MovieChat Forums > True Nightmares (2015) Discussion > Take the stories with a large grain of s...

Take the stories with a large grain of salt

posted 8 years ago by mulligan2
13 replies | jump to latest

The stories may be "true," but they aren't accurate. The Belle Gunness story is much more interesting than what True Nightmares decided to tell. The story this week about Linda Hazzard and Starvation Heights occurred during the early 1900s, not the early 2000s as it looked based on the cars and clothes in the show. It would have been easy enough to adjust the clothes and find a vintage car.

The stories are interesting but knowing the actual events makes it hard to enjoy this show. I just keep looking for the flaws. It takes all the entertainment out of the show.

[–] TotheWatersandtheWild 8 years ago

Totally agree. What a schlocky mess. Cramming three stories into the space they should have just explored one.
They're all full of too much bologna. Grady Stiles' ("Lobster Boy") was so far off the facts. Too campy and tacky in all the wrong ways, and offensive to fact checkers (which I am not, but, really... too many liberties).
Back to Doctor Wholloween recorded marathon.

~
"We’re all stories, in the end… just make it a good one, eh?”

[–] vincon2 8 years ago

I suspected as much after watching an episode about "Ellie Cooper" who supposedly killed two of her husbands/lovers and kept them in the freezer of her ice cream shop.

I cant fine anything about her or the crime on the internet

are they just making stuff up?

[–] jlb5947 8 years ago

Same here. I couldn't find anything about Ellie Cooper. I believe it occurred in a European nation though if it's true.

[–] Tornado-chaser 8 years ago

No it definitely happened! But I suspect they may have changed her name. This exact story was featured on an episode of "How Not to Kill Your Husband"

[–] Topaz-Dragon 8 years ago

here's the story of "Ellie Cooper" - her real name was Estibaliz Carranza - http://murderpedia.org/female.C/c/carranza-estibaliz.htm

[–] cmashieldscapting 8 years ago

Yeah, the reenactments are way off vintage wise. The sausage king of Chicago case occurred in 1897 and it's shown taking place 40-50 years later complete with a radio news broadcast not in existence then. (I had to wonder about the supposed method of disposing of the body--what about clothing, shoes, hair, and teeth, which are practically indestructible? Are all those parts of hogs used in sausage? Yuck!) 

[–] Tornado-chaser 8 years ago

However I do have to admit, the show definitely takes some liberties. For example, the most recent episode profiled German actor Gunther Kauffman. They said his wife's boyfriend committed the murder when in fact it was 3 people. They also said the money amount in question was $50,000 when Wikipedia states the amount was actually $500,000. Quite a difference! Not sure why they feel the need to take such artistic license as the stories are incredible enough without embellishment.

[–] Floyd000 8 years ago

the woman the show portrayed, Belle Gunness, was not even her, the picture they showed of the real people at the end, that lady was Esther Carlson, A Swedish who claimed to be Gunness, they do not even look alike.

The Adolph Luetgert's trail, accounts that I read only indicates rumours that Louisa Bicknese Luetgert survived, it was never proven and the wife was never officially seen again.

The woman who played Louisa Bicknese in this story is one good looking, shapely woman!! I liked her acting that part. And that accent...

RIP actress Inger Stensland (1934 -1970)
http://www.ingerstevens.org/

[–] draivin 8 years ago

I think it's just mostly for entertainment. I don't take much of what they say seriously, but it's fun to watch.

[–] info-996-828544 8 years ago

I'd never heard of this story, but looked it up on Wiki, and it would appear that the Wiki version is so much more interesting. As regards flaws, not sure if you are referring to the story line or the scenes that were filmed, but though they say the murders took place Circa 1906, the vehicles are of 1930's/40's vintage.

[–] monsoonpdx 7 years ago

The Belle Guinness story and. an episode titled "No Rest for the Wary" took place in the first years of the 20th century, but the cars and clothing were 1950s or so. That throws everything off and takes away the context. Now I don't believe anything this show offers. The acting is just awful, too. I give up.

[–] monsoonpdx 7 years ago

[–] sforrester-3 7 years ago

I agree with you that the reconstructions really throw the stories off. I do think they have most of the basic facts correct but filming the stories in the wrong eras and making most of them American (even when they used English accents, the staging was a weird mix of English and American) was very off putting. I can only assume either the budget was very small or it was just lazy programme making but either way it kind of spoiled what could have been a good show with interesting stories.