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Sunglasses and movie stars go together like fish & chips. The early Hollywood greats started using them (sunnies, not fish & chips) way back in the silent movie era, not to go incognito, but to shield themselves against the harsh glare of early film studio lighting. That’s their story anyway.

We’ve put together a list of movies which really rely on sunglasses. Hell, they absolutely celebrate sunnies. It’s by no means a conclusive list – if you can think of any, just add them in the comments.

1. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
If you’re going to pull the perfect crime you should at least look sharp. Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway star in this one, which boasts bank robbers wearing sunglasses and straw hats.

2. The Blues Brothers (1980)
Elwood: “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses.” Ray Ban Wayfarers. Belushi’s are in tortoise shell.

3. The Terminator (1984)
The Governator made sunglasses both a trademark of the series and a running joke through all three films.

4. They Live (1988)
John Carpenter’s film where everyone who has some sort of power – in this case politicians, media, marketing and PR people – is actually a creepy looking alien. Earthlings are under a spell, and only with special sunglasses can you see what they really look like. An excellent satire on consumerism, complete with ex-wrestler Roddy Piper: “I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I’m all out of bubble gum.”

5. The Matrix (1999)
Many a customer services rep working at an internet service provider has trawled the streets in a long black coat and gun-metal rimmed sunnies, thinking he was Neo when he was probably more Silent Bob.

6. The Invisible Man (1933)
Directed by James Whale, who made Frankenstein and Bride of Framkenstein. Claude Rains played the bandage boy.

7. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
See main image. A group of ruthless criminals discover the heist that they teamed up for was a trap and realise that one of their number is a police informant. The picture says it all. Tarantino knew the power of Bausch & Lomb.

8. Easy Rider (1969)
The counter culture classic starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson. Groovy. Watch out for those Venusians, Jack.

8&1/2. 8&1/2 (1963)
You knew we were going to do this, didn’t you? Arbitrary use of sunglasses is peppered through Fellini’s films. Or maybe it’s not, but films like this one and La Dolce Vita sure make it feel that way. Anyway, here’s a pic of Marcello Mastroianni in sunnies.

Close but no cigar: Ray (we already covered him off with The Blues Brothers), Top Gun (Tom Cruise helped to relaunch Ray Ban Aviators… like, whatever), Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, Men In Black , Blade , Daredevil , Pitch Black .