| The Vigil | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Justin MacGregor [1] |
| Starring | |
Release date |
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Running time | 86 minutes [1] |
| Country | Canada |
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.
Kurt Cobain who was the singer and guitarist of American rock band Nirvana committed suicide in April 1994. A memorial vigil was held for him on April 10, 1994, at the Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington. According to British music newspaper Melody Maker the vigil was attended by 5,000 people aged 12 to 45. [2] According to British music newspaper NME it was attended by 10,000 people. [3] According to Michael Azerrad's 1994 extended chapter edition of his book Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana it was attended by 7,000 people. [4]
After the suicide of Kurt Cobain a group of friends are inspired to borrow a Winnebago and travel from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada to the Kurt Cobain memorial vigil in Seattle, Washington. The two main characters Simon (Damon Johnson) and Nick (Donny Lucas) are both vegetarians who work at the same hamburger shop. In their spare time they socialize with their friends at a diner where they discuss the Seattle grunge scene and in particular Cobain's band Nirvana. The group of five set off and on their way pick up a punk rocker hitchhiker. As time goes on tensions rise between the group. [5] [6]
The film was directed by Justin MacGregor. [1] [7]
MacGregor stated that:
a lot of my friends felt compelled to hold their own vigils after they heard the news from Seattle ... I felt compelled to tell this story ... and I wanted to do it independently ... before it became a Hollywood film ... made by people who didn't understand why it mattered to so many of us in the first place. [8]
A review by nirvanadiscography.com stated that as the film does not contain any of Nirvana's music it does not have much relevance to the band. [9] A retrospective review by Rolling Stone also noted that the film does not include Cobain or any of Nirvana's music. [6] A 2014 retrospective review of the film by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike was more positive, stating that although it was a low-budget film it still manages to capture and celebrate what other films about Cobain fail to do: "the power of music to build and sustain community in a truly authentic way" and that "The Vigil succeeds in illustrating the inherent solace art can provide when other means of redemption have failed". [8] The film has been available on Netflix. [6]
In April 1994 a real life mini-documentary was filmed at Cobain's vigil and it was titled Stupid Club. [10] Its title comes from when in the wake of Cobain's death his mother said "Now he's gone and joined that stupid club, I told him not to join that stupid club". This was in reference to the 27 Club – mostly of popular musicians, artists, actors, and other celebrities who died at age 27. [11] Stupid Club was ranked number 3 in the Hairpin'sA Definitive Ranking of Every Kurt Cobain Movie Ever Made. [12]
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician who was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge 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.
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.
Bleach is the debut studio album by American rock band Nirvana, released on June 15, 1989, by Sub Pop. After the release of their debut single "Love Buzz" on Sub Pop in November 1988, Nirvana rehearsed for two to three weeks in preparation for recording a full-length album. The main recording sessions for Bleach took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989. It is the only Nirvana album released on the Sub Pop label and their only studio album to feature drummer Chad Channing.
In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 21, 1993, by DGC Records. After breaking into the mainstream with their second album, Nevermind (1991), Nirvana hired Steve Albini to record In Utero, seeking a more complex, abrasive sound that was reminiscent of their work prior to Nevermind. Although the singer and primary songwriter Kurt Cobain claimed that the album was "very impersonal", many of its songs contain heavy allusions to his personal life and struggles, expressing feelings of angst that were common on the band's previous album.
"Come as You Are" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by frontman and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the third track and the second single from the band's second studio album Nevermind, the single released in March 1992. It was the band's second and final American top 40 hit, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, and second UK top 10 hit, reaching number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The single reached the top 10 in eight countries and the top 40 in eleven further countries.
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the third track on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released by DGC Records in September 1993. It was one of two songs on In Utero remixed by Scott Litt prior to the album's release, due to the band's dissatisfaction with the original mixing by producer Steve Albini. The Litt remix also featured additional vocal harmonies and guitar by Cobain, which were the only elements on the album's 12 main tracks not recorded during the original sessions with Albini in February 1993.
"In Bloom" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the second track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.
"Rape Me" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the fourth song on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released in September 1993.
"Lithium" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the fifth track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.
"Sliver" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. It was first released as a non-album single by the band's then record label, Sub Pop, in the United States in September 1990, and by Tupelo in Britain in January 1991. The same recording was re-released on the compilation album Incesticide by DGC in December 1992, and a new music video, directed by Kevin Kerslake, was released in May 1993.
"All Apologies" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the final track on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released by DGC Records in September 1993. The song closes the American version of the album, while non-US versions of In Utero feature an additional song, "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip", which begins after approximately 20 minutes of silence on the same track.
"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.
"Been a Son" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It was originally released on the Blew EP in November 1989, which charted at number 15 on the UK Indie Singles chart.
"Scentless Apprentice" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl, and bassist Krist Novoselic. It is the second track on their third and final studio album In Utero, released in September 1993.
"Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the fifth song on their third and final studio album, In Utero, released in September 1993.
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.
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. Forensic 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 his death as a suicide.
Live at the Paramount is a live video and album by American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 2011. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc as part of the 20th anniversary of the band's second album and mainstream breakthrough, Nevermind.
The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain is a 2006 BBC documentary about the last hours of the life of Kurt Cobain who was the front man of American grunge band Nirvana.
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