"They were making thrillers or crime movies.
In 1982, JJ Abrams was a 16-year-old California kid making thrillers, sci-fi and monster movies on his grandfather's Super 8 camera.
I've recently started watching Hitchcock again because I'm very interested in how it was possible for somebody to be a major artist, as he undoubtedly was, but also to be a popular artist, making thrillers for mass audiences.
In short, US readers prefer genre fiction over general fiction, making Thrillers and Mystery the most represented genres in the NYTBL over time.
So what made "Thriller" such a big hit?
There was a moment in the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings last week that made thriller writers like me sit up and take notice.
The inspired and unexpected cameo appearances — Eddie Van Halen's garish guitar solo, Vincent Price's gothic poetry — helped make "Thriller" the best-selling album in American history for almost two decades.
"The Girl Is Mine" was followed by the hit single "Billie Jean", which made Thriller a chart-topper.
When we made "Thriller", he was the most beautiful person in the world.
Jon Pareles of The New York Times called the song "fluff", and believed that the other songs from the album were what made Thriller such a hit.
