Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong
Episode: HORROR: The Legends Behind The Ring and The Hills Have Eyes
Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Heidi Wong
Podcast Network: Crime House / PAVE Studios
Episode Overview
In this chilling episode, host Heidi Wong uncovers the true, unsettling stories behind two iconic horror films: Japan’s supernatural nightmare "The Ring" and America’s desert cannibal saga "The Hills Have Eyes." While vastly different in setting and monster, Heidi reveals how both are rooted in old folk tales, blurring the line between myth and reality. Through masterful storytelling, historical detail, and her signature sardonic wit, Heidi explores the real-life terrors that inspired these unforgettable movies—and why such legends continue to unnerve generations.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Ring: Haunted Tapes & the Legend of Okiku (02:15–11:38)
● Movie Recap & Set-Up
- Heidi provides a quick overview of "The Ring" (02:15).
- American remake of Japanese "Ringu": A haunted videotape kills viewers seven days after watching.
- Central monster: Samara (Sadako in Japanese), a vengeful girl in a well, murdering indiscriminately.
● Origins in Japanese Folklore
- “The folktale it’s based on was created long before VHS tapes…” (03:30)
- Story comes from Japan’s "big three" ghost stories, originating in the 17th century at Himeji Castle.
- Okiku, a servant, is falsely accused of breaking a priceless dish by the samurai Aoyama after rebuffing his advances.
● The Ghost in the Well
- Okiku is tortured and killed, her body thrown into the well (06:00).
- After death, her spirit nightly emerges, counting dishes—stopping at nine—before unleashing a terrifying scream.
- Anyone hearing her count to nine suffers a curse or death, starting with a castle guard.
● The Haunting Goes Viral
- “These encounters went on night after night. Okiku’s spirit returned from the well, desperately counting the dishes…” (07:38)
- Priests and prayers fail to lay her to rest until a priest, in desperation, shouts "Ten!" to complete her count—her spirit sighs in relief and disappears (09:30).
● Variations and Cultural Imprint
- Variants: conspiracy, doomed romance, Aoyama’s suicide (10:23).
- The real "Okiku Well" still exists at Himeji Castle—surrounded by a safety frame (10:54).
- Reality meets myth: In 1795, bug infestations in Japanese wells coincided with belief that the bugs were Okiku’s revenant spirit.
● Myth Becomes Modern Legend
- “Clearly this story left an impact on Japanese culture… eventually being adapted into the story of a girl in a cursed videotape.” (11:16)
- The motif of unquiet spirits, unjust death, and cyclical vengeance persists from folktale to blockbuster cinema.
Notable Quote:
“Does it make sense? No. Is it scary as hell? Yes.” — Heidi Wong, on The Ring’s logic (04:40)
Segment Timestamp: [02:15–11:38]
2. The Hills Have Eyes & The Cannibal Clan of Sawney Bean (13:14–26:42)
● Movie Recap & Set-Up
- Classic road-trip-gone-wrong horror, directed by Wes Craven in 1977 (13:14).
- American family becomes prey for a clan of mutant, inbred cannibals in the Nevada desert.
● The Scottish Legend of Sawney Bean
- Inspiration drawn from the tale of Sawney Bean, 17th-century Scottish cannibal patriarch.
- “It was the time of King James I, whose passion for witchcraft would inspire William Shakespeare…” (14:15)
- For 25 years, travelers along Scotland’s western coastal road vanish; body parts wash ashore (14:45).
● Mob Justice & Mass Panic
- Locals wrongly lynch innkeepers—disappearances continue unabated.
- Incident catalyzing discovery: A couple is attacked, wife eaten alive, husband escapes and brings word to Glasgow and King James.
● The Search & The Cave
- King James leads 400 soldiers and bloodhounds (16:36).
- Discovery: a tide-exposed cave with a grisly butcher shop of human remains and loot from victims (20:24).
- Inside: three generations, 48 family members, led by Sawney and “Black” Agnes Douglas (21:10).
● Fate of the Cannibal Clan
- Clan overpowered, paraded, and executed without trial.
- “Sawney Bean held his head high, never apologizing for the awful cruelty he and Agnes had inflicted.” (23:48)
- Estimated death toll: approximately one thousand people.
● Fakelore or Fact?
- Historians debate origin: First written accounts a century after events; theory that the story was British anti-Scottish propaganda (24:45).
- Nevertheless, "Sawney Bean’s Cave" is a real place you can visit—if you dare (25:41).
Notable Quote:
“You should never go into a creepy dark cave. That’s horror movie 101.” — Heidi Wong, entering Sawney Bean’s lair (20:30)
Segment Timestamp: [13:14–26:42]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- On The Ring’s core fear:
“Seven days… this movie is guaranteed to make you terrified of videotapes, even if you’re not old enough to remember them.” (02:15)
- On Okiku’s ghost:
“She was just up ahead. 4. 5. 6. The guard could just make her out. In the darkness, she looked like Okiku.” (06:55)
- On Sawney Bean’s family:
“This was one family. Three generations of cannibals. Inbred cannibals.” (21:01)
- On historical skepticism:
“There’s no historical evidence that Sawney Bean really existed… some historians think the whole thing was part of an anti-Scottish agenda.” (24:45)
- Heidi’s signature dry wit:
“But they say there’s someone out there for everyone. And one day, Sawney met a woman who, as they say, matched his freak.” (21:17)
Important Segment Timestamps
- [02:15] – The story and real legend behind The Ring
- [06:00–09:30] – Details of Okiku’s death and haunting
- [10:54] – The Okiku Well and its real-world significance
- [13:14] – The Hills Have Eyes plot and its historical roots
- [14:45–16:36] – The terror of Scotland’s disappearing travelers
- [20:24] – Discovery of Sawney Bean’s cannibal cave
- [24:45] – Was Sawney Bean real? Historians weigh in
Conclusion
Heidi brings the episode to a close by reflecting on how folklore persists and transforms through retelling, finding new life in movies that terrify modern audiences as deeply as the original tales once did. Both the Okiku and Sawney Bean legends—and their cinematic afterlives—remind us that reality can indeed be more horrifying than fiction.
“It’s crazy how folk tales like these change over the generations, scaring us in ways we never thought was possible. Thanks to their film adaptations, they have found new life in remakes, adaptations and new spins and will continue to terrify people from centuries to come.” (25:55)