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The True Story is a documentary series shown on History in the United Kingdom and on the Smithsonian Channel in the US under the name The Real Story.
see Discovery Documentaries Season 2012 Episode 20 * I respectfully disagree. It makes much more organizational sense to keep these shows together here rather than randomly inserted within the larger DC docs. It is still the same show even though it has moved from History Channel to Discovery.
Actor Willem Dafoe and director Oliver Stone talk about the Oscar-winning 1986 film about the Vietnam War. Platoon hit the silver screen in 1986 on a small budget with a cast of then unknown actors but gained worldwide acclaim for its gritty portrayal of the horrors of the Vietnam War. Oliver Stone wanted Platoon to be the most realistic war movie of all time and it was based on his own experiences as a solider in the conflict.
The much anticipated fourth instalment of the Die Hard franchise sees a slightly aged - but just as capable New York Cop John McClane (Willis) take on the sophisticated cyber-criminal mastermind Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant). Gabriel holds the United States to ransom as he wreaks havoc by shutting down the country remotely via the internet and only McClane can stop him. The True Story examines how likely large scale cyber terrorism actually is and what steps are being taken to stop it. In Die Hard 4.0 the cyber-attack is codenamed ‘Fire Sale’ – a term now actually being used among hacker communities.
Slasher film Scream, released in 1996 went on to spawn one of the most successful horror franchises in film history taking in in excess of 400 million dollars in the United States alone. The sadistic killer and his iconic mask have entertained and terrified audiences around the world. With Nightmare on Elm Street director Wes Craven at the helm, the first Scream film is credited with revitalizing the horror genre. Scream blended slasher violence with murder mystery and it played on the stereotypes and conventions of classic horror films breathing new life into the genre. Although the plot of the masked, small town serial killer targeting high-school students and picking them off one-by one may seem like pure Hollywood fiction it was partly inspired by true events and a real masked murderer who terrified students in a small town.
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Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is one of the most successful movies of all time. According to the author of the novel behind the movie, the story is based on a spate of shark attacks off the cost of New Jersey in 1916, which left four people dead. The savageness of the attacks dramatically altered the scientific view of Great Whites. And Jaws cemented their reputation as terrifying man-eaters. More recently however, new evidence shows that the Great White may have been unfairly blamed for the 1916 attacks. This documentary conducts new scientific tests using handwritten descriptions of the wounds of the 1916 victims. And, returning to the scenes of the attacks, it explores whether a Great White could really have come so close to land, finally revealing the identity of the real culprit.
Titanic is one of the top grossing movies of all time. Apart from the love story, most of the background events are accurate – with great attention to detail. But the culmination of a three year research project has revealed a new discovery. Another ship steamed to within five miles of the stricken liner and could have saved all aboard. Instead, on the orders of its fearful captain, it turned back, leaving the passengers to drown. Survivors of the wreck recalled seeing a “mystery ship” which refused to come to their aid. For decades the wrong man, Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian, bore the blame. Now, for the first time on television, we set the record straight, cross-referencing eye witness testimony from 1912, with Bob Ballard’s discovery of where the Titanic sank. We draw on archive footage, and present an astonishing voice recording that Captain Lord made in 1961, in which he reveals the identity of the man who abandoned the drowning passengers.
The historical figures who inspired the characters in the Ridley Scott film Gladiator, including Emperor Commodus, who in reality was even crueller than Joaquin Phoenix's on-screen portrayal.
This documentary reveals the science behind Jurassic Park is based on rigorous scientific research and that the key character at the centre of the film is inspired by a real life individual. The vision of how dinosaurs could be bought back to life has now been shown to be impossible. But this documentary will feature recent remarkable breakthroughs in biology that would allow dinosaurs to walk again. Using cutting edge evolutionary biology, scientists are getting closer to bringing the dinosaur back to life.
The movie was an instant smash when it hit the theaters in 1977 and reawakened man's obsession with the eternal question: "Are we alone in the universe?" Though a work of fantasy, few realize that Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classic was actually inspired by real-life witness testimony, as well as a series of UFO sightings in Michigan in the summer of 1966. Separate science fact from science fiction as we re-examine government documents and put old witness testimonies to the test using modern technology. http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/sn/show.do?series=679#episodes
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World premiered in 2003 and received 10 nominations for Academy Awards, including best picture. It was directed and co-written by celebrated Australian director Peter Weir, famous for movies The Truman Show and Dead Poets Society. The movie was drawn from the 20-volume series of seafaring novels by Patrick OBrian, following the exploits of Captain Jack Aubrey [Russell Crowe] and his close friend, surgeon Stephen Maturin [Paul Bettany]. OBrian’s novels were meticulously researched, and closely follow historical events. But in distilling 20 volumes down to a single feature the team behind the movie had to not only borrow incidents from several books, but also further bend the historical framework for creative effect. So the events of the movie are set in 1805 – when Britain fought the French – rather than 1812, when Britain was at war with the United States.
2007
Exploring the truth behind the murders of several women in Boston, Massachusetts, in the early 1960s. Were they the work of one person?
This episode investigates the legend of the Bermuda Triangle, reviewing famous disappearances and examining the evidence behind the many theories associated with the mysterious region.
The truth behind the swashbuckling pirate Blackbeard and revealing the real pirate ship and tales that inspired the action in the series of films starring Johnny Depp.
This episode examines the history of blood diamonds, exploring how the diamond trade has fueled armed conflicts and human suffering in different parts of the world.
This episode investigates the events that led to the 1978 Jonestown tragedy, examining the rise of Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and the mass deaths in Guyana.
This episode explores the legend of the Philosopher's Stone, examining its role in alchemy, mythology, and the centuries-long search for a substance believed to transform metals and grant eternal life.
This episode revisits the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre, examining the attack on the Israeli team, the hostage crisis, and its lasting impact on international security and the Olympic Games.
This episode examines the enduring mystery surrounding Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, exploring the claims that she survived the execution of the Russian imperial family and the evidence behind those claims.
This episode examines the true events that inspired the film Casino, exploring organized crime's influence on Las Vegas casinos and the people whose lives formed the basis of the story.
This episode investigates the real-life events and reported cases that inspired The Exorcist, exploring the history of exorcism and the origins of one of the most famous horror stories ever told.
This episode examines the disappearance of Amelia Earhart during her 1937 around-the-world flight, exploring the available evidence and the various theories surrounding one of aviation's greatest unsolved mysteries.
2012
Experts look into the reality behind True Grit, the 1968 Charles Portis story that has been given the Hollywood treatment twice.
Historians, eye-witnesses, weapons and forensics experts provide compelling new insights into the facts behind the classic film.
A look at how close Mel Gibson's epic film is to the true story of Sir William Wallace. Has the film changed the image of this Scottish hero?
This documentary reveals how Hollywood turned a disaster that NASA feared would always be an embarrassing stain on its reputation into a fascinating tale.
2008
Documentary from award-winning director David Hickman exploring how the story of Indiana Jones was inspired by the real exploits of Roy Chapman Andrews - an American explorer and naturalist. Andrews was best known for a series of perilous expeditions to the Far East that resulted in a number of important discoveries - much like the star of Spielberg's famous movie series.
A documentary chronciled the life of James Bond creator Ian Fleming and what led him to create his famous spy.
Historical documentary examining a remarkable escape attempt from Alcatraz prison. In June 1962, three inmates successfully broke out of the jail and took to the waters of San Francisco Bay in a makeshift raft, never to be seen again.
Using interviews, exclusive footage and dramatic reconstructions, this documentary explores the true story of how a small group of law enforcers led by Eliot Ness brought down notorious Mafia boss Al Capone in 1930s Chicago.
This episode revisits the 1974 DeFeo family murders and the events that inspired the Amityville Horror legend, examining the facts behind one of America's most famous paranormal stories.
In November 1975, Soviet political officer Valery Sablin led a mutiny aboard the frigate *Storozhevoy*, an event that later inspired Tom Clancy's *The Hunt for Red October*. Unlike the fictional story, Sablin did not want to defect to the West. Instead, he hoped to spark a new communist revolution against the corruption of the Soviet elite. Outraged by officials enriching themselves while ordinary citizens lived in poverty, he imprisoned the captain and tried to persuade the ship's officers to support his plan to sail to Leningrad and inspire a nationwide uprising. The officers were divided: some joined him, while others, including Lt. Boris Gindin, believed the mission was doomed. Those who opposed the mutiny were locked away, setting in motion a dramatic crisis that nearly escalated into an international conflict.
This documentary explores the real CIA history that inspired the Jason Bourne films. Robert Ludlum based Bourne on secret CIA mind-control and assassination programs, including unethical brainwashing experiments on psychiatric patients. The novels also drew on Ludlum's CIA contacts and real-life figures such as Carlos the Jackal. For *The Bourne Identity*, director Doug Liman replaced the original villain with Operation Treadstone, a fictional CIA black-ops unit inspired by the Iran-Contra affair, in which CIA operatives secretly conducted illegal missions in Nicaragua. Liman, whose father led the Iran-Contra investigation, used his firsthand insight into espionage to shape the story. Bourne's combat, driving, and survival skills were also designed to reflect the abilities of real elite intelligence operatives.
Silence of the Lambs tells the story of a young ambitious FBI profiler Clarice Starling as she pursues the serial killer Buffalo Bill with the help of convicted psychopath Hannibal Lecter. While researching the book on which the film was based, author Thomas Harris spent days with the FBI’s pioneering Behavioural Science Unit, questioning criminal profilers and immersed in the case-files of serial killers. Now, we reveal the movie’s real-life inspirations: serial killer Ted Bundy who, like psychiatrist Lecter, evaded capture with his charming, young lawyer persona; Ed Gein, whose sickening crimes echo the movie exploits of Buffalo Bill; and a young female FBI agent who helped Harris create Agent Starling. We also explore how Silence of the Lambs revolutionised the make-up of the profession, inspiring many women to become profilers, and reveal chilling footage of one such female entrant interviewing Gary Ridgway, considered America’s most prolific serial killer.