Those who are interested in theoretical issues relating to the thriller might want to check out my book... THE SUSPENSE THRILLER: FILMS IN THE SHADOW OF ALFRED HITCHCOCK, by Charles Derry, published by McFarland in 1988. Unfortunately, the book is no longer in print. Nevertheless, the book does deal, in great detail, with all the questions that have recently been posed to this list, including potential distinctions between the thriller and horror, distinctions between the thriller and the mystery. As well, there is detailed psychological analysis on the issue of how it is that we may enjoy going to films that make us uneasy, providing theories largely taken from psychoanalytic theory. For people interested in THE SIXTH SENSE specifically, the chapter "the psychotrauamtic thriller" may be especially instructive. ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu