Kurt & Courtney
Encyclopedia
Kurt & Courtney is a 1998 documentary film
by Nick Broomfield
investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Kurt Cobain
, and allegations of Courtney Love
's involvement in it. The film concludes that there is enough evidence to prove that Cobain was murdered with Courtney's approval.
but has been alleged by some to have been murdered, in some allegations at Courtney Love's instigation.
As Broomfield investigates the claims surrounding Cobain's death, his emphasis moves from the conspiracy theories and onto an investigation of Love herself, including an accusation that she supports the suppression of free speech, and her fame after Cobain's death.
The film was due to play the Sundance Film Festival
but Love threatened to sue the festival's organizers if they screened the film. Broomfield removed all of Nirvana's music and replaced it with music from bands mainly from the Seattle area. However when shown on the BBC
, the film contained Nirvana
's 1991 performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit
" from Top of the Pops
.
While the initial focus of the film was the alleged 'conspiracy
' to murder Cobain, Courtney Love's refusal to license any of Cobain's music and her unwillingness to speak on camera was used by Broomfield as evidence of her censorship of free speech.
, the Dwarves, Rozz Rezabek
and the Theater of Sheep
and Earth
.
After establishing the background the film moves on to detail the accusations that Cobain was murdered. Broomfield interviews Tom Grant, a private investigator
who has alleged that Love may have conspired to kill her husband, and wants the case re-opened by the Seattle Police Department. Grant was hired by Love, but thinks it was just so people would believe that she was innocent. Hank Harrison, Courtney Love's father, is interviewed, and states he also believes that Cobain may have been killed in a conspiracy organized by Love. He has written two books about Cobain's death.
The film also includes interviews with Portland drug culture celeb and former stripper, Amy Squier, about her explicit and personal knowledge of Kurt and Courtney's heroin use, and an interview with punk singer and media sideshow El Duce (real name Eldon Wayne Hoke), who claimed that Love offered him $50,000 to kill Cobain. El Duce's band The Mentors was most famous as a paid spectacle on the staged talk show Hot Seat, where El Duce appeared alongside guitarist "Sickie Wifebeater" in the 80's, wearing a black hood and inciting the audience by claiming to endorse rape, drugs and illegitimate children. In a similar vein, El Duce promoted his accusations regarding Love by appearing on The Jerry Springer Show
and selling his story to The National Enquirer
. El Duce claimed in the film that he knew who killed Cobain, but said he would "let the FBI catch him". Two days after that interview was filmed, El Duce was hit by a train and killed.
Broomfield eventually moves away from the alleged conspiracy and the film turns into an investigation of Courtney Love's alleged suppression of free speech. Included in the film are phone calls from MTV
saying that they were pulling out of financing the film (which was completed thanks to financing from private investors and the BBC
), due to presumed pressure from Love.
There is also an interview with journalist Victoria Clarke
(who wrote the book Nirvana: Flower Sniffin', Kitty Pettin', Baby Kissin' Corporate Rock Whores with Britt Collins) about how Love and Cobain had threatened her while doing research for her book on Cobain and Nirvana. Broomfield includes clips in the film of the threats made by Cobain and Clarke details the story of Love assaulting her.
The film concludes with Broomfield taking the stage at an ACLU meeting (where Love is a guest speaker) in order to publicly question Love about her attempts to suppress free speech and the irony of her representing the ACLU. He is pulled from the stage by Danny Goldberg, Cobain's former manager.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Nick Broomfield
Nick Broomfield
Nicholas "Nick" Broomfield is an English documentary film-maker. He is the son of Maurice Broomfield, a photographer.Broomfield works with a minimal crew, recording sound himself and using one or two camera operators...
investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Kurt Cobain
Death of Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home located at 171 Lake Washington Boulevard in Seattle, Washington, United States on April 8, 1994. Cobain, the lead singer of the American grunge band Nirvana, had checked out of a drug rehabilitation facility and been reported suicidal by his wife Courtney Love...
, and allegations of Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
's involvement in it. The film concludes that there is enough evidence to prove that Cobain was murdered with Courtney's approval.
Overview
The documentary begins as an investigation of the circumstances surrounding Cobain's death and the theories which sprung up afterwards. Cobain was legally declared to have committed suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
but has been alleged by some to have been murdered, in some allegations at Courtney Love's instigation.
As Broomfield investigates the claims surrounding Cobain's death, his emphasis moves from the conspiracy theories and onto an investigation of Love herself, including an accusation that she supports the suppression of free speech, and her fame after Cobain's death.
The film was due to play the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
but Love threatened to sue the festival's organizers if they screened the film. Broomfield removed all of Nirvana's music and replaced it with music from bands mainly from the Seattle area. However when shown on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, the film contained Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's 1991 performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" from Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
.
While the initial focus of the film was the alleged 'conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
' to murder Cobain, Courtney Love's refusal to license any of Cobain's music and her unwillingness to speak on camera was used by Broomfield as evidence of her censorship of free speech.
Music
Because of Love's refusal to license Nirvana's music for the project, Nick Broomfield was forced to use various other bands from the US Pacific Northwest. Notable amongst these were ZekeZeke (band)
Zeke is an American hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington formed in 1993. They are known for their extremely fast, energetic guitar sound. Zeke mixes this with strong influences from hard rock, and occasionally blues-rock, and are often compared to Motörhead.Zeke has released six full-length...
, the Dwarves, Rozz Rezabek
Rozz Rezabek
Rozz Rezabek-Wright , usually Rozz Rezabek, is an American musician based in Portland, Oregon and formerly San Francisco, California....
and the Theater of Sheep
Theater of Sheep
Theatre of Sheep was a 1980s American New Wave band from Portland, Oregon that was very popular locally. Musically, the band had much in common with stylish New Wave and New Romantic bands of the day such as Echo & the Bunnymen and featured on MTV...
and Earth
Earth (band)
Earth is an American musical group based in Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989 and led by guitarist Dylan Carlson.Earth's music is nearly all instrumental, and can be divided into two distinct stages...
.
Synopsis
The film begins with a recap of Cobain's death and the media coverage which followed. Broomfield then interviews Cobain's aunt Mary who helped his love for music when he was a child. This interview is followed up with several from friends and schoolteachers who knew Cobain when he was growing up before moving onto Cobain's relationship with Courtney Love.After establishing the background the film moves on to detail the accusations that Cobain was murdered. Broomfield interviews Tom Grant, a private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
who has alleged that Love may have conspired to kill her husband, and wants the case re-opened by the Seattle Police Department. Grant was hired by Love, but thinks it was just so people would believe that she was innocent. Hank Harrison, Courtney Love's father, is interviewed, and states he also believes that Cobain may have been killed in a conspiracy organized by Love. He has written two books about Cobain's death.
The film also includes interviews with Portland drug culture celeb and former stripper, Amy Squier, about her explicit and personal knowledge of Kurt and Courtney's heroin use, and an interview with punk singer and media sideshow El Duce (real name Eldon Wayne Hoke), who claimed that Love offered him $50,000 to kill Cobain. El Duce's band The Mentors was most famous as a paid spectacle on the staged talk show Hot Seat, where El Duce appeared alongside guitarist "Sickie Wifebeater" in the 80's, wearing a black hood and inciting the audience by claiming to endorse rape, drugs and illegitimate children. In a similar vein, El Duce promoted his accusations regarding Love by appearing on The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
and selling his story to The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
. El Duce claimed in the film that he knew who killed Cobain, but said he would "let the FBI catch him". Two days after that interview was filmed, El Duce was hit by a train and killed.
Broomfield eventually moves away from the alleged conspiracy and the film turns into an investigation of Courtney Love's alleged suppression of free speech. Included in the film are phone calls from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
saying that they were pulling out of financing the film (which was completed thanks to financing from private investors and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
), due to presumed pressure from Love.
There is also an interview with journalist Victoria Clarke
Victoria Mary Clarke
Victoria Mary Clarke is an Irish journalist and writer. She writes a column for the Sunday Independent. She has also written for The Guardian and the Daily Mail. She is the author of Angel in Disguise?....
(who wrote the book Nirvana: Flower Sniffin', Kitty Pettin', Baby Kissin' Corporate Rock Whores with Britt Collins) about how Love and Cobain had threatened her while doing research for her book on Cobain and Nirvana. Broomfield includes clips in the film of the threats made by Cobain and Clarke details the story of Love assaulting her.
The film concludes with Broomfield taking the stage at an ACLU meeting (where Love is a guest speaker) in order to publicly question Love about her attempts to suppress free speech and the irony of her representing the ACLU. He is pulled from the stage by Danny Goldberg, Cobain's former manager.