Review Scene: DVD – Soaked In Bleach

October 9, 2015 Mary Boukouvalas

Soaked In Bleach shines a light on how Kurt Cobain died by contradicting the media and police reports and illuminating the need to have Cobain’s case reopened.

Soaked In Bleach is a docudrama by director Benjamin Statler. It would be easy to discard this film as yet another conspiracy film, but throw caution to the wind and watch it.

Soaked In Bleach takes the docudrama to a whole different level. Certainly the structure of this film is more comprehensive than other docudramas. It does include the familiar elements of interviews, reenactments, audio recordings, text, and animation. Half of the film is cinematic recreations of PI Tom Grant‘s investigation in 1994 and incorporates the actual audio recordings he made when he was hired by Courtney Love to find her husband. The other half of the film is made up of interviews with Tom Grant and some of the world’s top experts in the respective areas of the case. But it is the way these elements are assembled that makes this film stand apart from others. The timeline is set; the flow of ideas, visuals, audio and investigation connect, creating pace and tension without clichés.

Director Benjamin Statler

The reenactments are not cheesy, they facilitate the viewer in witnessing how the investigation actually unfolded.What is even more interesting about these reenactments is that the scene drifts so effortlessly in to the audio from the real life person that you suddenly realise that you are actually listening to the actual person not the actor. And the truth hits you hard. Sarah Scott’s portrayal of Love as lying, manipulative and selfish seems exaggerated and excessive. Until you realise that it’s Love’s recorded voice you can hear. And then you appreciate Scott’s talent. And Statler’s. Tyler Bryan is perfect as Cobain and, though he doesn’t have a lot of screen time, his part is interwoven and supplemented with pertinent interview footage and live footage. Daniel Roebuck portrays a stern, no-nonsense Tom Grant, easily juxtaposed when the real Grant is being interviewed.

As the reenactment scenes unfold, they are backed up with the interviews that provide the objective scientific facts involved in the case of Kurt Cobain’s death. Media misinformation, and misinformation in Nick Broomfield’s film Kurt & Courtney, is counteracted with expert statements and evidence. The film focuses on exposing the main untruths that were fed to the public by the media. It substantiates that the amount of heroin in Cobain’s system would mean there was no way he could’ve pulled the trigger; that the positioning of the rifle and the spent shell didn’t connect; that the “suicide” note had the last few lines added to it by someone else; and that the Seattle Police Department did not properly investigate before ruling it a suicide.

A skillfully constructed docudrama that needs to be seen by everyone, not just Nirvana fans.

Soaked in Bleach ensures Cobain’s memory does not fade away in lies.

Soaked in Bleach was released on DVD in Australia on the 7^th of October.

About Mary Boukouvalas 1591 Articles

Mary is a photographer and a writer, specialising in music. She runs Rocklust.com where she endeavours to capture the passion of music in her photos whether it's live music photography, promotional band photos or portraits. She has photographed The Rolling Stones, KISS, Iggy Pop, AC/DC, Patti Smith, Joe Strummer, PULP, The Cult, The Damned, The Cure, Ian Brown, Interpol, MUDHONEY, The MELVINS, The Living End, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against The Machine, The Stone Roses –just to name a few - in Australia, USA, Europe and the Middle East. Her work has been published in Beat magazine, Rolling Stone magazine, Triple J magazine, The Age Newspaper, The Herald Sun, The Australian, Neos Kosmos, blistering.com, theaureview.com, noise11.com, music-news.com. She has a permanent photographic exhibition at The Corner Hotel in Richmond, Victoria Australia.