Horror Movies Based On True Stories To Watch On TV Before Halloween

October is the best month for horror film lovers to catch showings of their favorite scarers on TV. Ahead of Halloween, numerous networks are airing classic horror movies and luckily for those looking for a real scare this 2017 season, the following movies set to show this month are ones based on true stories.

“Annabelle”

The 2014 horror film (watch the trailer above) follows a couple being haunted by a demonic doll, and unfortunately for movie buffs looking to sleep well after watching, much of the storyline is based on findings from paranormal investigators Ed and Lorrain Warren’s work. The doll is real and currently resides in the Warren Occult Museum in Connecticut. However, unlike the film’s doll, the real doll is a Raggedy Ann. The real doll was also said to move on its own and write messages.

Read more about the true story here.

Fans can catch showings of “Annabelle” three times this month. AMC is airing the film on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m., Oct. 26 at 12:30 a.m. and Oct. 28 at 8:45 a.m.

“The Amityville Horror”

A horrific event occurred at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, in 1974 when Ronald J. DeFeo Jr. opened fire on his family, killing his parents and siblings. He later said during his trial that voices told him to commit the murders. Intrigue in the property continued when the Lutz family purchased the property only to move out just 28 days later.

In their book “The Amityville Horror: A True Story,” which inspired the 1979 film, George and Kathy Lutz claimed that numerous paranormal events happened while they were living in the home. It was later revealed that the couple came up with the tale “over many bottles of wine.”

The horror tale has received numerous screen adaptations, with the most recent being the release of “Amityville: The Awakening” this month. Horror fans can watch and download the film for free on Google Play.

Two showings of the 2005 version of “The Amityville Horror,” starring Ryan Reynolds, will be airing this month on HBO2. Air dates include Oct. 22 at 9 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 9:55 p.m. EDT.

“The Silence of the Lambs”​

“The Silence of the Lambs” film is based off of the best-selling novel of the same name and while the story is fiction, the antagonist, Hannibal Lecter, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins on-screen, is based on a very real killer.

When the 25th anniversary edition of the book was released, author Thomas Harris revealed the popular character was based on a Mexican surgeon named Alfredo Ballí Treviño, who was convicted of murdering and chopping up his boyfriend. Harris later described Treviño as having “a certain elegance about him.” He was eventually released from prison and continued to practice medicine before dying in 2009.

There are several showings of the 1991 film planned. REELZ will be airing the film on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. and on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. A Halloween showing of the film will air on the BBC at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. BBC will also air the film on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

“Jaws”

The shark attacks that made Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film a classic hit is believed to be based on a series of historical events, though “Jaws” author Peter Benchley denies the connection.

The long-speculated true story, as reported by Smithsonian Magazine, dates back to 1916 when a series of shark attacks startled New Jersey residents over the course of one summer. The event included the attack of one 25-year-old businessman’s son, who bled to death after coming in contact with a shark, only for a Bellhop to be attacked in a similar fashion nearby five days later. In total, the story included five shark attack victims.

Showtime and Showtime2 have several screenings of “Jaws” planned this month. Catch the film on Oct. 22 at 4 a.m. on Showtime. The other showings are as follows on SHO2E: Oct. 25 at 8:05 a.m., Oct. 31 at 9 a.m. and Oct. 31 at 8 p.m.

“​The Exorcism of Emily Rose”

A 19-year-old religious girl is possessed by a demon in this 2005 title, which is based off the case of German resident Anneliese Michel from the 1970s. After suffering numerous medical ailments, including seizures, Anneliese was given an anti-convulsion drugs which had neurological side effects. What followed was her telling people she could see “devil faces,” according to Blumhouse.com. She was later given a medicine made to treat schizophrenia. She continued to state she was having hallucinations and hearing voices, leading her to believe she was possessed by a demon.

Her family soon after went to the Catholic Church to seek an exorcism for her. When she was denied, her condition worsened. In 1975, she was finally granted the right to an exorcism. She reportedly had 67 exorcisms over a 10-month period.

Tapes of the excorcisms include what are believed to be demonic voices which, at one point, identify themselves as Lucifer, Cain, Judas, Nero, and Hitler. Photos of Annalise during her exorcisms have also been released.

In 1976, Annalise died from malnutrition and dehydration. Doctors later stated that they felt her death was preventable and her “possession” was a result of her religious upbringing.

Syfy is airing “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” on Oct. 26 at 11 a.m.

“The Forest”

The storyline for 2016’s “The Forest” is made up, but the Natalie Dormer scarer was inspired by a real location. In the film, Dormer’s character, Sara, goes looking for her twin sister in the Japan’s Aokigahara Forest, which is also known as suicide forest.

“It’s a dark place of stark beauty, long associated with demons in Japanese mythology — and one that has earned itself the unfortunate appellation of “Suicide Forest,” reports Japan Times.

In 2011, Masamichi Watanabe, chief of the Fujigoko Fire Department, told the publication that they recover an annual average of 100 people from the forest “in various states of consciousness” with numbers rising each year.

There are no current TV listings for “The Forest” but the title is available on Netflix and for rent and purchase on various streaming platforms.