One minute with... Jerry Cornelius. (Shamelessly stolen from the 'One Minute With...' slot in The Independent. Yesterdays was with Roger Moore, so some of the questions will reflect the trade in which he gained his fame.)

Where are you?

In the back room surrounded by junk. I have just looked out of the window and noticed that my neighbour, the foxy Keren, has finally had her fence put up. It looks like a good, solid piece of work. Unfortunately it also means that I will soon be required to spend a day or two painting the fence on our side.

What was the last film you saw?

"The Rocker". It is not a masterpiece, but I thought it was OK.

Who is your favourite Director?

I have more films by Alfred Hitchcock than by any other Director, courtesy of several box sets, so I suppose I should say him. Of the newer bunch, my favourite would be David Fincher.

If you could have starred in one film, which would it be and why?

"Point Blank" as Walker. The film is a cult classic. A little masterpiece of a thriller. Frankly that should be a good enough reason for an actor to appear in any film, but beyond that Lee Marvin as Walker is tough, relentless, impenetrable, well dressed and extremely cool. Everything that I am not.

What distracts you from work?

TV, going to the cinema, surfing porn. Too much of the latter, lately. I am trying to stop. I have not looked at any porn today. It is a start.

What did you want to be as a child?

I cannot think of a single thing. I don't know. Ask my Mom. She might be able to give you an answer.

Who is your greatest inspiration?

Am I a person who gets inspired by people or events? I do not think that I am. That is a very sad thing to admit. These days am I that indifferent?

The film that changed your life is...

"Planet Of The Apes" from 1968.

I saw it with my Dad at the cinema during the rerun in the early 70's. We both enjoyed it a great deal. From then on we were always going to the cinema. I have been going ever since.

The film also led me directly to books. I first book I ever purchased was "Monkey Planet" by Pierre Boulle, the novel on which "Planet Of The Apes" was based. I started to buy other science fiction novels by the likes of Isaac Asimov, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, etc. I then started to read other kinds of books. It goes on.

Who is your hero?

My Mom, of course. She was widowed at the age of 43, pregnant and with 4 kids under the age of 10. (I was 14.) She was given the option to allow us to be taken into care, but refused. They were not going to take her fucking children. She went from a mouse, dominated by my Dad, to a woman who had to learn how to make decisions. She made mistakes, but she did OK.

We all have our problems, but basically we are all fine. None of us are on drugs. None of us have ended up in prison or in trouble. 4 out of 5 of us are working. We are the kids of an inner city, single mother. We should be scum. You know what? Take your cliches and shove them up your arse where they belong.

My Mom is my hero.

**

I got a bit down this afternoon. I went around to see my Mom and she told me to spend some money on myself. I have. I have purchased three movies from the '3 for 20 quid' offer at Zaavi and one on top. These movies.

1. "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane". I loved this movie. For a horror film it is just outstanding. Just a beautiful looking movie that works on all sorts of levels.
2. "The Notorious Bettie Page". Ditto. Considering it is about the most famous fetish model of all time, it is kind of sweet and innocent, while also being quite rude and very funny. Well, I laughed all of the way through it. I think that Gretchen Mol should have been nominated for an Oscar for this one.
3. "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead". Outstanding thriller. Great turns from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney. Marisa Tomei is also outstandingly sexy, as if I needed to point that out.
4. "Southland Tales" . Richard Kelly's followup to "Donnie Darko". I have never seen "Southland Tales". It was booed at the Cannes film festival, withdrawn and recut, losing half an hour of footage in the process. Then it was released 18 months later to terrible reviews, except for the Empire Magazine reviewer who quite liked it. I was just dying to see this movie, but it was in and out of British cinemas faster than George W. Bush out of a meeting with his economic advisor. Maybe one day they will release the full cut.

I will watch one of these films after "The X-Factor" results. Who is going home tonight? Ah... That might well be Girlband. I hope so. I have a bet on that JLS will be the top group in their category.