When You're Strange: A Film about The Doors (2009) // The Doors (1991)

Followers of the Lizard King will revel in the original footage found in the newest documentary of the Doors.  When You're Strange director Tom DiCillo looks into the iconic American band exposing new insights, debunking myths, and examining what made them tick all with Johnny Depp’s narration. He is able to quantify why I find so very fascinating. It goes beyond the poet shaman, it is their music—the mystic, melodic sound courtesy of flamenco, blues, and jazz influences. The beat held by Ray Manzarek’s piano bass and his signature Vox organ create the ground for John Densmore’s blues drumming that weaves in and out among Robby Krieger’s finger-styled lead and rhythm flamenco guitar.

Jim Morrison was a broken genius who numbed in pain with drugs and alcohol. His persona became larger than life. That is more than apparent with the footage included here dated from 1966-1971. What is more tragic is how obviously frustrated Densmore, Manzark, and Krieger are; yet they take no action, going so far as to play right on through Morrison’s alcohol induced haze.

DiCillo gets it right where Oliver Stone gets it wrong…

Val Kilmer’s performance as Morrison is unwavering and eerie. The subtle nuances—the shift in his gaze, the near pirouette of his stance, the way he holds his mouth—it’s uncanny. But that is where it ends. Kilmer (and the audience for that matter) is in for one never-ending drag. The transcendent elements are there, as are important period elements, but Stone’s biopic is self-indulgent. The film is essentially one long trip, a mash-up of Morrison’s demonized life that serves no other purpose but to sensationalize.