X
- 2015
- Not Rated
- Emerging Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
- 2015
- Not Rated
- Emerging Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
Summary Soaked in Bleach reveals the events behind Kurt Cobain's death as seen through the eyes of Tom Grant, the private investigator that was hired by Courtney Love in 1994 to track down her missing husband only days before his deceased body was found at their Seattle home. Cobain's death was ruled a suicide by the police (a reported self-infl...
Directed By: Benjamin Statler
Written By: Donnie Eichar, Richard Middleton, Benjamin Statler
- 2015
- Not Rated
- Emerging Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
- 2015
- Not Rated
- Emerging Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
Soaked in Bleach
50
8.1
Where to Watch
Summary Soaked in Bleach reveals the events behind Kurt Cobain's death as seen through the eyes of Tom Grant, the private investigator that was hired by Courtney Love in 1994 to track down her missing husband only days before his deceased body was found at their Seattle home. Cobain's death was ruled a suicide by the police (a reported self-infl...
Directed By: Benjamin Statler
Written By: Donnie Eichar, Richard Middleton, Benjamin Statler
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
50
29% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
57% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
50
29% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
57% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
If it doesn’t lead people to believe that Cobain was murdered, it might achieve its secondary goals — to at least nudge them toward the possibility, and to get the authorities to consider re-opening the case. It’s intended as a call to action, not just a salacious re-hash.
Despite a low-rent aesthetic that (like Grant's all-caps-happy website) doesn't sufficiently distance it from the tinfoil-hat world, Soaked presents evidence one has a hard time dismissing.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 34 User Ratings
8.1
79% Positive
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
6% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
15% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 34 User Ratings
8.1
79% Positive
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
6% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
15% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
I've been researching the detective's information for some time now, and am glad he put it all into a visual representation despite knowing it would obviously receive bad reviews simply for existing. People hate the truth. It's not really possible to rate this movie on cinematographic style or any other framework. It's just important that it exists - especially now that there is a competing movie out at the same time with somewhat falsified information used to further cover up facts. And THAT'S what makes this a legendary movie.
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This heavy buildup of investigative intel may be TMI for those not already obsessed with all things Cobain. The dramatic sequences have a straightforward telepic-mystery feel, though undeniably enliven by Scott’s blowsy impersonation of the worst detective’s client imaginable.
It’s easy to accuse Soaked in Bleach for many things, being a typical conspiracy theory documentary that makes many leaps in credibility in order to support its narrative being one of them, but a lack of focus is not among its faults.
There’s just not enough innovation or insight here to stretch a footnote to feature-length.
The problem is, when facing down Love's and Cobain's outsize, junked-up personalities, Grant seems a total naïf.
It comes down to filmmaking. And this is a bad film, filled with awkward reenactments, poorly designed graphics, scripted interview segments, ominous music and enough jumping to conclusions that I’m surprised someone didn’t throw out their back.
Well, this came up as a complete suprise to me. I never thought I'd see the day a documentary which tried to tie all the threads in this long forgotten case ever appearing in public again. A lot of those previous efforts failed to shed accusations of sensationalism and opportunism. Time, talent and quality might have rendered those formulaic accusations somewhat useless. Let's procede.
Since first devouring the finer details of this case in 1998, on Tom Grants website, it seems this story has taken almost 20 long years to regain steam in the post-millenial age. Yes, expose books have come and gone, spiking the interest-ometer here and there, but I'd confined this story to 'the one that got away' a long time ago, whilst tacitly hoping it would resurface when the right time came along. That time is now.
It's been a difficult road for Tom Grant (the PI hired by Courtney, seemingly as a false flag, decoy). Most news outlets and music media commenters have historically, ritually dismissed this case as crack pot 'conspiracy theory' with obligatory references to 'tin foil' and accusations of cultural mysogyny that follow in the wake of controversial female public figures and thrown it in the can.
Of course, this has always been in light of Courtneys careful, expert media manipulation, often in symbiosis with journalists that should really be gaining better distance and making more independent judgements. But alas, Courtney has always had the media too afraid to take this case on on it's own merits. This film attempts to break through the radio silence with a huge thunder clap that has to be having Courtney reeling in desperation. It's that potent.
Of course her intimidation of any and all opponents with litigation and outright physical threats continue to present day with her issuing a Cease And Desist to every theatre showing this movie (see 'Streisand Effect' on Urban Dictionary for that one), her storied, often troubling profile aside, the evidence here is not entirely couched in character defamation, as most reviews would have you believe. That would be too cheap and easy. And just when you find yourself accusing the actress who plays Courtney of portraying her too cynically, too 'characatured' (or to stereotype of desperate, Cluster B, Nancy Spungeon junkie), you realise Courtney IS the stereotype, and has seemingly cast herself this role in 'real life' long before it could be abstracted upon her. The audio recordings of her fumbled confessions reveal a very solipsistic careerism at the heart of this woman that is hard to deny.
The evidence is the focus of this film. Incongruities, red herrings, misdirection all point towards 'foul play'. The ineptitude and negligence of the Seatle Police Department raises suspicion in and of itself, but when looking at the sheer volume of evidence that was overlooked you start to see a very nefarious picture emerge. I'll leave these details to the viewer to discover for themselves. But, be prepared to rub your eyes in disbelief. Not because this film asks you to be credulous or give into assumptions about Courtneys character, but because it uses empirical evidence and reasoning to slowly collate the undeniable truth: This case needs to be reinvestigated. Too much was dismissed out of hand or glossed over for beurocratic expediancy.
Does it paint a bad picture of Courtney? Yes. Does it lead us on a conspiracy theorists matrix of of exciting sleuthing and juicy details? Yes. None of this is Tom Grants fault, however. This story has it all but none of it would have been possible if Courtney didn't manage to call the only private investigator still working Easter Sunday in April 1994, that had the integrity to be facts lead and vigilint with documenting them.
If your reading this review, your in either one of three general camps.
1) You think Courtney is being tried as a witch in a public scapegoating that extends her suffering. Your a fan of her work and hate to see her victimised for merely being a woman that loved a 'rock star' when he killed himself. People look for someone to blame after a tragedy.
2) You looked into this because you loved Kurt Cobain as a kid. You wanted answers and so looked for them. You may have had your suspicions about his wifes previous and subsequent behaviour that leads you to assumptions that may or may not be confirmed by this films findings.
3) You don't have a clue what to believe but your curious to find out what this film has to say and what the controversy behind it is all about.
I don't know what mix I am of these three positions I am but I know I'm as biased as any childhood Nirvana fan ought to be. Go find out for yourself and watch this film even if it's just to strengthen your original position. You have nothing to lose by finding out.
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Brilliant film about the murder investigation of KURT COBAIN. Tom Grant, the private detective that Courtney Love hired to track down Kurt in the days prior to his death, provides truly authentic evidence through his endless hour of taped telephone conversations with Ms Love who clearly sounds like a heartless, conniving soul. Expert interviews with Seattle P.D. members and forensic scientists make it clear that there was a
huge cover-up involved. Don't miss this one, this is the real deal!!
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Forget about the people who were already down rating this movie before it even got released. This movie is GREAT. I don't want to spoil so I won't go into details but it is very well put together, clear,
understandable and it truly brings light to the strange circumstances surrounding Kurt Cobain's death. No to mention the fact that the audience is now able to clearly see how cunning and manipulative
Courtney Love can be, based on her own words this time. What I found the most interesting is that Soaked In Bleach treats this case as a serious investigation and doesn't acknowledge all of those weird and
far-fetched conspiracy theories around Kurt's death. Finally, The ambiance, the casting - all so very neat. A true must-see. I highly recommend it.
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It has been 21 years since Kart Cobain died, regardless of what many believe, whether it was suicide or not, at this point is already more than irrelevant. That does not bring him back to life.
I'm amazed at this kind of work, but it is merely anecdotal, nothing here is good enough to make this work a reference to Cobain's life and Nirvana's legacy.
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Production Company
Montani Productions,
Daredevil Films
Release Date Jun 11, 2015
Duration 1 h 30 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Tagline The death of an icon comes to life
