WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE: a film about the Doors (2009, Tom DiCillo)

[Johann]

YOU CAN'T BURN OUT IF YOU'RE NOT ON FIRE






When You're Strange is the ultimate tribute to Jim Morrison and his Immortal band, THE DOORS.
It was so exhilerating to see the story of Jim and the band told with such great archive footage and brisk narration by Johnny Depp.
I'm a scholar of this group, gaining more and more knowledge and deeper appreciation with every passing year, ever since I was 17.
So this isn't a total fanboy diatribe here. I do know something about the band.

I've had copies of Feast of Friends and HWY for almost ten years now and I've watched them many times.
"When You're Strange" has taken whole sequences and scenes from both films and edited them into a stream-of-consciousness whole.
And I loved it. There were even scenes that are not in my copies but I know for a fact were from the same shoot- like Jim placing a blanket over the dying coyote on the highway, different shots from the waterfalls/canyon, interviews/soundbites.
The film begins with a reverse-play montage of images from the early 60's and Depp says "the sixties began with a shot" (JFK's assassination).
There was a huge cultural shift, a change in the collective consciousness- especially in the youth.
Civil rights became a paramount issue. 4 dead in Ohio.
The Doors got together in Venice beach, hammered out an album of solid, classic, exciting songs in no time at all, and rocketed to the top of the charts with "Light My Fire", contending with the Beatles and Stones for the number 1 song on the charts.

Jim was a moody, creative, troubled but extremely intelligent man who had a hard time with Art Vs. Commerce. He wanted to create timeless, eternal art through word and song and he did it, with Ray, Robby and John.
Johnny Depp narates: Everything he did was brilliant or brilliantly calculated.
As any true Doors fan knows, the END, as it were, for the career of the band, was on March 1st, 1969, in Miami Florida.
Yes, they went on to make 2 more albums and do more shows up until Dec. 1970, but the Dinner Key auditorium show was in many ways THE END.
Jim destroyed the Doors that night, with his Living Theatre emulation. It was one of the most important acts in the history of the arts (to me only) because I think that was the first time since Artaud that a performer seriously attacked the audience with insults, dared them to say what's on their minds, to show free love, to stop listening to the "powers that be" and have a transcendent experience WITHIN. Know truth! Don't be a dupe at a rock show! (Yes Jim was emotionally needy & drunk that night, but that's besides the point).
His "attack" on the audience wasn't mean or ill-conceived. He meant it. It wasn't a put-on. He wanted to change the world. Shake & Wake the people! Inspired by Julian Beck.
All concerts for the group were cancelled after that debacle- they lost millions in would-be revenue and their reputation became "the Dirty Doors".
Apparently Jim was guilty of public exposure of his penis, even though there was never one single photo taken of said unit.
People forget that Jim Morrison was a fugitive when he went to Paris- he had hard-labour jail time waiting for him. He was found guilty and sentenced.
He shelled out a small fortune to Max Fink, his trusty Lawyer. His case was on appeal when he died.

The Doors created amazing music. They infused drama and jazz and the blues and poetry and theatre in way that has not been duplicated since.
I mean, there are theatrical groups like Alice Cooper and such, but nothing quite like the Doors. As Iggy Pop said: "The Doors are the only Art-Rock band worth a damn".
They were better than the Beatles to me.
You can hear a fan say the same thing in the movie. "Better than the Beatles".

Jim's father is quoted: "My son had a unique genius that he expressed without compromise

Brilliant film. One of the best rock docs ever put together. It will be on VERY heavy roto at my place when I get the DVD.

[Johann]

If members here get PBS at home, they are broadcasting When You're Strange Wednesday night (May 12th)

I would suggest tuning in if you want to see an unbelievable rock documenatry...

[oscar jubis]

Chelsea and I will be glued to our set. Thanks!

[Johann]

9 pm Wed. night! Check your local times/listings.

It's part of the American Masters series and it's a MUST SEE.
The editing is excellent and it's never boring even though I've read some reviews from dolts who trash the movie and say it's dull.
Please post what you thought Oscar. And every shot of Jim Morrison? it's REALLY him.
Some idiots think that it's some actor, some dude they got to re-enact Jim's antics but no.
It's the man himself. And if you think it's not him then you don't know his work very much or haven't seen much footage of the man in action.
It's him all the way, and I compare this film to the album "An American Prayer", because the band has honored Jim yet again, giving him a voice that needs to be heard beyond the albums. He deserves to be remembered and in my opinion this movie is the greatest tribute we've ever seen.
I wish I made it myself. I'm so glad I've lived to see it. Morrison means more to me than cinema itself.
His music, his LIFE and his WORDS inspire me big time. A true poet and artist. A Legacy that looms very large and will as long as there are people to pay it attention.

The Doors are Immortal, and like Henry Rollins said: THE DOORS PLAYED FOR FAR BIGGER STAKES THAN THE SHITTY BANDS TODAY.

[oscar jubis]

Wow! The archival footage of Jim and bandmates is compelling to watch and it is superbly edited to illustrate what is more biographic narrative about Jim than about the other three talented musicians.But how could it be otherwise?

Wow! WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE is getting only mixed reviews. Variety probably killed the film's chance of a theatrical run with an undeservedly scathing review! The NYTimes calls it "muddled and pretentious". It has to do with the voice-over narrative written by director Tom DiCillo (he was DP for Stranger than Paradise and directed the excellent Indie comedy LIVING IN OBLIVION). It is an opinionated text, one that sometimes seems to crave controversy and attention, not unlike its almost mythical subject.

I cannot see how anyone who cares about music and culture, or about America in the 60s, can possibly live without WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE.

[Johann]

It really is a cultural document. Plain and simple.
Glad you had a positive response to it Oscar- you have great taste.


If I were to emphasize one thing about Jim and the Doors it would be the quote from Jim himself:
If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it's to deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel

Amen, Jim.
To second Perry Farrell, I'm glad you were here and assumed control for awhile..

[Howard Schumann]

WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE

Directed by Tom DiCillo, U.S., (2010), 86 minutes

“My candle burns at both ends, it will not last the night, But ah my friends and oh my foes, it gives a lovely light” - Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poet Rumi once said, “I am so close to death, it makes me proud, cruel, and demonic” He might have been writing about singer, poet, and cultural icon Jim Morrison, lead singer of the 60s rock band The Doors. Morrison, as almost everyone on the planet must know by now, was the charismatic rock star whose enormous talent was torpedoed by an over indulgence in drugs and alcohol and who died in Paris at the age of 27. As an antidote to Oliver Stone’s overblown 1991 film The Doors, director Tom DeCillo has assembled a new documentary, When You’re Strange, featuring never-before seen footage: sequences from HWY, an unfinished underground film Morrison starred in, footage of The Doors’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967, a 1968 TV appearance in Copenhagen, and concert clips from the infamous Miami concert which led to Morrison’s arrest for indecent exposure.

Narrated by actor Johnny Depp, When You’re Strange follows The Doors from their formation in 1965 to Morrison’s death in 1971. The film begins when someone who resembles Jim Morrison listens on his car radio to a news story about his death in Paris. This is followed by a headache-inducing reverse montage of the Doors career complete with all the clichéd images of the 60s including shots of drugged out young people, scenes from Vietnam, and frolicking concert goers at Woodstock. Shots of the death of the two Kennedy brothers, Kent State, and the death of Martin Luther King are saved for later as if this history in any way sheds any light on the band.

DiCillo depicts how The Doors rose from a lead-in gig at the Whiskey-a-go-go on the Sunset Strip to a number one single, “Light My Fire”, an album that became Gold, and increasing fame and celebrity status. While Morrison takes up most of the film’s 86-minute length, it also assesses the contributions of drummer John Densmore, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist/songwriter Robby Krieger), and mentions The Doors’ unique sound (no bass, extra keyboards) but there is no attempt to analyze the basis of their appeal or how they fit into the Los Angeles music scene. The film goes on to dramatize how the band began a downward spiral in which fame generated an increasingly unstable Morrison who showed up drunk for recording sessions and had concerts in which people attended more for the spectacle than the music.

Though the film talks about Morrison’s father who was a Navy officer fighting the Vietnam War, no insight is offered as to what was behind his self-destructive rage. Nor is there any discussion of surviving band members about their experience of Morrison and the thoughts and ideas that informed his music and his poetry. When You’re Strange is entertaining, especially if you are a Doors fan, but it sheds little light on the enigma of Jim Morrison or the powerful appeal of the Doors’ music which still has a strong following today.

GRADE: B-

[Johann]

Thanks for your review Howard.

You've got a good handle on the film. I love the Rumi quote. (and I'm glad you addressed Jim as a poet as well as singer and icon)

The film actually begins with someone who IS Jim Morrison, not a lookalike. Common mistake, though. Many people think it's not Jim for some reason. There is no shot of the man in the film that is not real, that is not an ACTUAL image of the man.
Val Kilmer made us believe that Jim can be impersonated quite well, but the fact is all shots of Jim in this film are of Jim himself.

To address the fact that there is "no attempt to analyze the basis of their appeal", it's because there are too many of those documentaries out there. And there are no talking heads either, for the simple fact that Tom DiCillo and the Doors wanted an unfiltered film document, just film only, really, with narration from the Great Johnny Depp. As a longtime Doors fan this film is welcomed with open arms because it's Fresh, with tons of unseen/archive footage of one of the Greatest Bands ever to walk the Planet.

Any insight to Jim's "self-destructive rage" must be sussed out by reading his poetry, contemplating his actions/spoken words and looking at his background. In my opinion Jim wasn't self-destructive. He was Self-IN-structive. He once shouted "Don't kill me! I'm on the side of Life!" while hanging on in a car driven madly by a woman in the Hollywood hills. Jim was on the side of LIFE. Not death. He was intensely curious about death and he pushed the limits of himself and his bandmates because he was "curious". He wanted to find all of the limits.
He wanted the EDGE, the PERIMETER of existence. And he found it. All alone.

[Howard Schumann]

The information you provide in your comment is very illuminating. If stated in the film, it might have provided a more rounded picture of the man. I think it is a shame that to fully appreciate the band, you have to go to You Tube or buy their CD. There are only snippets of performances in the film and there is too much emphasis on Morrison and his demons. I am still waiting for a documentary that presents a full three-dimensional portrait.

[Johann]

I think the band wanted to just provide a snapshot of their time (1967-71) as "The Doors".
The whole history of the group and Jim is out there in print and on film.

"The Doors: A Critical Review" is a 2-disc DVD set that tries to analyze their music and it's impact. Watch that if you want "analyzing"- there is no music in it though- you must be already familiar with their albums.

I like the fact that "When You're Strange" is pure cinema, no biography channel type pigeon-holing.
The images speak for themselves (even tho Mr. Depp provides the viewer with a "little" insight) and this is how it should be.
As big a fan that I am, I've seen and read just about everything out there on Jim and this is the first film to provide a complete "look" at the trajectory of his brilliant Dionysian comet. This film is not really for new fans. It's to eliminate the bad taste some folks have over the 1991 Oliver Stone film, which I agree is overblown but still Awesome. Robby Krieger says Oliver's movie is one of the greatest Rock movies ever and drummer John Densmore says "it has merit". Ray Manzarek on the other hand, is still bitter over Stone's film and "When You're Strange" is his last-ditch attempt to reclaim The Doors' story. *properly*.

And yes, it sets it all straight. There are no fabrications or creative licenses taken.
It is as it was, with no filters.
And that's what we all want, right?
PURITY OF VISION...

[Howard Schumann]

Apparently we have a disagreement about the merits of the film so I prefer to leave it at that.

[oscar jubis]

[QUOTE=Howard Schumann;24609]
The film begins when someone who resembles Jim Morrison listens on his car radio to a news story about his death in Paris.
That's a scene from HWY, which you mention, featuring Morrison himself (as Johann says). Tom DiCillo juxtaposed it with the actual radio announcement of his death. A bit of trickery.

there is no attempt to analyze the basis of their appeal
I wonder if their appeal is so obvious that no analysis is required. All the music you hear in the film is phenomenal, and the footage of Morrison leaves no doubt in my mind that he was the most beautiful, egocentric, compelling, charismatic front-man of his generation.

or how they fit into the Los Angeles music scene.
You are right again and yet the fact that the Doors stick out like a sore thumb among other good L.A. bands (Beach Boys, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Love) seems to obvious to mention.

The film goes on to dramatize how the band began a downward spiral in which fame generated an increasingly unstable Morrison who showed up drunk for recording sessions and had concerts in which people attended more for the spectacle than the music.
When You're Strange doesn't dramatize. It documents and provides a very opinionated, interpretive commentary via voice-over narration.

Though the film talks about Morrison’s father who was a Navy officer fighting the Vietnam War, no insight is offered as to what was behind his self-destructive rage.
I believe that his self-destructive behavior was not always caused by rage and that his rage wasn't always self-destructive.

[Johann]

Howard, if you're not a fairweather fan then what are you? a die-hard? a casual fan? what?

The soul of a true Doors fan wouldn't have any qualms about the merits that I mentioned.
And if you do, let's hear it. This is a discussion board, isn't it?

[Johann]

This is the film document that Jim Morrison deserves.

I feel some more should be said on When You're Strange.
I think that if a 16 year-old teen sees this before they see the 1991 Oliver Stone film that they will be absolutely blown away by the enigma and creative hurricane Jim and the Doors were. I think back to when I was 16 and watching the Stone film in a theatre and wondering who the hell is this man, Jim Morrison? He's fascinating beyond belief. The convergence of so many creative forces/influences is astounding.

One thing that really bothers me about the treatment of Jim's legacy is the fact that legions of people without even a shred of his talent write him off.
I see it/hear it all the time.
Sometimes I'll say something in a record store to a random person looking at CD's just to see what people say.
It's really cool when you find a mutual fan. As Bruce McCulloch of the Kids in the Hall said: Doors fans aren't made. They're BORN.
About a month ago I saw a lady in her sixties wearing a Jim Morrison t-shirt and I stopped her on the street. "Are you really a fan? Did your son or daughter give you that shirt?" I asked. And she smiled a huge smile and said "I love Jim Morrison. I've loved him for many years".
I wanted to hug that woman, I wished she was my Mom.

Doors fans are intelligent. You have to be, to appreciate the Art that was wrought. Most of those songs are musical alchemy, in the same way the Beatles had an alchemy. But those bands are quite different in contrast- Lennon could have a mean streak like Morrison sometimes but he wasn't anywhere near the Dark side like Jim was- in fact, when the Doors shared the stage with Lennon's Plastic Ono Band in Sept. '69 right here in Toronto (at Varsity) Lennon said he didn't want to meet Jim- he was scared of him! (and FYI Lennon's performance was recorded on film- the first ever gig with the Plastic Ono Band- with Eric Clapton) The Doors refused to be filmed and I've always wondered why. They were the most cinematic band on the planet, and were headliners of that show, which also had Alice Cooper and Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry on the bill.
What I wouldn't give to get into a time machine...

But yeah, people write Jim Morrison off far too quickly and far too easily for my mind.
"Drug addict", "alcoholic", "degenerate", "dark hippie", "flaky poet", "ne'er do- well rock star", "egomaniac" "depressing", and on and on and on...

I'd agree if the music and Art that was left in the wake of such a "degenerate" was absolute crap.
But it ain't.
Those songs and albums are Classics. Not a bad track on any album.
Give me any song by the Doors that you say sucks and I'll give you an essay on why it Rules the School.
He was supremely conscious of his times, and that's why comparing him to Jesus Christ is not so crazy a thing to contemplate.
Jesus Christ was "Super-Conscious", meaning, so conscious you can't fathom it. His consciousness was so acute and lofty that you can't even imagine it.
That's what hits me between the eyes whenever I read Jim's poetry or listen to the albums- the consciousness is undeniable.
It's so palpable you can smell it, you can taste it. I think that's the bedrock of my love of the Doors- the consciousness of the Whole, the Unit.
Same thing with Black Flag- the consciousness hits you like a ton of bricks. Either you respond in a powerful way or you walk away, because it's too much for you to handle. Any band that can grab you and shake the shit out of you with it's music is a band that I endorse, even if the music ain't my cup of tea. I like things that shake people up, that wake 'em up. We need that shit more than ever, especially in this age of cheap cruelty. The Doors may seem tame compared to say, Slayer, but they literally threw the Doors open for bands like them.
Can you imagine what Nixon would've done to Slayer had they appeared in 1967? Holy shit...

Anyways, I can't stress enough how Great and Timeless Jim & the Doors are.
They must always be remembered.

[Howard Schumann]

Nice to see such dedication.