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This Day In Music
“The Doors,” directed by Oliver Stone was released on March 1st 1991. The Doors biopic immediately drew a lot of criticism from fans as well as from band members that many of the events and characters were exaggerated. Love it or hate it, the film is a great journey through the psychedelic 1960’s rock scene centering on one of the most legendary bands in history.
Val Kilmer delivers what many would consider his best performance playing lead singer Jim Morrison. Kilmer carries the film well with his portrayal of The Lizard King rather than Morrison himself. The rest of the cast does a good job playing the band as follows Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek, Frank Whaley as Robby Krieger, Kevin Dillion (yeah that’s right Drama from Entourage) as Johns Densmore and Meg Ryan as Pamela Courson.
For those of us who can’t remember the 60’s, not because we were there, but because we weren’t born yet, it is difficult to disseminate fact from fiction. However, just watch this film with your parents or a burnt out old hippie and they will shoot holes in it all day. It is not difficult to immediately see that the film is based on the myth/legend of Morrison rather than on the complex genius that helped create music that is still influential today long after his death.
Watch and enjoy this film with a grain of salt. You will understand what I mean as Jim Morrison is haunted by a naked Indian, but enjoy it for what it is a flawed biopic that truly understands the energy and aura of one of the greatest front men of all time.