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True Story

Horror films based on true events — the real cases behind the movies and how much they got right.

375 stories
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders (2019)

On April 23rd, 1991, former New York Dolls guitarist and notorious heroin addict Johnny Thunders was found dead at the St Peter House in New Orleans. How this happened as long been one of rock n’ roll’s greatest unsolved mysteries, as an autopsy report found only a minimal amount of drugs in his system (he was attempting to get clean at the time)…but murder has always been a strong contender in his demise. Written and directed by The Cordero Brothers, Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders presents a fictionalized version of the events surrounding Johnny’s (played to razor sharp perfection by Leo Ramsey) exit from this mortal coil. As our protagonist rolls into town he’s a broken man; his wife has left him, he hasn’t seen his kid in ages, and he’s trying to give up chasing the dragon. Johnny manages to continue his career in The Big Easy, and find some small companionship with hotel staffer Iris

Continue reading →
DanXIII
May 18, 2019
Horror Fuel

 This June Witness ‘The Haunting of Sharon Tate’ On Blu-Ray And DVD

Experience a truly chilling account of one of history’s most infamous crimes when The Haunting of Sharon Tate arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital), DVD, and Digital this June from Lionsgate. Starring Hilary Duff, Jonathan Bennett, and Lydia Hearst, this thriller follows pregnant 26-year-old actress Sharon Tate (Hilary Duff), a rising star about to have her first baby with her husband, director Roman Polanski. Plagued by terrifying premonitions, Sharon sees her worst nightmares come to life with the appearance of Charles Manson and his deadly cult. Written and directed by Daniel Farrands, The Haunting of Sharon Tate (review) is out on Blu-ray™ and DVD June 4th, which includes an audio commentary with writer-director Daniel Farrands and a never-before-seen featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively. BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Daniel Farrands “Premonitions: The Haunting of Sharon Tate” Featurette

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 7, 2019
Horror Fuel

‘Sonic’ To Be Redesigned Says Director

First, it was the “creepy legs” on the poster, then it was the “creepy teeth” in the trailer, fans did not hold back how much they hated the look of the iconic video game character Sonic in the upcoming live-action film, Sonic the Hedgehog. The film will follow the iconic character’s misadventures on Earth along with a human sidekick. The “Sonic” games are iconic to many gamers and fans of SEGA. The blue caricature of famed spiky animal species collects rings and frees animals that were turned into robots all while moving at great speed. The game spawned an animated TV series as well as some more up to date games that take place in the Sonic universe. The live-action film came under fire immediately after the teaser poster was released showing a silhouette of Sonic in an “on your mark!” pose with his iconic red shoes visible. Immediately after the release of the poster, fans cringed at the “human-like”

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
May 5, 2019
Horror Fuel

Ted Bundy Movie ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ Coming To Netflix

It feels like we’ve been talking about the Ted Bundy film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, forever. But we won’t have to wait much longer to see the film starring Zac Efron, it’s finally coming to Netflix! The film centers on serial killer/rapist/kidnapper Ted Bundy who murdered young women during the 70s and is told through the eyes of his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins) who denied knowing what the attractive killer was up to. Kaya Scodelario, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment, and Angela Sarafyan also star. When he was finally caught, in real life, Bundy admitted to 30 murders, but law officials think there were many more. The killer met his end strapped into the electric chair in 1989. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile slashes its way onto Netflix on May 3, 2019.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 24, 2019
Horror Fuel

Suicide Can Be “Contagious” Says Science

Seeing the title of this article automatically fills your head with scenes from films where a supernatural force causes people to take their own lives after being exposed to it. Facts usually are more terrifying than fiction as it turns out there’s truth to this idea, it’s called Suicide Contagion and it’s on the rise. This contagion is not viral or bacterial but a psychological trigger. The concept of Suicide Contagion (also referred to as Copycat Suicide) has been around since the 18th century and was known as the Werther effect. This phenomenon was named after the main character in the 1779 novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. The book became popular in Europe to the point that many people began to emulate portions of the story into their daily lives such as men dressing in the same fashion as Werther, and painted porcelain (that was mentioned in the book) began to appear in shops.

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Apr 20, 2019
Horror Fuel

Lovcraftian Looking Fossil Named After Cthulhu

Scientists have discovered the fossilized remains of a previously undiscovered prehistoric sea cucumber species and compared to their modern descendants, these old ones (pun intended) are something out of a nightmare…a Lovecraftian nightmare! The 430 million-year-old fossil was scanned using 3-D technology and was able to trace out the body and its many tentacle-like legs. It’s believed that these legs were used to help the animal crawl around the sea bed and where covered in a flexible armor. According to the findings that were published by an international team, the creature is being called, Sollasina Cthulhu. Sollasina’s are a class of prehistoric Echinoderms. Modern and older species in this class share the same traits that they’re armored with a flexible skin that sometimes has spines on them, the most notable modern species would be starfishes, sea urchins, and of course sea cucumbers. Cthulhu, if you already don’t know, is a fictitious creature created by horror icon H.P. Lovecraft in his

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Apr 12, 2019
Horror Fuel

Breaking Down Rammstein’s Controversial Video ‘Deutschland’

The German metal group Rammstein, have released their first new single in 10 years, the song is simply titled, Deutschland (Germany). Along with the new single came its music video which Rammstein is known for having very cinematic videos but prior to the release, a teaser video was posted to Youtube by the band depicting the band’s keyboardist Flake Lorenz, lead singer Till Lindemann, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, and bassist Oliver Riedel with nooses around their necks standing under a makeshift gallows dressed in concentration camp uniforms. The teaser video along with the actual music video, directed by Specter Berlin, has come under fire by critics in Germany and elsewhere in the world for the use of Holocaust imagery. After watching the music video multiple times my history nerd side became intrigued. While many focused on the concentration camp imagery, they’re missing a bigger picture being painted. The music video features German Actress Ruby Commey who plays Germany. The video

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 31, 2019
Horror Fuel

Poisonous Toad Population Explodes In South Florida

Residents in South Florida are witnessing what looks like a scene from a B-movie, thousands of little toads hopping around all over the place. Large swarms of toads are darting across roads, clogging pool filters, invading gardens, and hanging out in yards in droves. May sound silly to worry about but the residents have a right to, these are not common toads, these are Cane Toads. These Invasive (not native) amphibians are named after the sugar cane fields they should be hanging out in down in South America. What makes them different than other toads in North America is their size, and that they’re highly toxic. The poison glands on the back of its head are the largest in the toad species and capable of killing larger animals, they are known to kill crocodiles in Australia. It’s not just the adult toads that are poisonous, their tadpoles are as well! In Florida, those most at risk of being poisoned by

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 25, 2019
Horror Fuel

Instagram Believes Horror Is Bad

Instagram, an affiliate site connected to Facebook is famous for attention seeking wannabe models, armature foodies, showcasing artists, celebrities sharing behind the scenes of their personal lives, and constantly being down. You can search for the type of images you want to see by their hashtags (#) but one hashtag is flagged… Horror. That’s right, #Horror is flagged on Instagram. If you search for horror, a page will pop up and asking if “They” (Instagram) can help as horror, they claim, often encourages harmful behavior, don’t believe me? Well, calling on their bluff I looked up known dangerous behavior. #drinkinggames is safe even though these can attribute to alcohol poisoning, same with #beerpong, #drinking, and #drunk. This may not sound that bad, but some of the posts I’ve looked at star those who look to be a little too young to be drinking. According to the CDC’s fact sheet on underage drinking; in 2017 14% of High School students binge

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 22, 2019
Horror Fuel

World’s End Killer Dies In Prison

Scotland’s most notorious serial killer and rapist, Angus Sinclair has died in prison. The 73-year old’s cause of death has not been released but over the last couple of years, his health has been declining as he had multiple strokes while he’s been incarcerated. Sinclair was called the “World’s End Killer” as it was later discovered that he was the killer in the “World’s End Murders” case in 1977 where Catherine Eadie and Helen Scott, both 17, were raped and murdered after being at the World’s End pub in Edinburgh. The case was cold but years later DNA evidence along with tips and good ol’ fashion police work determined that Sinclair was the suspect. Sinclair’s DNA matched the samples from the 1977 crime scene but in 2007 he was acquitted for the murders regardless. Unfortunately for Sinclair, in 2011 Scotland passed the Double Jeopardy Act that amended Double Jeopardy (a murder suspect can’t be tried twice for the same murder).

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 11, 2019

More from True Story

Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders (2019)

On April 23rd, 1991, former New York Dolls guitarist and notorious heroin addict Johnny Thunders was found dead at the St Peter House in New Orleans. How this happened as long been one of rock n’ roll’s greatest unsolved mysteries, as an autopsy report found only a minimal amount of drugs in his system (he was attempting to get clean at the time)…but murder has always been a strong contender in his demise. Written and directed by The Cordero Brothers, Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders presents a fictionalized version of the events surrounding Johnny’s (played to razor sharp perfection by Leo Ramsey) exit from this mortal coil. As our protagonist rolls into town he’s a broken man; his wife has left him, he hasn’t seen his kid in ages, and he’s trying to give up chasing the dragon. Johnny manages to continue his career in The Big Easy, and find some small companionship with hotel staffer Iris

Continue reading →
DanXIII
May 18, 2019
Horror Fuel

 This June Witness ‘The Haunting of Sharon Tate’ On Blu-Ray And DVD

Experience a truly chilling account of one of history’s most infamous crimes when The Haunting of Sharon Tate arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital), DVD, and Digital this June from Lionsgate. Starring Hilary Duff, Jonathan Bennett, and Lydia Hearst, this thriller follows pregnant 26-year-old actress Sharon Tate (Hilary Duff), a rising star about to have her first baby with her husband, director Roman Polanski. Plagued by terrifying premonitions, Sharon sees her worst nightmares come to life with the appearance of Charles Manson and his deadly cult. Written and directed by Daniel Farrands, The Haunting of Sharon Tate (review) is out on Blu-ray™ and DVD June 4th, which includes an audio commentary with writer-director Daniel Farrands and a never-before-seen featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively. BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Daniel Farrands “Premonitions: The Haunting of Sharon Tate” Featurette

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 7, 2019
Horror Fuel

‘Sonic’ To Be Redesigned Says Director

First, it was the “creepy legs” on the poster, then it was the “creepy teeth” in the trailer, fans did not hold back how much they hated the look of the iconic video game character Sonic in the upcoming live-action film, Sonic the Hedgehog. The film will follow the iconic character’s misadventures on Earth along with a human sidekick. The “Sonic” games are iconic to many gamers and fans of SEGA. The blue caricature of famed spiky animal species collects rings and frees animals that were turned into robots all while moving at great speed. The game spawned an animated TV series as well as some more up to date games that take place in the Sonic universe. The live-action film came under fire immediately after the teaser poster was released showing a silhouette of Sonic in an “on your mark!” pose with his iconic red shoes visible. Immediately after the release of the poster, fans cringed at the “human-like”

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
May 5, 2019
Horror Fuel

Ted Bundy Movie ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ Coming To Netflix

It feels like we’ve been talking about the Ted Bundy film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, forever. But we won’t have to wait much longer to see the film starring Zac Efron, it’s finally coming to Netflix! The film centers on serial killer/rapist/kidnapper Ted Bundy who murdered young women during the 70s and is told through the eyes of his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins) who denied knowing what the attractive killer was up to. Kaya Scodelario, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment, and Angela Sarafyan also star. When he was finally caught, in real life, Bundy admitted to 30 murders, but law officials think there were many more. The killer met his end strapped into the electric chair in 1989. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile slashes its way onto Netflix on May 3, 2019.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 24, 2019
Horror Fuel

Suicide Can Be “Contagious” Says Science

Seeing the title of this article automatically fills your head with scenes from films where a supernatural force causes people to take their own lives after being exposed to it. Facts usually are more terrifying than fiction as it turns out there’s truth to this idea, it’s called Suicide Contagion and it’s on the rise. This contagion is not viral or bacterial but a psychological trigger. The concept of Suicide Contagion (also referred to as Copycat Suicide) has been around since the 18th century and was known as the Werther effect. This phenomenon was named after the main character in the 1779 novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. The book became popular in Europe to the point that many people began to emulate portions of the story into their daily lives such as men dressing in the same fashion as Werther, and painted porcelain (that was mentioned in the book) began to appear in shops.

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Apr 20, 2019
Horror Fuel

Lovcraftian Looking Fossil Named After Cthulhu

Scientists have discovered the fossilized remains of a previously undiscovered prehistoric sea cucumber species and compared to their modern descendants, these old ones (pun intended) are something out of a nightmare…a Lovecraftian nightmare! The 430 million-year-old fossil was scanned using 3-D technology and was able to trace out the body and its many tentacle-like legs. It’s believed that these legs were used to help the animal crawl around the sea bed and where covered in a flexible armor. According to the findings that were published by an international team, the creature is being called, Sollasina Cthulhu. Sollasina’s are a class of prehistoric Echinoderms. Modern and older species in this class share the same traits that they’re armored with a flexible skin that sometimes has spines on them, the most notable modern species would be starfishes, sea urchins, and of course sea cucumbers. Cthulhu, if you already don’t know, is a fictitious creature created by horror icon H.P. Lovecraft in his

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Apr 12, 2019
Horror Fuel

Breaking Down Rammstein’s Controversial Video ‘Deutschland’

The German metal group Rammstein, have released their first new single in 10 years, the song is simply titled, Deutschland (Germany). Along with the new single came its music video which Rammstein is known for having very cinematic videos but prior to the release, a teaser video was posted to Youtube by the band depicting the band’s keyboardist Flake Lorenz, lead singer Till Lindemann, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, and bassist Oliver Riedel with nooses around their necks standing under a makeshift gallows dressed in concentration camp uniforms. The teaser video along with the actual music video, directed by Specter Berlin, has come under fire by critics in Germany and elsewhere in the world for the use of Holocaust imagery. After watching the music video multiple times my history nerd side became intrigued. While many focused on the concentration camp imagery, they’re missing a bigger picture being painted. The music video features German Actress Ruby Commey who plays Germany. The video

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 31, 2019
Horror Fuel

Poisonous Toad Population Explodes In South Florida

Residents in South Florida are witnessing what looks like a scene from a B-movie, thousands of little toads hopping around all over the place. Large swarms of toads are darting across roads, clogging pool filters, invading gardens, and hanging out in yards in droves. May sound silly to worry about but the residents have a right to, these are not common toads, these are Cane Toads. These Invasive (not native) amphibians are named after the sugar cane fields they should be hanging out in down in South America. What makes them different than other toads in North America is their size, and that they’re highly toxic. The poison glands on the back of its head are the largest in the toad species and capable of killing larger animals, they are known to kill crocodiles in Australia. It’s not just the adult toads that are poisonous, their tadpoles are as well! In Florida, those most at risk of being poisoned by

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 25, 2019
Horror Fuel

Instagram Believes Horror Is Bad

Instagram, an affiliate site connected to Facebook is famous for attention seeking wannabe models, armature foodies, showcasing artists, celebrities sharing behind the scenes of their personal lives, and constantly being down. You can search for the type of images you want to see by their hashtags (#) but one hashtag is flagged… Horror. That’s right, #Horror is flagged on Instagram. If you search for horror, a page will pop up and asking if “They” (Instagram) can help as horror, they claim, often encourages harmful behavior, don’t believe me? Well, calling on their bluff I looked up known dangerous behavior. #drinkinggames is safe even though these can attribute to alcohol poisoning, same with #beerpong, #drinking, and #drunk. This may not sound that bad, but some of the posts I’ve looked at star those who look to be a little too young to be drinking. According to the CDC’s fact sheet on underage drinking; in 2017 14% of High School students binge

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 22, 2019
Horror Fuel

World’s End Killer Dies In Prison

Scotland’s most notorious serial killer and rapist, Angus Sinclair has died in prison. The 73-year old’s cause of death has not been released but over the last couple of years, his health has been declining as he had multiple strokes while he’s been incarcerated. Sinclair was called the “World’s End Killer” as it was later discovered that he was the killer in the “World’s End Murders” case in 1977 where Catherine Eadie and Helen Scott, both 17, were raped and murdered after being at the World’s End pub in Edinburgh. The case was cold but years later DNA evidence along with tips and good ol’ fashion police work determined that Sinclair was the suspect. Sinclair’s DNA matched the samples from the 1977 crime scene but in 2007 he was acquitted for the murders regardless. Unfortunately for Sinclair, in 2011 Scotland passed the Double Jeopardy Act that amended Double Jeopardy (a murder suspect can’t be tried twice for the same murder).

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Mar 11, 2019
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