The Blob (1958)
The fiction: An alien blob terrorizes a small town in Pennsylvania, growing larger and more aggressive as it devours people whole.
The fact: The Blob was inspired by a 1950 incident involving a handful of Philadelphia police officers who witnessed a mysterious, gelatinous alien mass fall from the sky. It allegedly dissolved before long, and thankfully didn't eat anyone.
Psycho (1960)
The fiction: A young woman is murdered by a motel manager who occasionally cosplays as his dead mother, who's still decomposing in his house.
The fact: Psycho's story, adapted from a 1959 book of the same name, is based loosely on the real world murderer Ed Gein, whose fixation on his mother and other qualities are mirrored in the character Norman Bates.
The Exorcist (1973)
The fiction: Two priests and a mother attempt to save a 12-year-old girl from demonic possession.
The fact: The Exorcist was adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name. The book was based at least partially on the story of an unidentified 13-year-old boy who exhibited signs of possession in Cottage City, MD in 1949.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The fiction: A group of friends are terrorized by an isolated family of rural cannibals, including the now-iconic Leatherface.
The fact: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was marketed as "based on a true story," which isn't entirely accurate--although Leatherface was inspired by real life killer Ed Gein, who also wore human skin over his own.
Deranged (1974)
The fiction: A deranged man becomes obsessed with corpses, eventually resorting to creating new ones. The film was subtitled "The Confessions of a Necrophile" in the US.
The fact: Like so many other horror films of the era, Deranged killer Ezra Cobb was based on the murderer Ed Gein.
Jaws (1975)
The fiction: An enormous shark terrorizes beachgoers off the coast of the fictional New England town of Amity Island.
The fact: Jaws was inspired by the 1916 deaths in New Jersey of five victims at the teeth of one ferocious rogue shark.
The Hills Have Eyes (1976)
The fiction: A family is terrorized by savages in the Nevada desert who turn out to all be part of one big, cannibalistic clan.
The fact: The Hills Have Eyes and its 2006 remake are modern retellings of the story of Sawney Bean, who legend has it led a clan of dozens of cannibals in killing over 1,000 people in Scotland around the 16th century.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
The fiction: A "Phantom" killer in a simple mask terrorizes the small town of Texarkana, Texas.
The fact: The Town That Dreaded Sundown was based on similar murders that took place in Texarkana between February and May of 1946. It was even shot there, with several locals cast as extras.
Eaten Alive (1977)
The fiction: The proprietor of a rural Texas hotel attacks victims and feed them to his pet crocodile.
The fact: The events of Eaten Alive, which also went by the alternate titles Death Trap, Horror Hotel, and Starlight Slaughter, were based on the real life "alligator killer," Joe Ball. Ball murdered at least two women in the 1930s, and rumor is he disposed of the bodies by feeding them to the pet alligators he kept at his Elmendorf, Texas bar.
Audrey Rose (1977)
The fiction: In one of his earliest roles, Anthony Hopkins plays Elliot Hoover, who becomes convinced that a 10-year-old girl is the reincarnation of his dead daughter.
The fact: Audrey Rose was adapted from a novel of the same title by Frank De Felitta, who was inspired to explore reincarnation in his writing after his 6-year-old son allegedly began spontaneously playing ragtime piano.
Done - Blue
