MovieChat Forums > Macon County Line (1975) Discussion > True Story?

True Story?

posted 19 years ago by avellenor
4 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie for the first time. I remember the trailer being shown on TV when I was a teenager and it intrigued me. I had long forgotten about it. Something reminded me of it recently and I decided to rent the movie. At the beginning it says that it is a true story. However, on the DVD extras someone made a comment to the effect that the "true story" statement was inserted in order to boost interest in the film. It worked, and the film was very successful at the box office. So, it left me wondering if it is indeed a true story or if that was just a fabrication. Can someone enlighten me?

"You'll simply never understand the true nature of sacrifice" --- May Morrison

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] avellenor 18 years ago

Very interesting! Thank you for clearing that up for me.

"You'll simply never understand the true nature of sacrifice" --- May Morrison

[–] Woodyanders 18 years ago

The "true story" claim was a sheer stroke of genius on the filmmakers' part, for it gave the film an extra power and credibility it would have otherwise lacked without said "true story" claim.

"Warren Oates died for our sins"

[–] richard.fuller1 8 years ago

Return to Macon County is on now and I'm watching it and I recall the original. I remember hearing Max Baer (jethro) was a deputy who was killed in it.

I am interested in its 'based on a true story' tag, and it seems this was around the time when anything was based on a true story (if it has a man and a woman in it, it's based on a true story, Adam and Eve).

Texas Chainsaw Massacre was 'based' on the same true story as Psycho; Ed Gein, and neither movie tells Gein's story.

Psycho is closer, but not by much, but Chainsaw was only 'based on a true story' by Gein's making the face mask of one woman he killed.