209: W.E. with Andrew Lownie
The movie’s title W.E. stands for Wallis and Edward. Was the movie correct to suggest King Edward VIII’s reason for abdicating the throne in 1936 was so he could marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson? We’ll chat with author Andrew Lownie about the true story to find out more. Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of […]
208: Zero Dark Thirty with Peter Bergen
Zero Dark Thirty shows the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden. Peter Bergen is the author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden and he joins us today to dig into the true story behind the movie. The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden Manhunt Peter’s website Did you enjoy this episode? […]
207: Lawless with Matt Bondurant (Remastered)
This episode was originally released on August 28, 2017. This is a remastered version of that interview. Matt Bondurant joins us today episode as we compare what really happened with the movie Lawless. Matt’s grandfather, Jack, and two grand-uncles that were the inspiration for his book that the movie is based on, The Wettest County […]
206: Jurassic Park/Jurassic World with Jack Horner
Jack Horner was the Paleontology Consultant on all six of the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movies. He joins Based on a True Story to chat about the real dinosaurs we saw in the franchise. Jack Horner’s Dinosaurs How to Build a Dinosaur Listen to the audio version Did you enjoy this episode? Help support the next […]
205: Monty Python’s Life of Brian with Adele Reinhartz
Not all movies try to be historically accurate, and yet they still depict moments in history. To help us extract history from the satirical comedy, we’ll be chatting with professor, scholar, and author of Jesus of Hollywood and Bible and Cinema, Adele Reinhartz. Jesus of Hollywood Bible and Cinema: An Introduction Did you enjoy this […]
204: Dunkirk with Joshua Levine
Operation Dynamo, also known as the Miracle at Dunkirk, was an event that many believe kept Britain in World War II before the United States even joined the fight as it took place between May 26 – June 4, 1940. Today we’ll be chatting with Joshua Levine, who was the historical consultant on the 2017 […]
203: The Conqueror with Ryan Uytdewilligen
Today we’ll be talking about the 1956 movie The Conqueror with author Ryan Uytdewilligen. Killing John Wayne: The Making of the Conqueror Find Ryan’s other books Did you enjoy this episode? Help support the next one! Buy me a coffee Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases […]
202: ‘Doc’ Durant in Hell on Wheels with Sheila Myers
We’re joined by author Sheila Myers to learn about the real character of Thomas ‘Doc’ Durant in AMC’s Hell on Wheels. Imaginary Brightness: a Durant Family Saga – A Novel The Truth of Who You Are Find Sheila’s other books Did you enjoy this episode? Help support the next one! Buy me a coffee Disclaimer: […]
201: Tesla with Richard Munson
Author Richard Munson joins the podcast to discuss the historical accuracy of the 2020 movie Tesla. Tesla: Inventor of the Modern Find Richard’s other books Did you enjoy this episode? Help support the next one! Buy me a coffee Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases through […]
200: Worth with Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros
The 2020 movie Worth shows how Kenneth Feinberg (played by Michael Keaton) and Camille Biros (played by Amy Ryan) tackled the impossible task of determining the worth of life to help families affected by the September 11th attacks. Kenneth and Camille join us today to chat about what the movie got right, what it got […]
199: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter with Dr. Brian Dirck
Dr. Brian Dirck is a Professor of History at Anderson University and author of multiple books on President Lincoln. He joins us today to chat about the real history behind the fantasy/horror movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The Black Heavens: Abraham Lincoln and Death Lincoln and the Constitution Lincoln the Lawyer Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based […]