What EXACTLY does "Based on a true story" mean?

[hevnsnt]

How far removed can a movie be from the real story before it no longer fits in the "based on a true story" catagory?

 

[yllus]

The addition of zombies usually is the dealbreaker.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: yllus
The addition of zombies usually is the dealbreaker.

*unless there were actually zombies in the real story.

 

[dragonballgtz]

As long as they have some of the same things in common.

Example: 4 kids died in a house in Detroit, MI and were killed by their parents.

The movie would probably be about the parents going crazy and doing the supposed work of god. As long as the children die, the setting is in Detroit ,and they die by their parents hands you can say it was based on a true story. All the extra filler stuff could be made up.

 

[DaveSimmons]

There are no federal standards, but "no (added) zombies" is a good rule of thumb.

 

[computeerrgghh]

The names are the same and everything else is Hollywood.

 

[TheChort]

Originally posted by: computeerrgghh
The names are the same and everything else is Hollywood.

thats so anti-dragnet of you 🙁

 

[chuckywang]

At the beginning of Fargo, it said it was based on a true story when in reality it was all fiction.

 

[TheChort]

The Davinci Code was popularized on a similar premise.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Crichton's Eaters of the Dead (filmed as 13th Warrior with Banderas) is another "true story" hoax. Same with Blair Witch Project and Amityville Horror.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: TheChort
The Davinci Code was popularized on a similar premise.

"Well, the Catholic Church IS a real entity...right? And there was once a painter named Leonardo Da Vinci? Yeah! BASED ON A TRUE STORY."

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

It roughly translates into: "True except for all the fake crap we added (99% of the film) to make it more interesting."

 

[AreaCode7O7]

I believe that an author will likely pin the moniker "based on a true story" on any work of fantasy whence the illusion began to grow out of the musings on some piece or particle of actual fact. The end result of this orgy of the muses may have little or no bearing on the original orphaned event, but as long as there was a linear progression from some form of fact to the ultimate delivery of sometime that may be as much as 100% fiction, it may be claimed that it was "based on a true story." Based on may not lend any credibility to a claim of veracity.

 

[weirdichi]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Crichton's Eaters of the Dead (filmed as 13th Warrior with Banderas) is another "true story" hoax. Same with Blair Witch Project and Amityville Horror.

I thought 13t Warrior was based on Beowulf.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Crichton's Eaters of the Dead (filmed as 13th Warrior with Banderas) is another "true story" hoax. Same with Blair Witch Project and Amityville Horror.

13th warrior was a beowolf ripoff... maybe that's what they meant...

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: weirdichi

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Crichton's Eaters of the Dead (filmed as 13th Warrior with Banderas) is another "true story" hoax. Same with Blair Witch Project and Amityville Horror.

I thought 13t Warrior was based on Beowulf.

Yes, but on Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead book, which was "supposed to be" (pretending to be) the true historical account that inspired the Beowulf legend.

 

[Gurck]

What EXACTLY does "Based on a true story" mean?

"We want you to watch this so that we'll receive more advertising dollars, and feel that saying this will do the trick"