Ever gone down a late-night rabbit hole looking for a movie that feels a little too real? If you’ve stumbled across 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck, you probably have some questions. It’s one of those "found footage" flicks that tries really hard to make you believe what you’re seeing actually happened.
Basically, the movie claims to be recovered footage from 2010. It follows a group of paranormal investigators who break into an abandoned building in Chicago. Their goal? To catch the ghost of Richard Speck on camera. For those who aren't true crime buffs, Speck was a very real, very terrifying man who murdered eight student nurses in 1966.
The movie plays it fast and loose with the facts, but it’s got a weirdly dedicated following. Let's dig into what’s real, what’s movie magic, and why people are still talking about this low-budget chiller.
What is 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck anyway?
Released in 2012, this movie was produced by The Asylum. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because they’re the kings of "mockbusters"—films made to look like big Hollywood blockbusters to confuse people into watching them. This one was actually marketed in some places as Paranormal Entity 4: The Awakening, trying to ride the coattails of the Paranormal Activity craze.
The plot is pretty standard for the genre. A film crew goes into the site of the 1966 Chicago massacre. They set up cameras, they poke around in the dark, and—you guessed it—they start getting picked off one by one by an invisible force.
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It was directed by Martin Andersen and stars people like Jackie Moore, Adam LaFramboise, and Hayley Derryberry. Honestly, the acting isn't even that bad for a movie of this level. It’s gritty. It’s dark. And it’s much gorier than your average ghost story.
The real Richard Speck vs. the movie version
Here is where things get kinda messy. The movie tries to tie itself to a horrific real-life tragedy to get a rise out of the audience.
The real Richard Speck didn't live at "100 Ghost Street." The actual murders took place at a townhouse located at 2319 East 100th Street in Chicago. That’s where the "100" in the title comes from. On the night of July 13, 1966, Speck broke into a dormitory for student nurses. He systematically murdered eight of them:
- Gloria Davy
- Patricia Matusek
- Nina Jo Schmale
- Pamela Wilkening
- Suzanne Farris
- Mary Ann Jordan
- Merlita Gargullo
- Valentina Pasion
One woman, Corazon Amurao, survived by hiding under a bed. She was the one who eventually identified him, partly because of a tattoo on his arm that famously said "Born to Raise Hell."
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The movie suggests the investigators are at the site of the killings, but they actually filmed the whole thing at the Linda Vista Hospital in Los Angeles. If you’re a horror fan, you’ve seen this hospital a million times. It's been in everything from Insidious to Pearl Harbor. It looks nothing like a Chicago townhouse, but it’s creepy as hell, so it works for the vibe they were going for.
Why this movie feels "different" (and controversial)
Most found footage movies are about a "demon" or a "shadow man." This one uses a real human monster. Because of that, some people find it pretty tasteless. It’s one thing to make up a ghost story; it’s another to use the names of real murder victims for a cheap scare.
There are a few scenes that are genuinely uncomfortable to watch. Unlike the Paranormal Activity movies, which rely on doors slamming or blankets moving, 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck goes for the throat. There’s a lot of physical violence. Speck’s "ghost" doesn't just haunt the crew; he attacks them in ways that mirror his real-life crimes.
Some critics, like the folks over at Dread Central, actually called it one of The Asylum's better efforts. They pointed out that it moves fast and doesn't waste time on boring character backstories. You’re in the dark, someone screams, and things go south immediately.
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Is it actually a true story?
No. Sorta.
The murders were real. Richard Speck was real (he died in prison in 1991). But the "recovered footage" is 100% fake. The families of the victims didn't "release the footage" like the opening text claims. That’s just a marketing gimmick used to make the movie feel more "forbidden."
Where can you watch it?
Finding this movie can be a bit of a hunt depending on where you live. It used to be a staple on Netflix back in the day, but now it pops up mostly on:
- YouTube (often available for free with ads)
- Tubi or other free streaming apps
- Amazon Prime (sometimes for rent)
If you're into the "mockumentary" style where the camera is constantly shaking and everyone is whispering into a night-vision lens, you’ll probably dig it. If you want a historically accurate documentary about Richard Speck, this is definitely not it. You'd be better off watching a Mindhunter episode or reading The Crime of the Century.
What you should do next
If you've watched the movie and want to understand the actual history without the Hollywood (or Asylum) filter, here are a few things to look into:
- Research the 1966 Chicago Massacre: Look for archival articles from the Chicago Tribune. The real story of how Corazon Amurao survived is way more intense than anything in a horror movie.
- Check out the Linda Vista Hospital history: Since that's where the movie was actually filmed, it's worth looking into its own "haunted" reputation. It was a real hospital that served railroad workers before becoming a favorite for film crews.
- Compare it to other mockbusters: If you liked the style, The Asylum has a whole "Entity" series. Just don't expect them to be masterpieces. They are popcorn movies through and through.
The takeaway here is pretty simple: 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck is a low-budget horror flick that uses a tragic real-life event to create a "found footage" nightmare. It’s not a documentary, and it’s definitely not "lost footage" from a real investigation. It's just a dark, gritty piece of indie horror that knows how to use its setting to creep people out.