Behind the Horror

True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies

By: Dr. Lee Mellor

Narrated by: Adam Sims

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

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 inspired by an 18th-century Japanese folktale? 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 killer who inspired Hannibal Lector 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. 

Lee Mellor, PhD, is a criminologist, lecturer, musician, and the author of seven books on crime. He received his doctorate from Montreal's Concordia University after specializing in abnormal homicide and sex crimes. 

As the chair of the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases' academic committee, he has consulted with police on cold cases in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, and London, Ontario. He resides in Ontario, Canada. 

©2020 Dr. Lee Mellor (P)2020 Random House Audio

Great overview of horror movie fans!

This book looks at movies from almost a century, starting with M and ending with The Lighthouse. The truth accounts are harrowing, and often graphic in nature. As a fan of horror movies, most I was familiar with but there were some I was not. I wish the author would have spent a little more time on the movies as they are usually summarized in a few minutes while the true events are in great detail. But it was a good read, and well narrated!

Okay

Okay if you haven’t heard these true crime stories before. The supernatural stories are not exactly believable and hearing about the supposed events that inspired “The Conjuring”and “Annabelle” caused me to lose patience and give up in the end.

Fun read

If you’re into horror and true crime you will most likely know about all these cases and the films but over all this was still an enjoyable listen. There were a few cases I hadn’t heard of which was interesting to listen to, the book more focuses on the crimes that inspired the movie , giving only a brief synopsis of the movie .

I learned things

The delivery is dry and a bit monotone, but very clear. The book is informative. I would recommend it to anyone. I learned more about such stories as The Moth Man, the basis of Jaws, and the Eddinfield Poltergeist.

Highly Enjoyable

A healthy mix of true crime and paranormal activity to make it an interesting and intriguing listen. The author walks the fine line of including both perspectives, neither leaning towards the fervor of a true believer of paranormal experiences nor the cold certainty of a die hard skeptic. Instead the author gives the listener the known facts, and in the end, let’s them decide what to believe. Well done, and highly enjoyable.

Needed an Ortheopist

The narration was mostly good, except he mispronounced multiple Long Island locations. Interesting listen, though! Each chapter was like a fun little podcast.