If you like The Doors, you'll love thisWho was the first legendary rock group to make it in America? Britain had The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who, but what did the U.S. have? Well in the late 60’s, a group emerged from Los Angeles, CA, that took the world by storm, and they were called The Doors.
The Doors were the prototype for the wild rock band. They picked up where The Beatles left off and took it up a notch. Jim Morrison paved the way for many of the great showman we have today. His “I don’t give a fuck" attitude and rebellious behavior catapulted the band into stardom quicker than they ever could of imagined. Unfortunately, that same attitude - along with excessive alcohol and drug abuse - led him to an early grave.
When You’re Strange is an excellent documentary which chronicles the band from their early days, to their untimely demise. The band only lasted a mere 54 months before Morrison passed away in Paris in 1971. The documentary is full of excellently preserved archival footage, from the early days up to the time that Morrison went on sabbatical in Paris. The film, narrated by actor Johnny Depp, starts off with a rare movie featuring Morrison intermixed with the archived footage. It's a great look behind the scenes of how some of the classic albums were made and recorded. I was also impressed with how director Tom DiCillo brought out the displeasure of Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore, during Morrison’s more self destructive times. All in all a very entertaining watch.
Bottom Line: All you wanted to know about The Doors and more. An excellent documentary chronicling an iconic band.
- Ragman wonders what Oli Stone thinks of this one...