If you ever want to instigate an massive argument among cineastes, simply mention the name Brian De Palma and watch the sparks fly. In a career spanning nearly a. Though your novels regularly feature chance encounters, the one in Central Park is without a doubt one of the most unusual. Where did you get the idea Movies released and planned for release in 2017. Get exclusive film and movie reviews from THR, the leading source of film reviews online. We take an honest look at the best and worst movies Hollywood has to offer. Central Park Guillaume Musso. Though your novels regularly feature chance encounters, the one in Central Park is without a doubt one of the most unusual. Where did you get the idea Ive had this idea of a man and a woman who dont know each other waking up handcuffed side by side in my head for a long time. Ever notice how Christopher Nolans movies Interstellar, Inception, The Prestige feel like an anxiety attack Well, maybe thats overstating things a bit. But. The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way such as the adaptations of John le Carr or as a basis for fantasy. It first came to me while I was on a trip to Hong Kong. I wanted to set a sort of challenge for myself throw my characters into a situation seemingly impossible to get out of and to get them out of it without using any tricks. In other words, I wanted to create a completely rational plot that didnt rely on any use of the supernatural techniques I have used in the past. I quickly wrote the beginning, but it stayed in a drawer for over a year and half until I found an idea strong enough to move the initial concept forward. As is often the case for me, working at length on developing the characters is what did it. I believe that the strength of a novel relies as much on its characters as it does on its plot. The characters, their past, their traits and their paths give a story its flesh and blood. They bring emotion to the story and create empathy and sympathy with the reader. In this case, I knew I had a story when I wrote the part about my female protagonists difficult past. Her own past could even have made an entire story. This thus led to a new way of writing the story adding flashbacks to the main narrative. As a result, the reader discovers this characters past little by little, alternating with whats going on in the present, creating a double crescendo and strengthening the suspense. Indeed, the main plot takes place in real time the story begins in Central Park at 8am and ends the same day in the state of Maine. This tight pace places the reader right next to the characters movements. Why do this To give an original reading experience to my audience. Ideally, Central Park should be read in a short space of time. By compressing the action, I wanted to bring my reader on an emotional roller coaster made of plot twists, surprises, suspense, red herrings and changes in direction. Hitchcock had a delicious saying that sums up his desire to pull his viewers into the action the menage trois. In reference to Notorious, he says that in filming he gave the audience the great privilege of kissing Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman at the same time, a sort of temporary menage trois. This is exactly what I was trying to achieve making the reader feel like he or she is also handcuffed to the characters. The city of New York is also a separate character in this real time investigation. Its more a playing field for the action. The characters crisscross the town and go through some very well known areas Central Park, of course, Midtown, Chelsea as well as areas we dont usually see in novels the Red Hook docks in Brooklyn, the amazing Greek neighborhood in Queens, sometimes called Little Egyptup to the end of the novel when the action becomes a sort of road movie, traveling up through the blazing forests of New England. Its hard to summarize this novel with all of its surprisesSuspense, surprises and unforeseen events are indeed key to my narrative style. Ive always considered that a novelists most important quality is the ability to captivate his readers. Suspense Thriller Movies Party Central ' title='Suspense Thriller Movies Party Central ' />Moreover, today, we cannot help but notice that novels have to compete more and more with other forms of fiction movies, but especially TV series and digital entertainment. Readers and the rest of the general public consume a lot of fiction and are thus more and more familiar with certain codes. I therefore try to do something innovative with each novel and offer readers a story with a sharp, thick plot so that they dont feel any sense of been there, read that or been there, done that. Download Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher Movie Hq. Youve often said that you build your novels on two levels one where the reader can be swept away by the story and the suspense and a second where you introduce certain themes. What themes did you address in Central ParkThis novel is first and foremost about a quest for identity. From the onset, the reader discovers Alice and Gabriels personalities bit by bit, though they seem out of reach. These are above all characters who question their actions and themselves who am I really if I cant even remember what I did the night before Whos hiding inside me Do I have a dark side As you keep turning pages, omnipresent danger and fear of the unknown push them into a corner and force them to reveal their true nature, peeling back their old clothes to bare each complex and sometimes contradictory layer and facet. Your thriller is bathed in mystery. This novel is dark and gripping, but humor is nonetheless very presentIts true that the opening scene a pair of complete opposites forced to work together is one of the archetypes of romantic comedy. Though I chose to pull this story into the realm of the thriller, the dynamic between my characters and their antagonisms Gabriels nonchalance, Alices energy and determination pepper the narrative with humorous dialogue, reinforcing the chemistry that immediately formed between them. As both a reader and a viewer, Ive always admired creators who are able to combine humor, suspense and fear. Ive often mentioned my fascination for certain movie couples created by Hitchcock notably in Rear Window with Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, Howard Hawks His Girl Friday with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell or Roman Polanski Frantic with Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner. In literature, Stephen King is a master of humor even in the most horrific stories. He agrees with Hitchcock who often said that in the best thrillers, humorous breaks in the narrative are a necessity. The end of the novel is completely unexpected and the dramatic framework very precise, like the movement of hands on a clock. But beyond the element of surprise, the ending is very emotional and its effect remains with readers long after putting the book down. How did the first readers react They were of course surprised and most of them read the end with a lump in their throat. Mostly, they persuaded me to reveal as little as possible in my interviews, so as to preserve the reading pleasure for others It is now 2. Ten years ago, in January 2. Afterwards had just been published, marking the beginning of a decade of success. How have you experienced this rare period in the life of a novelist Im not usually a big fan of anniversaries, but this one is significant. Rights to Afterwards were sold in seven languages before it was even published and the launch in France was modest at first, but word of mouth quickly made it a success. Over the years, its popularity has not faded and it has become a long seller over 2 million copies sold in France, translations in 2. New York starring John Malkovitch Most importantly, this novel marks the beginning of a wonderful adventure because it was followed by nine other successful novels, giving me the immense pleasure of having a multitude of chances to meet my readers. As Paul Auster says, Books are irreplaceable, because theyre the only place in the universe where two strangers can meet on absolutely intimate terms. Plot Spot Suspense, one of the longest running and most successful radio series ever produced, employed some of Hollywoods foremost actors to bring its riveting stories to life. Extremely well produced and directed, Suspense represents the pinnacle of the medium. Over 9. 00 episodes were broadcast between 1. The majority were crime dramas, but the producers often ventured into the Science Fiction, Adventure, and Horror genres as well. Update I am deeply embarrassed to note that several of the plot summaries listed below were taken from a very fine site, Escape and Suspense, without their knowledge or permission and submitted to me. I published them without first checking their authenticity. I am in the process of tracking down those plot summaries and rewriting them. Sources used to create my own log and double check titles, dates and cast members. Escape and Suspense, Radio. GOLDINdex, Nightkeys OTR Errors and Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Currently this archive contains 2. See the CD cover art for this series. Webmaster Recommends Jeff Dickson Recommends Twenty Four Sixty Two  The Black Door  Door of Gold  The Hitch Hiker  The House in Cypress Canyon  Return Trip  A Strange Day in May. ABC Murders, The. Duration 3. 0 min. Genre Mystery. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Agatha Christie. Alexander Bonaparte Cust is a traveling salesman who is prone to blackouts due to a previous head injury. At first his headaches and lapses in memory were just a nuisance, but lately whenever Cust travels to a new town and experiences one of these blackouts, someone ends up dead Could he be the infamous ABC murderer Reviews Does an admirable job condensing the novel into a scant thirty minutes, but purists will be upset that Hercule Poirot is nowhere to be foundremoving the famed detective in favor of focusing on the character Cust. However, this works in the adaptations favor as Cust is far more complex, changing the story into what would have been a rushed detective story into a gripping psychological thriller. The ending remains a jaw dropping surprise. David Schwenker. Duration 3. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Charles Edward Montague. Following a stroke, a wealthy financier decides to climb an unassailable glacier in the Swiss Alps. Another version of this story appeared on Escape. Duration 3. 0 min. Genre Crime Mystery. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Ben Hecht. A veteran stage actor not only believes that his daughters supposed suicide was actually murder but also believes that he knows who did it. He decides to host a fancy dinnerinviting all his daughters friends and theatrical co workerswhere he will expose his daughters killer. Reviews Frederic March gives a wonderful and appropriately exaggerated performance as a rather hammy past his prime actor. The theatrical trappings add a unique flavor to the proceedings, but the plot itself is underwhelming if only for an ending thatwhile unexpectedis unsatisfying and anti climatic. David Schwenker. After Dinner Story. Duration 3. 0 min. Genre Mystery Thriller. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Cornell Woolrich. An elevator plummets to the ground, trapping five men in the ensuing rubble. When the men are finally rescued, one of them has been shot. The remaining four claim they saw nothing. The police think its suicide. The victims father thinks its murder and sets out to prove it. Reviews The radio adaptation changes the structure of the original storyfor instance, now we know the result of the elevator crash before it even happensthus diminishing its impact. Nevertheless, the story itself is so well thought out that it cant help but remain gripping with its truly fascinating premise that actually pays off in the end. Solid storytelling, despite the manhandlingWoolrich does it again David Schwenker. Allan in Wonderland. Duration 3. 0 min. Genre Espionage. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Kurt Singer. A recitation of Lewis Carroll leads a southern lawyer into a Balkan assassination plot. Reviews Taut and suspenseful, the final action took me completely by surprise. Seth Gaines. Year 1. Duration 3. 0 min. Genre Adventure. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Gus C. Bayz. Story of a doomed voyage to uncover the mystery of Franklins famous lost expedition. The rescue ship becomes icebound, and the crew face the prospect of enduring the brutal Arctic winter. See also The Captain of the Pole Star CBS Radio Mystery Theater and Hell on Ice Mercury Theatre on the Air, Miscellaneous Shows. Year 1. 94. 5 1. Duration 3. Genre Supernatural. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by William Fryer Harvey. Suspense produced two versions of this story, one with Ronald Coleman 1. Hans Conreid 1. 94. Another version was produced for Sleep No More. Reviews Great story. Definitely one of the top shows ever done for Suspense. The incidental music is fantastic, and makes the whole thing ten times as eerie. The Hans Conreid version was part of an hour show, and was apparently a lesser effort. Seth Gaines. Back for Christmas. Year 1. 94. 3 1. Duration 3. Genre Crime Thriller. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by John Collier. Herbert Carpenter is a professor of botany who is married to the very shrewd Hermione. His wife is meticulously planning a Christmas trip while Herbert is meticulously planning a botanical project in his cellar. Broadcast three times for Suspense and once for Escape. Reviews The first broadcast has Peter Lorre in the central roleand he is terrific as alwaysbut the story itself is fairly conventional, complete with an ironic twist ending that isnt all that surprising. Not badgiven the performancesbut not particularly memorablegiven the story. Broadcast so many times probably because it allows the actors to ham it up quite a bitespecially in the end when Herbert loses it. David Schwenker. Backseat Driver. Year 1. 94. 9 1. Duration 3. Genre Crime Thriller. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Sally Thorson. Driving home from the movies, a husband and wife are held hostage by a wanted killer who has been hiding in the backseat of their car. Reviews Slightly hokey, slightly improbable crime thriller, made memorable by the presence of comedians Fibber Mc. Gee and Molly playing it straight in the leads. A shorter, no frills 1. Anonymous. Banquos Chair. Year 1. 94. 3 1. Duration 3. Genre Ghosts. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Rupert Croft Cooke. A renowned prosecutor is determined to catch the only murderer who ever evaded his litigation, with the aid of an unusual allythe shade of his targets victim. Another version was produced for Sleep No More. A very good episode, with a very slimy villain, and a great ending. Seth Gaines. An admittedly ridiculous premisea detective tries to scare a criminal into confessing by having a ghost visit himis made deliciously entertaining due to the cat and mouse repartee between the retiring detective and the diabolically elusive villain, as well as a little twist ending to finish things off on a pleasant note. David Schwenker. Beast Must Die, The. Duration 3. 0 min. Genre Crime Thriller. Available for Listening Booth Y. Story by Cecil Day Lewis as Nicholas Blake. Told through a cryptic diary, a single father becomes obsessed with finding and murdering the hit and run driver who killed his only child. Based on the novel by Nicholas Blake which was successfully adapted onto film as Que la bte meure in 1. French master of suspense Claude Chabrol. Reviews This thirty minute adaptation does an admirable job condensing the novel, removing the amateur sleuth Nigel Strangeways entirely from the story to focus simply on the father Frank Cairnes and his mission to find and kill the hit and run drivera decision that the French film adaptation made as well.