Are there any historical facts behind the new movie "An American Haunting"?
536553
Yes, it's based on the Bell Witch legend in Tennesse...check out bellwitch.org
710849
From Yahoo Movies:\n\n"Everyone has experienced the unsettling mystery of déjà vu--that flash of memory when you meet someone new you feel you've known all your life or recognize a place even though you've never been there before. But what if the feelings were actually warnings sent from the past or clues to the future? It is déjà vu that unexpectedly guides ATF agent Doug Carlin through an investigation into a shattering crime. Called in to recover evidence after a bomb sets off a cataclysmic explosion on a New Orleans Ferry, Carlin is about to discover that what most people believe "is only in their heads" is actually something far more powerful--and will lead him on a mind-bending race to save hundreds of innocent people."
1014047
Never seen a live one.\n\nI've seen a few "exorcism" specials on cable TV, especially when they go into the southern deliverance ceremonies and people are rolling on the floor and making odd noises. The pastors in their interviews actually come across as sincere, not charlatans (although I know there's a bunch of crooks out there), so I'm not sure what to make of it.\n\nAs far as movie exorcisms: The movie "The Exorcist" was based on the real case of a young man in the late '40's. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" was based on the case of Annalise Michel back in the '70's. You can't take either as "accurate" due to the nature of drama (they spice things up, change what they want to make things interesting), but the basics are there.\n\nI know at least one person who participated in an exorcism or at least the "casting out of a demon." He didn't want to talk much about it and seemed very unsettled by the experience. I think when you see the real thing, there's something about it that bars sensationalism.
714125
I like the movie as a movie.  However the real fact of the situation are so different - the film can only be said to be very loosely based on fact.\nAnneliese Michel (September 21, 1952 – July 1, 1976) was a Catholic woman from Germany who believed she was possessed by six or more demons and subsequently underwent an exorcism.Anneliese experienced severe psychiatric disturbances from the age of 16 to her death at age 23. Although the faith-based treatment was performed at her own request, the hospitalization and intravenous feeding could have saved her life. Both the priests who performed the exorcism and her parents were convicted of manslaughter. The Catholic Church, which had authorized the exorcism, reversed itself and declared it a case of mental illness; however, many people believe she was genuinely possessed by demons, and her gravesite is a destination for pilgrims to this day.\nThe film significantly deviates from the real-world events (for example, the film is set in the United States and Anneliese was renamed Emily Rose and the court case was shown with a substantially different outcome). The German-language film Requiem (2006) by Hans-Christian Schmid holds a much truer account of the real-life events.\nAs to how 'true' this case was as opposed to being a mental illness, I don't know.  However even 'The Ammityville Horror' a well known hoax had a germ of truth behind it and the house still has been the scene of some disturbances, admittedly not as dramatic as the book and subsequent film.  I know it sounds strange, but I think there may well be some truth in this case, as well.
830838
Certainly. Most of it is history that has been recorded elsewhere, just told from a number of perspectives.\n\nIt deals with people known to have existed and things that they are known to have done.\n\nHowever none of the supernatural occurrences have been supported except one. That is the destruction of the Tower of Babel. There is a ruin that fits some of that story in that its destruction shows evidence of the release of a great deal of power of some kind. In Iraq if Saddam didn't tear it apart.
1024501
The Skeleton Key is a 2005 horror-suspense film released in the UK on 22 July and in the USA on August 12. It is set in Louisiana, more specifically, the Terrebonne Parish and has a cast led by Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, and John Hurt in an original screenplay by Ehren Kruger, directed by Iain Softley. Caroline (played by Kate Hudson) is a New Orleans hospital aide from Hoboken, New Jersey, who, after her latest patient dies, quits her "medibusiness" job and takes a position as a private hospice caregiver at an isolated bayou manor-house. The lady of the house, Violet (played by Gena Rowlands) is a diffident woman who requires help to care for her husband Ben (played by John Hurt), who suffered a serious stroke which has left him paralyzed and speechless, with about a month left to live.\n\nViolet gives Caroline a skeleton key to open every room within the large mansion, except for a small room hidden in the attic, which is where Ben had his stroke. This does not stop Caroline from eventually getting into that room, after something inside apparently rattles the door, and uncovering bizarre items including jars of pickled organs, magical objects, and a fullsize voodoo doll. Violet tells Caroline that the room belonged to two black servants who had lived in the house in the 1920s, Mama Cecile (Jeryl Prescott) and her husband, Papa Justify (Ron McCall) under a cruel employer who had them lynched in the presence of their children for practicing hoodoo. Caroline dismisses this as superstition, but the longer she stays in the house, more and more strange events occur, piquing her curiosity about the obscure (to her) swamp religions and their relationship to the physical condition of Ben, whom she has become determined to save and restore to health.\n\n[edit]\nThe Twist\nSpoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details about this film's twist follow.\nCaroline, after realizing that Violet is working harmful spells on Ben, seeks the help of the young lawyer Luke (played by Peter Sarsgaard) hired to rewrite Violet and Ben's wills. While in Luke's house, Caroline discovers clues leading to the revelation that Luke is in fact assisting Violet with a hoodoo ritual to take the remaining years of Caroline's life and give them to Violet. Just as Caroline is about to act, Luke captures her and takes her back to the manor.\n\nCaroline is held captive, but manages to get free and "rig" (roughly, enchant) the house with brick dust, which is said to keep away those who mean one harm. After accidentally breaking Violet's legs, Caroline delves further into hoodoo and learns to form a protective circle around herself. Violet comes into the ritual room, and explains that "they" have been waiting for her to believe. Caroline tries to deny the fact that she now believes in hoodoo, but cannot convince herself.\n\nViolet pushes a mirror at Caroline, which contains the image of Mama Cecile. The mirror smashes into Caroline, knocking her unconscious. In the morning, Caroline wakes up and walks over to Violet, who is barely awake. She takes Violet's cigarettes, and begins to smoke, while she utters the words "Thank you, child," revealing to the audience that the soul of Mama Cecile is now inside Caroline's body. The mirror acted as a catalyst, and it transferred Mama Cecile's soul into Caroline's body, while placing Caroline's soul in Violet's body. Luke walks in, and it is revealed that he too is not who he claims to be. His body is possessed by the soul of Papa Justify. Ben, who was previously the host to Papa Justify's soul, is revealed to be the real Luke.\n\nMama Cecile (in Caroline's body) gives Caroline (in Violet's body) a liquid which causes a pseudo-stroke. This prevents her from talking, so that she can't reveal the presences of Mama Cecile and Papa Justify. The film ends with the revelation that "Ben" and "Violet" left the house to
496871
too many facts....not enough fiction...They say that the book Dan Brown wrote is based a false story but if you take the time to look at the small details it just might make sense. The facts seems to lead to some kind of cover up. Why do so many people want to stop the movie from being released if it's just a FICTIONAL story. Makes you wonder...and if Jesus did have a child, there is no sin in that, in the time of Jesus is would not be "normal" to not be married and have a child. If there is a blood line, so what. God is God...if Jesus had a child, that wouldn't make a difference.
320606
from Snopes.com:\n\nClaim:   The ghostly image of a boy who died in the apartment where Three Men and a Baby was filmed can be seen in the finished movie. \nStatus:   False. \n\nOrigins:   The  \nunusual image at a window appears when Jack Holden (Ted Danson) and his mother (Celeste Holm) are walking through the house Jack shares with his two buddies. As Mrs. Holden plays with the baby girl left who was left in the three men's care, a human figure can be glimpsed standing behind the curtains of a background window at the left-hand side of the screen. A rumor has persisted for several years that this figure is the eerie image of a boy who was killed in the house where this scene was filmed. \n\nThe most common form of this rumor claims that a nine-year-old boy committed suicide with a shotgun in the Three Men and a Baby house. (A detail obviously inspired by the jagged black outline created as the curtains move away from in front of the figure's left-hand side. The black portions of the figure form an outline that does resemble a shotgun standing on its end, barrel down.) \n\nOther variations merely mention that a boy died in the house, without specifying how. The dead boy's despondent parents supposedly moved out after their son's death, and the house was rented or bought by a film studio, who allegedly used it for interior scenes of Three Men and a Baby. More detailed versions of the rumor have the boy's mother suing the film studio after they refuse her request to remove the image from the film, and/or making the rounds of television talk shows (Oprah, Geraldo, 60 Minutes) to repeat her strange tale of woe. Even wilder versions have the mother spotting her dead son, dressed in his burial clothes, in the film. In stock folkloric fashion, the mother immediately goes insane and has to be confined to a mental institution, where she has remained ever since. \n\nAs usual, the truth is much more mundane. The figure behind the curtains is a "standee" (a stand-up cardboard cutout used for advertising displays) of Ted Danson, dressed in a top hat, white shirt, and tails. The standee prop was created as part of a story line involving a dog food commercial in which Danson's character (an actor) appears, but references to the figure were cut from the finished version of the film. \n\n(The standee shows up once more in the film: Ted Danson is standing next to it when the baby's mother comes to reclaim her child.) The figure was accidentally left in front of a window on the set by a propman and thereby "sneaked" into the background of one scene. Additionally, all indoor scenes were shot on a Toronto soundstage -- no real structures were used for interior filming. \n\nAs with most rumors involving strange or hidden images in popular films (such as The Wizard of Oz and The Lion King), this wild tale originated after Three Men and a Baby was released on home video. The rumor first gained widespread notoriety in August 1990 and spread like wildfile in the media and on the Internet in the following months, just as the film's sequel (Three Men and a Little Lady) was about to hit the theaters. The cynical among us might wonder whether the studio itself had something to do with the creation and/or propagation of this rumor, as the combination of supernatural mystery and the boost of a sequel propelled Three Men and a Little Lady to a new record for video rentals. \n\n----------------\nGo to the website to see the pictures
1049917
It's only been out for a week (and not yet arrived in my town). I will probably see it, if I have the stomach for it.\n\nFolks who think this is some 'liberal' propaganda or 'food for terrorists' - just put yourself in this scenario: You're going to a friend's wedding overseas. While you're there, the U.S. is attacked. Suddenly, now you're determined to be in a 'terrorist country.' You're rounded up - even though you're a U.S. citizen - on suspicion of terrorism, for no reason except that you're in the wrrong place at the wrong time. You're imprisoned for 3 years, tortured, never charged with any crime, nor ever given a trial. Three years of your life are lost, and then suddenly you're set free. No apologies, no explanations, no remorse from "your government." You never find out why.\n\nHow do you feel? Find some compassion for these people. That's what happened to them.\n\nThe movie sounds harrowing but important. This is what Time magazine wrote:\n\n"IF the movie's remorseless depiction of this nightmare doesn't shock audiences into numbness - 'United 93' is a Hallmark card compared with this horror show - they may be inspired by the stubborn bravery of Iqbal and his friends. Documents like this are supposed to open our eyes, even if we would rather shut them to the awful realities on view."
317002
i believe so...the movie was based on a true story..
6972
The modern American alien/monster movie was born in what many film history textbooks refer to as the "Return to Myth" era, which many believe continues today. It is defined by the "quinesential battle of good versus evil"...which I personally find tired and is merely used as an excuse to go back on all of the insights provided to us by Mr. Shakespere (I say this, because all of these monsters are really just abstract representations of human/societal characteristics). The bottom line is that, as long as the alien invaders represent a mennace to our society *ahem*, then they will always be defeated by the purity and justice of our American resistence. Yes...it's just the Cold War that won't go away, venting itself out in entertainment. We'll get over it someday, and the monsters might start winning again. (King Kong...almost. At least he got the girl.)\n\nGood versus evil aside...E.T.?
781753
It looks okay to me but if you'd like to check it, the link below may be helpful:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_USA\n\nThe Salen Witch Trials is the only thing I would question in the list.
63511
There is alot of info: here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384683/
482261
Here are a few resources.\n\nHappy haunting...
665435
Also, it creates the golden spiral, which you can learn about by watching "Pi".\n\nDon't worry, it's not an educational film. It's by the same director as "Requiem For A Dream"....highly recommended.\n\nAlso, check out the bee ancestry code at wikipedia. That is cool, and I didn't know that.
363561
Obviously there are all the potential topics listed above, but these can sometimes be difficult to prove beyond personal feelings.  Something that can be easier and more fun to prove or disprove, are historical debates and conspiracies, such as, "Was their a second shooter at the JFK assassination?  If so, from where did they shoot?  Did Oswald actually do anything or was he a scapegoat?  Was their a mass conspiracy?  If so, did it involve the American government?"  You can talk about the existence of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster or aliens.  Maybe you'd rather talk about the different theories on how people got to the Americas or the Polynesian Islands.  Who was Jack the Ripper?  Did Shakespeare write his own plays?  Did the girls who accused the "witches" in Salem Village make everything up, eat rye infected by the fungus used to make LSD or suffer from clinical hysteria?  Did St. Patrick really exist?  Did King Arthur really exist?  Did Walt Disney have himself criogenically frozen?  Did Irish explorers reach the Americas in small boats?  Did a Welsh man reach the Americas long before Colombus and teach some Indian villages Welsh?  There are so many wonderful historical myths and theories to explore, which can be more fun for you and refreshing and interesting for your teacher to grade.  I hope this helped!
29095
More than likely it's a remake of the original movie made in 1926 starring the fabulous Lillian Gish.  Check out this site.\nhttp://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/reviewpages/MDScarletLetter.htm