop against cop as Andy Garcia’s internal affairs detective Raymond Avilla takes on Richard Gere’s dirty beat cop Dennis Peck.

Mike Figgis' 1990 cop thriller maybe the most highly sexualised film of its genre, this edition tackles the many facets of sexual conduct, insecurities and associative connections explored within the film.

WARNING: Contains spoilers throughout

1986 saw the release of Canadian-born director James Cameron’s sequel to the 1979 Ridley Scott film Alien. Aliens has been praised over the years by Science Fiction, Horror, and Action film fans alike, not to mention fans of the original film and cinephiles in general. It is considered by many to be superior to Ridley Scott’s horror in space; whether the film is or is not superior to its predecessor is a matter for debate (I personally do not believe it is).

James Cameron's high profile sequel to Alien is more complex than it's predecessor and as such is open to interpretive possibilities including the view that the film is actually a Vietnam War metaphor.

The Director: In the short sixteen years since David Fincher’s directorial debut, he has only made one film that has fallen below what was otherwise a consistent level of excellence. Critically, different viewers may have more negative opinions on his work, especially Alien 3. After building a successful career in the world of music videos, Fincher attempted to move from the world of pop stars to the world of movie stars.

Examining one of David Fincher's most under rated films. Is this chamber piece thriller actually a black comedy in disguise? This episode also features an extended look back at Fincher's career thus far.

A shot by shot, moment by moment analysis of the first five minutes of John McTiernan's 1988 action movie classic Die Hard. What do these moments establish for the remainder of the film?

Exposition and set-up are crucial to the success of a large number of films. What distinguishes the superior films is the ease and subtly with which both exposition and set-up is revealed and or explored. John McTiernan’s 1988 action movie classic Die Hard is widely considered one of the greatest action movie ever made. Personally it is one of my favourite films of all time - it’s not without its flaws but is endlessly enjoyable.

Genre is examined in relation to this cult classic from 1980, John Landis' critically disastrous but culturally successful screw-ball comedy is tonally erratic which is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

John Landis directed The Blues Brothers in 1980; it can at once be described as a screw-ball comedy, an action comedy, a music showcase movie, or a musical. But which of these categories best fits this bizarre feature film? For the uninitiated: The Blues Brothers is the story of Jake and Elwood Blues two brothers who grow up in an orphanage run by the Catholic Church.