The Real Story (2008)
Discover the true stories involving very real people, places and events -- some known to the public, others hidden from it -- that went on to inspire some of Hollywood's biggest hits, most iconic heroes and notorious villains.
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Episode 1 - The Exorcist
Release Date: 2010-04-25Perhaps the scariest part of "The Exorcist" is that it's not a work of complete fiction. We recount the 1949 exorcism of a young boy through reenactments and witness accounts. We also show how exorcism continues to this day and how neuroscientists' recent discoveries dispute this controversial, centuries-old ritual.
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Episode 2 - The Silence of the Lambs
Release Date: 2010-05-02Meet the deranged serial killers and the determined FBI agents who inspired one of Hollywood's most terrifying thrillers and gave Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster the roles of a lifetime. We go behind the scenes at the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit to meet the profilers who became the basis for Harris's characters and to uncover the details of real-life murderers Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and others.
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Episode 3 - The Bourne Identity
Release Date: 2010-05-16Believe it or not, the covert, violent, and deadly world of Jason Bourne is actually grounded in reality. We take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the CIA to see how a super assassin like Matt Damon's conflicted hero is created. We also probe the intelligence agency's controversial past operations, involving sinister mind-control experiments and often bizarre assassination plots.
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Episode 4 - Casino
Release Date: 2010-05-09Behind Martin Scorsese's masterful direction and Robert De Niro's larger-than-life performance lies the very real story of the high-stakes battle between the mob and the law for control of Las Vegas. We interview key figures on both sides of this colorful crime story and detail how the FBI was finally able to overcome the Mafia's formidable grip on Sin City.
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Episode 5 - The Hunt for Red October
Release Date: 2010-05-23In 1975, The Sentry, a state-of-the-art Russian warship, was taken over by a rogue Soviet officer. This remarkable mutiny not only inspired the best-selling political thriller and the Sean Connery/Alec Baldwin blockbuster, "The Hunt for Red October," it almost triggered World War III. For the first time, The Real Story takes you deep into the details of the events depicted in the film, revealing firsthand accounts of bravery and tragedy from the men aboard the warship and the officers who ordered its destruction.