Soaked in Bleach

Last updated

Soaked in Bleach
Soaked in Bleach poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBenjamin Statler
Written by
Produced by
  • Donnie Eichar
  • Richard Middleton
  • Benjamin Statler
Starring
Cinematography Ben Kutchins
Edited by
  • Javier Alvarez
  • David Moritz
Music byPeter G. Adams
Production
companies
  • Suburban Hitchhiker
  • Daredevil Films
Distributed byMontani Productions
Release date
June 11, 2015
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Soaked in Bleach is a 2015 American docudrama directed by Benjamin Statler, who co-wrote and produced it with Richard Middelton and Donnie Eichar. The film details the events leading up to the death of Kurt Cobain, as seen through the perspective of Tom Grant, the private detective who was hired by Courtney Love to find Cobain, shortly before his death in 1994. It also explores the theory that Cobain's death was not a suicide. The film stars Tyler Bryan as Cobain and Daniel Roebuck as Grant, with Sarah Scott portraying Courtney Love and August Emerson as Dylan Carlson.

Contents

Synopsis

The film provides a look at inconsistencies in the death of Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the American grunge band Nirvana, as seen through the perspective of former private investigator Tom Grant. In addition to the dramatization of Cobain's final days, the film combines documentary footage as well as interviews with people associated with the case such as former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper and the American forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht. [1] [2] Grant's own recorded conversations with key figures such as Rosemary Carroll, Cobain and Love's attorney and Dylan Carlson — who purchased the 20-gauge Remington Model 11 Sportsman shotgun police alleged was used in Cobain's shooting and subsequent death— are also prominently featured. [3]

Production

Soaked in Bleach marks the directorial debut of Benjamin Statler, [1] who co-wrote and produced the films Act of Valor and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope . [4] Regarding the film's title, Bleach is the name of the Nirvana debut album and "Soaked in Bleach" are lyrics from the Nirvana song "Come as You Are", [5] which was the second single from Nirvana's second album Nevermind . [6]

Reception

The film has a 50/100 rating on Metacritic based on seven reviews. [7] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 30% rating based on 10 reviews with an average rating of 4.5/10. [8] Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote that the film "may be TMI for those not already obsessed with all things Cobain", but it presents enough evidence to counter its dismissal as a conspiracy theory. [9] Zack Sigel wrote for VH1 that the film presents "Flimsy evidence, personal agendas, and blatant disregard for facts". [10] IndieWire's review claimed cinematographer Ben Kutchins "heavily studied David Fincher’s unsung procedural masterpiece" Zodiac , noting that the "testimonies [and] audio recordings made by Grant" were "dramatically recreated like a made-for-TV version [of Fincher’s film]." [11]

Controversy

Prior to the release of the docu drama, cold case homicide Detective Michael Ciesynski was instructed to look at the 35mm film photographs of the Kurt Cobain death scene as part of a re-examination, marking the 20th anniversary of the musician's passing. The Seattle Police Department released those photographs in March 2014. [12] [13] Ciesnyski told KIRO-TV that "the new work on the case turned up nothing to make him think Cobain's death was anything but what it was ruled to be in 1994 - a suicide". [14] New images of the Remington shotgun were also released later in March 2016, refuting the claim made in the movie that the Seattle Police Department gave Courtney Love the shotgun for melting it down. [15] [16] A police report referred instead to other guns confiscated by the police. [17]

On June 17, 2015, Deadline Hollywood and Stereogum reported that Courtney Love had sent cease and desist letters against theaters showing Soaked in Bleach claiming, "A false accusation of criminal behavior is defamatory … which entitles Ms. Cobain to both actual and presumed damages". The letter also states "We hereby demand again that you immediately cease any and all plans for exhibition or promotion of the film. If we do not hear from you within five days, we are required to immediately pursue all available civil legal remedies on behalf of our client against you." [18] [19] To date no lawsuit has been filed on Love's behalf. The producers of the film responded to the letters by stating, "Courtney Love's uninformed accusations and efforts to discredit the film are totally off base. Courtney Love and her lawyers clearly don't like that the film presents a compelling case for re-opening the investigation into Kurt's death. They should respect the First Amendment and let people decide for themselves." [18]

John Fisk, paramedic for the Seattle Fire Department and first responder at the Kurt Cobain death scene in 1994, gave an interview to the Mercer Island Reporter on April 6, 2016, stating that "he reiterated to the Soaked in Bleach producers that he still believes the case remains a suicide." [20]

On June 27, 2016, Vernon J. Geberth, former homicide detective of the New York City Police Department, who was among the experts interviewed in the docudrama, posted an article on his Practical Homicide Investigation website [21] and Facebook page, [22] [23] stating that he "was not happy that the producers of Soaked in Bleach made it appear that he agreed with their homicide theory". He stated further that he "made it quite clear that he believed that Kurt Cobain took his own life and backed up his opinion with the facts that he had obtained from the Seattle Police Department's Homicide Division coupled with his own experience with suicide cases".

Carole Chaski, a forensic linguist, agreed with the official suicide verdict. She was as well among the experts shown in Soaked in Bleach. On October 9, 2017, she was interviewed at the NBC News affiliate House Of Mystery Radio Show, stating that her "results do not support the conspiracy theory that Courtney Love authored the bottom portion to make it look like a suicide note". [24] She ran Kurt Cobain's suicide note through a computational software called SNARE (Suicide Note Assessment Review) and it was classified as a suicide note (the top portion and the bottom portion). [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Cobain</span> American rock musician (1967–1994)

Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician who was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge rock band Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establishment persona, his compositions widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X and is widely recognized as one of the most influential alternative rock musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirvana (band)</span> American rock band (1987–1994)

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eldon Hoke</span> American musician

Eldon Wayne Hoke, nicknamed El Duce, was an American musician best known as the drummer and lead singer of the shock rock band the Mentors, as well as other acts, including Chinas Comidas and the Screamers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Bean Cobain</span> American visual artist; daughter of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain (born 1992)

Frances Bean Cobain is an American visual artist and model. She is the only child of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love. She controls the publicity rights to her father's name and image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Know You're Right</span> 2002 single by Nirvana

"You Know You're Right" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by lead vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the greatest hits album Nirvana, released by DGC Records in October 2002. It is also the final song the band recorded before Cobain's suicide in April 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">About a Girl (Nirvana song)</span> 1989 song by Nirvana

"About a Girl" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the third song on their debut album, Bleach, released in June 1989.

"Negative Creep" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the seventh song on their debut album Bleach, released in June 1989.

"Do Re Mi" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It first appeared on the band's rarities box set, With the Lights Out, released in November 2004. A second version appears on the deluxe edition of Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings, released in November 2015.

"Opinion" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. Never performed in concert and not confirmed to have been recorded in the studio, the song was initially survived only by a heavily-bootlegged solo acoustic version, recorded by Cobain during his appearance on the KAOS (FM) Boy Meets Girl radio show on September 25, 1990. In 2015, a brief clip of a second version, believed to be a demo, appeared in the Cobain documentary Montage of Heck, directed by Brett Morgan.

Richard Lee is an independent journalist from Seattle, Washington. He is best known for his conspiracy theories regarding the 1994 death of Kurt Cobain which he states that he believes was a homicide. Lee was the first to make this claim. Lee is also known for his attempts at various political offices and using related events to question political figures about the investigation into Kurt Cobain's death.

<i>Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana</i> Biography by Michael Azerrad

Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana is a 1993 biography of the American rock band Nirvana written by music journalist Michael Azerrad. It was written before the suicide of band leader Kurt Cobain. Azerrad met with the members of the band and conducted extensive interviews about the band and its members' histories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide of Kurt Cobain</span> Death of Nirvana singer and guitarist

On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain, the lead singer and guitarist of the American rock band Nirvana, was found dead at his home on Lake Washington Boulevard in Seattle, Washington. Forensics investigators and a coroner later determined that Cobain had died on April 5, three days prior to the discovery of his body. The Seattle Police Department incident report stated that Cobain was found with a shotgun across his body, had suffered a visible gunshot wound to the head, and that a suicide note had been discovered nearby. Seattle police confirmed Cobain's death as a suicide.

<i>Love and Death</i> (2004 book) Book about the Death of Kurt Cobain

Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain, published by Simon & Schuster, is a collaborative investigative journalism book written by Ian Halperin and Max Wallace purporting to show that Nirvana lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, believed to have committed suicide, was in fact murdered, possibly at the behest of his wife Courtney Love. It is a follow-up to the authors' 1998 bestseller on the same subject, Who Killed Kurt Cobain?. The book is based on 30 hours of audiotaped conversations, exclusively obtained by the authors, between Courtney Love's private investigator, Tom Grant, and her and Cobain's entertainment attorney, Rosemary Carroll, who both dispute the official finding of suicide and believe Cobain was in fact murdered.

<i>Kurt & Courtney</i> 1998 documentary film

Kurt & Courtney is a 1998 British documentary film by Nick Broomfield investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Kurt Cobain, and allegations of Courtney Love's involvement in it.

<i>Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck</i> 2015 American documentary about Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is a 2015 American documentary film about Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. The film was directed by Brett Morgen and premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. It received a limited theatrical release worldwide and premiered on television in the United States on HBO on May 4, 2015. The documentary chronicles the life of Kurt Cobain from his birth in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1967, through his troubled early family life and teenage years and rise to fame as frontman of Nirvana, up to his suicide in April 1994 in Seattle at the age of 27.

Donnie Eichar is an American film producer, director and author. As an author, he is best known for his The New York Times best-selling book, Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident in 2013. He is also known for producing the TV series Killing Fields in 2016, the documentary film Soaked in Bleach in 2015, and the TV series The Buried Life in 2010. He is represented by William Morris Endeavor.

<i>Cobain on Cobain</i> 2016 book by Nicholas Soulsby

Cobain On Cobain: Interviews And Encounters is a book by author and writer Nicholas Soulsby. It was published in February 2016, and tells the tale of the band Nirvana entirely and only through the words of front-man Kurt Cobain and those of his band-mates through their five-year career. The interviews start from the release of their first album Bleach to the band's collapse on their 1994 European tour followed shortly by Cobain's suicide. The book also includes interviews that have never been seen in print before.

<i>Who Killed Kurt Cobain?</i> 1998 book by Ian Halperin and Max Wallace

Who Killed Kurt Cobain?: The Mysterious Death of an Icon is a 1998 book that explores the premise that the death of Kurt Cobain, frontman of American rock band Nirvana, was a case of murder and not suicide. It is a collaborative investigative journalism book written by Ian Halperin and Max Wallace. It went on to be an international bestseller.

Nirvana: Flower Sniffin', Kitty Pettin', Baby Kissin' Corporate Rock Whores was a book written by Victoria Clarke and Britt Collins in 1992–93 about American rock band Nirvana and in particular the band leader Kurt Cobain and his wife Courtney Love. Cobain and Love opposed the publication of the book and Nirvana's management company filed a lawsuit that prevented it from being published.

<i>The Vigil</i> (1998 film) 1998 Canadian film

The Vigil is a 1998 comedy film about a group of young people who travel from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada to Seattle in the United States to attend the memorial vigil for Nirvana band leader Kurt Cobain in 1994. It stars Donny Lucas and Trevor White.

References

  1. 1 2 "'Soaked in Bleach': Film Review - The Kurt-and-Courtney arguments will never die". The Hollywood Reporter . June 11, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  2. ↑ Orange, B. Alan (April 8, 2014). "Soaked in Bleach Trailer Examines the Death of Kurt Cobain". MovieWeb . Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Cobain's friend bought the gun - Authorities believe singer lay dead three days". Entertainment. Calgary Herald. Associated Press. April 16, 1994. p. 21.
  4. ↑ Giles, Jeff (April 8, 2014). "New Film Explores 'Courtney Love Had Kurt Cobain Killed' Conspiracy Theories". Ultimate Classic Rock . Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Come as You Are". Genius . Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  6. ↑ Chick, Stevie (September 23, 2021). "Nirvana: The stories behind every song on Nevermind". Kerrang! . Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Soaked in Bleach". metacritic.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Soaked in Bleach". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  9. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (June 24, 2015), "Film Review: 'Soaked in Bleach'", Variety , retrieved October 11, 2016
  10. ↑ Sigel, Zack. "Does Soaked in Bleach Solve Kurt Cobain's Murder Once And For All, Or Misread His Entire Life Completely?". VH1 . Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ Ege Kozak, Oktay (June 15, 2015). "Review: Kurt Cobain Conspiracy Theory Docudrama 'Soaked In Bleach'". IndieWire . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  12. ↑ Spangenthal-Lee, Jonah (March 31, 2014). "(Updated) Detective Reviews Cobain Case, Which Remains Closed". Seattle Police Department Blotter. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Kurt Cobain Death Scene Photos – New Kurt Cobain death scene photos – Pictures". CBS News . March 27, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Kurt Cobain's death was indeed a suicide, police say". CBS News . March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  15. ↑ Fisher, Greg (March 17, 2016). "Cops: New photos show Kurt Cobain suicide gun". CBS News . Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  16. ↑ "SPD releases photos of Kurt Cobain suicide gun". Kiro 7 . March 17, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  17. ↑ Ciesynski, Mike (April 5, 2019). "Cops: Detective who reviewed Kurt Cobain's death file details evidence". CBS News . Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  18. 1 2 Lincoln, Ross A.; Patten, Dominic (June 16, 2015). "Courtney Love Sends Cease & Desist Against Kurt Cobain Movie 'Soaked in Bleach'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  19. ↑ Tully Claymore, Gabriela (June 17, 2015). "Courtney Love Files Cease & Desist Against Kurt Cobain Murder Conspiracy Docudrama". Stereogum . Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  20. ↑ "April 8: the day the music died - Islander recalls being first responder at Kurt Cobain death scene 22 years ago". Mercer Island Reporter . April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Research Material". www.practicalhomicide.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Practical Homicide Investigation". www.facebook.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  23. ↑ Wright, Mic (March 30, 2020). "Kurt Cobain Conspiracy Theories live on in Generation Z". www.melmagazine.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Mysterious Celebrity Deaths". www.alanrwarren.com. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  25. ↑ Warren, Alan R.; Shapiro, Eric (March 1, 2021). "Part I Kurt Cobain: 2. Suicide Note". Mysterious Celebrity Deaths : The Interviews (The House of Mystery Radio Show Presents The Interviews Book 4). House of Mystery. pp. 56–58.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.