'The Blech Effect' Trailer: The Fallen Former "King Of Biotech" Races To Reverse His Fortunes

In the '80s, David Blech was dubbed the "King of Biotech" by the New York Times, a pioneer investor in a rapidly growing industry whose very touch (dubbed "The Blech Effect") seemed to promise vast fortunes and success. But 30-something years later, Blech is $11 million in debt and awaiting a possible jail sentence, the "Blech Effect" taking on a dramatically different meaning. In David Greenwald's The Blech Effect documentary, the disgraced tech investor looks for a way to reverse his fortunes by developing a potential cure for Alzheimer's Disease.

/Film has the exclusive first look at The Blech Effect trailer, along with key art for the documentary, which can be seen below.

The Blech Effect is David Greenwald's feature directorial debut following a career doing award-winning editing work with directors Jonathan Demme, Spike Lee, Ernest Dickerson, Tim Robbins and Ed Burns. Distributed by Virgil Films, The Blech Effect plays like a cautionary tech tale, following the pioneer investor in the industry who was once worth more than $300 million and had a place on the Forbes 400 list. However, David Blech was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and began a gambling addiction that squandered his fortunes away. The film follows Blech as he is $11 million in debt and awaiting a possible jail sentence, the clock winding down as he races to develop a potential cure for Alzheimer's Disease that could reverse his fortunes and rebuild his legacy.

Greenwald has edited Jonathan Demme's feature length documentary Cousin Bobby, which opened to critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992. He's also worked on 2001's Sidewalks of New York directed by and starring Ed Burns, and edited The Curt Flood Story, directed by Spike Lee for HBO. He has recently produced and edited a short documentary on Ornette Coleman.

Here is the synopsis for The Blech Effect:

David Blech wanted to be remembered for creating an industry that saves millions of lives. Instead, he finds himself $11 million dollars in debt, struggling to keep his family afloat and awaiting a jail sentence. Mental Illness and addiction are the powerful nemeses that threaten to bring down the one-time biotech titan as he races to develop a potential cure for Alzheimer's Disease that could reverse his fortunes and rebuild his legacy.

The Blech Effect hits Digital/HD on August 25, 2020.