376: Project Blue Book
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 376) — This special three-in-one episode is a thorough exploration of the true story behind the U.S. government’s top secret program investigating UFOs called Project Blue Book. In 2019, the History Channel released a dramatized version of Project Blue Book’s reports starring Aidan Gillen as Dr. J. Allen […]
375: Donald Rumsfeld in the Movies with William Cooper
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 375) — Donald Rumsfeld served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense twice in his career, including during the 9/11 attacks. Today, we’ll learn how the movies “Vice”, “W.” bring a fictional portrayal of Rumsfeld. We’ll also look into the accuracy of the documentary “The Unknown Known” which interviews […]
374: Young Guns II with Josh from The Wild West Extravaganza
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 374) — Today we’ll rejoin Billy the Kid’s outlaw gang as they continue their attempts to escape the law following the events in Young Guns (BOATS EP. 146). Was Brushy Bill Roberts a real person? Was he Billy the Kid? What other creative liberties did the filmmakers take […]
373: Amelia with Chris Williamson
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 373) — Learn about legendary aviator Amelia Earhart as she was portrayed onscreen by Hilary Swank in the 2009 biopic. To uncover the true story, today we’ll talk with author, documentarian, and host of Chasing Earhart , the only podcast dedicated entirely to Amelia Earhart: Chris Williamson. Get […]
372: Trail of Vengeance with Rob Hilliard
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 372) — Travel back to the Old West for a tale of revenge, Pinkerton agents, and frontier justice in the wake of the Civil War. One of those former Pinkerton agents in the movie is John Scobell (Gbenga Akinnagbe), making 2025’s Trail of Vengeance the first movie to […]
371: Classic: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story with Matthew Polly
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 371) — How well do you know about the real Bruce Lee? There are a lot of myths that came out of the movie Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, so today we’ll pull another classic episode from the Based on a True Story vault. Get Matthew’s Book Bruce […]
370: Titanic with Mark B. Perry
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 370) — Twentieth Century-Fox’s “Titanic” starring Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb claims to draw facts from 1912 congressional inquiries, so how well does it do when we compare it to history? Get Mark’s Book And Introducing Dexter Gaines Also mentioned in this episode Watch the movie Get the […]
369: Classic: Saving Private Ryan with Marty Morgan
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 369) — This Friday marks the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. Arguably the most popular movie depicting the fighting on the beaches of Normandy is 1998’s Saving Private Ryan. a True Story, we’ll compare the movie with what really happened with historian Marty Morgan. What did Saving […]
368: Behind the True Story: Not a Real Enemy with Robert Wolf
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 368) — Go behind the true stories shown in Holocaust movies through the experiences of Robert Wolf’s family. Since we’ll be talking about the Holocaust, listener discretion is advised. Get Robert’s Book Not a Real Enemy Find Robert on Social robertjwolfmd.com Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a […]
367: John McClane in Die Hard with Patrick O’Donnell
(BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 367) — Is John McClane a realistic cop or just an action hero with a badge? Yippee-ki-yay, history lovers, let’s see if McClane would survive an Internal Affairs review. Get Patrick’s Book The Good Collar Also mentioned in this episode Patrick’s Podcast Hire Patrick Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or […]
366: Troy with Neil Laird
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 366) — Homer’s “The Iliad” tells the story of the Trojan War, a tale brought to the big screen in the 2004 film “Troy.” But with an ancient epic as its foundation—and Hollywood’s creative liberties—how much of the story is real? Get Neil’s Latest Book Prime Time Pompeii […]