(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Gemma Arterton says people are often shocked by her dark DVD collection.

The 24-year-old British actress is best known for her roles in mainstream movies such as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Although her favourite all-time movie is a Disney classic, Gemma insists she actually prefers watching more obscure films most of the time.

I mean, Mary Poppins is actually my favourite film, but if anyone came and had a look at my DVD collection they'd be quite shocked, because it's pretty dark, she told British newspaper The Guardian.

The star is a particular fan of arthouse director Lars Von Trier, who has made controversial movies where many of his female lead characters are subject to misogyny and bullying. She says watching his work did scare her, but she also found them addictive.

Gemma thought Icelandic singer Bjrk was incredible in Von Triers movie Dancer in the Dark, and says actress Emily Watsons performance in his film Breaking the Waves was even more powerful.

"It f**king freaked me out, and then I watched Breaking the Waves, because I just wanted to see more of Von Trier's stuff, and Emily Watson's performance was even better than Bjrk's, she said of the first time she watched Dancer in the Dark.

Because she owns so many gritty movies, Gemma admits one of her pals once studied her cinema collection and teased her for having a fascination with violence and murder. A friend once looked at it and asked, 'God, have you got a real thing about capital punishment?'" recalled the actress. (C) Cover Media