The director of the greatest rock documentary ever, Gimme Shelter, passed away last week, but the genre is about to get some new life: Montage of Heck, the Kurt Cobain doc that’s been getting glowing reviews on the festival circuit, now has a trailer, and it promises an intimate, definitive look at the late singer’s life.
Granted, that’s the promise of every other Cobain documentary. But Montage supposedly avoids hagiography, focusing not on Cobain’s mystique but on his most vulnerable, candid moments. Director Brett Morgen got unprecedented access to Cobain’s family: Ex-wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean are executive producers, and, as the trailer makes clear, the film makes deft use of childhood home movies, found footage, and behind-the-scenes concert clips. This one looks like appointment viewing; HBO airs the film on May 4.
