Kurt Cobain: Skip the Courtney-Commercial Shit, See the Indie Movie
Remember the cover of Nirvana’s Nevermind, the album that made the band—and the word "grunge"—a household name? A naked baby, swimming blithely in pristine water, reaches for a dollar bill—a dollar bill that's on a large fish hook. The image is memorable for its ironic, dangerous, clear message. Courtney Love didn't catch the meaning. Director AJ Schnack does.
Love reportedly made $50 million selling 25% of Nirvana's song catalog in 2006. More recently, she gave some "collectibles association" permission to use Kurt Cobain's likeness on tacky stuff like lunchboxes and key chains. And now—congratulations, gamers—every song from Nevermind will play in Rock Band, an upcoming Xbox title. Wii!
While Love's soul-busting fire sale continues, a filmmaker is highlighting the mystery and sadness of Cobain’s life and death. AJ Schnack’s made Kurt Cobain About a Son, a "moving meditation on the late singer" culled from 25 hours of conversations between the singer and writer Michael Azzerad (Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana). It features Cobain talking, a score by Ben Gibbard, and nary a Nirvana song. It may move people to cry, but won't put millions in Schnack's bank account.
From the film's site:
The film is not a documentary about Nirvana, the band Kurt fronted, nor is it even a documentary in the traditional sense, but a profound, almost dream-like account of Cobain's own successes and failures, thoughts and experiences, allowing the audience unprecedented intimacy with a legendary figure in popular culture.
An intriguing 68-second peek:
Not surprisingly, there doesn't seem to be any association between Courtney Love and About a Son. Sounds like the film, which showed at SIFF—piss on us for missing it—will open at the Varsity on October 12. Wear your Cobain tees; leave your lunchboxes at home.
