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Kurt Cobain - About a Son | 
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| Director: Aj Schnack
Actors: Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Michael Azerrad
Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $12.49
You Save: $7.50 (38%)
New (43) Used (13) from $7.92
Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 7116
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 135
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: MCMDSF10719D
UPC: 826663107197
EAN: 0826663107197
ASIN: B000WTZ6M6
Theatrical Release Date: October 3, 2007
Release Date: February 19, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 02/19/2008 Run time: 97 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
Following in the deeply idiosyncratic footsteps of Last Days, About a Son plays more like autobiography than documentary. Gus Van Sant's feature extrapolates moments from the life of Kurt Cobain (with Michael Pitt as a musician named Blake), while A.J. Schnack's non-fiction film adheres closer to the facts, but advances a more radical Koyaanisqatsi-like approach. First off, Cobain supplies the narration, but the filmmaker avoids pictures of the alternative icon until the end. (He culled the voice-over from interviews conducted by author Michael Azerrad for Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana.) Beyond-the-grave narration isn't a new concept--see Tupac: Resurrection--but Schnack (Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns) ups the ante by excluding talking heads, concert footage, and other staples of the genre. Instead, he uses still and time-lapse photography to explore Cobain's Northwest, i.e. Aberdeen, Olympia, and Seattle. The artist's unguarded reflections create a sense of intimacy as specific locations illustrate his words. Conversely, the lack of portraiture and self-penned music generates a feeling of absence. The soundtrack combines an ambient score from producer Steve Fisk and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard with Cobain favorites, like David Bowie, Cheap Trick, and the Vaselines (available on a separate CD). For more specifics, interested parties can always turn to tomes by Azerrad, Gina Arnold, Charles R. Cross, and Everett True. About a Son doesn't presume to provide a definitive portrait, but Schnack's rigorous avoidance of convention results in an experience far more dream-like than depressing. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 Fabulous November 19, 2008
I am ever so happy that Michael Azzerad created such a masterpiece. Having been a Nirvana fan since 1990 at the fresh age of 13, and really never hearing what Kurt had to say throughout the years, unless I wished to indulge in youtube nonsense or articles. It's nice to own this visual masterpiece that really and truly, without question, brings you into his world. At least a portion of it, and in his words, his voice. It was nice to lie back and just listen. Like rock -n- roll therapy. Looking up every so often to see sweeping views of pines and cartoon imagery, all flowing with Kurt's narrative. Beautiful, a MUST for any die hard Kurt lover.
Only the most obsessed and craven people will enjoy this. July 7, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
sit back and relax folks we are gonna listen to Master Cobain talk about his dragic and unbelievable life while watching pictures of the places he grew up and listening to bands that sound like Mogwai or some other band from way the hell over somewhere far.
above all though Kurt saves this dismal disgrace of journalism but the sincerity by the author of Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana Michael Azerrad isnt easily overlooked (he makes a cameo at the end).
this is a man that got to be friends with Kurt Cobain and talked with him on the phone until the wee hours of the night! and what you hear are those phone conversations that arent so private as to more revealing than anything else but he was writing a book about the band which looking back was when Kurt still lived (obviously) but only proves once more how truly amazing they were even in their own time and often thats not overlooked enough.
 Major Let Down! April 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a hardcore Nirvana and Cobain fan. This movie was such a major let down. It seems like the company that produced this just grabbed some audio clips from Cobain interviews and shot some random footage of what I guess is supposed to be his hometown, but it could be any town they are just random clips. Nothing in this film fits together. It all just seems to be thrown in there. I am still a Nirvana fan. I gave this movie 2 stars just because it was about Cobain and nothing else.
An unusual bio-pic in Cobains own words April 22, 2008
This film is an unusual documentary, as it merges audio recordings of interviews with Kurt Cobain with visual video and stills recorded to illustrate the settings and events and themes discussed by Cobain. There are no Nirvana recordings in the film (though you'll hear some classic rock and punk tracks by the likes of Queen, Bowie, The Vaselines, and other acts who inspired Kurt Cobain). The interviews with Cobain are filled with thoughtful, poignant comments, social commentary, and very candid autobiographical material recorded in the last 2 years before Cobain's death. The scenery in Washington State ranges from the majestic Cascades and evergreens to the mundane of local clubs, libraries, and unkempt apartments. The score for this film is actually quite beautiful, it has nice ambient guitar work and is rather haunting, accentuated by the physical absence of Cobain, who appears in the film only in a photo montage near the end. This is an interesting film and provides much insight into Cobain... it's his interviews that are the foundation of the film, with the visuals just being an artistic overlay. Anyone who has an interest in modern rock music, in the generation that accompanied Cobain into adulthood, or just likes to see unique biographical films, is encouraged to check this one out.
Kurt Cobain- About a Son April 6, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I loved this documentary. It was unique because all of the narration was through Kurt Cobain, through an interview that he had with someone who I believe was writing a book about him. The visuals were really awesome and it just kind of gave you one of those shudders like wow, that's what he was thinking. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes Nirvana, or good documentaries.
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