The Curse of Downers Grove

Last updated
The Curse of Downers Grove
Curse of Downers Grove poster.jpg
Poster art
Directed byDerick Martini
Written by Bret Easton Ellis
Based on Downers Grove
by Michael Hornburg
Produced byJason Dubin
Oren Segal
Chiara Trento
Starring Bella Heathcote
Penelope Mitchell
Lucas Till
Kevin Zegers
Helen Slater
Tom Arnold
CinematographyFrank Godwin
Edited byKayla Pagliarini
Music byMatthew Margeson
Distributed byEagle Films
Release date
  • August 21, 2015 (2015-08-21)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,000,000

The Curse of Downers Grove is an American thriller film written by Bret Easton Ellis. [1] 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 film received a limited theatrical release on August 21, 2015 and a subsequent DVD/Blu-Ray release on September 1, 2015.

Contents

Plot

Set in Downers Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, the film is a teen angst thriller set in a high school gripped by an apparent curse that claims the life of a senior every year. The story follows the lives of two seniors: Chrissie, who is skeptical of the curse, and Tracy, who believes that she may be the next victim.

Cast

Production

Filming

Principal photography began on March 10, 2013 and lasted for 25 days. Filming primarily took place throughout Pomona, California, including the historic Lincoln Park neighborhood. [2] It is the first feature film to take advantage of an expansion of the studio zone resulting in the availability of Pomona. [2]

Music

The film's music was composed by Matthew Margeson, who previously co-scored Kick-Ass 2 with Henry Jackman. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Wenham</span> Australian actor

David Wenham is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Friar Carl in Van Helsing, Dilios in 300 and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire, Al Parker in Top of the Lake, Lieutenant John Scarfield in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Hank Snow in Elvis. He is known in his native Australia for his role as Diver Dan in SeaChange and Price Galese in Les Norton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Statham</span> English actor (born 1967)

Jason Statham is an English actor. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, hardboiled, gritty, or violent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikki Reed</span> American actress

Nicole Houston Reed is an American actress known for her portrayal of vampire Rosalie Hale in The Twilight Saga (2008–2012). She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, for which she was credited with Hardwicke as a co-writer of the screenplay, and in which she played a lead role. The film earned Reed an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance, as well as several nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Queen Victoria</span> Fictional pub in the television series EastEnders

The Queen Victoria is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.

Johnny Edward Pacuraru, known as Johnny Pacar, is an American film and television actor and musician of partial Romanian descent who is best known for his roles as Cody Jackson in the television series Flight 29 Down and as Damon Young on ABC Family's television series Make It or Break It. He also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Now You See It..., and had a recurring role as Jimmy Francis in American Dreams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Slater</span> Fictional character in BBC soap opera

Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on 18 September 2000. Zoe arrives in Walford along with her father, Charlie, sisters Kat, Lynne and Little Mo, and grandmother Big Mo.

<i>Freddys Dead: The Final Nightmare</i> 1991 American slasher film

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is a 1991 American slasher film and the sixth film in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. It is a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and was originally intended to be the final installment of the series; Wes Craven's New Nightmare was released three years later but takes place outside the series canon. A canonical crossover/sequel, Freddy vs. Jason, was released in 2003. This was New Line Cinema's first 3D film release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bella Thorne</span> American actress and singer (born 1997)

Annabella Avery Thorne is an American actress, singer, and writer. She first received recognition for her roles as Margaux Darling in the series Dirty Sexy Money (2007–2008) and as Ruthy Spivey in the drama series My Own Worst Enemy (2009), the latter of which earning her a Young Artist Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Ragan</span> American musician

Charles Allen Ragan is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the guitarist and vocalist of the band Hot Water Music. Ragan has also released a variety of solo material, including a series of 7-inches on No Idea Records, a live album and three studio albums on Side One Dummy Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucas Till</span> American actor

Lucas Daniel Till is an American actor. In a career spanning two decades, he has appeared in multiple film and television projects spanning a variety of genres. He is a five-time Teen Choice Award nominee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watts family</span> Fictional family from EastEnders, created 1985

The Watts family are a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The family consists of Den, Angie, Sharon, Dennis, Chrissie, Vicki, Dennis Jr, Albie and Alyssa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bella Heathcote</span> Australian actress (born 1987)

Isabella Heathcote is an Australian actress and model. She began her acting career in 2008. The following year, she had a recurring role as Amanda Fowler on the television soap opera Neighbours.

<i>Starcrossed</i> (novel) Young-adult fantasy romance novel by American author Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed is a young adult fantasy romance novel by American author Josephine Angelini. The story follows a girl named Helen Hamilton, who is gradually revealed to be a modern-day Helen of Troy. After discovering her heritage, Helen learns that a union with the boy she loves may trigger a new Trojan War. The novel was followed by the sequels Dreamless and Goddess, and received praise from critics and fantasy authors amidst its release.

The 19th Youth in Film Awards ceremony, presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film, television and theatre for the 1996-1997 season, and took place on March 14, 1998, in Hollywood, California.

<i>Pitch Perfect</i> 2012 film by Jason Moore

Pitch Perfect is a 2012 American musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore and written by Kay Cannon. It features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Wanetah Walmsley, Adam DeVine, Ben Platt, Utkarsh Ambudkar, John Michael Higgins, and Elizabeth Banks. The plot follows Barden University's all-girl a cappella group, the Barden Bellas, as they compete against another a cappella group from their college to win Nationals. The film is loosely adapted from Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction book, titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory and director Jason Moore's own experiences at his alma mater, Northwestern University. Filming concluded in December 2011, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

<i>Hemlock Grove</i> (TV series) 2013 American horror thriller television series

Hemlock Grove is an American horror streaming television series produced by Eli Roth and developed by Brian McGreevy and Lee Shipman. It is a production of Gaumont International Television. The series is based on McGreevy's 2012 novel of the same name. The series premiered on Netflix on April 19, 2013, with all 13 episodes made immediately available for online viewing.

<i>Cold Blooded</i> (film) 2012 Canadian film

Cold Blooded is a 2012 Canadian crime film written and directed by Jason Lapeyre. The film stars Ryan Robbins, Zoie Palmer, William MacDonald, Sergio Di Zio and Huse Madhavji. The film tells the story of a female police officer assigned to guard a diamond thief overnight in a hospital when his violent partners break into the hospital to get him.

<i>Pitch Perfect 2</i> 2015 American film by Elizabeth Banks

Pitch Perfect 2 is a 2015 American musical comedy film directed and produced by Elizabeth Banks and written by Kay Cannon. It is a sequel to the 2012 film Pitch Perfect and the second installment in the Pitch Perfect film series. The film centers on the fictional Barden University Bellas, an all-female a cappella singing group, who try to beat out a competing German musical group in a world singing championship. The film features Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine, Anna Camp, Ben Platt, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Kelly Jakle, Shelley Regner, John Michael Higgins, and Banks all reprising their roles from the previous film, now joined by Hailee Steinfeld, Katey Segal, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, and Flula Borg.

<i>Fifty Shades Darker</i> (film) 2017 film by James Foley

Fifty Shades Darker is a 2017 American erotic romantic drama film directed by James Foley and written by Niall Leonard, based on E. L. James's 2012 novel of the same name. The second installment in the Fifty Shades film series and the sequel to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey, it stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, respectively, with Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Kim Basinger, and Marcia Gay Harden in supporting roles.

<i>7 Minutes</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Jay Martin

7 Minutes is a 2014 American crime thriller drama film, written and directed by Jay Martin and starring Luke Mitchell, Jason Ritter, Leven Rambin, Zane Holtz, Kevin Gage, Brandon Hardesty, Joel Murray and Kris Kristofferson. It follows three high school friends, who are forced to commit a brazen robbery which quickly goes horribly wrong. It received its world premiere on October 26, 2014 at the Austin Film Festival, and then premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival on April 16, 2015. The film received a limited release and through video-on-demand on June 26, 2015 by Starz Distribution.

References

  1. McNary, Dave (March 7, 2013). "Slater Heading To 'Downers Grove' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Penske Business Media.
  2. 1 2 Allen, David (March 15, 2013). "Land of Lincoln comes to Pomona via Hollywood". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin . Los Angeles Newspaper Group . Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  3. "Matthew Margeson Scoring 'The Curse of Downers Grove'". Film Music Reporter. July 23, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.