"Perhaps the volume that influenced me most was called The Miracle of Life. I spent hours poring over the small print of those magical pages. It was not a book written for children, but I was absolutely absorbed as I learned about the diversity of life on earth, the age of the dinosaurs, evolution and Charles Darwin, the early explorers and naturalists — and the amazing variety and adaptations of the animals around the world."

"The appearance of the sea knight in my beach movie was partly styled on Franco Nero in this film that is mostly forgettable. A heroic performance by Nero shows no end of energy and commitment. The only way I have seen the film is on VHS which, when transferred from the film to the video source, is out of order. Two reels were switched. A character comes back from the dead! Amazing."

"I’m lucky enough to have studied with and been mentored by Kim Stanley. The Goddess, written by [Paddy] Chayevsky, was such an extraordinary film to watch. I hadn’t watched it until after I studied with Kim. Her performance is just so powerful and so extraordinary. The story is the foundation, but it was amazing to watch this woman I was studying with, and it was such an inspiration to me as an actor."

"I have that movie where my dad, at a young age, sits you down and is like, “Son, you’re gonna watch this movie.” And you’re like, “Oh, no.” For me, that was Braveheart. That’s definitely an all time favorite. I love Braveheart, I love Mel [Gibson]. I think he’s just an incredible — he’s obviously an amazing actor — but I think he’s also an incredible filmmaker. Braveheart is way up there for me."

"For years I regarded Alf Sjöberg as the best director ever on the basis of this film. A stunning adaptation of a short play that is all set in a kitchen. Quite amazing, the way Sjöberg opens out and strengthens all the tensions and relationships in the story. Superb visuals. I’d love to see his Barabbas . . . a film of his I’ve never been able to track down, even when I went to Stockholm."

"A classic, and I grew up loving Judy Garland, and Bert Lahr is an amazing actor. As a child I watched it over and over again. It just represents the magic of moviemaking. I love how it goes from black-and-white to technicolor. My dad was a big Judy Garland fan growing up, so we would hear all these stories about her and the old studio system, so that’s one of my favorites."

"For me, this was one of the biggest inspirations to my songwriting. The way she uses layers and orchestral arrangements is amazing, and the way she's created this world - artists like her and Sophie create a whole new world. A whole package. The way she talks about it is great as well, instead of being direct she creates characters. I think she's really thought about how to address issues, she's very funny with it"

"The cinematography and acting in this film was amazing but I like how Lynne Ramsey made the sound effects and the music so loud. And there's hardly any dialogue so that was really interesting contrast. I usually hate loud soundtracks, because they can't always deliver it well - as if “this music will make this more happening” or something. But this was so intentional that way. I like Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack music. He's really good. "

"The fifteen-minute ballet sequence is so unforgettable. The cinematography is rich in a painterly, reddish-hued Technicolor. I resisted seeing this movie for years, thinking I wouldn’t be into it, but ended up completely absorbed and fascinated. Now I’ve seen it many times and still can’t get over how amazing it is. The ballerina played by Moira Shearer is torn between two men, and strangely, it’s the villain who I find myself rooting for."