Montage of Heck

[Sklashboombash]

Anyone watch it?

Pretty heavy. Some of it is pretty unsettling to watch.
Very raw and emotional moments.

Some of it was a joy to get an inside look at.

[CagedTiger]

Yeah I watched it a couple of nights ago. I think it was put together really well and gave a good insight into the tortured mind of Kurt Cobain. The animated scenes were great too as were the alternative versions of the Nirvana songs on the soundtrack.
It was definitely an emotional experience, especially seeing the scenes of him as a happy child at the start and then later home video footage of him in the clutches of his addiction with heroin :-( it's so sad how things turned out for him.

[Slither]

Tough watch. Even knowing everything I know about the guy it still depressed the shit out of me. Kinda wish they didn't cut Dave from it, would've been cool to get his perspective after remaining somewhat silent on the whole thing for so many years, but other than that it was really well done and something I'll probably watch again.

[CagedTiger]

I remember talking to my friend after we watched it and we were like, how could the people around him NOT know he was going to take his own life or be shocked when he did?? I know Krist Novoselic says something along the lines of 'it was all there in his art when you look back, we should've known' or something along those lines, well yes it was in his art ('In Utero' is almost like one long musical suicide note) but not only that he actually attempted suicide one month earlier.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it could've been prevented by the people around him or that they are in any way to blame because I truly believe that if someone is that determined to take their own life then they will, they couldn't lock him up for 24 hours a day BUT it should've been glaringly obvious to them that he was suicidal.

[Sklashboombash]

... especially seeing the scenes of him as a happy child at the start and then later home video footage of him in the clutches of his addiction with heroin :-( it's so sad how things turned out for him.

Yeah, it's amazing in a matter of a couple years he went from a happy boy to being shuffled around different homes because nobody could live with him.

That train scene, too. I never heard that story before.

Naysayers will always poo-poo the notion of stardom being difficult, and not that I have anything to go by personally, but I can totally see the pressures and madness changes your perspective on everything, especially if you have any internal fragility whatsoever and go from being a darling to criticized.

[CagedTiger]

... especially seeing the scenes of him as a happy child at the start and then later home video footage of him in the clutches of his addiction with heroin :-( it's so sad how things turned out for him.

Yeah, it's amazing in a matter of a couple years he went from a happy boy to being shuffled around different homes because nobody could live with him.

That train scene, too. I never heard that story before.

Naysayers will always poo-poo the notion of stardom being difficult, and not that I have anything to go by personally, but I can totally see the pressures and madness changes your perspective on everything, especially if you have any internal fragility whatsoever and go from being a darling to criticized.

Yeah the train story and the (rather disturbing) story of how he lost his virginity were both new to me. I know both of those scenes were animated but am I right in thinking that the narration during those scenes was actually by Kurt himself? It sure sounded like him and I read that they uncovered lot's of audio, so I assume it was an audio diary of sorts that they found and used for the movie? Although Kurt didn't appear to like interviews he seemed like he wanted to tell his story through other outlets like drawings, notes, lyrics and spoken audio.

He certainly seemed like a happy young boy from the video footage as you say, I think his mother said he became hyperactive though and mentioned behavior which to me sounded very similar to ADHD? I think the divorce of his parents followed by all the moving around and feeling unwanted definitely had a massive negative impact on him though.

With regards to stardom, I found it ironic that Kurt actually wanted the band to be huge when they started out and then when that happened he didn't want it anymore. As you say though, he was such a hyper sensitive guy that any negative media clearly had huge effect on his mood and mental well being.

[Slither]

Based on the doc, it seemed what really did him in was the Vanity Fair piece. I feel like being the sensitive guy he is, combined with the fact that he knew one day Frances would come across it, he just ended things so he wouldn't further be a lightning rod for her.

The train story was shocking to me too, it's things like that that make me believe in a higher power.

[CagedTiger]

Based on the doc, it seemed what really did him in was the Vanity Fair piece. I feel like being the sensitive guy he is, combined with the fact that he knew one day Frances would come across it, he just ended things so he wouldn't further be a lightning rod for her.

The train story was shocking to me too, it's things like that that make me believe in a higher power.

What was said in the 'Vanity Fair' piece? Was that the one from 1992 or was there another one??

[BillMurraylovesSTP]

... especially seeing the scenes of him as a happy child at the start and then later home video footage of him in the clutches of his addiction with heroin :-( it's so sad how things turned out for him.

Yeah, it's amazing in a matter of a couple years he went from a happy boy to being shuffled around different homes because nobody could live with him.

That train scene, too. I never heard that story before.

Naysayers will always poo-poo the notion of stardom being difficult, and not that I have anything to go by personally, but I can totally see the pressures and madness changes your perspective on everything, especially if you have any internal fragility whatsoever and go from being a darling to criticized.

Yeah the train story and the (rather disturbing) story of how he lost his virginity were both new to me. I know both of those scenes were animated but am I right in thinking that the narration during those scenes was actually by Kurt himself? It sure sounded like him and I read that they uncovered lot's of audio, so I assume it was an audio diary of sorts that they found and used for the movie? Although Kurt didn't appear to like interviews he seemed like he wanted to tell his story through other outlets like drawings, notes, lyrics and spoken audio.

He certainly seemed like a happy young boy from the video footage as you say, I think his mother said he became hyperactive though and mentioned behavior which to me sounded very similar to ADHD? I think the divorce of his parents followed by all the moving around and feeling unwanted definitely had a massive negative impact on him though.

With regards to stardom, I found it ironic that Kurt actually wanted the band to be huge when they started out and then when that happened he didn't want it anymore. As you say though, he was such a hyper sensitive guy that any negative media clearly had huge effect on his mood and mental well being.

I agree with you

[Toxic34]

Based on the doc, it seemed what really did him in was the Vanity Fair piece. I feel like being the sensitive guy he is, combined with the fact that he knew one day Frances would come across it, he just ended things so he wouldn't further be a lightning rod for her.

The train story was shocking to me too, it's things like that that make me believe in a higher power.

What was said in the 'Vanity Fair' piece? Was that the one from 1992 or was there another one??

Yes, it was the '92 piece that falsely claimed that Courtney kept doing heroin for months after she knew she was pregnant. Courtney did unknowingly do so in December and January, but made herself and Kurt go through a hellish 3-day detox in a motel room prior to Nirvana's Australia and Japan tour.

[CritterTypeThing]

I read an interview where the Director said that Dave Grohl was regularly busy when they tried to interview him, but then found time shortly after the film was actually completed. 

He basically said that the interview with Dave was so basic that it didn't really present anything worth going back and re-editing the documentary just so that he could be included.

[CagedTiger]

I read an interview where the Director said that Dave Grohl was regularly busy when they tried to interview him, but then found time shortly after the film was actually completed. 

He basically said that the interview with Dave was so basic that it didn't really present anything worth going back and re-editing the documentary just so that he could be included.

It will be relegated to a bonus feature on the Blu Ray and DVD edition's I expect.

[Toxic34]

Watching the documentary made me think all the more about the fact that Dr. Steven Chatoff was going to lead an intervention that would have resulted in Kurt going to Anacapa By The Sea instead of Exodus (where he jumped the wall) and would've focused on the real psychological causes for his addiction and depression, rather than a "detox buff and shine." Of course, someone blew the whistle on the intervention, Kurt bolted, Chatoff was blamed, and his friends and family did another intervention with a less skilled doctor that resulted in the Exodus trip and Kurt getting his friend to buy the shotgun. For those not in the know, the late Dr. Chatoff was a huge figure in the Aerosmith camp, responsible for overseeing the 1996 Conflict And Resolution Week where they realized the extent of the triangulation and manipulation being done by their then-manager Tim Collins and decided to take back their power. Chatoff also aided Duff McKagan and Slash's righting themselves in the VR days, brought Jerry Cantrell out of his own heroin addiction, and even was part of the team that guided Eddie Van Halen to sobriety once and for all. This makes it all the more sad that Kurt didn't get help that this man would've offered. It also makes me think about what could've happened for Layne Staley or Shannon Hoon. Maybe, Chatoff could've even helped Scott in the early days of his addiction before we had things like the Tiny Music tour cancellation, Scott being in and out of rehab and jail, the personality clashes with the DeLeos, and a still-functioning classic STP lineup firing on all cylinders.

[Sklashboombash]

Watching the documentary made me think all the more about the fact that Dr. Steven Chatoff was going to lead an intervention that would have resulted in Kurt going to Anacapa By The Sea instead of Exodus (where he jumped the wall) and would've focused on the real psychological causes for his addiction and depression, rather than a "detox buff and shine." Of course, someone blew the whistle on the intervention, Kurt bolted, Chatoff was blamed, and his friends and family did another intervention with a less skilled doctor that resulted in the Exodus trip and Kurt getting his friend to buy the shotgun. For those not in the know, the late Dr. Chatoff was a huge figure in the Aerosmith camp, responsible for overseeing the 1996 Conflict And Resolution Week where they realized the extent of the triangulation and manipulation being done by their then-manager Tim Collins and decided to take back their power. Chatoff also aided Duff McKagan and Slash's righting themselves in the VR days, brought Jerry Cantrell out of his own heroin addiction, and even was part of the team that guided Eddie Van Halen to sobriety once and for all. This makes it all the more sad that Kurt didn't get help that this man would've offered. It also makes me think about what could've happened for Layne Staley or Shannon Hoon. Maybe, Chatoff could've even helped Scott in the early days of his addiction before we had things like the Tiny Music tour cancellation, Scott being in and out of rehab and jail, the personality clashes with the DeLeos, and a still-functioning classic STP lineup firing on all cylinders.

That's very interesting. Never knew that.