Surely cinephiles everywhere have seen The Blair Witch Project, the first ‘found footage’ film to come onto the cinematic scene in 1999. Costing very little to make (and only 8 days of filming) and yielding well over $240 million, Roger Ebert named the uber-indie film one of the ten most influential movies of the century.
According to IMDB.com, this film was in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Top Budget:Box Office Ratio" (for a mainstream feature film). The film cost $22,000 to make and made back $240.5 million, a ratio of $1 spent for every $10,931 made.
The success from the film was instantaneous. Donahue was featured on the cover of Newsweek, in People, and on The Tonight Show, The Today Show, The Daily Show, and CNN. After The Blair Witch Project, Donahue had some big and small screen roles, but has also said her role in TBWP hindered her ability to get work, and resulted in threats from strangers. She has had no work in the entertainment industry since 2008, but has recently written a book about a year of her life spent in a pot commune. A synopsis of the book and praise for it are below, following the details of her book signing at the Denver's Tattered Cover.
Tattered Cover
2526 East Colfax Avenue, Denver 80206
Time: 7:30pm (early arrival is recommended)
Parking: A Parking Garage off of Elizabeth or Columbine Streets provides free parking and streetside parking is also available.
Book Description:
Growgirl: How my life after The Blair Witch Project Went to Pot is Heather's year living in Nuggettown, California, among "The Community"-a collection of growers, their "pot wives," and the reason for it all: "The Girls." They help one another build grow rooms, tend to their crops, and provide a glimpse into this rarely seen world that's currently the source of much intrigue and discussion. Though her relationship hits rocky territory, Heather's new life brings unexpected solace, and she's surprised to finally find normalcy in the least likely of places.
Advance Praise:
“Everything contained within this “Fish out of water” memoir rings true and reads fiercely and crazily entertainingly…. in constructing a book that is both a gentle polemic and a deeply felt, richly developed, personal memoir, Heather Donahue shows herself to be an author with talent, skill and a unique rich author’s voice in which she can wrap them.” -Tad Friend
“Everything contained within this “Fish out of water” memoir rings true and reads fiercely and crazily entertainingly…. in constructing a book that is both a gentle polemic and a deeply felt, richly developed, personal memoir, Heather Donahue shows herself to be an author with talent, skill and a unique rich author’s voice in which she can wrap them.”
“Her memoir is a hilarious commentary on pot culture and Hollywood vapidity.”
“Grow Girl is great if you like your marijuana stories imbued with a general sense of struggle. (And what other kind, really, exists these days?)”
“In her quirky, kooky year-in-the-life account, she writes hilariously…Wry, with a nuanced distance from the events, Donahue offers an unorthodox gardener’s take on the growing season.”
“Thank God things didn’t work out in Hollywood for Heather Donahue. Otherwise, we'd never have gotten this book. Anyone who's taken a fall will bond fiercely with Donahue's hilarious frankness about hitting bottom. Beautifully written, full of wisdom. A terrific read.”
“Heather Donahue has a gloriously comic voice, and beguiling self-knowledge. Growgirl will tell you how to grow pot—and how to grow up. It’s a hilarious, rollicking, endearing memoir that’s also friendly, wise and thoroughly addictive. I inhaled it!”
Note from the Tattered Cover:
How to Order Autographed Books:Although we cannot make any guarantees, we always try to get extra books signed by our many visiting authors. If you can’t attend an author appearance, but would like to purchase a signed copy of the author’s book, please call one of our stores and ask for assistance or e-mail us at books@tatteredcover.com. All events are subject to changes beyond our control. For complete and up-to-date information call our Event Line at 303-322-1965 ext.1750 or visit our web site at www.tatteredcover.com.
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