Ridley Scott cut his cinematic teeth directing advertisements for TV - his most famous are the 'Hovis' adverts - quickly creating a distinctive visual style which he developed in his first full length movie The Duelists in 1977. It was two years later in 1979 that Scott made the big time with the stunning sci-fi realisation Alien which created a whole genre of sci-fi movies. There followed a list of successful and characteristically idiosyncratic movies from Blade Runner to Thelma and Louise.