Story of Paranormal Movies (Based on true story)

THE AMYTIVILLE HORROR

One of the most popular "true" ghost films most of you may have already heard of. This story has been remade and rewritten many times into many different films, including sequels and even a 3D version !

The most recent remake is the 2005 version starring Ryan Reynolds and Chloe Moretz. In both the movie and real life, the Defeo family was murdered in the Amityville house by one of its own members. Later, the Lutz family moved into the same house and eventually fled in horror after experiencing paranormal activity. The movies are generally based around the book the Lutz family wrote afterwards. However, bits of the movie such as George Lutz chasing his family with a shotgun and Butch DeFeo blaming voices for his murders are both untrue. All the other strange events the Lutz family claim happened won't ever be proven real or not, but they sure do make a great movie !

AN AMERICAN HAUNTING

When this film came out, it was marketed as the only case in US history where a spirit caused the death of a man. The film was based on the Bell Witch hauntings that took place in the 1800s.

The Bell family was living in a small town in Tennessee when they began experiencing poltergeist activity such as hearing knocking and scratching on the walls of their house. Slowly the activity began to grow more violent as the young Bell daughter was constantly slapped or pinched out of nowhere, strange bruises would appear, and other family members felt hair pulling or being kicked. Eventually, John Bell fell into a sickness and eventually died next to a black bottle that contained some type of poison. There are numerous theories about what the Bell family actually experienced and one of these are shown in the movie "An Americans Haunting." I don't want to tell you which theory is shown because I wouldn't want to ruin the movie for you!

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is a story based on the life of Anneliese Michel, a 17 year old student who was believed to be possessed by demons in the 1970s. The film revolves around a negligent homicide courtroom case involving the death of Emily Rose. The movie cuts to flashbacks of Emily Rose slowly slipping further and further into madness (or possession), shows tapes that were recorded during an attempted exorcism, and a bunch of other events that were said to have happened around the real life exorcism of Anneliese Michel. In real life, the case has been labeled as a misidentification of mental illness, negligence, abuse, and religious hysteria. However, the film works to leave this open ended for the audience to decide for themselves whether the possession was real or not.

THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES

This film was based on the sightings of an enormous, moth-like creature said to be seen in Point Pleasant, West Virginia between 1966 and 1967. There were numerous reports from various people in the town who said they saw a moth-like creature flying around their area as well as other unexplained incidents. The "Mothman," as they began to call it, was later seen hovering over a bridge in the town called the Silver Bridge on several occasions. The bridge unexpectedly collapsed during rush hour traffic, killing as many as 46 people. Afterwards, the Mothman was never spotted again and the mystery remains.

THE POSSESSION

One of the most recent horror films, "The Possession" is said to be based on the unusual events surrounding the dibbuk box. The dibbuk box is a supposed Jewish haunted wine cabinet. The box became well known after being auctioned on eBay with an accompanying horror story and sold for $280. The buyer's story consists of breaking glass, horrified employees, shared nightmares, and even his mother having a stroke, all of which he blames on the box. The movie does not follow the story that was originally told but instead involves a young girl becoming possessed by this haunted box.

THE SHINING

Believe it or not, the movie "The Shining" was based on a real hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. It is called The Stanley Hotel and over the years, many people have reported witnessing paranormal activity in the hotel. The majority of sightings were reported in the large ballroom where kitchen workers at the hotel heard loud music, dancing, and conversation in the ballroom, only to find nothing. People have also heard the hotel's pianos playing at odd hours and also reported seeing a large number of apparitions. Author Stephen King and his wife decided to take a mini-vacation to the Stanley Hotel which prompted him to write "The Shining," which inevitably led to the film.

AUDREY ROSE

This film is the oldest of the list but is still pretty interesting when you look at the story it was based on. The movie centers around a family and their daughter, whom they believe is possessed by a ghost named Audrey Rose. The original book that the movie came from was written by Frank De Felitta. Frank's six-year-old son, who'd never taken piano lessons, began playing music perfectly on the family piano. After consulting a Los Angeles occultist, he was told that his son's talent was an "incarnation leak," explaining that the boy had lived many lifetimes.