{"product_id":"ripped-from-the-headlines-the-shocking-true-stories-behind-the-movies-most-memorable-crimes-9781542041829","title":"Ripped from the Headlines!: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movies' Most Memorable Crimes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBestselling true-crime master Harold Schechter explores the real-life headline-making psychos, serial murderers, thrill-hungry couples, and lady-killers who inspired a century of classic films.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe necktie murders in Alfred Hitchcock's \u003ci\u003eFrenzy\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eChicago\u003c\/i\u003e's Jazz Age crime of passion; the fatal hookup in \u003ci\u003eLooking for Mr. Goodbar\u003c\/i\u003e; the high school horrors committed by the costumed slasher in \u003ci\u003eScream\u003c\/i\u003e. These and other cinematic crimes have become part of pop-culture history. And each found inspiration in true events that provided the raw material for our greatest blockbusters, indie art films, black comedies, Hollywood classics, and grindhouse horrors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo what's the reality behind \u003ci\u003ePsycho\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBadlands\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Hills Have Eyes\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Place in the Sun\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eArsenic and Old Lace\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eDirty Harry\u003c\/i\u003e? How did such tabloid-ready killers as Bonnie and Clyde, body snatchers Burke and Hare, Texas sniper Charles Whitman Jr., nurse-slayer Richard Speck, and Leopold and Loeb exert their power on the public imagination and become the stuff of movie lore?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this collection of revelatory essays, true-crime historian Harold Schechter takes a fascinating trip down the crossroads of fact and fiction to reveal the sensational real-life stories that are more shocking, taboo, and fantastic than even the most imaginative screenwriter can dream up.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchechter, Harold:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eHarold Schechter is an American true-crime writer who specializes in serial killers. Twice nominated for the Edgar Award, he is the author of the nonfiction books \u003ci\u003eFatal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFiend\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBestial\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDeviant\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDeranged\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDepraved\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Serial Killer Files\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Mad Sculptor\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMan-Eater\u003c\/i\u003e, the Amazon Charts and \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller \u003ci\u003eHell's Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men\u003c\/i\u003e, and the Amazon Original Stories collection \u003ci\u003eBloodlands\u003c\/i\u003e. Schechter attended the State University of New York in Buffalo. A professor emeritus at Queens College, Schechter is married to the poet Kimiko Hahn. For more information, visit www.haroldschechter.com.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little a","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50477959545106,"sku":"9781542041829","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_00a60d63-1c62-4fed-a3e7-65f26fdfbb89.jpg?v=1730280648","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/ripped-from-the-headlines-the-shocking-true-stories-behind-the-movies-most-memorable-crimes-9781542041829","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}