Forget the fact that a lot of them were drunk and high when they died. Set in the chicago suburb of downers grove, this book tells the story of chrissie, a hs senior who is ready for a change in her life. Downers grove is a 1999 american coming of age horror novel by michael hornburg. While a title like the curse of downers grove suggests the supernatural, director derick martinis new film is a tale of small town violence, teen angst, and revenge. The curse of downers grove is a lifetime thriller masquerading as a horror film. The population was 48,724 at the 2000 census, with an official estimated population of 49,250 in 2008. Michael hornburg used his growing up in downers grove to write two books. The curse of downers grove on dvd september 1, 2015 starring bella heathcote, penelope mitchell, lucas till, zane holtz. Aug 31, 2015 downers grove native michael hornburg is shown in paris, france, during the time he wrote the novel that is now the basis for the thriller the curse of downers grove. My brother was 17 and one month away from graduating high school. The curse of downers grove official trailer 1 2015. Based very loosely on michael hornburgs 1999 novel downers grove, the film opens by informing viewers about the socalled curse of. Shocking cursemy true story about demons about demons.
Downers grove was founded in 1832 by pierce downer, a religious evangelist from new york. Feel free to join our group and share your reading fun. The curse of downers grove has a very sly and clever premise. Nothing in this chapter or in the code s shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding now pending in any court, or any rights acquired, or liability incurred, nor any cause or causes of action accrued or existing, under. The film received a limited theatrical release on august 21, 2015 and a subsequent dvdbluray release on september 1, 2015. Aug 10, 2015 the curse of downers grove sounds like an encyclopedia brown or nancy drew book. The real curse of downers grove the beachwood reporter. Library official ousted for homophobic comments downers grove, il downers grove library board member art jaros was voted out of his position after allegedly making homophobic comments during a. Although its being marketed as a horror film, the curse of downers grove turns out to be something else a messy hash of teen soap.
The film displayed a credible teen cast of course the bad kids do lots of cocaine, its a bret. A teen angst thriller at a high school gripped by an apparent curse that claims the life of a senior every year. The villains here are not the vengeful native americans ghosts, but the steroid pumpedcokehead jocks that are. The film looks like it has sharpening turned up to 11 in some scenes, but for the most part, the picture quality overall isnt terrible, but its not the best looking bluray on the block. Tom arnold, helen slater join curse of downers grove. Chrissie and her boycrazy, sexpot best friend, tracy, also worry about the curse of their high school. Its plot centers on the last two weeks of teenage girls life as a high school student growing up in downers grove, illinois. This movie was clearly not filmed anywhere near downers grove.
Unless you often watch lifetime channel originals, id recommend skipping this mess. Based on the 1999 novel downers grove by michael hornburg, the film. The curse of downers grove a messy hash of teen soap opera, stalker thriller and whatnot whose titular possiblysupernatural aspect is basically irrelevant. In this case, the towns death curse is really just a witty metaphor for the travails of the teenage. It simply doesnt know what it wants to be and next to its terrible script, thats its biggest flaw. Chrissies last week of highschool in downers grove, il. The curse of downers grove is martinis first directorial feature since adapting another labored, studiedly shocking novel about a teenage girl. The curse of downers grove felt more like an extended episode of pretty little liars rather than a horror film. I wish the movie would have followed the book better and actually take place in the real downers grove not in california. The villains here are not the vengeful native americans ghosts, but the steroid pumped.
Downers grove and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The curse of downers grove is brought to you on bluray from anchor bay and the video is looking a little high on the contrast side. The curse of downers grove is about a group of high school friends whos lives are put in danger by a curse which kills a student every year before graduation. The film transformed downers grove a successful and wellrated book into the curse of downers grove, a mediocre and stereotypical horror film, which was not at all an accurate. For the past eight years, one senior from every high school graduating class has met a bizarre death right before graduation day. The adaptations of turning the book into the movie took out some key elements of the plot such as chrissies grandmother, who was an important character in the book. The latest additions to the cast of the upcoming film the curse of downers grove, based on the 1999 novel downers grove by michael hornburg, are. At downer grove high school, there has been a grisly tradition of a senior dying. The curse of downers grove is about a group of high school friends whos. Aug 24, 2015 the curse of downers grove felt more like an extended episode of pretty little liars rather than a horror film. Downers grove is a 1999 american comingofage horror novel by michael hornburg.
No good will come of downers grove the book or the town. The beachwood reporter the real curse of downers grove. The novel was originally published by william morrow and company in 1999, and reprinted in 2001 by grove press. Bret easton ellis the curse of downers grove gets a trailer.
The only thing scary about the curse of downers grove is. There is a lot of drug use, a subplot that involves a curse of one student dying each year before graduation. This is, underneath the horror trappings, a story about how difficult adolescence can be. From american psycho author bret easton ellis comes a new psychological thriller, the curse of downers grove. My family and i lived in downers grove for fifteen years. My biggest beef was,hands down, the portrayal of downers grove youth. The curse of downers grove movie to be released aug. Michael hornburgs book downers grove has been adapted into a movie the curse of downers grove that is scheduled to be released aug.
The town of downers grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood but downers grove has a disturbing secret for the past eight. Mar 02, 2020 the adaptations of turning the book into the movie took out some key elements of the plot such as chrissies grandmother, who was an important character in the book. Chrissie and her friend tracy think the handsome mechanic at the local gas station may be her ticket to somewhere fun, but along the way she has a disastrous. The curse of downers grove 2015 is an american mystery, drama, thriller horror movie that is based on the novel, downers grove 1999 by michael hornburg. While it doesnt look like anything too special, the film is intriguing. Aug, 2015 hornburgs novel downers grove was published in 1999 and eventually was made into a movie, the curse of downers grove. But many of the pics faults including some of the most overblown dialogue seem taken directly from the book, even if some of the latters. The curse of downers grove is a movie that keeps you watching with its clever hook, without ever delivering the kind of hardcore satisfaction the best teenthemed shockers provide so well. I enjoyed it mostly because it references so many downers south locations that are familiar to us.
The curse of downers grove was more akin to ellis the rules of attraction than say the grudge. Chrissies last week of highschool in downers grove, is a paranoid trip through a small midwestern town gripped by a curse that claims the life of one high school senior every year. The curse of downers grove 2015 its hard to believe that brett easton ellis, the guy who wrote american psycho, less than zero, and the rules of attraction, has come to a point in his writing career where hes adapting other writers novels into directtodvd fodder, but that is the case. United states august 21, 2015 canada august 21, 2015. As her graduation nears, chrissie and her close friend, tracey, worry about a curse surrounding the high school that has led to multiple students dying each year. A movie based on his book the curse of downers grove is out tuesday on blu ray, dvd and video on demand. With bella heathcote, lucas till, helen slater, penelope mitchell. Book clubs groups in downers grove heres a look at some book clubs groups near downers grove. It is a time in life where many people feel like they really are cursed by bullies, or unrequited love, or absentee parents, or whatever. With only five days to graduation, chrissie is beginning to wonder if she will be the next victim of the curse of downers grove. As big as downers grove is,hornburg chose to focus on most of the events between the train station,63rd and 75th streets. Review the curse of downers grove bloody disgusting.
Jul 21, 2015 the curse of downers grove official trailer 1 2015 lucas till, kevin zegers movie hd in theaters and digital hd. The curse of downers grove 2015 directed by derick martini. Homophobic comments get downers grove library board. As i quickly mentioned, the curse of downers grove is actually based on a book by author michael hornburg. The curse of downers grove trailer 2015 horror youtube. In 20 forbes magazine ranked downers grove eighth on the list of americas friendliest towns. Half price books hpb downers grove downers grove, il. Legal counsel, legal officer, or legal representative. The curse of downers grove official trailer 1 2015 lucas. With only five days to graduation, chrissie swanson is beginning to wonder if she will be the next victim of the curse of downers grove. We asked hornburg if he had seen the curse of downers grove and if he approved of the huge changes made from his original book, all about a high school senior named chrissy who becomes slightly obsessed that she might fall victim to the curse. The town of downers grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood but downers grove has a disturbing secretfor the past eight years, one senior from every high school graduating class has met a bizarre death right before graduation day. This would be fine if he sometimes didnt make downers sound like a tiny one stoplight town.
Can chrissie survive the curse of downers grove or will she, like those seniors before her, fall prey to the towns deadly secret. When this movie first came out people of downers grove were so excited. Downers south grad not happy with movie version of. The curse of downers grove official trailer 1 2015 lucas till, kevin zegers movie hd in theaters and digital hd. The curse of downers grove has more on its mind than the teenage bodycount movie it resembles in all except the steadily escalating body count. Downers grove is the haunting and tender story of chrissie swanson, a. Just a small thing that probably wont bother most people, but it bugged me. See current deals and local events at half price books hpb downers grove bookstore in downers grove, il, plus get directions and hours.
A movie based on his book the curse of downers grove is out tuesday on bluray, dvd and video on demand. Aug 25, 2015 while a title like the curse of downers grove suggests the supernatural, director derick martinis new film is a tale of small town violence, teen angst, and revenge. Story follows a senior, chrissie, who is skeptical, and another, tracy, who believes that she may be the next victim. Curse of downers grove is so awful its no fair to lay it all at the feet of the cowriter, who didnt direct or cast this disaster, after all. The curse of downers grove 2015 14 stars an amateurhour hodgepodge of painfully extraneous voiceover narration and hacky, underdeveloped plot points that add up in the end to one big poof of dust. Downers grove is a village in downers grove and lisle townships, dupage county, illinois, united states. And absolutely no teen from downers grove or the neighboring town westmont has never not spent a late night at omega restaurantwith the very proud almost cocky sloganoften copied,never duplicatedpractically branded on its huge sign really,its these personal touches that wouldve made the book a slightly better read and a more vivd blast. Tracy, also worry about the curse of their high school. Bongwater and the curse of downers grove, both turned into movies that honked him off. The cast in this film were brilliant especially bella heathcote who played chrissie as she played a very good and likable heroine. The film should be released digitally and in theaters aug. The whole school believes in a curse that before graduation, an offering of life must initially.
Book club events in downers grove heres a look at some book club events near downers grove. This is a stark contrast to the 2015 horror film, based on true events, the curse of downers grove which was released a mere two years later. The curse of downers grove is an american thriller film written by bret easton ellis. The curse of downers grove 2015 directed by derick. The movie is no different than the last ten thriller. However, the movies screenplay was written by american psycho author bret easton ellis, but from. The curse of downers grove was released in 2015 on friday, august 21, 2015 there were 11 other movies released on the same date, including american ultra, sinister 2 and hitman. Based on the 1999 novel downers grove by michael hornburg, the film stars kevin zegers, bella heathcote, penelope mitchell, lucas till, zane holtz, helen slater, and tom arnold. The town of downers grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood, but it has a disturbing secret. Find events in downers grove, illinois about book club and meet people in your local community who share your interests. His novel american psycho, is a modern masterpiece, and the film is one of the. The curse of downers grove sounds like an encyclopedia brown or nancy drew book. This is the community page for the downers grove public library.