The best lies have a grain of truth—and the same goes for horror movies. While Scream’s goofy Matthew Lillard might not seem like murderer material, the idea of privileged teens killing their friends isn’t completely far-fetched (remember the real-life “Preppy Killer”?). And, of course, there’s the ever-popular phrase “based on a true story” often tacked onto trailers and opening credits as a marketing ploy (see The Last House on the Left and The Blair Witch Project). But what about the handful of films in a different category altogether—you know, those spine-tingling, trauma-inducing movies that are wholly based on fact, not just “loosely” influenced by it (as is the case with Milla Jovovich’s upcoming film The Fourth Kind)? Here, edge-of-your-seat thrillers that prove there might just be monsters under the bed after all.
1. The Exorcist
If watching this movie made your head spin almost as much as Linda Blair’s, you’re not alone. Can people really become possessed? Well, if you believe a 1949 article that appeared in The Washington Post, they can. The feature by Bill Brinkley titled “Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip” depicted the story of a 14-year-old Maryland boy who had been exorcised of satanic possession by a Catholic priest. William Peter Blatty, who authored the book on which The Exorcist was based as well as the screenplay, said his inspiration for both came from this news item. Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
With its grainy, low-budget documentary spin, 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre felt scarily authentic. But if you think that Leatherface’s ritual of skinning (and wearing) his victims is beyond surreal, think again: Director Tobe Hooper was influenced by real slayings committed by Ed Gein. Between 1947 and 1957, the Wisconsin native robbed a number of graves—and killed two women—in his quest for human flesh. When police eventually invaded his home to arrest him, numerous masks and bodysuit-like attire were discovered. Leatherface got a modern update in the 2003 remake. Photo: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
3. Jaws
The bass-thumping soundtrack of Stephen Spielberg’s 1975 flick was scary enough on its own; add a bloodthirsty shark and dismembered human body parts to the mix and you have a recipe for horror. It’s no wonder that the film left many beachgoers wary of the water, but perhaps most bone-chilling is that Jaws was based on a true story. In 1916, a series of shark attacks took place at the Jersey Shore, a popular destination for President Woodrow Wilson and upper-middle-class vacationers. After a 12-day killing spree in which four of five of the victims died, a seven-foot-long great white was captured. Human remains were found in its body. Photo: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
4. The Mothman Prophecies
In case you forgot about this superscary 2002 thriller, here’s a synopsis: Before Richard Gere’s wife dies from wounds sustained during a car accident, she draws eerie sketches of a mothlike monster. Following her death, Gere leaves his job as a newspaper reporter to investigate similar "mothman” prophecies. He eventually finds himself in a small West Virginia town where the presence of the mysterious winged creature is particularly strong. The real-life story: Between 1966 and 1967, more than 100 people in Point Pleasant, W. Va., reported seeing a nine-foot-tall moth with glowing red eyes. Some said it spoke to them and warned of an impending disaster. On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant to Ohio collapsed, causing 46 deaths. Today, Point Pleasant pays tribute to the Mothman via a Mothman Museum and imposing stainless steel statue. Photo: Columbia/Everett Collection
5. Psycho
Norman Bates is not easily forgotten—and neither is Janet Leigh’s screamworthy shower scene. But what you might not know is that the knife-wielding Ed Gein again served as inspiration. Unlike The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, however, Psycho focused more on Gein’s creepy obsession with his dead mother (remember Bates’ similar fascination?). Gein lived alone with his verbally abusive mother, whom he adored. After her death in 1945, he sealed off all but one room and the kitchen of the large farmhouse, leaving their contents virtually untouched. Like Bates, Gein kept his mother’s dead body and aimed to look like her—when police raided his home, they found a bodysuit that resembled a female’s form. Another gender-bending Gein-inspired character appeared in The Silence of the Lambs; in Jonathan Demme’s film, serial killer Jame Gumb skins women in order to fashion himself a “woman suit.” Photo: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
6. Signs
In the mid-1970s, mysterious crop circles appeared overnight in the fields of Wiltshire County, England. Coincidentally, the area is home to the similarly enigmatic Stonehenge and West Kennet Long Barrow burial grounds. Since these initial crop-circle formations were discovered others—also in close proximity to ancient sacred sites—have been reported in Australia, South Africa, China, and Russia. Though a handful of acknowledged circlemakers-slash-agrarian graffiti artists have admitted responsibility for crop formations past and present, many “cereologists” and conspiracy theorists refute their claims and say the circles are the handiwork of extraterrestrial forces. M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 movie Signs played upon this art-versus-alien debate, with Mel Gibson starring as a man who discovers a huge crop circle in his backyard. In the film, corresponding crop designs are discovered around the world, causing Gibson and his family to question the circle’s origin. While Gibson’s children think it’s the work of aliens and his brother (played by Joaquin Phoenix) points to pranksters, Gibson doesn’t know what to think. Photo: Courtesy of Touchstone Pictures
"Borrowed" from http://www.Elle.com/Pop-Culture/Movies-TV-Music-Books/Horror-Movies-Based-on-Real-Life-Events
