Based on a True Story
Sometimes when I'm bored at work (like right now, for example) I like to edit Wikipedia entries for really terrible movies with the phrase "based on a true story" and see how long it takes for someone to notice. Because Wikipedia is moderated by overofficious trolls with too much time on their hands (why else would anyone subscribe to receive alerts whenever someone modifies the entry for, say, Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch), most of my changes get taken down within a couple of days -- some are even caught and reverted within minutes. Still, I know it was worth it if I make only one person think Space Jam was based on a true story.
Though they have all been changed back back to their original state, here are some examples of the changes I made:
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 sci-fi comedy film based on a true story and is the sequel to Ghostbusters.
Monster_squadMonster Squad
The Monster Squad is a comedy/horror film based on a true story written by Shane Black and Nicholas Hill and directed by Fred Dekker (who also wrote/directed Night of the Creeps).[1]
Weekend at Bernie's
Weekend at Bernie's is a 1989 American motion picture comedy directed by Ted Kotcheff. It is a comedy based on a true story starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman as a couple of young insurance executives who discover their boss is deceased. Believing that they are responsible for his death and that a hitman won't kill them if Bernie is around, they attempt to convince people that he is still alive.
The NeverEnding Story (film)
The NeverEnding Story (German: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a 1984 fantasy film based on the German novel of the same name by Michael Ende which itself is based on a true story.
Sudden Death (film)
Sudden Death is a 1995 action film based on a true story, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film's story was written by Karen Elise Baldwin, the wife of then-Penguins owner Howard Baldwin. It also features Dorian Harewood and Raymond J. Barry, and is directed by Peter Hyams. It has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America. The film was shot during the 1994-95 NHL lockout. The film also was the first appearance of Iceburgh, the Penguins mascot.
Corky Romano
Corky Romano is a 2001 film based on a true story starring former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Kattan. Also starring are Fred Ward, Vinessa Shaw, Roger Fan, and Dave Sheridan. The movie was directed by Rob Pritts and was written by David Garrett and Jason Ward. It was filmed at Touchstone Pictures studios. In the movie, Kattan plays Corky Romano, a veterinarian who is forced by his family to infiltrate the local FBI facility to steal evidence incriminating his father, Mafia boss Francis A. "Pops" Romano (Peter Falk), of racketeering charges. It first opened in theaters, against the better judgment of the entire American movie-going public, on October 12, 2001.
By this point, my edits were being taken down pretty quickly by the editors who moderated the entries, so I tried to add some plausibility to my alterations by and linking my text to credible-looking but unrelated references. Here's one that I added a pretty dense-sounding case to by linking to an unrelated 178-page government report regarding fishery conservation:
seaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032 and plot lines began to follow the real-life missions and experiences of the US Coast Guard's Living Marine Resources & Marine Protected Species Enforcement Division (CG-5314)[1].
[1] http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2005/docs/MSA_amended_msa%20_20070112_FINAL.pdf "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (National Marine Fisheries Service). January 2007. Retrieved 2007-6-20.
Though they have all been changed back back to their original state, here are some examples of the changes I made:
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 sci-fi comedy film based on a true story and is the sequel to Ghostbusters.
Monster_squadMonster Squad
The Monster Squad is a comedy/horror film based on a true story written by Shane Black and Nicholas Hill and directed by Fred Dekker (who also wrote/directed Night of the Creeps).[1]
Weekend at Bernie's
Weekend at Bernie's is a 1989 American motion picture comedy directed by Ted Kotcheff. It is a comedy based on a true story starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman as a couple of young insurance executives who discover their boss is deceased. Believing that they are responsible for his death and that a hitman won't kill them if Bernie is around, they attempt to convince people that he is still alive.
The NeverEnding Story (film)
The NeverEnding Story (German: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a 1984 fantasy film based on the German novel of the same name by Michael Ende which itself is based on a true story.
Sudden Death (film)
Sudden Death is a 1995 action film based on a true story, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film's story was written by Karen Elise Baldwin, the wife of then-Penguins owner Howard Baldwin. It also features Dorian Harewood and Raymond J. Barry, and is directed by Peter Hyams. It has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America. The film was shot during the 1994-95 NHL lockout. The film also was the first appearance of Iceburgh, the Penguins mascot.
Corky Romano
Corky Romano is a 2001 film based on a true story starring former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Kattan. Also starring are Fred Ward, Vinessa Shaw, Roger Fan, and Dave Sheridan. The movie was directed by Rob Pritts and was written by David Garrett and Jason Ward. It was filmed at Touchstone Pictures studios. In the movie, Kattan plays Corky Romano, a veterinarian who is forced by his family to infiltrate the local FBI facility to steal evidence incriminating his father, Mafia boss Francis A. "Pops" Romano (Peter Falk), of racketeering charges. It first opened in theaters, against the better judgment of the entire American movie-going public, on October 12, 2001.
By this point, my edits were being taken down pretty quickly by the editors who moderated the entries, so I tried to add some plausibility to my alterations by and linking my text to credible-looking but unrelated references. Here's one that I added a pretty dense-sounding case to by linking to an unrelated 178-page government report regarding fishery conservation:
seaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032 and plot lines began to follow the real-life missions and experiences of the US Coast Guard's Living Marine Resources & Marine Protected Species Enforcement Division (CG-5314)[1].
[1] http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2005/docs/MSA_amended_msa%20_20070112_FINAL.pdf "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (National Marine Fisheries Service). January 2007. Retrieved 2007-6-20.