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The Horrific True Story That Inspired Upcoming Horror Film About Lake ‘Lanier’

Lake Lanier is, without question, one of Georgia’s most famous landmarks, but it hides a very dark secret below its surface. The filmmakers behind the upcoming indie horror film Lanier, whose new teaser trailer has been released, are using the lake’s real, dark history as a basis for their story. . Written and directed by William Eric Anderson and Cindy Estenfanie Kunz-Anderson, the film stars Shekeb Sekander, Jarrett Collins, Ali Ashtigo, and Chris Johnson. In the film, “A detective is forced to come to a realization of the dark truths hidden at the bottom of Lake Lanier.” Before you see the movie, there are a few things you should know about Lanier’s infamous history. Before construction began on the Buford Dam, the area was the location of Oscarville, a thriving black community, until one event sent things spiraling out of control, ending in bloodshed and a town sunk beneath the depths of the Georgia lake. In 1912, a 19-year-old white

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 25, 2023

Season Three Of Netflix’s True Crime Series ‘Catching Killers’ Premieres This Week

Season three of Netflix‘s true crime series “Catching Killers” is set to premiere this week on the streaming giant. In the series, the investigators behind infamous serial killer cases reveal the harrowing, chilling details of their extraordinary efforts in this true crime series. Real-life investigators recount stories of cold-blooded killers, the desperate efforts to stop them, and the brave people who brought them to justice. The docuseries brings to light the work of detectives Dave Reichert as well as Fae Books in places that are often overlooked. The main focus of “Catching Killers” is on what happens after a body is discovered, including the investigation, the methods they’ve used to solve cases, and how it’s changed them as people over time. Watch the first two seasons of the chilling series, “Catching Killers,” now on Netflix, and tune in for the premiere of season three on June 23, 2023.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 22, 2023

Spoiler-Free Review: HE WENT THAT WAY (Tribeca Festival 2023)  

What do you get when you cross a serial killer saga, a road movie, a thriller, some comedy, a variation on an odd-couple buddy film, and a celebrity chimpanzee? In the case of He Went That Way (U.S., 2023), the answer is a film that lacks clear focus but is nevertheless entertaining throughout. He Went That Way features a title card that proclaims that the events in the film mostly happened. The real-life story involved animal trainer Dave Pitts and the actual chimpanzee Spanky traveling with hitchhiker and serial killer Larry Lee Ranes. Pitts gives an accounting of his tale during the end credits, which also feature a clip of Spanky performing in The Ice Capades. For the fictionalized version, animal trainer Jim (Zachary Quinto) is traveling America’s Route 66 with his beloved chimpanzee Spanky, who was once the toast of highly rated television variety shows and live performances but who has fallen out of favor in the film’s 1964

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 15, 2023

MGM+ Announces True Crime Docuseries ‘Psycho: The Lost Tapes Of Ed Gein’

MGM+ announced today that it has picked up the four-episode true-crime docuseries Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein, directed and executive produced by James Buddy Day (Blumhouse’s Compendium of Horror, Fall River). This MGM+ original docuseries follows the horrifying grave robber and serial killer Ed Gein, otherwise known as “The Plainfield Ghoul” and “The Mad Butcher,” whose crimes inspired such iconic films as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. For years, filmmakers, journalists, and scholars have tried to unravel the mind of this notorious killer, and with new reveals and never-before-heard recordings, viewers will be transported to late-1950s Middle America and submerged in Gein’s perverse mind. The series explores Gein’s upbringing and twisted relationship with his mother (which famously inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho), his early grave robbing, the murders leading up to his arrest, and the police’s discovery of his terrifying house of horrors—all accompanied by the brand-new revelations revealed in the recordings. “This

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 7, 2023

Bad News Comes For Fans Of HBO’s “Last Of Us” Series

Earlier this year, HBO’s “The Last of Us,” the popular video game series adaptation, was a massive hit, with over 8.2 million people tuning in for the finale. The series, which stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, is set twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.” You may be wondering when the second season will premiere. Here’s the bad news, it likely won’t return until 2025. The reason for the delay? The series’ writers, like many others, are still on strike in a bid to get fair wages. And who could blame them? HBO’s head of drama series, Francesca Orsi, recently spoke with Deadline. And she had this to say. “We were looking at The

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 28, 2023

Ice Nine Kills’ New True Crime Book ‘The Silver Scream’ Explores Killers That Inspired Horror Icons

Heavy metal band Ice Nine Kills announces the book The Silver Scream exposes the bloodiest behind-the-scenes details of the most gruesome, shocking, true-crime tragedy of our time. Part autopsy, part grisly director’s “cut,” this is the only book with a comprehensive exploration inside the mind of America’s notorious, celluloid-obsessed rock star turned cinema-copycat murderer, Spencer Charnas. Award–winning television reporter Roy Merkin is the only storyteller in possession of the journals scrawled by disgraced psychotherapist Dr. Ian Black. The Silver Scream reconstructs, with unflinching detail, how fiction became fact, art imitated death, and the most horrific movie murders by the likes of Jason, Leatherface, Freddy, Michael, and the rest became real. Merkin courageously slashes open the ghoulish mind and tortured nightmares of Spencer himself, probing deeply with razor-sharp precision. Learn how the box office created so many oblong boxes. Understand why this rock n’ roll heartthrob chose to stop so many human hearts. Inspired by Ice Nine Kills’ fifth album of

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 24, 2023

First Trailer Arrives For Scorsese’s True Crime Thriller ‘Killer Of The Flower Moon’

The new trailer for Killer of the Flower Moon, based on the true story of one of America’s most brutal crimes, is here. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, behind films such as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Casino, The Wolf Of Wall Street, The Irishman, The Departed, Raging Bull, and Gangs Of New York, is back with Killers Of The Flower Moon, reuniting Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. The all-star cast includes Jesse Plemons (Antlers), Lily Gladstone (Certain Women, “Billions”), and Brendan Fraser (The Whale). Set in 1920s Oklahoma, the Osage Nation were the richest people per capita in the world after oil was discovered under their land. And then they were murdered, one by one. As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case and unraveled a chilling conspiracy and one of the most monstrous crimes in American history. Based on David Grann’s best-selling book Killer of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 22, 2023

Spoiler-Free Film Review: The Night of the 12th (La nuit du 12; 2022)

Director Dominik Moll’s superb French feature The Night of the 12th (La nuit du 12) — César Award winner for Best Film, Best Director, and five other César awards — is a gripping murder mystery/police procedural based on an actual unsolved murder in France. As the film begins, a 21-year-old woman named Clara (Lula Cotton-Frapier) leaves a party in the middle of the night. On her way walking home, a hooded and masked man who calls her by name splashes her with flammable liquid and sets her on fire. She dies from the attack, and detectives Yohan (Bastien Bouillon) and Marceau (Bouli Lanners) are assigned to the case. Yohan is a strictly by-the-book man of few words, while the more veteran Marceau is having marital problems and often on the edge. The Night of the 12th focuses on the investigation and the toll it takes on both the detectives, the others in their department, and those close to Clara. Clara’s

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 22, 2023

New Docuseries Explores True Story Of Girl Who Inspired The ‘Orphan’ Franchise

Orphan, released in 2009, left us all in shock as we watched the story unfold of a family who adopted a young girl, Esther, not knowing she was a grown woman and psychopath. The most disturbing thing about Orphan is the fact that it was inspired by a true story of a girl named Natalia Barnett. ID has just announced the premiere date for the docuseries titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.” And we have a new clip to celebrate, which offers a first glimpse at the exclusive interview with Natalia Barnett’s adoptive father, Michael Barnett, as well as other Barnett family members, friends, and those close to the story. Watch as they break down what’s to come in this astonishing odyssey of deceit, colorful characters, twisted family dynamics, and unbelievable testimonies. The docuseries offers extraordinary access and exclusive insight into a mystery ripped straight from the headlines: Who is Natalia Barnett? Initially assumed to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 17, 2023

ID Announces Docuseries “The Curious Case Of Natalia Grace,” The Story That Inspired ‘Orphan’

Odds are you’ve seen the 2009 horror film, Orphan. What if I was to tell you that it was based on a true story? Investigation Discovery announced today the new docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” which offers extraordinary access and exclusive insight into a mystery ripped straight from the headlines. Who is Natalia Barnett? Initially assumed to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, a rare bone growth disorder that can result in skeletal abnormalities as well as issues with hearing and vision, Natalia was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010. However, the happy family dynamic soured when allegations against Natalia were brought by the Barnetts, who alleged Natalia was an adult masquerading as a child with the intent to harm their family. In 2013, Natalia was discovered living on her own, which ignited an investigation that led to Michael and Kristine’s arrest and a firestorm of questions. This is an astonishing odyssey of deceit,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 25, 2023

More from True Crime

The Horrific True Story That Inspired Upcoming Horror Film About Lake ‘Lanier’

Lake Lanier is, without question, one of Georgia’s most famous landmarks, but it hides a very dark secret below its surface. The filmmakers behind the upcoming indie horror film Lanier, whose new teaser trailer has been released, are using the lake’s real, dark history as a basis for their story. . Written and directed by William Eric Anderson and Cindy Estenfanie Kunz-Anderson, the film stars Shekeb Sekander, Jarrett Collins, Ali Ashtigo, and Chris Johnson. In the film, “A detective is forced to come to a realization of the dark truths hidden at the bottom of Lake Lanier.” Before you see the movie, there are a few things you should know about Lanier’s infamous history. Before construction began on the Buford Dam, the area was the location of Oscarville, a thriving black community, until one event sent things spiraling out of control, ending in bloodshed and a town sunk beneath the depths of the Georgia lake. In 1912, a 19-year-old white

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 25, 2023

Season Three Of Netflix’s True Crime Series ‘Catching Killers’ Premieres This Week

Season three of Netflix‘s true crime series “Catching Killers” is set to premiere this week on the streaming giant. In the series, the investigators behind infamous serial killer cases reveal the harrowing, chilling details of their extraordinary efforts in this true crime series. Real-life investigators recount stories of cold-blooded killers, the desperate efforts to stop them, and the brave people who brought them to justice. The docuseries brings to light the work of detectives Dave Reichert as well as Fae Books in places that are often overlooked. The main focus of “Catching Killers” is on what happens after a body is discovered, including the investigation, the methods they’ve used to solve cases, and how it’s changed them as people over time. Watch the first two seasons of the chilling series, “Catching Killers,” now on Netflix, and tune in for the premiere of season three on June 23, 2023.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 22, 2023

Spoiler-Free Review: HE WENT THAT WAY (Tribeca Festival 2023)  

What do you get when you cross a serial killer saga, a road movie, a thriller, some comedy, a variation on an odd-couple buddy film, and a celebrity chimpanzee? In the case of He Went That Way (U.S., 2023), the answer is a film that lacks clear focus but is nevertheless entertaining throughout. He Went That Way features a title card that proclaims that the events in the film mostly happened. The real-life story involved animal trainer Dave Pitts and the actual chimpanzee Spanky traveling with hitchhiker and serial killer Larry Lee Ranes. Pitts gives an accounting of his tale during the end credits, which also feature a clip of Spanky performing in The Ice Capades. For the fictionalized version, animal trainer Jim (Zachary Quinto) is traveling America’s Route 66 with his beloved chimpanzee Spanky, who was once the toast of highly rated television variety shows and live performances but who has fallen out of favor in the film’s 1964

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 15, 2023

MGM+ Announces True Crime Docuseries ‘Psycho: The Lost Tapes Of Ed Gein’

MGM+ announced today that it has picked up the four-episode true-crime docuseries Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein, directed and executive produced by James Buddy Day (Blumhouse’s Compendium of Horror, Fall River). This MGM+ original docuseries follows the horrifying grave robber and serial killer Ed Gein, otherwise known as “The Plainfield Ghoul” and “The Mad Butcher,” whose crimes inspired such iconic films as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. For years, filmmakers, journalists, and scholars have tried to unravel the mind of this notorious killer, and with new reveals and never-before-heard recordings, viewers will be transported to late-1950s Middle America and submerged in Gein’s perverse mind. The series explores Gein’s upbringing and twisted relationship with his mother (which famously inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho), his early grave robbing, the murders leading up to his arrest, and the police’s discovery of his terrifying house of horrors—all accompanied by the brand-new revelations revealed in the recordings. “This

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 7, 2023

Bad News Comes For Fans Of HBO’s “Last Of Us” Series

Earlier this year, HBO’s “The Last of Us,” the popular video game series adaptation, was a massive hit, with over 8.2 million people tuning in for the finale. The series, which stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, is set twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.” You may be wondering when the second season will premiere. Here’s the bad news, it likely won’t return until 2025. The reason for the delay? The series’ writers, like many others, are still on strike in a bid to get fair wages. And who could blame them? HBO’s head of drama series, Francesca Orsi, recently spoke with Deadline. And she had this to say. “We were looking at The

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 28, 2023

Ice Nine Kills’ New True Crime Book ‘The Silver Scream’ Explores Killers That Inspired Horror Icons

Heavy metal band Ice Nine Kills announces the book The Silver Scream exposes the bloodiest behind-the-scenes details of the most gruesome, shocking, true-crime tragedy of our time. Part autopsy, part grisly director’s “cut,” this is the only book with a comprehensive exploration inside the mind of America’s notorious, celluloid-obsessed rock star turned cinema-copycat murderer, Spencer Charnas. Award–winning television reporter Roy Merkin is the only storyteller in possession of the journals scrawled by disgraced psychotherapist Dr. Ian Black. The Silver Scream reconstructs, with unflinching detail, how fiction became fact, art imitated death, and the most horrific movie murders by the likes of Jason, Leatherface, Freddy, Michael, and the rest became real. Merkin courageously slashes open the ghoulish mind and tortured nightmares of Spencer himself, probing deeply with razor-sharp precision. Learn how the box office created so many oblong boxes. Understand why this rock n’ roll heartthrob chose to stop so many human hearts. Inspired by Ice Nine Kills’ fifth album of

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 24, 2023

First Trailer Arrives For Scorsese’s True Crime Thriller ‘Killer Of The Flower Moon’

The new trailer for Killer of the Flower Moon, based on the true story of one of America’s most brutal crimes, is here. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, behind films such as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Casino, The Wolf Of Wall Street, The Irishman, The Departed, Raging Bull, and Gangs Of New York, is back with Killers Of The Flower Moon, reuniting Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. The all-star cast includes Jesse Plemons (Antlers), Lily Gladstone (Certain Women, “Billions”), and Brendan Fraser (The Whale). Set in 1920s Oklahoma, the Osage Nation were the richest people per capita in the world after oil was discovered under their land. And then they were murdered, one by one. As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case and unraveled a chilling conspiracy and one of the most monstrous crimes in American history. Based on David Grann’s best-selling book Killer of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 22, 2023

Spoiler-Free Film Review: The Night of the 12th (La nuit du 12; 2022)

Director Dominik Moll’s superb French feature The Night of the 12th (La nuit du 12) — César Award winner for Best Film, Best Director, and five other César awards — is a gripping murder mystery/police procedural based on an actual unsolved murder in France. As the film begins, a 21-year-old woman named Clara (Lula Cotton-Frapier) leaves a party in the middle of the night. On her way walking home, a hooded and masked man who calls her by name splashes her with flammable liquid and sets her on fire. She dies from the attack, and detectives Yohan (Bastien Bouillon) and Marceau (Bouli Lanners) are assigned to the case. Yohan is a strictly by-the-book man of few words, while the more veteran Marceau is having marital problems and often on the edge. The Night of the 12th focuses on the investigation and the toll it takes on both the detectives, the others in their department, and those close to Clara. Clara’s

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 22, 2023

New Docuseries Explores True Story Of Girl Who Inspired The ‘Orphan’ Franchise

Orphan, released in 2009, left us all in shock as we watched the story unfold of a family who adopted a young girl, Esther, not knowing she was a grown woman and psychopath. The most disturbing thing about Orphan is the fact that it was inspired by a true story of a girl named Natalia Barnett. ID has just announced the premiere date for the docuseries titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.” And we have a new clip to celebrate, which offers a first glimpse at the exclusive interview with Natalia Barnett’s adoptive father, Michael Barnett, as well as other Barnett family members, friends, and those close to the story. Watch as they break down what’s to come in this astonishing odyssey of deceit, colorful characters, twisted family dynamics, and unbelievable testimonies. The docuseries offers extraordinary access and exclusive insight into a mystery ripped straight from the headlines: Who is Natalia Barnett? Initially assumed to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 17, 2023

ID Announces Docuseries “The Curious Case Of Natalia Grace,” The Story That Inspired ‘Orphan’

Odds are you’ve seen the 2009 horror film, Orphan. What if I was to tell you that it was based on a true story? Investigation Discovery announced today the new docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” which offers extraordinary access and exclusive insight into a mystery ripped straight from the headlines. Who is Natalia Barnett? Initially assumed to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, a rare bone growth disorder that can result in skeletal abnormalities as well as issues with hearing and vision, Natalia was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010. However, the happy family dynamic soured when allegations against Natalia were brought by the Barnetts, who alleged Natalia was an adult masquerading as a child with the intent to harm their family. In 2013, Natalia was discovered living on her own, which ignited an investigation that led to Michael and Kristine’s arrest and a firestorm of questions. This is an astonishing odyssey of deceit,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 25, 2023
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