Popular Reviews of Based on a True Story

Dan's attention to detail and focus on such a unique niche of the film discussion community makes this a show really worth listening to!

This is one of a small handful of podcasts that I have set to automatically download on my phone, so I can listen as soon as it's released! Dan is consistently well-researched, produces high quality content, and responds quickly to listeners in his associated Facebook group!

A great podcast that gives you the real pre-Hollywood backstory to the immortal tag line "based on a true story..."

This podcast (BOATS for short) is an educational mix of movies and history. Host, Dan LeFebvre, looks at how movies that are based on true stories stack up against real-life events. The amount of research he puts into fact-checking everything in each film is mad. I really enjoy hearing the tales behind movies I’ve seen and being motivated to check out ones I haven’t. The movies covered are from a wide selection including both popular and the lesser-known. I really liked the April Fools episodes that look at how well the Lord of the Rings movies follow the books. These aren’t like the normal episodes but that’s the point. Another fun segment that happens in every show is a game of two truths and a lie based on the episode’s events. Listeners in a hurry will appreciate the show’s no-nonsense agenda. Earlier episodes were about an hour-long but the last several have had guests and often reached two and a half hours. If that length sounds hard to tackle, I recommend starting at the beginning or with a movie you have strong feelings about. Apple Podcasts has 4.5 average stars, 390 ratings, and 91 written reviews. So far there are 193 episodes with new ones coming out biweekly. Owltail’s most popular episodes are “Titanic” and “The Greatest Showman.” My favorites have been “Seabiscuit” and “Zodiac.” Production quality is perfect which is exceptional when you know this is an indie show. Guests on the show were relatively recent until episode 134 at which it has become the norm. I really like how he cites all of his sources and includes transcripts on his website. There’s also a newsletter. The music is of a somber piano but fitting for the historical perspective of the show. Trigger warnings differ for every movie covered. Similar pods: Our Fake History, Movie Crush, and Something True For more reviews check out @themastercast on instagram and @mastercastpods on twitter

The history is interesting, but there's not much comparison to what actually happened.

One of my favorite historical podcasts. A wonderful blend of historical movies mixed in with the true stories behind. A podcast tailor made for me.

Amazing podcast. It's really fascinating comparing a movie with history. Dan goes above and beyond on everything. From the excellent episodes, the quality of the recording and even to interacting with people on social media. Personal favorites of mine would be the LOTR trilogy, Black Hawk Down, The catcher was a Spy and The Monuments Men.