Alfred Hitchcock and using the mind

[TaoMaas]

IMO, it has a lot to do with time. Good suspense takes time to develop and it seems the conventional wisdom is that today's general audience won't wait for it. I think some of the most suspenseful sequences contain little to no action.

It's "tension" and "release". Making a good thriller is a lot like building a good rollercoaster. The best rollercoasters don't just haul you to the top, then let you twist and turn your way to the bottom. No...the best ones include several spots where you say, "Whew...I made it" only to find yourself building back into another harrowing descent. Tension and release. It doesn't have to be big. It can be a series of small events. Prune...it's no different than trying to describe to someone how to play the perfect solo. There is no real formula because so much of it is based upon feel. But the primary thing is that it's not flat. It's up...down...loud...soft...full of dynamics that drag the viewer/listener along for the ride.

[Larry OKC]

I agree with the rollercoaster theory (sometimes literally). Although not in the Hitchcock genre, some of my most enjoyed movies were of that type...Star Wars, Indiana Jones, the Star Trek reboot, Jurassic Park etc. They don't always make sense and highly improbable but fun never the less.