Modern Japanese Cinema has been dominated by two names (animation not withstanding); Takeshi Kitano and Takeshi Miike, but in recent years both have become decreasingly successful at wooing international audiences and arguably peaked in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Kitano hasn’t had a major release in the UK since Zatoichi (2003) and Miike, although remaining a very prolific filmmaker, hasn’t directed a film of significant note since Ichi the Killer (2001).

Hirokazu Koreeda is the unsung great director of Japanese cinema. Koreeda is his nation's equivalent of Michael Winterbottom, a chameleonic filmmaker who has never told the same story twice and is a master of all styles. Paradoxically though his seven films to date all explore a re-occurring theme of death.

Written and presented by Mike Dawson. Additions written by Wilson McLachlan.

WARNING: Contains Spoilers throughout.

There is arguably no single component of film that is lacking in importance, from the art design to the cinematography, from the performance to the direction - every individual element of film informs the whole. The majority of the time the films we consider classics or masterpieces of cinema are the ones that succeed in every area.

Joe Dante's The 'burbs (1989) is an succinct demonstration of how every single element of a film is of the utmost importance and how floundering on a single component can completely destroy a movie's moral balance sheet.

The business of satire is a risky one. When the concept is applied in literature, theatre, film or any other medium there is always a risk that it will be misunderstood. Satire is an ironic and sometimes sarcastic means of making an indirect social or political point, often leaving the author open to attack from those who were simply unable to distinguish their tone.

Paul Verhoeven's 1997 science fiction epic Starship Troopers is actually a socio-political attacking American militarism and globalisation. Unfortunately the films political message that "war makes fascists of us all" was lost on the average viewer.

Written and presented by Mike Dawson.

Tom Clancy is one of the most high-profile literary figures in the US, an author that most people are familiar with regardless of whether or not they may actually have read one of his best-selling novels. Noted for the exhaustive breadth of his books’ technical prowess and militaristic know-how, he is to the political thriller what John Grisham is to the courtroom drama; they both deal in gripping stories of dramatic and sensational content but rarely tip the balance into ludicrous extremes.

Tom Clancy's spy novels have been adapted to the silver screen for many years. John McTiernan's The Hunt For the Red October (1990), Phillip Noyce's Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and Phil Alden Robinson's Sum of All Fears (2002). Whilst the quality has waxed and waned the politics have remained fairly consistent.

WARNING: Contains spoilers throughout

Joss Whedon’s short-lived 2002 Science Fiction television series Firefly lasted mere fourteen episodes before it was summarily executed by 20th Centaury Fox for crimes against high ratings. Thanks to positive critical reactions and a wider distribution on DVD, Firefly became a cult-hit with a massive fan base of dedicated viewers who continually lobbied the Fox network to re-commission the show for another season.

Joss Whedon's film adaptation of the flop TV series Firefly had to both inform new viewers of its complex context whilst avoiding potential alienation of the die-hard fans. This edition examines the perfectly balanced pre-title sequence of the film moment by moment.