Covers the period from 1965-1971; Produced and released in 1991.
Val Kilmer stars as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's electrifying profile of the Doors, which takes the group from its inception to its demise with the death of the "Lizard King" in a Paris hotel room in 1971. In the early days of the group's formation, Morrison is at his most benign; he's just a guy hanging out at the beach writing poetry. But soon the Doors' fame begins to spread--with Morrison as the focus of attention. Capable of an eerily correct vocal imitation of Morrison, Kilmer makes manifest the talent and charisma, as well as the confusion and despair, of the complex man who was the focal point of the group. As Morrisson's drug consumption and erratic behavior increase exponentially, the rest of the band--Ray Manzarek (Kyle McLachalan), John Densmore (Kevin Dillon), and Robby Krieger (Frank Whaley)--begins to grow tired of his late arrivals, the increasing number of cancellations, and the drunken recording sessions requiring infinite retakes. But no one can help Morrison as he spirals downward into an inferno of drugs, alcohol, public obscenity, and depression, bringing the music to an untimely close.
Stone's intimate familiarity with SoCal in the 1960s provides the film with a high degree of surface verisimilitude, though the film is as much a tribute to the enduring power of the Doors' music as it is a cautionary tale about the perils of both celebrity and substance abuse.
Theatrical release date: March 1, 1991.
Oliver Stone makes a cameo appearance as a UCLA film professor.
Doors drummer John Densmore appears as a recording engineer.
The rock group took their name from British author Aldous Huxley's book THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION.
In 2000 the surviving band members teamed with a variety of singers to rerecord some of the Doors' biggest hits.
In one scene of the film, Jim Morrison goes to a party at Andy Warhol's factory. Warhol is standing in front of a Roy Lichtenstein painting, and "Heroin" by Nico plays in the background.
In the film, Morrison is depicted acting out at a Miami concert, where he shouts obscenities and makes lude gestures at the audience. Also in the film, when the band performs "Light My Fire" on the Ed Sullivan show, Morrison makes a point of singing the controversial lyric "...girl we couldn't get much higher..."
DVD Features:
Region 1
Letterbox - 1.85
Director of Photography
Robert Richardson: Director of Photography, CASINO (1995)
Executive Producer
Brian Grazer: Producer
Executive Producer
Mario Kassar: Producer
Music
The Doors:
Additional Music/Songs
Carl Orff: Additional Music, THE DOORS (1991)
Review 1:
"...THE DOORS is a thrilling spectacle - the KING KONG of rock movies..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.83-4 03/21/1991
Review 2:
"...The whole movie is white hot, lapped in honeyed golds, evilly blue and black or drenched in those swoony, fiery reds. THE DOORS blasts your ears and scorches your eyes..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.F1 03/01/1991
Review 3:
"...Val Kilmer is an authentic lead and Meg Ryan supplies credible support as his tortured soulmate..."
Source: Total Film
p.110 05/01/2000
Review 4:
"...Clamorous, reverential, much-larger-than-life....Kilmer captures all of Morrisons's reckless, insinuating appeal..."
Source: New York Times
p.C1 03/01/1991
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