Arts & Entertainment Luke Simcoe aeditor@ gmail.com New Cobain Documentary Sends the Icon Tumbling From His Pedestal Review of About a Son Luke Simcoe arts and entertainment. editor Paine: who tells you that Nirvana didn’t change everything is wrong. I was eleven years old and awash in youthful -naivety when a shotgun shell, found its way into—and, out of—Kurt Cobain’s skull, but I was still aware of just how big a deal this little three-piece from Seattle actually was. sores In the months leading up to Cobain’s. suicide, Nirvana was the biggest band in the world, and they may have cemented their status as “the last band that mattered” even if Veca Electric employee Gary Smith had never ,made that grisly discovery in the garage of Kurt’s Lake Washington home on April 8, 1994. Nevertheless, Cobain’s decision to pull the trigger forever transformed him from a reclusive punk, rocker into one of the most recognizable rock n’ roll icons of the 20" century. Since his death, his life has been dissected, put under the | microscope, and ultimately mythologized against a backdrop of black and white photographs, torn sweaters and turquoise guitars. This mythology is the target of AJ Schnack’s documentary, About a Son. The film is based on some 25 hours of interviews between Cobain and music journalist Michael Azerra for his book Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana., : Schnack simply places the audio from these conversations over ambient images of suburban. Washington, effectively turning Cobain into the narrator of his own life story. Whether he’s expressing his almost pathological disdain for other people, demanding recognition § as the principle songwriter in Nirvana, defending his drug habit, or fanning the flames of his quasi-dysfunctional relationship with Courtney Love, Cobain seldom comes across as likable. His words—which are often as disjointed as his. lyrics—form a brooding web of contradictions, hyperbole, and arrogance. In fact, the only time Cobain merits any sympathy at all is when he talks about the pain of both his scoliosis. and his chronic: stomach condition. Above all, Cobain is contradictory. He speaks about wanting to be both Black Sabbath and the Beatles. He does $400 worth of heroin every day, but speaks out against drugs. He thinks of himself as a punk rock “everyman,” but acts like a spoiled rock star. He desperately wants fame, but is-ultimately " “Cobain thinks of _ himself as a punk rock — a spoilg iF. f} ( } S “everyman,” but acts i “ resentful of the scrutiny that comes with it. He constantly disparages the media,’ yet is almost painfully implicit in the construction of his own image. And perhaps most poignantly, he laments the death of the traditional marriage in light of his parents’ divorce, yet he jumps headfirst into fatherhood with Courtney. If About a Son is ultimately deemed a success, it, will be for its ability - to navigate these contradictions without explaining them away. In its own way, the film mirrors Kurt’s own stubborn refusal: to reconcile his beliefs with his actions, even if the end result was unlivable. About a Son will inevitably be billed as required viewing for fans and followers of Nirvana, but I don’t think , that’s the case. The harsh way in which Cobain is pushed off of his pedestal—by his own words no less—may be too much to bear for those fans who feel a personal or intimate connection, with the man or his music. The American Gladiators are Back! By Garth McLennan D.. to the ongoing writer’s strike that has handicapped networks across the continent, television providers have come up with a number of creative ideas to satisfy viewers until the dispute is resolved. In the process, NBC has unearthed a forgotten gem: American Gladiators. Not seen since 1996, the wild show is back with a host of new events, new and contestants, and of course, new gladiators. The newest rendition of American Gladiators is hosted by Hulk Hogan, (that’s right, Hulk Hogan), and the daughter of Muhammad Ali, Laila Ali. Twenty-four contestants were selected from a pool of hopefuls, and they will battle it out for $100,000 in prize money, a brand new 2008 Toyota Sequoia, and the right to become one of the gladiators for next season. The show airs in Vancouver at 8 p.m. on Mondays on Citytv. Despite the initial shock of seeing grown men and women bound around in spandex, the show really is quite fun to watch. The events are enjoyable and look like a 10 lot of fun to try. The competitors usually have interesting back stories and are entertaining. The gladiators themselves are could teach Barry Bonds a thing-or to. about steroids. Most are jerks on. screen, and degrade the contestants throughout the competition. Also, while watching, “They all look like they could teach Barry Bonds a thing or to about steroids.” one of the most interesting parts of the show. They are all huge, the women as well as the men, and all look like they you wonder where in the world they found some of these guys. One gladiator, appropriately named “Wolf,” looks like he hasn’t seen civilization in years and howls at competitors. They show also stick with the classic gladiator names: Wolf, Blast, Crush, Fury, Hammer, - Justice, Mayhem, Militia, Siren, Stealth, Titan, Toa, Venom, and Hellga. The show is run well. It’s blatantly obvious that the current budget vastly outstrips anything they’ve ever had before. Hogan and Ali are good with a microphone and the event referee is the same ref that appeared with Vince Vaughn in Dodgeball. Competitors have to battle the gladiators and each other through such challenging events as “Assault,” where they have to cannon shoot tennis balls and find a way to shoot the gladiators; the “Wall,” where contestants have to race up a 40-foot high climbing wall while being chased by a gladiator determined to pull them into the water at the bottom; “Hit and run,” where the participants have to cross a 50-foot long bridge above water while avoiding massive 100-pound balls being thrown at them by the gladiators; and many other events. The show is a tonne of fun, and a great way to kick off the school week.