Smithsonian Channel - The Real Story: Series 2 (2010)

Discover the true stories that inspired some of pop culture's most iconic heroes and villains.
Smithsonian Channel separates fact from fiction in second season of THE REAL STORY. Series takes in-depth look at inspiration for iconic motion pictures The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, Casino, The Bourne Identity & The Hunt for Red October. Often times the best fiction is based on fact. Playing off this theme, Smithsonian Channel presents the second season of its original series, THE REAL STORY. Classic mystery and adventure tales of the twentieth century come alive in this series that examines the true stories behind famous historical events and individuals. The season looks at the inspiration for one of the most talked about movies ever, The Exorcist. Other episodes look at Silence of the Lambs, Casino, The Bourne Identity and The Hunt for Red October.

Part 1: The Exorcist
Uncover the terrifying true story behind one of the most frightening movies ever made.
Perhaps the scariest part of "The Exorcist" is that it's not a work of complete fiction. We recount the 1949 exorcism of a young boy through reenactments and witness accounts. We also show how exorcism continues to this day and how neuroscientists' recent discoveries dispute this controversial, centuries-old ritual.

Part 2: The Silence of the Lambs
Discover the horrifying realities behind one of Hollywood's most disturbing thrillers.
Meet the deranged serial killers and the determined FBI agents who inspired one of Hollywood's most terrifying thrillers and gave Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster the roles of a lifetime. We go behind the scenes at the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit to meet the profilers who became the basis for Harris's characters and to uncover the details of real-life murderers Ed Gein, Ted Bundy and others.

Part 3: The Bourne Identity
See how covert CIA agents, as portrayed in the Bourne Trilogy, operate outside of Hollywood…and often outside the law.
Believe it or not, the covert, violent and deadly world of Jason Bourne is actually grounded in reality. We take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the CIA to see how a super assassin like Matt Damon's conflicted hero is created. We also probe the intelligence agency's controversial past operations, involving sinister mind-control experiments and often bizarre assassination plots.

Part 4: Casino
The mob. Corruption. Murder. Wire-tapping. Betrayal. It's a story only Scorsese could dream up…but it really happened.
Behind Martin Scorsese's masterful direction and Robert De Niro's larger-than-life performance lies the very real story of the high-stakes battle between the mob and the law for control of Las Vegas. We interview key figures on both sides of this colorful crime story and detail how the FBI was finally able to overcome the Mafia's formidable grip on Sin City.

Part 5: The Hunt for Red October
Relive the incredible true story of a mutiny that inspired one of Hollywood's greatest political thrillers.
In 1975, The Sentry, a state-of-the-art Russian warship, was taken over by a rogue Soviet officer. This remarkable mutiny not only inspired the best-selling political thriller and the Sean Connery/Alec Baldwin blockbuster, "The Hunt for Red October," it almost triggered World War III. For the first time, we reveal stories of bravery and tragedy firsthand, from the men aboard the warship and the officers who ordered its destruction.