Truth Behind the Terror
Welcome to Truth Behind the Terror, the podcast that digs into the “based on a true story” claims behind your favourite horror films. Host Carissa dives deep into the backstories, legends, and real-life events that supposedly inspired iconic scary movies — from haunted hotels to demonic possessions to monsters born from myth. Each episode separates fact from fiction to reveal what’s real, what’s exaggerated, and what’s pure Hollywood imagination. If you love horror, research, or just debunking spooky stories, this is the podcast for you.
Truth Behind the Terror
Episode 3 - Part 1 - The Last of Us
In the first part of our special two-part episode, we take a look at the hit HBO show and video game, "The Last of Us". Even though the show is not based on a true story, it has led to much speculation about the role that fungi may play in future pandemics. In Part 1, we look at the history of zombies in pop culture, take a look at some "true" cases of zombies, and look at how this latest instalment in the post-apocalyptic genre holds up.
References and Sources
- Music by SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras from Pixabay
- https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-zombies - The History Channel - The History of Zombies
- https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150828-where-do-zombies-come-from - BBC Culture - Where do zombies come from? Our contemporary take on the lumbering undead is actually rooted in Voodoo folklore from the Caribbean - Roger Luckhurst
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us_(TV_series)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us - video game
- https://zombie.fandom.com/wiki/Why_Zombies_Eat_Brains%3F
- The Last of Us. Created by Neil Druckman and Craig Mazin, performances by Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, HBO, 2013.
- The Walking Dead. Created by Frank Darabont, performances by Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, AMC, 2010.
- Night of the Living Dead. Directed by George A. Romero, performances by Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Image Ten, 1968.
- Jackson, Michael. “Thriller”, Thriller, Epic Records, 1982, 4.
- BBC Planet Earth - Season 1, Episode 8: Jungles. Directed by Alistair Fothergill, performances by David Attenborough, BBC, 2007.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSJTPbAm-SM - Trailer for “Pig” starring Nicolas Cage
