Question: Why do some movie insist on using the phrase "Based on a True Story" known to its audience regardless how remotely the movie follows the true story plot?

This question arisen from the recently released garbage, The Amityville Horror. The ad insist on the fact it's based on a true story, but the movie is so garbage filled, it's very hard to believe, if any, true story is used. This leads to the question, why then do movie makers or advertisers use the phrase "Based on a True story"? To get people buy the movie ticket? Well, then, does it work?

Do you go to a movie or are more encouraged to see a moive, when the movie is "Based on a true story"?

Not anymore. There was a time that when I read that a movie is based on a true story, the movie would've be interesting just because "it happen". Little did I know back then...

It's effective when it comes to Horror or major events because in those two cases, the scares become more real and/or you experienced them so you have some sort of connection to it. Though Horror seems to be the only one slapping the title around. I didn't see Apollo 13 go out of its way to say it was based on a true story.

For me, that tag line usually makes me roll my eyes but it doesn't effect me wanting to go any more or less.

I think in the case of Amityville, it was more or less for nostalgia's sake.

To answer the question...I tend to really like movies (a'la Blow, Donnie Brasco, most of Scorsese's biopics, and so forth) that are based on a true story. It just adds something to the experience. However, if a movie looks shitty, it looks shitty...and no line is going to get me into the theater to waste my time on it. So, I voted for the latter.

-JP

That's the only reason I saw Fargo.