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Behind the Horror: True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies
Uncover the twisted tales that inspired the big screen's greatest screams.Which case of demonic possession inspired The Exorcist? What horrifying front-page story generated the idea for A Nightmare on Elm Street? Which film was based on the infamous skin-wearing murderer Ed Gein?Unearth the terrifying and true tales behind some of the scariest Horror movies to ever haunt our screens, including the Enfield poltergeist case that was retold in The Conjuring 2 and the serial killers who inspired Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.Behind the Horror dissects these and other bizarre tales to reveal haunting real-life stories of abduction, disappearance, murder, and exorcism.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
December 24, 2020
“As for the doll, it remains in the Warrens’ museum to this day, inside a case marked “Warning, positively do not open.””
Is there anything more terrifying/exciting than when you’re watching a horror movie that is based on a true story?? There’s a certain thrill associated with exposing yourself to such movies - will I be able to separate myself from the horror or will I not sleep tonight?!
Behind the Horror is a book that will appeal to horror movie fans, as well as true crime fanatics and those who enjoy the paranormal - and if you happen to love all of those, like myself, then it will feel like the holy grail. In each chapter, Dr Lee Mellor tackles a different horror movie that is inspired by a real life story.
First and foremost, there are spoilers for the horror movies that Mellor is discussing, so you’ve been warned! Luckily I had already seen most of the movies covered, and those that I haven’t seen I didn’t care too much about reading the plot. Each chapter opens with a short summary of the movie in question, before Mellor delves into the surrounding background.
Numerous famous movies and cases are explored, from The Exorcist, Jaws and The Conjuring to the crimes of Ted Bundy, the exorcism of “Roland Doe” and the Salem witch trials. And shout out to my faves Ed and Lorraine Warren who made a few appearances! But there were also a few less popular ones that I had never heard of before, such as the Texarkana moonlight murders and the Gainesville Ripper. All very interesting.
I enjoyed revisiting the stories and movies that I know so well, in addition to learning some new facts and trivia that I can slide up my sleeve for future reference. I’d definitely recommend! Oh, and there’s pictures included! Always a bonus. 4 stars.
Is there anything more terrifying/exciting than when you’re watching a horror movie that is based on a true story?? There’s a certain thrill associated with exposing yourself to such movies - will I be able to separate myself from the horror or will I not sleep tonight?!
Behind the Horror is a book that will appeal to horror movie fans, as well as true crime fanatics and those who enjoy the paranormal - and if you happen to love all of those, like myself, then it will feel like the holy grail. In each chapter, Dr Lee Mellor tackles a different horror movie that is inspired by a real life story.
First and foremost, there are spoilers for the horror movies that Mellor is discussing, so you’ve been warned! Luckily I had already seen most of the movies covered, and those that I haven’t seen I didn’t care too much about reading the plot. Each chapter opens with a short summary of the movie in question, before Mellor delves into the surrounding background.
Numerous famous movies and cases are explored, from The Exorcist, Jaws and The Conjuring to the crimes of Ted Bundy, the exorcism of “Roland Doe” and the Salem witch trials. And shout out to my faves Ed and Lorraine Warren who made a few appearances! But there were also a few less popular ones that I had never heard of before, such as the Texarkana moonlight murders and the Gainesville Ripper. All very interesting.
I enjoyed revisiting the stories and movies that I know so well, in addition to learning some new facts and trivia that I can slide up my sleeve for future reference. I’d definitely recommend! Oh, and there’s pictures included! Always a bonus. 4 stars.
October 18, 2024
"There's nothing scarier than a true story . . . " -- rear cover blurb
And there's nothing worse than ad copy that somewhat oversells a book. I purposely chose Mellor's Behind the Horror as a 'scary read' for October and was . . . underwhelmed? When he sticks to the true crime cases - which is probably slightly more than half of the narrative - it was good, if not an especially detailed look at the actual and often gruesome events that inspired films like M, Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jaws, Scream and (the true dark horse of this stable) The Town That Dreaded Sundown. However, if you are reasonably well-read on true crime OR the background on movies there is probably not a lot of new or enlightening information presented here. Of much less interest (just to me, anyway) were the sections focusing on the supernaturally-flavored flicks such as The Amityville Horror, The Serpent and The Rainbow (its chapter ran on waaaaay too long and tested my patience), The Mothman Prophecies and The Conjuring, because the so-called occurrences that have inspired them have been fabricated, debunked and/or frequently questioned for validity.
And there's nothing worse than ad copy that somewhat oversells a book. I purposely chose Mellor's Behind the Horror as a 'scary read' for October and was . . . underwhelmed? When he sticks to the true crime cases - which is probably slightly more than half of the narrative - it was good, if not an especially detailed look at the actual and often gruesome events that inspired films like M, Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jaws, Scream and (the true dark horse of this stable) The Town That Dreaded Sundown. However, if you are reasonably well-read on true crime OR the background on movies there is probably not a lot of new or enlightening information presented here. Of much less interest (just to me, anyway) were the sections focusing on the supernaturally-flavored flicks such as The Amityville Horror, The Serpent and The Rainbow (its chapter ran on waaaaay too long and tested my patience), The Mothman Prophecies and The Conjuring, because the so-called occurrences that have inspired them have been fabricated, debunked and/or frequently questioned for validity.
July 10, 2022
This was a great true crime book!
I am not going to do a backstory like normal but I will give out thoughts.
Thoughts:
This book was fascinating in that some horror movies that you watch were made from crimes that had happened in the past. Which I never knew that information about horror movies as I always thought they were just creations to scare the pants off of movie-goers! :)
Some of the movies you will read about are Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Exorcist, Jaws, The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, The Silence of the Lambs, and Scream just to name a few as there are more movies within this book as well. The crimes that took place that are behind the movies are Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, the Green River Killer, Ed Kemper, and the Gainesville Ripper, just to name a few as there are quite a few stories within this book as the author will give you the movie and the crime behind it. The author also added pictures within too of the movies and the crimes.
I found this book to be very interesting and I really like the writing style of the author too as the author goes into great detail of the movie and the crime and/or crimes behind it. I found the details to be just enough without getting bored or drawn out. Not once did I get bored with this book and the author has crimes within that I have never heard of before that were behind certain horror movies. Giving this book four "Intriguing Information" stars!
I am not going to do a backstory like normal but I will give out thoughts.
Thoughts:
This book was fascinating in that some horror movies that you watch were made from crimes that had happened in the past. Which I never knew that information about horror movies as I always thought they were just creations to scare the pants off of movie-goers! :)
Some of the movies you will read about are Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Exorcist, Jaws, The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, The Silence of the Lambs, and Scream just to name a few as there are more movies within this book as well. The crimes that took place that are behind the movies are Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, the Green River Killer, Ed Kemper, and the Gainesville Ripper, just to name a few as there are quite a few stories within this book as the author will give you the movie and the crime behind it. The author also added pictures within too of the movies and the crimes.
I found this book to be very interesting and I really like the writing style of the author too as the author goes into great detail of the movie and the crime and/or crimes behind it. I found the details to be just enough without getting bored or drawn out. Not once did I get bored with this book and the author has crimes within that I have never heard of before that were behind certain horror movies. Giving this book four "Intriguing Information" stars!
April 28, 2025
Did you know that:
****Wes Craven came up with the idea for “A Nightmare on Elm Street” after reading about a real-life epidemic of mysterious sleeping deaths. Primarily occurring in males from Southeast Asia, Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) is exactly what it sounds like: dying suddenly in one’s sleep. There are many different causes for this, including pre-existing heart disease, but Craven wondered if it couldn’t also be some strange guy in an ugly sweater with knives for hands jumping inexplicably into your subconscious and killing you in your dream. Who’s to say it isn’t?
****A real-life shark attack in Beach Haven, New Jersey in 1916 left four dead and one seriously injured. Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” (and the Peter Benchley novel it was based on) was loosely based on this incident. Also, the story that Quint (Robert Shaw) relates in the movie about the USS Indianapolis is a true story. During World War II, in the Pacific, the U.S. battleship was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Of the crew of 1195 men, roughly 900 survived the bombing. Unfortunately, in the days that followed, the splashing and bleeding survivors attracted numerous sharks, and a feeding frenzy began. Not even four days later, when rescue finally arrived, only 316 men were left alive.
****Anthony Hopkin’s Oscar-winning performance of the sociopathic but charming Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a composite character based on three famous serial killers: a Mexican doctor named Alfredo Trevino who killed and dismembered his lover and buried the body parts in a small box; Russia’s most famous serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo, who was arrested and executed for the murders (and cannibalization) of 53 women and children; and “The Monster of Florence”, an Italian serial killer alleged to have killed 14 people whose identity is still unknown today.
****The 1979 film “The Amityville Horror” was all bullshit. Based on a book by Jay Anson claiming to be a true story, the truth behind the film is even crazier. The Lutz family bought the famous house in 1975 for a great deal, mainly due to the fact that the previous owners were murdered in it. Over many nights of wine-drinking and telling wild ghost stories, the Lutzes and a lawyer named William Weber decided to have Anson write a book about their “paranormal experience” in the house. Weber admitted years later that the whole thing was “a hoax” with the sole purpose of making money. The fact that gullible people still believe that the house is haunted is testament to the fact that everybody loves a good ghost story.
These are just a few of the many cool “true stories” behind some classic horror films in Dr. Lee Mellor’s “Behind the Horror”. I could go on and on—-especially about the numerous pre-war German serial killers that formed the basis for Fritz Lang’s classic 1931 film “M: A City Searches for a Murderer” or the real-life exorcism that was the basis for William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”—-but I don’t want to give all the fun away. And this book is, especially for horror fans, a lot of fun.
****Wes Craven came up with the idea for “A Nightmare on Elm Street” after reading about a real-life epidemic of mysterious sleeping deaths. Primarily occurring in males from Southeast Asia, Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) is exactly what it sounds like: dying suddenly in one’s sleep. There are many different causes for this, including pre-existing heart disease, but Craven wondered if it couldn’t also be some strange guy in an ugly sweater with knives for hands jumping inexplicably into your subconscious and killing you in your dream. Who’s to say it isn’t?
****A real-life shark attack in Beach Haven, New Jersey in 1916 left four dead and one seriously injured. Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” (and the Peter Benchley novel it was based on) was loosely based on this incident. Also, the story that Quint (Robert Shaw) relates in the movie about the USS Indianapolis is a true story. During World War II, in the Pacific, the U.S. battleship was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Of the crew of 1195 men, roughly 900 survived the bombing. Unfortunately, in the days that followed, the splashing and bleeding survivors attracted numerous sharks, and a feeding frenzy began. Not even four days later, when rescue finally arrived, only 316 men were left alive.
****Anthony Hopkin’s Oscar-winning performance of the sociopathic but charming Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a composite character based on three famous serial killers: a Mexican doctor named Alfredo Trevino who killed and dismembered his lover and buried the body parts in a small box; Russia’s most famous serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo, who was arrested and executed for the murders (and cannibalization) of 53 women and children; and “The Monster of Florence”, an Italian serial killer alleged to have killed 14 people whose identity is still unknown today.
****The 1979 film “The Amityville Horror” was all bullshit. Based on a book by Jay Anson claiming to be a true story, the truth behind the film is even crazier. The Lutz family bought the famous house in 1975 for a great deal, mainly due to the fact that the previous owners were murdered in it. Over many nights of wine-drinking and telling wild ghost stories, the Lutzes and a lawyer named William Weber decided to have Anson write a book about their “paranormal experience” in the house. Weber admitted years later that the whole thing was “a hoax” with the sole purpose of making money. The fact that gullible people still believe that the house is haunted is testament to the fact that everybody loves a good ghost story.
These are just a few of the many cool “true stories” behind some classic horror films in Dr. Lee Mellor’s “Behind the Horror”. I could go on and on—-especially about the numerous pre-war German serial killers that formed the basis for Fritz Lang’s classic 1931 film “M: A City Searches for a Murderer” or the real-life exorcism that was the basis for William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”—-but I don’t want to give all the fun away. And this book is, especially for horror fans, a lot of fun.
February 11, 2022
An interesting book that tells the true stories behind the crimes that film makers based some of their works on. Most of these I was familiar with, since they air these stories on Discovery ID, or Reelz and stream now on Discovery+, but the Hitchcock ones like "Rope and "Frenzy" I wasn't, plus it was nice to get them in short story form with just the facts and none of the exposition they use to pad out an hour long show. Overall if you are interested in true crime and where directors and screenwriters get their ideas from well this is for you.
December 13, 2020
This is an absolute must read for any horror and/or true crime fan. I was completely hooked from the very first page, I couldn’t get enough of this book. Getting to see the true crime and other origins of some of my favourite horror movies was truly fascinating! I didn’t know any of the facts presented in this book, I’ve never delved into where the movies I love so much came from before. It was all new information for me and my mind absolutely was blown by what I was reading. It’s fascinating to see how closely horror and true crime are related in some cases, I honestly had no idea. I really loved reading where the more supernatural/religious movies like The Exorcist came from as well, once again, all new information for me. I really, truly couldn’t have enjoyed this book more and I can’t stress enough how much you should read this book if you’re into horror and true crime!
October 25, 2022
Surprisingly well put together look into some of the true crime, urban legends and paranormal stories that inspired some of the most well known horror movies. In particular I liked the chapters on Jaws, The Conjuring and The Exorcist - the latter two genuinely managed to creep me out. As someone who doesn't really watch horror movies it was also nice to get a bit of insight into the various inspirations behind the stories and also discover some new information. Movies are really just another modern form of passing on folk stories after all.
November 1, 2021
Boring. I knew most of these cases. But it does discuss many movies and their inspirations.
October 14, 2020
This is a fun crossover between horror and true crime. If you're really into horror, you may already know a lot of what this book has to offer, but there were things even I was only vaguely familiar with, if at all, regarding the full details.
It's a succinct little book, but still gives a really good amount of all the essential info of each case it discusses, and even when Mellor discussed how most of the paranormal cases have since been debunked he did so without diminishing the impact those stories had on the horror genre.
If you like horror movies, or learning about true crime, and especially if you like both, this is definitely a worthwhile little book to read. Although, do keep in mind that it does spoil each film it talks about.
It's a succinct little book, but still gives a really good amount of all the essential info of each case it discusses, and even when Mellor discussed how most of the paranormal cases have since been debunked he did so without diminishing the impact those stories had on the horror genre.
If you like horror movies, or learning about true crime, and especially if you like both, this is definitely a worthwhile little book to read. Although, do keep in mind that it does spoil each film it talks about.
February 16, 2025
Author Lee Mellor looks at a selection of horror movies released over the last 90 years & traces some of the real events that inspired them.
I knew this book would be a mixed bag for me, because although I love horror films & books I have no belief in the supernatural at all. Therefore "real events" that inspired films like The Exorcist & Poltergeist were just laughable nonsense to me. However, there was some great reading to be found here & I especially enjoyed the chapters on Jaws, Wolf Creek & Fritz Lang's M.
A good read for any fan of horror films across the decades.
I knew this book would be a mixed bag for me, because although I love horror films & books I have no belief in the supernatural at all. Therefore "real events" that inspired films like The Exorcist & Poltergeist were just laughable nonsense to me. However, there was some great reading to be found here & I especially enjoyed the chapters on Jaws, Wolf Creek & Fritz Lang's M.
A good read for any fan of horror films across the decades.
January 31, 2022
This book was okay. I did enjoy hearing about all the movies that were based on true stories. I had no idea that Jaws was and now I’m even more terrified of the ocean. But overall it just felt like the author was just throwing facts at you and got to be a little boring at points. I’d say if you don’t know the stories behind these movies already, it’s definitely interesting, but if you already know them, I would skip it.
October 25, 2020
There wasn’t really much here I didn’t already know but it was fun to have in one book. The main issue were small little mistakes about the films themselves. Yes, they were minor ones but enough to make me wonder how the author made them in the first place and how nobody else picked up on them in proof reading. An example being that Scream apparently starts off with the murder of a ‘babysitter’.
February 20, 2022
Solid book! A great read for horror fans as well as true crime fans alike.
I liked how each chapter starts off with a quick synopsis of the movie plot then dives into a detailed account of the true life event , or events, that inspired the movies.
Psycho , Texas Chainsaw massacre , the exorcist, Jaws, The town that dreaded Sundown, The serpent and the rainbow, the silence of the lambs, Sream, wolf creek, and the conjuring universe to name a few.
Some fun facts: Silence of the Lambs was based off a whole smorgasbord of true life serial killers. Hannibal was based off of a handful and Buffalo Bill was based off 2 real life killers plus ther FBI agents in the movie were based off 2 real life agents as well.
RIP, to Wes Craven who was a master of horror. Scream, The Nightmare of elm st and The serpent and the rainbow were all featured in here and everyone knows that scream and NOES were 2 groundbreaking movies.
I liked how each chapter starts off with a quick synopsis of the movie plot then dives into a detailed account of the true life event , or events, that inspired the movies.
Psycho , Texas Chainsaw massacre , the exorcist, Jaws, The town that dreaded Sundown, The serpent and the rainbow, the silence of the lambs, Sream, wolf creek, and the conjuring universe to name a few.
Some fun facts: Silence of the Lambs was based off a whole smorgasbord of true life serial killers. Hannibal was based off of a handful and Buffalo Bill was based off 2 real life killers plus ther FBI agents in the movie were based off 2 real life agents as well.
RIP, to Wes Craven who was a master of horror. Scream, The Nightmare of elm st and The serpent and the rainbow were all featured in here and everyone knows that scream and NOES were 2 groundbreaking movies.
June 26, 2022
A true-crime horror book that delves into the real-life stories behind the well-known horror films, including Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jaws, Scream, The Conjuring, and even the fairly recent The Lighthouse. The book is interspersed with black and white and color photos of both - real killers and their on-screen fictional counterparts. I enjoyed the earlier stories and films the most, and then my interest began to wane about halfway through the book. Whether it was because I was already familiar with the stories behind the most recent films, or the Backpacker Killer in Australia did me in. For horror movie buffs and fans of true crime, this is a neat book.
August 29, 2021
5 stars audio
5+++++ riveting and enlightening stars story
5+++++ riveting and enlightening stars story
July 9, 2021
3.5 stars
Behind the Horror was far more analytical than I thought it might be and less focused on the film aspect as I had hoped.
I still found majority of the book intriguing but a few of the chapters definitely slowed me down in the factual depths Dr Lee Millor went into. Still a fascinating read for those of us with the morbid curiosities of true horror stories and the love of horror film.
I've rounded this up to four stars purely for the chapters on The Silence of the Lambs,Scream (though I was confused about the apparent opening murder being that of a babysitter?), and The Witch and The Lighthouse. Which were all toward the end finally moving me through the book a lot faster because of my love for these films.
Behind the Horror was far more analytical than I thought it might be and less focused on the film aspect as I had hoped.
I still found majority of the book intriguing but a few of the chapters definitely slowed me down in the factual depths Dr Lee Millor went into. Still a fascinating read for those of us with the morbid curiosities of true horror stories and the love of horror film.
I've rounded this up to four stars purely for the chapters on The Silence of the Lambs,Scream (though I was confused about the apparent opening murder being that of a babysitter?), and The Witch and The Lighthouse. Which were all toward the end finally moving me through the book a lot faster because of my love for these films.
November 27, 2021
Behind the Horror is an incredibly interesting insight into the stories that inspired many of the horror genre's classic movies. However, the book consists of exactly what it says on the tin, and nothing else. In terms of enjoyment, this book is a little lacking, and the only thing that drives the book forward is the reader's desire to know more, rather than something which the book itself caused. Although, if you just want to learn about the true stories which are responsible for the creation of cinematic masterpieces, you can't go wrong here.
January 27, 2021
Perfect intersection of crime and horror. Gives some background to what built some favourite movies and added a couple to my watch list. With Dr. Mellor's style being conversational, the true accounts read stranger than fiction and as ever, more terrifying.
December 16, 2022
Behind the Horror was an OK read, although I felt the writing was a bit flat, considering the subject matter...
Author Lee Mellor, Ph.D. (born August 4, 1982 in Chester, England) is an Anglo-Canadian writer, scholar, criminologist and alternative country musician distinguished by his intricate lyrics and growly vocal stylings.
Lee Mellor:
The book opens with no intro, and jumps right into the serial killers of Weimar Germany. There is also no epilogue, either. IMHO, an opening and closing blurb would have been value added to the book, and could have set the stage for the intrigue that unfolds...
Mellor writes in a farily matter-of-fact, no-frills manner. I have to admit that this style did not resonate as well with me as I'd hoped.
As its subtitle indicates; the fromatting of the book is presented as covering many different movies, and the related crimes that inspired them. The author goes over a brief plot summary for each movie, before delving into the underlying crimes, and or criminals.
A full list of the crimes covered here includes (apologies for the caps, this text was copied from the PDF):
• THE MURDER OF BOBBY FRANKS
• THE CRIMES OF ED GEIN
• THE CRIMES OF JOHN CHRISTIE AND NEVILLE HEATH, AND THE HAMMERSMITH NUDE MURDERS
• THE POSSESSION OF “ROLAND DOE”
• THE JERSEY SHORE SHARK ATTACKS, THE SINKING OF THE USS INDIANAPOLIS, AND THE LIFE OF FRANK MUNDUS
• THE TEXARKANA MOONLIGHT MURDERS
• THE HAUNTING OF 112 OCEAN AVENUE
• THE SEAFORD POLTERGEIST
• SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED NOCTURNAL DEATH SYNDROME
• THE STRANGE TALE OF CLAIRVIUS NARCISSE
• TED BUNDY, THE GREEN RIVER KILLER, GARY HEIDNIK, ED KEMPER, JERRY BRUDOS, DR. ALFREDO BALLI TREVINO, ANDREI CHIKATILO, AND THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE
• THE MURDER OF JANETT CHRISTMAN AND THE CRIMES OF THE GAINESVILLE RIPPER
• THE MOTHMAN OF POINT PLEASANT, WEST VIRGINIA
• THE CRIMES OF IVAN MILAT AND THE MURDER OF PETER FALCONIO
• THE HAUNTING OF THE PERRON FARM, THE CASE OF THE ANNABELLE DOLL, AND THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST
• THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS AND THE SMALLS LIGHTHOUSE TRAGEDY
While I found much of the writing here interesting, there were also many questionable accounts. The book retells many tales of supernatural occurrences, as well as other events that are not possible within the observable laws of our physical world.
*******************
Behind the Horror was a somewhat interesting book, but it ultimately fell a bit short of my expectations...
3 stars.
Author Lee Mellor, Ph.D. (born August 4, 1982 in Chester, England) is an Anglo-Canadian writer, scholar, criminologist and alternative country musician distinguished by his intricate lyrics and growly vocal stylings.
Lee Mellor:
The book opens with no intro, and jumps right into the serial killers of Weimar Germany. There is also no epilogue, either. IMHO, an opening and closing blurb would have been value added to the book, and could have set the stage for the intrigue that unfolds...
Mellor writes in a farily matter-of-fact, no-frills manner. I have to admit that this style did not resonate as well with me as I'd hoped.
As its subtitle indicates; the fromatting of the book is presented as covering many different movies, and the related crimes that inspired them. The author goes over a brief plot summary for each movie, before delving into the underlying crimes, and or criminals.
A full list of the crimes covered here includes (apologies for the caps, this text was copied from the PDF):
• THE MURDER OF BOBBY FRANKS
• THE CRIMES OF ED GEIN
• THE CRIMES OF JOHN CHRISTIE AND NEVILLE HEATH, AND THE HAMMERSMITH NUDE MURDERS
• THE POSSESSION OF “ROLAND DOE”
• THE JERSEY SHORE SHARK ATTACKS, THE SINKING OF THE USS INDIANAPOLIS, AND THE LIFE OF FRANK MUNDUS
• THE TEXARKANA MOONLIGHT MURDERS
• THE HAUNTING OF 112 OCEAN AVENUE
• THE SEAFORD POLTERGEIST
• SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED NOCTURNAL DEATH SYNDROME
• THE STRANGE TALE OF CLAIRVIUS NARCISSE
• TED BUNDY, THE GREEN RIVER KILLER, GARY HEIDNIK, ED KEMPER, JERRY BRUDOS, DR. ALFREDO BALLI TREVINO, ANDREI CHIKATILO, AND THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE
• THE MURDER OF JANETT CHRISTMAN AND THE CRIMES OF THE GAINESVILLE RIPPER
• THE MOTHMAN OF POINT PLEASANT, WEST VIRGINIA
• THE CRIMES OF IVAN MILAT AND THE MURDER OF PETER FALCONIO
• THE HAUNTING OF THE PERRON FARM, THE CASE OF THE ANNABELLE DOLL, AND THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST
• THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS AND THE SMALLS LIGHTHOUSE TRAGEDY
While I found much of the writing here interesting, there were also many questionable accounts. The book retells many tales of supernatural occurrences, as well as other events that are not possible within the observable laws of our physical world.
*******************
Behind the Horror was a somewhat interesting book, but it ultimately fell a bit short of my expectations...
3 stars.
November 2, 2024
A fun non-fiction read about the true stories behind some of the most popular horror movies! Starting in 1931 with the film 'M – A City Searches for a Murderer' and ending in 2019 with 'The Lighthouse', Dr. Lee Mellor covers true crime cases that inspired the movies we love, as well as delving into the paranormal by analyzing different cases of haunting, poltergeists, and exorcisms.
Very intriguing, easy to digest, and presented in an unbiased manner. Plus, having photos to look at is always fun!
Very intriguing, easy to digest, and presented in an unbiased manner. Plus, having photos to look at is always fun!
October 22, 2020
It was good! Some chapters were super disturbing and it made me not be able to read this at night lol
February 11, 2024
3.5*s. I medium strength recommend this. It's a pretty good overview of a wide variety of occurrences (lots of murderers, some paranormal activity, a bit of "etc") that inspired many well known horror movies (psycho, scream, conjuring, among others). But it's just that: a brief overview. It feels like binging a short lived true crime podcast. I don't hate it, and it gave me a few things to add to my to watch list, but I wish it was... Meatier. This would be good for someone new to true crime, or horror but, then again, if you aren't really into that genre, why would you want to pick this up?
April 14, 2022
This book reveals the real stories which horror movies are based on, starting with M in 1931 to The Lighthouse in 2019. I liked this book and found it very interesting as I’ve seen all but a couple of the movies. Subjects covered include Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, the Green River Killer, the Mothman and even the Salem Witch Trials. I was a bit surprised to find that the town I live in was mentioned in the Salem Witch Trials chapter.
May 18, 2022
This turned out to be a rather interesting book. We are huge horror movie fans here and I'm a huge fan of true crime stories and this book blends the two.
Each chapter explore the true stories behind the horror movies that brought them to life. The author takes each story and breaks it down, sharing the plot and then the correlating true story that inspired the movie. It probably obvious that there are spoilers if you haven't seen some of the movies in the book, but I've seen most of them, so it wasn't as big deal for me, but be forewarned. If you are a fan of horror, true crime and the paranormal then this is a book you will definitely not want to miss out on.
There are 17 chapters starting all the way back in 1931 with M: A City Searches for a Murderer. Subsequent chapters include movies: Rope, Psycho, Frenzy, The Exorcist, Jaws, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Serpent and the Rainbow, The Silence of the Lambs, Scream, The Mothman Prophecies, Wolf Creek, The Conjuring and Annabelle, The Witch and The Lighthouse. Most of these movies I've seen and even more, I knew most of the true crime stories that were involved but there were more than a few that I knew little about and even the ones that I knew about I still learned more. This is a great book for anyone who loves both genres.
Each chapter explore the true stories behind the horror movies that brought them to life. The author takes each story and breaks it down, sharing the plot and then the correlating true story that inspired the movie. It probably obvious that there are spoilers if you haven't seen some of the movies in the book, but I've seen most of them, so it wasn't as big deal for me, but be forewarned. If you are a fan of horror, true crime and the paranormal then this is a book you will definitely not want to miss out on.
There are 17 chapters starting all the way back in 1931 with M: A City Searches for a Murderer. Subsequent chapters include movies: Rope, Psycho, Frenzy, The Exorcist, Jaws, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Serpent and the Rainbow, The Silence of the Lambs, Scream, The Mothman Prophecies, Wolf Creek, The Conjuring and Annabelle, The Witch and The Lighthouse. Most of these movies I've seen and even more, I knew most of the true crime stories that were involved but there were more than a few that I knew little about and even the ones that I knew about I still learned more. This is a great book for anyone who loves both genres.
November 29, 2020
As a true crime and horror fan this book was an obvious choice for me and it was so, so good! I've always said if a horror film scares me then that is how I rate it as being good and as you can imagine ones inspired by true events are usually very highly rated by me because if a horror film could actually happen in real life then that is the pinnacle of fear in my opinion so to learn about the actual crimes that inspired some of my all time favourite horror films was so interesting. Each chapter in this great non-fic read is based on a different horror film and goes into detail about the cases that inspired the directors and writers of iconic horror films when they were working on them to help create the films we know today. It was incredibly interesting and filled with so many facts and so much information to really help you delve into the cases. Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of true crime and horror!
June 23, 2021
Oh what a cracker of a book. Well, I say cracker, I mean it was so interesting. Each section is a different horror film, that then goes into detail about the true stories behind the horror films. I loved reading most of this. I think the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, was for some reason the stories that were based on ghosts bored me. I just wasn't interested in them. The real-life stories really caught my attention, and it was interesting as well to see the differences between the true stories and how they translated them to film. The only one I wasn't sure about was The Exorcist......because that's a book... and I have read it, but yea this is a cracking read, and I feel like it really helped me from slipping into a slump. Pick it up!
April 6, 2021
Quite possibly the coolest non fiction book I have come across this year, combining my two literary loves: horror & true crime.
17 horror movies discussed and the very informative true life experiences that inspired these block buster hits.
Some are based off of heinous crimes and the serial killers we’ve watched countless documentaries on, whereas others fall under the scope of paranormal, and the strange and unusual.
If you love scary movies and true crime, and parapsychology? this is a book you shouldn’t miss!
Grateful to have found this gem.
17 horror movies discussed and the very informative true life experiences that inspired these block buster hits.
Some are based off of heinous crimes and the serial killers we’ve watched countless documentaries on, whereas others fall under the scope of paranormal, and the strange and unusual.
If you love scary movies and true crime, and parapsychology? this is a book you shouldn’t miss!
Grateful to have found this gem.
February 9, 2021
Review to come.
August 20, 2021
I feel like I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn't audiobooked it?
I've been listening to a lot of true crime AND horror movie podcasts, so this seemed like exactly what I needed next, but the voice and delivery was really dry for the content and it made it hard to stay focused.
The lack of an introduction also really threw me. I'm used to a bit of "hey, here's what's going on and why I wrote this" and this dove straight into the first story. I actually backed up the audiobook because I thought I'd somehow skipped a chapter.
The stories chosen are interesting, though occasionally I found the connections to the movies a little bit of a stretch. Maybe there was some inspiration drawn, but I didn't really think it was the story "behind" some of these. Obviously others were exactly what was behind the story, including all the stuff about the Warrens, but I did occasionally forget what movie I was supposed to be hearing the story behind.
Overall, it's an interesting selection of true crime and horror connections and I might pick it back up as a book to see if I get more out of it without the oddly calm voice of the narrator.
I've been listening to a lot of true crime AND horror movie podcasts, so this seemed like exactly what I needed next, but the voice and delivery was really dry for the content and it made it hard to stay focused.
The lack of an introduction also really threw me. I'm used to a bit of "hey, here's what's going on and why I wrote this" and this dove straight into the first story. I actually backed up the audiobook because I thought I'd somehow skipped a chapter.
The stories chosen are interesting, though occasionally I found the connections to the movies a little bit of a stretch. Maybe there was some inspiration drawn, but I didn't really think it was the story "behind" some of these. Obviously others were exactly what was behind the story, including all the stuff about the Warrens, but I did occasionally forget what movie I was supposed to be hearing the story behind.
Overall, it's an interesting selection of true crime and horror connections and I might pick it back up as a book to see if I get more out of it without the oddly calm voice of the narrator.
September 30, 2022
If your a movie buff, this is a must to pick up.
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