Thriller

CHICAGO – The Glendale (CA) International Film Festival is screening a new short film on September 29th, 2023. The “Z-Twins,” Larry and Terry Ziegelman, collaborated on writing and directing “Broken Vessels” … a story of cancer, chemo and survival for a distressed woman. For info and tickets, click GLENDALE.

CHICAGO – As summer winds down, there are still many beach reading opportunities, and you won’t find a more tense thriller than “No Place to Die,” the debut novel of Roger Kelly Smith. The setting is a near-future colony on the moon, with a geo-political struggle between the U.S. and China that has implications for Mother Earth.

CHICAGO – Like his first film, “Get Out,” writer/director Jordan Peele creates a horror/thriller filled with symbolism and laughs. Unlike “Get Out,” “Us” is awash in overly concentrated plot points, a reliance on lesser references and an ending that can be seen from outer space. It’s not sophomore “jinx,” but more like the sophomore “over think.”

CHICAGO – Actor Frank Grillo is on the rise, as evidenced from his high profile supporting role in Marvel Studios “Captain America: Civil War” and portraying Sgt. Barnes in “The Purge” series of horror films. He recently has partnered in a production company (WarParty Films) and is the title character in their debut movie “Wheelman,” which is distributed and available now on Netflix, as part of their film group.

CHICAGO – In 2016, a new filmmaker voice made its way into the scene, and it was significant. Trey Edward Shults released his debut film “Krisha,” a shattering story of addiction and its effect on family. The film got him a deal with the distributor/producer A24, and his sophomore effort – the horror/thriller “It Comes at Night” – will be released on June 9th, 2017.

CHICAGO – There was a different kind of vibe coming from the thriller “The Boy Next Door,” different than what is expected when hearing “Jennifer Lopez as teacher caught in a scandal with a student.” But for every piece of original thinking, there was a fear of making it too different.

CHICAGO – La Toya Jackson has been making news for two weeks now, as she tours with her new book, “Starting Over.” In it, she relates that her brother Michael Jackson feared for his life, and his premature demise might have had implications beyond the cause-of-death revelations.

CHICAGO – The festival premiere of a new film is a great day for a director, and Chris Folkens is celebrating his new short film, “Diversion,” with an opening at the 2010 Hollywood Film Festival on October 23rd. Diversion is a taut thriller shot all in Chicago, as great a valentine to the city as a well-done paranoid narrative.