Thriller: 5-DVD Collection - The Man Who Knew Too Much / The Man With The Golden Arm / The Lady Vanishes / The Inside Man / Suddenly (DVD, Boxed set)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) Black & White
An ordinary British couple vacationing in Switzerland suddenly find themselves embroiled in a case of international intrigue when their daughter is kidnapped by spies plotting a political assassination. This fleet and gripping early thriller from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, was the first film the director made after signing to the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation. Besides affirming Hitchcock’s brilliance, it gave the brilliant Peter Lorre his first English-speaking role, as a slithery villain. With its tension and gallows humor, it’s pure Hitchcock, and it set the tone for films like The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes.

The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) Black & White
Drummer Frankie Machine is out of detox and eager to get on with a big band career. He’s sure he’s kicked his habit. But the habit kicks back. In The Man with the Golden Arm, Frank Sinatra gives a piercing, Academy Award-nominated portrayal many call his best. (The film’s art direction and Elmer Bernstein’s smoky jazz score also earned Oscar nominations.) Pioneering moviemaker Otto Preminger directs this landmark that first defied Production Code taboos against on-screen depictions of drug abuse.

The Lady Vanishes (1938) Black & White
This classic mystery, and one of Hitchcock's greatest films, manages to combine humor with a genuine sense of menace - not to mention a curiously amusing collection of characters. The film is set into motion when a seemingly innocuous old woman, Miss Froy, disappears while on board a train bound for England. An acquaintance, Iris, becomes concerned and sets out to find her. What follows is a series of ingenious twists and turns finally steaming toward a suspenseful denouement. The film was extremely popular in the US and laid the tracks for the great British director's illustrious Hollywood career.

The Inside Man (1984) Colour
Investigator Miller is assigned to find a missing laser device that if it were to fall into the wrong hands would have disastrous world consequences. Neutral Sweden becomes the international melting pot attracting the unwanted attentionsof the superpowers, in particular Russia's submarine lurking offshore.

Suddenly (1954) Black & White
Oscar winner Frank Sinatra is riveting as a cold-hearted assassin in this taut thriller. When the President of the United States makes a train stop in a sleepy California town, the town sheriff is notified by a team of Secret Service men who arrive to make sure the town is secure. But three assassins get there first and take over the house overlooking the train station, holding the family hostage while waiting for the President to arrive. Frank Sinatra s portrayal of a cold-blooded killer is flawless turning this film into a compelling drama.