Truth Behind the Terror
Welcome to Truth Behind the Terror, the podcast that digs into the “based on a true story” claims behind your favourite horror films. Host Carissa dives deep into the backstories, legends, and real-life events that supposedly inspired iconic scary movies — from haunted hotels to demonic possessions to monsters born from myth. Each episode separates fact from fiction to reveal what’s real, what’s exaggerated, and what’s pure Hollywood imagination. If you love horror, research, or just debunking spooky stories, this is the podcast for you.
Episodes
How much of Wolf Creek actually happened?
Greg McLean’s 2005 Australian horror film opens with the ominous claim that it is “based on actual events.” But Mick Taylor is fictional, and there was no massacre of three backpackers at Wolfe Creek Crater.
The crimes that helped inspire the story, however, were terrifyingly real.
In this episode of Truth Behind the Terror, we examine the Backpacker Murders c...
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre opens with one of horror’s most enduring claims: that the events we are about to see really happened.
They didn’t, not as the film presents them, anyway. But the truth behind Tobe Hooper’s 1974 nightmare may reveal something even more unsettling than a single true-crime case.
In this episode of Truth Behind the Terror, we look at the making of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre...
What makes an unsolved mystery so difficult to let go?
This month on Truth Behind the Terror, we're diving into David Fincher's Zodiac (2007), one of the most acclaimed true crime thrillers ever made, and the infamous real-life Zodiac Killer who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s.
But the Zodiac wasn't the first killer to captivate the public imagination.
We'll also travel back to Victorian London to expl...
This month on Truth Behind the Terror, we're taking a look at one of the most unsettling home invasion films ever made: The Strangers (2008).
Inspired by a collection of real-life crimes, The Strangers taps into a uniquely human fear, the idea that danger can arrive uninvited at your front door.
This episode discusses murder, home invasion, cult activity, online exploitation, child sexual abuse material, self-harm, se...
Jaws didn’t just change movies…it changed how we see the ocean.
In this episode of Truth Behind the Terror, we dive into the film that created the modern blockbuster, and the fear that followed.
From the chaotic production and the mechanical shark that barely worked… to the real-life events that inspired the story… to the lasting impact the film had on sharks themselves…
This is the st...
Who were Ed and Lorraine Warren, and why are their stories still shaping how we think about hauntings, possession, and evil?
In this episode of Truth Behind the Terror, we step into the world of the Warrens, the real-life paranormal investigators behind The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Nun, to explore the cases that made them famous, and the stories that made them controversial.
From the Perron family haunting in Rho...
In this month’s Love Hurts episode, we dive into Scream (1996), the slasher that didn’t just revive horror, but rewrote its rules.
From Ghostface’s iconic phone calls to Randy’s infamous survival guidelines, Scream turned horror into self-aware meta-commentary. But where did those rules come from? And why do we need them?
We explore:
- The evolution of slasher tropes
- The concept of the “F...
What happens when hunger doesn’t stop — even after survival?
In this episode of Truth Behind the Terror, I explore the Wendigo: a terrifying figure from Algonquian First Nations folklore associated with winter, starvation, greed, and the loss of humanity. More than a monster, the Wendigo serves as a moral warning — one that draws a sharp line between survival and excess.
From there, we dive into the ...
🎙️ Truth Behind the Terror — Episode: Shadow of the Solstice: The Truth Behind Krampus (2015)
Episode Description
Every winter, a horned creature stalks the snowy villages of the Alps — rattling chains, dragging birch branches, and punishing the misbehaved. But how much of that legend actually made its way into the 2015 horror-comedy Krampus?
In this episode of Truth Behind the Terror, Carissa descends int...
Happy New Year ... in April!! We are back with our first episode of 2024 and it's a fun one! Join us as we look at a movie that had one of the most creative marketing campaigns in movie history ... it's based on a true story ... but it actually isn't. It's also a bit of winding path as we explore a truly indescribable movie from the 70s that was actually the pioneer of the modern found footage film...
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal! Happy holidays to you!
Need a break from your Festivus celebrations? Looking for that perfect holiday film to cuddle up with the whole family? Need some topics of conversation to get through all of the awkward family dinners? You are in luck! Join us on the winding path of our latest podcast as we cover such topics as:
✅ Why ...
One of the most terrifying movies of all time, "The Exorcist" was based on the true story of a 14 year old boy, which also inspired the novel by William Peter Blatty. Join us as we explore the myths surrounding the "cursed" movie, the theology behind exorcisms, the true story of Roland Doe, and to what extent demonic possession can be linked to mental health.
Show Notes:
- Music by SoundGalleryByDmit...
In the first part of our special two-part episode, we take a look at the hit HBO show and video game, "The Last of Us". Even though the show is not based on a true story, it has led to much speculation about the role that fungi may play in future pandemics. In Part 1, we look at the history of zombies in pop culture, take a look at some "true" cases of zombies, and look at how this latest instalment in t...
In the second of our special two-part episode, we take a deep dive into the world of fungi with mycologist and Teaching Professor Emerita from the University of Calgary, Heather Addy.
What is a fungus?
What is the Cordyceps fungus?
Could the Cordyceps fungus ever evolve to infect humans?
Are there any fungi that are dangerous to humans?
Is there anything that h...
In December of 1975, newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz moved into a house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, setting off what would become one of the most famous haunted house stories of all time. The house, the site of a grisly mass murder, had a history that the Lutzes were not concerned about, but just 28 days later, they were fleeing for their lives with only the clothes on their back. Based ...
Published in 1977, the popularity of Stephen King’s gothic horror novel, “The Shining”, is outmatched only by the 1980 film adaptation by legendary director Stanley Kubrick.
Jack Torrance has been hired to be the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, a grand hotel with a violent past, located high up in the Colorado mountains. Along with his wife, Wendy and their son Danny, the Torran...
We've all seen those movies that are supposedly "based on a true story" or "inspired by true events", but what does that mean? How much of the story is actually true and how much is just Hollywood? Join Carissa and Tara as we explore horror movies, both old and new, to see how much of the true story is actually true.
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