CONSPIRACY theories can in some cases turn into real headline news.

What was once thought to be too outlandish, too unbelievable is now true.

Conspiracy Theory films have a zing to them as they can push you to learn more about the topic, read more around the subject discussed in the film.

One of the films which has given me this type of enjoyment has been JFK, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Kevin Costner.

I enjoyed watching the film, watching it while listening to the director's commentary and reading the books the film was based on plus the final volume of the Warren Commission.

At the weekend, I indulged my love of the conspiracy film and watched what can be described as two classics of the genre.

The first was Three Days of the Condor (1975) starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, and Max von Sydow. It was directed by Sydney Pollack.

In a nutshell, the plot sees Joe Turner (Robert Redford) literally 'out for lunch' when the killers murder everyone at the American Literary Historical Society in New York City.

This is really a clandestine CIA Office. The staff read books and journals and study these plots to see if any are in line with current CIA thinking.

Redford whose character is nicknamed Condor has to work out who killed his colleagues? How can he stay one step ahead of being the next victim? And who or what is responsible for the murders.

As a spy/thriller it has a pacy story and moves along at a pace, hardly taking time for breath. What is interesting although you do not notice it, there is no set chases or computer generated imagery (CGI).

This means the story has to be strong, the plot believable and the action based on reality.

It is an old fashioned spy thriller but not one which has dated.

It might be one which could be remade in 2018, but I would hope only in the sense of the computer angle, not including explosions and car chases where none are needed.

Cinema should make you think and follow the plot not be overwhelmed by flash, bang, wallop-what a car chase which could never happen or people doing extraordinary stunts which are clearly beyond the realms of possibility.

The other film I revisited was The Parallax View (1974).

Somerset County Gazette:

This is a political conspiracy film. Not based on real events but events which are more than plausible.

The film stars Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels and Paula Prentiss. It was directed by Alan J. Pakula.

We follow Joseph Frady (Warren Beaty) who finds himself deeper and deeper in a cloak and dagger world of political intrigue and subterfuge.

He finds out a number of people who witnessed the assassination of Presidential candidate Charles Carroll, are themselves being killed.

He find out the Parallax Corporation was behind this killing and other political assignations.

This film allows our hero to follow his own leads, use his intelligence to find new clues.

It has a car chase, bombs go off, but these fit neatly into the plot, rather than shoe horned in just for cinematic convention.

I could see similarities with the assignations in this film with those of JFK and Robert Kennedy.

It is the type of person recruited by the Parallax Corporation who are angry lone nuts, some of whom are set up to be the patsy in the killing even though they never pulled the trigger.

Both films were made and release during the Watergate episode in America. It is interesting to link them to what revelations were happening at the same time.

It is also interesting to watch them now and realise how much fiction has became fact.