Happy End

Curious cross between Deliverance (which came out nine years earlier) and Predator (which came out a lot later) has National Guardsmen on a boring weekend exercise in a Louisiana bayou, only to find themselves under attack from local redneck Cajuns, all due to the troop's own stupidity. The dysfunctional group dynamic is far more compelling than the traps the group will face en route to death or freedom (and there's a lot of the former), with a solid cast of notable faces that eventually add as many corpses to the body count as their attackers. Very intriguing film.

In the suburbs of Paris, an old maid has just been murdered. Every body talks about that, except the misanthrope Mr Hire. The same evening, Alice, just getting out of jail, arrives and meets up with her lover Alfred again. They act as they do not know each other, for Alice went to jail to spare Alfred. But Mr Hire falls in love with Alice, and he knows Alfred is the murderer…

Douglas Sirk remains one of cinema's sharpest observers of human nature, and the string of melodramas he made in the 1950s, although glossy and colourful on the surface, reveal a cynical and pessimistic view when examined more closely. Although his movies were derisively labeled as “women's pictures” by critics, directors such as Godard and Fassbinder later praised his films, applauding his use of cinematic distancing techniques to coax the audience into examining the message behind the images. This magnificent box set contains seven of the master of melodrama's finest works, including his masterpiece - All That Heaven Allows, a ruthless depiction of spite in suburbia, and a heavy influence on Fassbinder. Features Imitation Of Life (1959), Magnificent Obsession (1954), Written On The Wind (1956), All I Desire (1953), Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952), All That Heaven Allows (1955) and The Tarnished Angels (1958).

A retired boxer's past catches up with him after he falls for a blind girl in this gripping Turkish romantic thriller. Having lost her sight, beautiful young Hazal can only see what's in her memories. She refuses to let her disability get in the way of her life and is buoyed by her relationship with Ali. Their paths crossed unexpectedly, leading to an intense and passionate love. But former boxer Ali has a dark and violent past, which now comes back to haunt him. Forced to enter the ring once more in order to keep Hazal safe from harm, he puts his life in danger during a brutal bout. The couple's fate will be determined by the outcome. First-time director Hakan Yonat's blend of powerful romance and edge of seat fight action boasts an exceptional cast.

When man-about-town Saheiji (the beloved comedian Frankie Sakai) finds himself unable to pay for a bill at a brothel, he is forced to remain there to work off his debt. However he finds his wit and resourcefulness enable him to turn this situation to his advantage, as he interacts with a whole range of characters, from rivalling courtesans to political activists.

Chang Cheh strays from his period kung-fu heroic bloodshed pictures to deliver The Delinquent, a powerful youth melodrama featuring the famed filmmaker's tortured themes! Chung Wong is John, a lower-class kid whose frustration with his tough life and low-class status put him on a collision course for tragedy. A gang of local thugs plans to secure a small fortune by robbing a local storage depot guarded by John's father. To pull off the heist, hey try to persuade John into getting them the safe combination. John doesn't fall for it though, even with the promise of money and sex thrown in. Unfazed, the gang leader ups the bribe with a cool car and the gorgeous Bei Di - and who wouldn't agree to that? John agrees to help, provided that they perform the robbery when his father is not on the job. But John's best intentions don't guarantee a happy end. Things go wrong, and John must seek revenge against all those responsible - including possibly himself! Action director Lau Ka Leung handles the explosive fight sequences for The Delinquent, a harrowing action-drama that's as dark and emotionally powerful as Chang Cheh films get!

During World War I, underage student Francois Jaubert meets and falls in love with Marthe Grangier, who is engaged to Jacques, a soldier at the Front. Though Francois pursues her ardently, they become separated and she marries Jacques. But when Marthe and Francois meet again, their mutual feelings prove stronger than ever, and they begin an extramarital affair…regardless of potentially tragic consequences.

Takaki and Akari are two classmates in elementary school. During their time together they have become close friends. Their relationship is tested when Akari moves to another city because of her parents' jobs. Both of them struggle to keep their friendship alive, as time and distance slowly pulls them apart. When Takaki finds out that he is moving further away, he decides to visit Akari one last time.

This colourful, music-filled and sensual melodrama based on early stories by Maxim Gorky tells the fatal love story between the beautiful and rebellious girl Rada and the handsome horse thief Zobar. The story is set in early 20th century Bessarabia, now part of Moldova, then belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.