This was an awesome premise! It made me go to Netflix to,see if I could find any of these movies. But the way the book the actual crime and the movies all tied together. I would love another book in this series.

Ripped from the Headlines by Harald Schecter looks at a slew of movies inspired by actual crimes. As someone who has an abiding interest in true crime, I thought this would be right up my alley. I did find the true crime parts fascinating.

They were all much older cases though, as were the movies. Some of these crimes have more modern adaptations. Reading about movies I've never seen, and am unlikely to watch got rather boring after a while. There were a few modern ones, such as The Fugitive. The inclusion of a few more recent cases would have been nice. It's not as if there aren't plenty of options! It was interesting to revisit earlier cases though, such as that of Leopold and Loeb, and of course, Dr Sam Shepard, whose case inspired The Fugitive.

The writing and format become repetitive quite quickly. I had to stop and start due to this, so it took me much longer to finish. This is also a nonfiction book, given the true crime aspects. It's listed as fiction, which might be a turn-off to people who might otherwise read it for the true crime aspects.

This book was just not for me. I enjoyed hearing the stories of movies I have seen, but the ones I haven’t heard of seemed to drag by. I think if I had watched more of these movies, I would’ve rated it higher. This book is more of people big on horror/thriller movies who want to know where the ideas for them came from. Me being not so big on horror movies just didn’t enjoy myself.
Also, it was labeled as a fictional book. I would've classified this book as non-fiction because even though it does talk about fictional stories, it also mentions the very true backstories of each movie.

I would have preferred if it did not have this primarily focus of certain headlines, The title gives off the wrong impression of the book.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book which focuses on movies and the true crimes that inspired or influenced them. If you are a true crime fan you will definitely enjoy this book. I hadn't seen a lot of the movies mentioned as many of them are from the 1950's - 1980's but there are a few recent ones that I have seen. I found the chapter on Child 44 riveting as well as the true stories relating to The Fugitive and To Die For. Alfred Hitchcock movies are highlighted quite a few times and, although I saw Rope and Psycho a long time ago, I think this book has inspired me to go back and watch them again!

This was a fun, if not wholly unique or captivating, read. While some of the information within was already known to me, there was a lot of new and interesting information. The writing style was to the point and lackluster, often punctuated with editorialization. Overall, a fun read for anyone who's obsessed with pop culture and trivia.

Grisly. Horrific. Is it art imitating life?
Schechter found movies based on real-life stories or they made movies (loosely-based?) on real-life stories.
Both the crime and movie synopses encompass the short recap of the chapter's movie title showcasing the year, director, writer, and prominent actors.
The horrific minds of people and the grisly crimes they committed. Not for the faint of stomach. But it does get boring (or are we desensitized) reading about grisly crime after crime.

I was so confused with this book at first. But as I started reading it, it made more sense. It was interesting to read about the crimes that inspired these movies. As a true crime lover, I enjoyed that part of the book the most.

What an interesting book, the true stories behind the crimes that inspired movies like dirty harry this is a must read for true crime readers and movie buffs.

This was a thorough and generally interesting look at many different crimes and the films inspired by them. Featuring old favourites, such as Ed Gein, Leopold and Loeb and Richard Speck, this volume also delved into some less well known crimes and similarly, while it did cover classics such as Psycho, Badlands and Dirty Harry, there were also some less popular films here too. I thought that the research was detailed and that the writing was accessible throughout, however, I did find that the pattern became a little repetitive at times. Overall, this is definitely something that is fascinating to dip in and out of, but can be a bit of a slog to read all the way through in one go.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

An interesting True Crime/Movie Trivia mash-up.

Part True Crime and part film analysis this book is written in short, easy to read chapters that make it ideal for those times when you have 10 or 15 minutes to kill. Sometimes it starts with the crime then goes into the movie (or movies) based on or inspired by that incident. Other times - often in a situation where it seems too outrageous to be true - it reverses that order and presents the movie then the surprising origin of the story.

I was at least vaguely aware of most of the movies though many are older and some are pretty obscure. Many of the true life aspects of those stories were new to me. I would recommend reading it over a period of time; a chapter here and there as time presents itself rather than trying to read it all at once. I found when I read too many chapters at once the chapters tended to blend together.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: As a movie buff, this is a fascinating book on the genesis of different movies ripped, as the title says, from the headlines. While Hollywood has never been one to worry about historical accuracy, some of these stories were portrayed on the screen fairly faithfully to the truth. Obviously, names were changed and some details were embellished or in some cases tamed. But overall, it is an interesting comparison of the real event and the cinematic interpretation of the event.

Some of the movies are well known. Some were considered classics upon release. Some were considered B movies that have since earned plaudits in retrospect. One thing for certain. Real life murders and real life villains make good fodder for reel life. It is a book that can either be read from beginning to end or it could be one that the reader dips into and out of at will.

Four purrs and two paws up.

I was glad for the chance to read/review this book as I have read earlier books by this author while I was in college. The chapters and featured movies are done in alphabetical order which makes it easy to get through.
This book was actually much better than I had expected. I have seen 14 of the movies that are featured in the book and a few of the others mentioned as well (Roxie Hart is one of them) so it made the back stories and true life stories of the movies all the more interesting. I knew the back stories of a few of them already..."Psycho" is one of my all-time favorite movies. I have also read the book by Robert Bloch that Hitchcock took the movie from to create his masterpiece. I am well aware of Ed Gein from my college days....he's also a man that once you learn about his past it's hard to forget. He was the 'model' for Norman Bates and a few other movie villains.
I was surprised to see the movie "Targets" featured because it's one of my favorite crazy random movies with the late great Boris Karloff. I watched it late one night during a bout of insomnia and really liked it. I never realized that it was based in part around Charles Whitman who took a rifle to the water tower and shot dozens of people on a college campus in Texas.
The author also features my 2 favorite Elizabeth Taylor movies..."A Place in the Sun" and "BUtterfield 8." I did know a bit of the background that "A Place in the Sun" is based around but the movie clearly changed a few major details but no matter because the movie is fantastic. The chemistry between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift is breathtaking. The sad story also shows Raymond Burr at his finest as the prosecuting attorney. I did not know the back story of "BUtterfield 8" so I enjoyed reading about the sad life of the character that Elizabeth was born to play and which gave her a much deserved Academy Award.
There are 2 featured movies that I positively HATED...."Frenzy" and "Arsenic and Old Lace" but I did like learning the true life stories that they are based around which the author goes through in great detail.
You don't need to see all of these movies prior to reading the book but to me, it made a huge difference because I was familiar with so many of the featured movies and it made me appreciate the book even more.
A final note....I am years away from retirement (this is a comment from the author) but I am familiar with Charles Boyer because of his performance in the movie "Gaslight." which was also the very first movie for the actress Angela Lansbury who is well into her 90's now. As for my final comment...I never knew that the Looney Tunes creators based "Pepe Le Pew" on Charles Boyer and I will admit to LMAO when I read this comment in the book.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The author describes the true crimes that inspired famous films. Have to be honest and say that I didn’t know a lot of the films. Some true crimes that I hadn’t heard about but not a book that blew me away. Was very surprised to read in one chapter that one film was based on an unpublished play by the “Irish” writer Dylan Thomas!!!

Another great true crime book by Harold Schechter. I had previously read "Hell's Princess" about Belle Gunness and it was a fantastic read. Ripped from the Headlines brings together true crime cases and their film counterparts. A majority of the true crime cases featured in the book are from the early 20th century and many of them have drifted from public consciousness since then. The book gives us a detailed look at both the true crime case and how various movies were inspired by these real life events. I was familiar with less than half of the movies and cases themselves so I feel like I got a lot of new true crime and film knowledge out of this book. I"ve also made sure to make a list of the movies mentioned throughout so that I can beef up my knowledge of true crime adapted to film. I think this book would be great for any true crime and/or film buff because many of these cases hold true to the phrase "truth is stranger than fiction" (Mark Twain).

This has a great premise, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. I love the true crime elements, and I liked getting a mix of cases I’d heard a lot about and others I didn’t know much about. However, the gimmick of discussing the way films were inspired by these crimes falls a little short. While you do get basic synopses of each film along with the connections to each case, I still found myself a little bored when it came to some parts, especially since some of these films are either old or a bit obscure. However, for someone with a better knowledge of the mystery/thriller and horror film genres, as well as true crime, I think they might derive more enjoyment.

This is what my family used to call a bathroom book: little snippets of stories to read that are interesting, but not necessarily ongoing. This is a very good if you like the subject. Perfect little bites for short term periods of time

First of all, I must say this book is not for everyone. You really have to be a lover of old movies and history to really appreciate it. Fortunately, I am both and found the stories behind the stories quite interesting. There were more moments that I felt like I was reading a textbook but for the most part the pace of the stories were spot on. I am really interested in seeing what else this author has written.

In RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES! Harold Schechter discusses several films and the true crime cases that inspired them. This book appealed to me for so many reasons. I always enjoy a Harold Schechter with that mix of history and true crime told in a very engrossing way. I’ve seen many of the films discussed in RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES! and it’s fascinating to hear what inspired some of them – especially the real events from the 1920s and 1930s.

I’m a horror film fan and in an online group were we group-watch classic, as well as B movie horror films. One of my favorite slasher films is SCREAM. I had heard what Kevin Williamson’s inspiration when we wrote the screenplay, but in this book, Harold Schechter goes into detail in describing the real-life events and the real monster behind the film fiction. Another film discussed is Alfred Hitchcock’s FRENZY. Although I enjoy Hitchcock’s films, this was one I’ve never seen. I never cared for the period it’s set in or the sexual predator subject matter. However, even without seeing the film, it’s interesting to hear about the real-life parallel. Schechter discusses other Hitchcock films including ROPE, PSYCHO, and SHADOW OF A DOUBT. With PSYCHO, I was already familiar with the real-life inspiration for Norman Bates, as well as the film TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE after reading Schechter’s earlier book – DEVIANT - focused on murderer Ed Gein. The villain in SHADOW OF A DOUBT is compared to murderer Earl Leonard Nelson – whom Schechter discuss at length in his earlier book BESTIAL. For readers unfamiliar with these earlier books, RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES provides an intriguing snapshot with historical context.

Two films that I haven’t watched but only heard of are profiled here – THE HILLS HAVE EYES and THE HITCH-HIKER. I always thought THE HILLS HAVE EYES was too outlandish and terrifying to be based on anything in reality but I guess I was wrong. I should have known better since Wes Craven – the director – is known for basing some of his horror films on real events. THE HITCH-HIKER and, I would also say the 1980s film THE HITCHER, are based on a real psycho who was set on traveling the country and terrorizing those unlucky enough to pick him up.

My favorite sections in this collection of true crime tales involve the stories behind ANATOMY OF A MURDER, CHICAGO, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. The actual events ANATOMY OF A MURDER is based on are just as sordid, if not a smidge more so, than the film version. The murderesses discussed in relation to CHICAGO and DOUBLE INDEMNITY are a wild bunch, and the bizarre attitudes about women and crime of the time detailed by Schechter are just as compelling as the women’s lives and loves. Agatha Christie is one of the first authors to get me into reading mysteries, so I always try and catch any film adaptations of her work. In this book, the author compares the different versions of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS with each other, the original novel, and the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. I agree that the best adaptation was the 1974 version – except for the performance on the main sleuth.

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES! is a must-read for film buffs and true crime fans alike. The list of “Books Consulted” at the end is a potential treasure trove for follow up reading. I look forward to Harold Schechter’s next book.

Book details the true crimes behind films. Arranged by film title the author summarizes the movies pointing out plot details that differ from the crimes the movies are based on or inspired by. Leans heavily on classic films.