Today’s movie is a
biographical drama with a scene set on July 3. I hope you will watch this film
tonight and enjoy it.
THE DOORS
In 1965 Jim Morrison is a film student at USC until criticism of one of
his films causes him to quit. He meets Pamela Courson. Morrison starts writing
songs and with Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore form a rock
band, The Doors. They start performing and soon reach the top of the LA bar
scene. This leads to a recording contract. The Doors become hugely popular.
They appear on Ed Sullivan, ignoring a request to change the lyrics of their
song, “Light My Fire”. Morrison becomes obsessed with his own image as “The
Lizard King” and with sex and drugs. He
meets Patricia Kennealy, a journalist who’s into witchcraft and they begin an
affair. The band gets tired of Morrison’s alcoholism and drug abuse, which
causes him to disappear for days on end and show up late for concert
performances. At a concert in Miami, Morrison’s onstage antics get him arrested
for indecent exposure. He was convicted and many of the bands shows were
cancelled. Morrison moved to Paris with
Courson and on July 3, 1971 [2:04:19 to 2:06:33] she found him dead.
A strange movie about a strange
guy. I must confess I have never been a fan of Morrison or the Doors. This
movie goes in for the hallucinogenic style of filmmaking, with visions and
symbols showing up throughout. However, I do appreciate that the movie doesn’t
try to sugarcoat Morrison’s life. His abuse of alcohol and drugs and the
problems it caused him and others are clearly presented.
Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend by Stephen Davis
(Gotham Books, New York, 2004) at pages 442-445 gives his death date
Producer - Brian Grazer, Bill Graham, Sasha Harari and A.
Kitman Ho
Director - Oliver Stone
Screenplay - Oliver Stone and J. Randall Johnson
Runtime –2 hours 20 minutes
Released – March 1, 1991
Starring -
Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison
Sean Stone as young Jim
Meg Ryan as Pamela Courson
Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek
Frank Whaley as Robby Krieger
Kevin Dillon as John Densmore
Kathleen Quinlan as Patricia Kennealy
Floyd Red Crow Westerman as Shaman
Billy Idol as Cat
Josh Evans as Bill Siddons
Michael Wincott as Paul Rothchild
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.
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