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Discover the true stories involving very real people, places and events -- some known to the public, others hidden from it -- that went on to inspire some of Hollywood's biggest hits, most iconic heroes and notorious villains.
2008
Al Capone was a notorious Mafia boss who thrived during the Prohibition era of 1930s Chicago. In the film "The Untouchables," he was brought down by a small group of gritty law enforcers led by Eliot Ness. The public believed that Ness and his Untouchables were responsible for Capone's downfall, but that's not the real story. The Internal Revenue Service recently opened secret documents surrounding the case, including highly classified objects such as Capone's gun and Ness's diary. See the full story behind the plot to capture Capone.
Uncover the true story behind the most famous prison break in American history. Alcatraz was the world's most impregnable prison-until three inmates escaped. Despite a vast manhunt, the men were never seen again. Did the prisoners actually make it off the island, or did the icy waters of the San Francisco Bay act as the fortress' last line of inescapable defense?
Just who was the real Indiana Jones? Indy's creators George Lucas and Steven Spielberg say the inspiration for the whip-cracking adventurer came from the explorers featured in 1930s and 40s movie serials. In turn, many writers of these serials say their inspiration came from the real-life adventures of Roy Chapman Andrews. Another source for the Indy legend is the German scholar and Grail-hunter, Otto Rahn. Both embody the spirit of Indiana Jones, and lived real lives of scholarship, exploration and danger.
The quiet village of Amityville, NY took the country by gruesome surprise on November 13, 1974, when police discovered six members of the DeFeo family shot dead in their suburban home. Ronald, the eldest son, was found guilty of the murders. But when a new family moves into the DeFeo's Amityville home, reports of demonic possession and poltergeist activity grab international attention. Through eyewitness accounts and archival footage, we explore the facts behind the Amityville case and reveal new evidence, which suggests a hoax could be behind the horror.
Bond...James Bond. Is this man of mystery a personification of a real spy or a fantasy spun by author Ian Fleming? Fleming wanted his suave secret agent to be the ultimate spy - but who provided the inspiration? Discover Fleming's wartime service in naval intelligence, and meet two men who could have supplied the basis for Bond's character. Uncover the facts behind the fiction - the people, places and even the gadgets that inspired the iconic spy.
2013
With 12 films and multiple television series in its thirty-year history, Star Trek is one of the most successful franchises in film history. The Real Story investigates the life of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and reveals actual scientific advances that inspired the series or were inspired by its fiction. Featuring interviews with actor Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock); the producer of the Star Trek TV series; Roddenberry’s son, Rod; and original members of the Star Trek fan club, the program charts Roddenberry’s meteoric rise to fame and extreme tactics to keep his series on the air.
2010
Perhaps the scariest part of "The Exorcist" is that it's not a work of complete fiction. We recount the 1949 exorcism of a young boy through reenactments and witness accounts. We also show how exorcism continues to this day and how neuroscientists' recent discoveries dispute this controversial, centuries-old ritual.
Johnny Depp and the cast of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" present the buccaneer lifestyle as a back-stabbing, high-living, hard-drinking world. It makes for an entertaining series, but is it a true depiction of the times? Evidence shows that amidst the lawless merriment, pirates formed a highly organized society, where democracy ruled and voting and health care preceded England by 100 years. We interview historians, weaponry experts, and one of the film's screenwriters to show how true pirate adventures inspired this blockbuster franchise.
Reviewing the history and the science of one of the Die Hard movies.
Reviewing the truth behind the movie 'Platoon'.
Reviewing the truth behind the movie 'The Da Vinci Code'.
Reviewing the Real Life Inspiration behind the movie "Scream"
Meet the deranged serial killers and the determined FBI agents who inspired one of Hollywood's most terrifying thrillers and gave Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster the roles of a lifetime. We go behind the scenes at the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit to meet the profilers who became the basis for Harris's characters and to uncover the details of real-life murderers Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and others.
Believe it or not, the covert, violent, and deadly world of Jason Bourne is actually grounded in reality. We take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the CIA to see how a super assassin like Matt Damon's conflicted hero is created. We also probe the intelligence agency's controversial past operations, involving sinister mind-control experiments and often bizarre assassination plots.
Behind Martin Scorsese's masterful direction and Robert De Niro's larger-than-life performance lies the very real story of the high-stakes battle between the mob and the law for control of Las Vegas. We interview key figures on both sides of this colorful crime story and detail how the FBI was finally able to overcome the Mafia's formidable grip on Sin City.
In 1975, The Sentry, a state-of-the-art Russian warship, was taken over by a rogue Soviet officer. This remarkable mutiny not only inspired the best-selling political thriller and the Sean Connery/Alec Baldwin blockbuster, "The Hunt for Red October," it almost triggered World War III. For the first time, The Real Story takes you deep into the details of the events depicted in the film, revealing firsthand accounts of bravery and tragedy from the men aboard the warship and the officers who ordered its destruction.
For over a decade, "Titanic" stood as the world's top-grossing movie, an epic tale of love, adventure, disaster and sacrifice. When it was made, James Cameron was lauded for his attention to detail and accuracy, but modern technology and new theories are telling a different story of what really happened to the "unsinkable" ship. We interview historians, engineers, and scientists for their expert testimony. We even set simulated sail aboard a virtual Titanic to retrace the final moments before impact, and get to the bottom of the truth.
You're 30 times more likely to be hit by lightening than attacked by a shark. Dog bites and bee stings cause more fatalities, so, why are we so terrified of these demons of the deep? Blame "Jaws." The Steven Spielberg classic terrified millions in 1975, and decades later, the film still has teeth. But could a Great White really be a serial killer? We interview marine biologists and shark experts for answers. We also relive a true tale of a man-eating monster that terrorized New Jersey in 1916, a story far scarier than anything on screen.
In the year 2000, masses lined up to cheer on Russell Crowe's Maximus in the Ridley Scott film, "Gladiator." More than 1,900 years earlier, they lined up for the real thing. It was a scene far bloodier and more brutal than any of the battles presented in the Oscar-winning film. We uncover the real story of "Gladiator," a tale of blood, death, obsession and violence. Demonstrations and new experiments reveal how these men really fought and died, and examine the emperor Commodus, a man who obsessed over gladiators while his empire crumbled around him.
Would the raptors in "Jurassic Park" have been as terrifying if they were covered in feathers? Would the T-Rex be as threatening if its speed tapped out at 10 MPH? No, but as a work of science fiction, it's forgivable. How much of the Steven Spielberg blockbuster was inspired by reality? Its characters were based on real people. Its shocking premise was influenced by real discoveries. Look beyond the Hollywood magic and into the scientific facts, with expert opinions from research scientists, fossil hunters and paleontologist Jack Horner, the inspiration for Dr. Grant, the main character in "Jurassic Park.
Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" is one of the greatest war films ever made, capturing the sheer horror and brutality of combat. The film is famous for its realism, but how much of this epic drama is truly accurate? Was there a real Private Ryan? Uncover the real story behind this Hollywood blockbuster as we conduct tests with weapons experts and gain insights from war historians. Then hear the moving testimony of soldiers who landed at Normandy and meet the families whose tragic stories inspired the film.
The line between good and evil in the Wild West was often blurred, and perhaps no Hollywood Western captured the realities of the dangerous frontier better than the Coen Brothers' "True Grit." Based on the book by Charles Portis, it's a brutal portrayal of frontier justice, but real life in the West was even more shocking. Explore a violent and unforgiving time in America's history and see how Rooster Cogburn and young Mattie's encounters with hangings, shootouts, and kidnappings would have been part and parcel with life in the Wild West.
No one would believe the story if it hadn't actually happened. The 1970 rescue of Apollo 13 captivated the nation and the film adaptation went on to win two Oscars(r). But how close to the truth was the film? Was "Houston, we have a problem," or "Failure is not an option," ever actually said? Did hostilities between the astronauts really exist? To reveal the truth, we put the big movie moments to the test. Firsthand accounts from astronauts and Mission Control staff involved in the rescue, as well as an interview with filmmaker Ron Howard, reveal the full story.
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.
Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" won five Oscars and made William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish warrior, an unforgettable Hollywood character. But how historically accurate is the film? Was the real-life William Wallace a heroic freedom fighter or a common criminal turned terrorist? Was he really saved by a princess who became his lover? We examine new archeological evidence, reveal recently deciphered ancient manuscripts and conduct forensic experiments to uncover the true story of this legendary warrior.
Though it is a work of fiction, few films have been as meticulously researched as director Peter Weir's maritime masterpiece, "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." The historians and experts who worked behind the scenes will now share the real story of how they brought their stunning recreation of the 19th-century seafaring adventure to the big screen. Join us as we detail the brutal conditions of life at sea, and reveal the real-life swashbuckling captain who inspired the Hollywood character "Lucky" Jack Aubrey.
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