Since 1997 we systematically perform Direct ARPES (=DARPES) on in-situ grown, non-cleaved, ultra-thin (<25nm) cuprate films. Specifically, we probe low energy electronic structure and properties of high-T-c films under different degree of epitaxial (compressive vs tensile) strain. In overdoped in-plane compressed La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) thin films we double T-c from 20K to 40K, yet the Fermi surface (FS) remains essentially 2-dimensional (213). In contrast, tensile strained films show 3-dimensional (313) dispersion, while T-c is drastically reduced. It seems that the in-plane compressive strain tends to push the apical oxygen far away from the CuO2 plane, enhances the 2D character of the dispersion and increases T-C, while the tensile strain seems to act exactly in the opposite direction and the resulting dispersion is 3D. We have the FS topology for both cases. As the actual lattice of cuprates is 'Napoleon-cake'-like i.e. rigid CuO2 planes alternate with softer 'reservoir' (that strains distort differently) our results tend to rule out 2D rigid lattice mean field models. Finally, we briefly discuss recent successful determination of the FS topology from the observed wavevector quantization by DARPES in cuprate films thinner than 18 units cells (<24nm). Such an approach is of broader interest as it can be extended to other similar confined (ultra-thin) functional oxide systems.