CategoryDocumentaries
True-crime and horror documentaries — real cases, real crimes, and the films that retell them.
373 stories
DocumentariesMoviesNewsTrailers
What do you get when two best friends with Down Syndrome rally their hometown of Providence to make their dreams of making a horror movie come true? You get the inspiring documentary Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie! The two inspiring guys convinced Sam’s older brother Jesse and his band of filmmaking friends to join them in bringing their film to life. The only rule: the duo’s original artistic vision must remain intact. This meant Sam and Mattie would storyboard, script, produce, cast, and star in their dream project: 2016’s Spring Break Zombie Massacre. This is just one of those magical stories,” says co-director and director of Spring Break Zombie Massacre, Bobby Carnevale. “We started out thinking we’d be filming their movie with iPhones and ketchup, but Sam and Mattie’s big dreams were infectious, so everyone offered to pitch in. The fact that we ended up with such an incredible film proves that when you bring the right people
Continue reading →
DocumentariesIndieMoviesNewsProductTrailers
Back in December, we reported that Unearthed Films was gearing up to release a documentary exploring one of the most controversial films ever made, A Serbian Film. Today, we have a sneak peek of that documentary to share with you. A Serbian Film, unleashed on the world in 2010, has left many traumatized. It remains one of the most unsettling, stomach-turning, brutal, and graphic films to ever see release. The feature film debut of Srđan Spasojević tells the story of a financially struggling porn star (Srdjan ‘Zika’ Todorovic) who agrees to participate in an “art film”, only to discover that he has been drafted into a snuff film with pedophilic and necrophilic themes. A Serbian Documentary is unlike any movie documentary before it. Curated from over 150 hours of behind-the-scenes footage with brand new, never-before-seen interviews with the cast and crew, this documentary is a must-have for any collector and will answer most, if not all of the questions out
Continue reading →
DocumentariesNewsStreaming TVTrailersTrue Crime
Epix has just released the trailer for the upcoming four-part true crime docuseries “Fall River” which explores a story of sex, satanic cults, and murder. “In 1979 – almost 90 years after infamous, accused murderer Lizzie Borden’s notorious acquittal – Fall River, Massachusetts would become home to another terrifying series of crimes. When three young women were killed in a streak of brutal murders, police alleged a satanic cult was practicing human sacrifice. The cult leader, a man named Carl Drew, was captured and sent to prison for life without parole. Twenty years after the trial, the lead investigator Paul Carey became so haunted by inconsistencies in the stories that he re-investigated his own case after he retired. Evidence surfaced that brought the entire story into question. Now through exclusive interviews, including intimate conversations with Drew, new witnesses, and illuminating evidence, this documentary series will tell the true story of a town caught in the grips of the paranoia and
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsParanormalStreaming TVTravel ChannelTrue Story
The end of March may be near but discovery+ shows no sign of slowing. With new premieres, programming and exclusives they will keep your days and nights spooky. Here’s what’s coming March 29th through April 11, 2020. In the new Shock Docs special Ed Gein: The Real Psycho investigators explore whether the notorious killer, who served as inspiration for iconic psychopaths from horror’s biggest films, is still haunting his Wisconsin hometown. Viewers can also watch as singer and social media personality Loren Gray joins the Ghost Adventures team special Investigation of the Joshua Tree Inn, Believed to Be Haunted by Late Musician Gram Parsons. discovery+ EXCLUSIVE PREMIERES SHOCK DOCS – ED GEIN: THE REAL PSYCHO TWO-HOUR SPECIAL – Begins Streaming Friday, April 9 on discovery+ The iconic psychopaths featured in “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Psycho” were not just fictitious villains, they were inspired by a real-life personification of evil – Ed Gein, a convicted murderer
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsShudderStreaming TVTrailers
When it comes to iconic horror films you don’t get much more important than The Exorcist. There are several documentaries out there about the 1973 classic, but one stands above all others, Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (review) and it should be required watching for all genre fans! Luckily, the Shudder documentary is coming to VOD, Digital, and Blu-ray this April. Written and directed by Alexandre O. Philippe (78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, The People vs. George Lucas), the documentary features William Friedkin (To Live and Die in L.A., The Exorcist) himself discussing the iconic film’s making and the mysteries of faith and fate that helped shape his life and filmography, and so much more. Pick up your copy of Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist on VOD, Digital HD, or Blu-ray on April 13, 2021, from RLJE Films.
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsStreaming TVTrue CrimeTrue Story
The iconic psychopaths featured in the blockbuster movies Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Psycho were not just fictitious villains, they were inspired by a real-life personification of evil – Ed Gein, s a convicted murderer and a grave robber who had a malicious obsession with human flesh. The next installment of the hit Shock Docs franchise will delve into the man who made a human body suit in Ed Gein: The Real Psycho, premiering on discover+ on Friday, April 9, 2021. The documentary includes a look at Gein’s horrific crimes, a paranormal investigation, archived media, and disturbing recreations. Sixty years after Gein’s arrest, documentary film producer and paranormal investigator Steve Shippy and world-renowned psychic medium Cindy Kaza travel to Gein’s hometown in Plainfield, Wisconsin, to conduct investigations of the most haunted locations connected to the infamous killer. For the first time in history, cameras are allowed on the Gein property where the gruesome evidence was first
Continue reading →
DocumentariesNewsStreaming TVTrailersTrue Crime
Uncover a sordid story of sex, satanic cults, and murder in Blumhouse and Epix’s new four-part docuseries “Fall River“. In 1979, almost 90 years after infamous, accused murderer Lizzie Borden’s notorious acquittal – Fall River, Massachusetts would become home to another terrifying series of crimes. Three young women were brutally murdered. The police alleged a satanic cult was practicing human sacrifice. The cult leader, a man named Carl Drew, was captured and sent to prison for life without parole. Twenty years after the trial, the lead investigator Paul Carey became so haunted by inconsistencies in the stories that he re-investigated his own case after he retired. Evidence surfaced that brought the entire story into question. Now through exclusive interviews, including intimate conversations with Drew, new witnesses, and illuminating evidence, this documentary series will tell the true story of a town caught in the grips of the paranoia and fear around the 1980s Satanic Panic and will shed light on murders
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesMusicReviews
Chris Holmes, the legendary guitarist on the first four studio releases from 1980’s shock-rockers W.A.S.P. (whom I bet more than one of you horror hounds out there were major fans of), and he of the vodka-drenched pool-set interview in Penelope Spheeris’ documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years gets the solo spotlight in the latest Blu-ray release from Cleopatra (along with MVD Entertainment); Mean Man: The Story of Chris Holmes! Immediately we learn Chris is alive and well (a miracle in and of itself), married, living in Southern France, and touring with his latest band Mean Man (for which he performs vocal and guitar duty). As we follow the band on tour we get to see a great slice of “life on the road”… but of course stories are soon told of Holmes’ tumultuous days in W.A.S.P., and his near constant battles with frontman Blackie Lawless (who both screwed him over constantly, and got him on
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesReviews
Director David Gregory (Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson, Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau) sets his sinister sights on the wicked world of arcane anthologies with his latest documentary effort; Tales of the Uncanny, which comes to us on Blu-ray courtesy of those crafty lil’ minxes o’er at Severin! Gregory, along with author and founder of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies Kier-La Janisse, take a chronological journey through the putrid plethora of anthology-style fright flicks that have tickled the fiendish fancy of horror hounds world fuckin’ wide… from the silent era, to the truly suburb Amicus flicks of the shockin’ seventies (and the pictures created by Milton Subotsky after the legendary studio folded), to television (The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, et al.), to Creepshow and it’s descendants… all is paid heed (though some all too briefly, such as one of yours cruelly’s fav anthology films; Joseph
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNews
A new documentary is in the works that centers on legendary genre actor Boris Karloff, who played roles such as Frankenstein and appeared in films such as The Mummy along with 203 other films and series, Variety reports. Titled Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster, the documentary is currently in production by the writing and producing team of Ron MacCloskey and Thomas Hamilton with Hamilton in the director’s chair. The film delves into the film career of Karloff that spanned sixty years and his legacy as one of the biggest icons in the entertainment industry which is explored in the 2010 biography “Boris Karloff: More Than A Monster,” written by Karloff’s official biographer Stephen Jacobs who serves as the historical consultant for the documentary. Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster, is 23 years in the making. MacCloskey and his team have spent over two decades working on the massive film that features 50 interviews with filmmakers and stars
Continue reading →
More from Documentaries
DocumentariesMoviesNewsTrailers
What do you get when two best friends with Down Syndrome rally their hometown of Providence to make their dreams of making a horror movie come true? You get the inspiring documentary Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie! The two inspiring guys convinced Sam’s older brother Jesse and his band of filmmaking friends to join them in bringing their film to life. The only rule: the duo’s original artistic vision must remain intact. This meant Sam and Mattie would storyboard, script, produce, cast, and star in their dream project: 2016’s Spring Break Zombie Massacre. This is just one of those magical stories,” says co-director and director of Spring Break Zombie Massacre, Bobby Carnevale. “We started out thinking we’d be filming their movie with iPhones and ketchup, but Sam and Mattie’s big dreams were infectious, so everyone offered to pitch in. The fact that we ended up with such an incredible film proves that when you bring the right people
Continue reading →
DocumentariesIndieMoviesNewsProductTrailers
Back in December, we reported that Unearthed Films was gearing up to release a documentary exploring one of the most controversial films ever made, A Serbian Film. Today, we have a sneak peek of that documentary to share with you. A Serbian Film, unleashed on the world in 2010, has left many traumatized. It remains one of the most unsettling, stomach-turning, brutal, and graphic films to ever see release. The feature film debut of Srđan Spasojević tells the story of a financially struggling porn star (Srdjan ‘Zika’ Todorovic) who agrees to participate in an “art film”, only to discover that he has been drafted into a snuff film with pedophilic and necrophilic themes. A Serbian Documentary is unlike any movie documentary before it. Curated from over 150 hours of behind-the-scenes footage with brand new, never-before-seen interviews with the cast and crew, this documentary is a must-have for any collector and will answer most, if not all of the questions out
Continue reading →
DocumentariesNewsStreaming TVTrailersTrue Crime
Epix has just released the trailer for the upcoming four-part true crime docuseries “Fall River” which explores a story of sex, satanic cults, and murder. “In 1979 – almost 90 years after infamous, accused murderer Lizzie Borden’s notorious acquittal – Fall River, Massachusetts would become home to another terrifying series of crimes. When three young women were killed in a streak of brutal murders, police alleged a satanic cult was practicing human sacrifice. The cult leader, a man named Carl Drew, was captured and sent to prison for life without parole. Twenty years after the trial, the lead investigator Paul Carey became so haunted by inconsistencies in the stories that he re-investigated his own case after he retired. Evidence surfaced that brought the entire story into question. Now through exclusive interviews, including intimate conversations with Drew, new witnesses, and illuminating evidence, this documentary series will tell the true story of a town caught in the grips of the paranoia and
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsParanormalStreaming TVTravel ChannelTrue Story
The end of March may be near but discovery+ shows no sign of slowing. With new premieres, programming and exclusives they will keep your days and nights spooky. Here’s what’s coming March 29th through April 11, 2020. In the new Shock Docs special Ed Gein: The Real Psycho investigators explore whether the notorious killer, who served as inspiration for iconic psychopaths from horror’s biggest films, is still haunting his Wisconsin hometown. Viewers can also watch as singer and social media personality Loren Gray joins the Ghost Adventures team special Investigation of the Joshua Tree Inn, Believed to Be Haunted by Late Musician Gram Parsons. discovery+ EXCLUSIVE PREMIERES SHOCK DOCS – ED GEIN: THE REAL PSYCHO TWO-HOUR SPECIAL – Begins Streaming Friday, April 9 on discovery+ The iconic psychopaths featured in “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Psycho” were not just fictitious villains, they were inspired by a real-life personification of evil – Ed Gein, a convicted murderer
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsShudderStreaming TVTrailers
When it comes to iconic horror films you don’t get much more important than The Exorcist. There are several documentaries out there about the 1973 classic, but one stands above all others, Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (review) and it should be required watching for all genre fans! Luckily, the Shudder documentary is coming to VOD, Digital, and Blu-ray this April. Written and directed by Alexandre O. Philippe (78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, The People vs. George Lucas), the documentary features William Friedkin (To Live and Die in L.A., The Exorcist) himself discussing the iconic film’s making and the mysteries of faith and fate that helped shape his life and filmography, and so much more. Pick up your copy of Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist on VOD, Digital HD, or Blu-ray on April 13, 2021, from RLJE Films.
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsStreaming TVTrue CrimeTrue Story
The iconic psychopaths featured in the blockbuster movies Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Psycho were not just fictitious villains, they were inspired by a real-life personification of evil – Ed Gein, s a convicted murderer and a grave robber who had a malicious obsession with human flesh. The next installment of the hit Shock Docs franchise will delve into the man who made a human body suit in Ed Gein: The Real Psycho, premiering on discover+ on Friday, April 9, 2021. The documentary includes a look at Gein’s horrific crimes, a paranormal investigation, archived media, and disturbing recreations. Sixty years after Gein’s arrest, documentary film producer and paranormal investigator Steve Shippy and world-renowned psychic medium Cindy Kaza travel to Gein’s hometown in Plainfield, Wisconsin, to conduct investigations of the most haunted locations connected to the infamous killer. For the first time in history, cameras are allowed on the Gein property where the gruesome evidence was first
Continue reading →
DocumentariesNewsStreaming TVTrailersTrue Crime
Uncover a sordid story of sex, satanic cults, and murder in Blumhouse and Epix’s new four-part docuseries “Fall River“. In 1979, almost 90 years after infamous, accused murderer Lizzie Borden’s notorious acquittal – Fall River, Massachusetts would become home to another terrifying series of crimes. Three young women were brutally murdered. The police alleged a satanic cult was practicing human sacrifice. The cult leader, a man named Carl Drew, was captured and sent to prison for life without parole. Twenty years after the trial, the lead investigator Paul Carey became so haunted by inconsistencies in the stories that he re-investigated his own case after he retired. Evidence surfaced that brought the entire story into question. Now through exclusive interviews, including intimate conversations with Drew, new witnesses, and illuminating evidence, this documentary series will tell the true story of a town caught in the grips of the paranoia and fear around the 1980s Satanic Panic and will shed light on murders
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesMusicReviews
Chris Holmes, the legendary guitarist on the first four studio releases from 1980’s shock-rockers W.A.S.P. (whom I bet more than one of you horror hounds out there were major fans of), and he of the vodka-drenched pool-set interview in Penelope Spheeris’ documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years gets the solo spotlight in the latest Blu-ray release from Cleopatra (along with MVD Entertainment); Mean Man: The Story of Chris Holmes! Immediately we learn Chris is alive and well (a miracle in and of itself), married, living in Southern France, and touring with his latest band Mean Man (for which he performs vocal and guitar duty). As we follow the band on tour we get to see a great slice of “life on the road”… but of course stories are soon told of Holmes’ tumultuous days in W.A.S.P., and his near constant battles with frontman Blackie Lawless (who both screwed him over constantly, and got him on
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesReviews
Director David Gregory (Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson, Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau) sets his sinister sights on the wicked world of arcane anthologies with his latest documentary effort; Tales of the Uncanny, which comes to us on Blu-ray courtesy of those crafty lil’ minxes o’er at Severin! Gregory, along with author and founder of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies Kier-La Janisse, take a chronological journey through the putrid plethora of anthology-style fright flicks that have tickled the fiendish fancy of horror hounds world fuckin’ wide… from the silent era, to the truly suburb Amicus flicks of the shockin’ seventies (and the pictures created by Milton Subotsky after the legendary studio folded), to television (The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, et al.), to Creepshow and it’s descendants… all is paid heed (though some all too briefly, such as one of yours cruelly’s fav anthology films; Joseph
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNews
A new documentary is in the works that centers on legendary genre actor Boris Karloff, who played roles such as Frankenstein and appeared in films such as The Mummy along with 203 other films and series, Variety reports. Titled Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster, the documentary is currently in production by the writing and producing team of Ron MacCloskey and Thomas Hamilton with Hamilton in the director’s chair. The film delves into the film career of Karloff that spanned sixty years and his legacy as one of the biggest icons in the entertainment industry which is explored in the 2010 biography “Boris Karloff: More Than A Monster,” written by Karloff’s official biographer Stephen Jacobs who serves as the historical consultant for the documentary. Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster, is 23 years in the making. MacCloskey and his team have spent over two decades working on the massive film that features 50 interviews with filmmakers and stars
Continue reading →
