Bigger is better in the land of the epic, films that up the ante not only in terms of the visuals, but also the stories, characters and emotions. Grand, sweeping classics from Gone With the Wind and Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus to Gladiator and, of course, Peter Jackson's peerless Lord of the Rings trilogy. To mark the release of Oliver Stone's colossal historical biopic Alexander, we've assembled a collection of films so big they can barely be contained on DVD.

Kick off your shoes, curl up on the sofa and enjoy.

Technically speaking, every film made outside of the Hollywood studio system can be described as world cinema. That’s every independent picture made in the US, and every feature ever made in every other country. That’s a lot of movies to collect under a single banner. Really though, when we talk about world cinema, we mean the good stuff. The important stuff. The stuff that made us think. From the silent days of Lang and Eisenstein to the French New Wave of Godard and Truffaut right through to the Spanish sex comedies of Pedro Almodovar and the modern horror masterpieces knocked out by the Japanese, World Cinema provides a welcome break from mainstream Hollywood entertainment.

With so many thousands of dramas available to rent on DVD, you may be excused for being a little overwhelmed. This is why we have put together a list of drama titles that are absolutely unmissable. From The Shawshank Redemption right through to Stand By Me, all of the movies in this collection are excellent. These are the essential titles for this category. Add to your list and enjoy.