jellopuke Interesting look at the band that eschews the talking heads to show lots of archival stuff and some weird home movies that make Morrison out to be less of an icon and more of just a dude who happened to be a rock star. I don't think this is definitive because it lacks the perspective that having people talk about their influence can bring, but it certainly gives you a good sense of the band, even with Depp's monotonous delivery and overly dramatic narration.

Jonathon Natsis When legendary frontman Jim Morrison joined The 27 Club in 1971, it is widely believed that he did so while reading one of the earliest unofficial scripts for what would become Platoon, sent to him by director Oliver Stone. Whether or not Jim would have been given the film's lead role is uncertain. Regardless, Stone paid tribute to the band with his average biopic The Doors in 1991; a film that, despite a career-best performance by Val Kilmer, eventually degraded into a sloppy and sluggish affair. I had hopes that the more factual documentary When You're Strange (narrated by Johnny Depp) would prove itself as the definitive piece of Doors cinema, but it ends up being no more (or less) engaging than Stone's effort.Positively, director Tom DiCillo avoids most of the tired clichés used in contemporary documentaries to make them seem overly profound or insightful. Gone are the talking heads (supposed 'experts' who like to think they are offering key information when merely spitting throwaway one- liners) and lame re-enactments that would have otherwise dragged the film into farcical, unconvincing territory.Instead, the film is filled with archive footage of the band, ranging from their most replayed moments (such as their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show) to their imminent implosion, when Jim had become the drawcard for all the wrong reasons. Such footage is a treat to watch, as it so clearly displays the raw energy of the band both on the stage and in the studio. Just as intriguing are excerpts from HWY, an experimental film starring and co-directed by Morrison in '69. Unfortunately, this is only sprinkled in as a kind of stinger between scenes, serving a purpose more visual than informative. Perhaps some input from remaining band members regarding their interpretation of HWY would have been the right move, because I was left craving more details about it as the credits rolled. It is equally disheartening, though, that Jim's home movie provides the only genuinely interesting moments in When You're Strange. As a Doors enthusiast, but not an extreme, I-have-all-their-albums fan, I was still left unsatisfied by the lack of depth in storytelling. For the most part, it appears DiCillo simply glosses over the band's history, failing to tell me anything I didn't already know. The film gives an inkling that it is heading in the right direction when it addresses Jim's ability to 'draw some sort of energy from the fans' when shown socialising before a performance. But again, Strange takes the first available opportunity to hop back onto the beaten path when, much like Stone's biopic, it shifts from The Doors to The Jim Morrison Experience. The film abruptly ends with the frontman's death, leaving the viewer in no doubt as to whom the star was. This is a fascinating story to tell, when told right. Here is a band that came to be, either directly or indirectly, intertwined with almost every cultural phenomenon of the late sixties, including the Youth Movement, the Summer of Love and the Vietnam War, all in a very short lifetime. In doing so, they caught the attention of some of the world's most polarising figures, from the popular (Mick Jagger, arguably the most recognisable man on the planet at the time) to the underground (Andy Warhol, perennial contender for the title of 'weirdest guy ever'). The biggest shame of this film is its inability to detail any of these associations intimately, and so what could have been a Masters degree in Doorsology (patent pending) ends up looking like a hollow introductory course instead.*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on [email protected] and let me know what you thought of my review.*

A. B. I saw this movie a couple of days ago in the movie theater in its original language ( I guess it is always shown in English).The movie starts with Morrison's HWY. It follows the band in a chronological way: from Jim's childhood days, the first gigs in a L.A. club to the very first album, "The Doors", full halls in the USA and world fame, to Morrison's passing in Paris. Well it does not really end with Morrison's death, but with Morrison swimming in some river and having fun. So the ending is a more positive one.The Doors: When you are strange is carried by the bands music. Almost every song is played, not full of course. Seeing this movie made me realise that the Doors are one of the best bands together with the Beatles and Queen. It was an unique combination of four young men and everyone did his part. Also the live performance of the four, especially Morrison's one made this band big. With the music and its pictures you melt in to the movie and it easy to breath the air of this time. Some historical background information is given. The Doors are band of its time, with a rebelling youth, a new culture and music and a changing country and world. Johnny Deep does a good job, it is easy to understand him even when your first language is not English. But sometimes he lacks passion and someone who was in the late 60s early 70s in his twenties might have been a better narrator. But maybe it is because of the movie a documentary one and Deep has to tell or to read what happened. Also I wished there would be more focus on the three other band members: Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore. Another not so good point is that I missed interviews with the band, friends, school mates and/or family.All in all this one is worth a watch either in cinema or on DVD. I recommend this film to all fans of the Doors and other good music, fans of the 60s/70s and fans of the youth culture.

testacorsa "When You're Strange" is a music Documentary, which takes you through the short career of a world famous 1960's band, The Doors. For this alone, the documentary is worth watching. That said, this is so interesting to watch, because it is a story with so many levels, mainly because it took place in a time, when things were changing.It was the 1960s. A still growing group of people invented in the 50s, namely the young, could and would not be ignored any longer. As Morrison put it: 'we want the world, and we want it now' To them things were not black and white anymore. Men and women were not men and women, but human beings. The solution was definitely not war, but the absolute opposite. On the other hand the parents, and older generations, were stubbornly holding on to the old order and its values, and a larger and larger gap was growing between these two fronts.The spotlight in this film is heavily focused on the Doors most famous member, Jim Morrison, and for a good reason. Jim Morrison became a clear symbol of the new, and the young, mainly because he wanted more out of life than the norms allowed, and simply went for it. On top of this, Jim had an interesting background, which is a prime example of the generation gap. Jim Morrisons father George Morrison was an admiral in the navy, and was involved in the Vietnam war. He was against Jim's involvement in rock music, wanted his hair cut, and to get an education. Jim ignored his parents to such an extend that he claimed his family dead, when asked by journalists.If you know the story of The Doors and Jim Morrison already, this will be a stringent summary of the events with a well written and good narration by Johnny Depp. There is nothing new in the story itself and thankfully no conspiracy theories about Morrisons death. Where this documentary really shines and adds yet another level, is through the footage and the way this is put together. Some of this footage has never been shown before, and parts of it is still so crisp and clear that it's eerie. It is bound to send you on an emotional ride, if you were a fan when it mattered the most - when you were young. So in conclusion this falls two stars shy of ten because of the only fall through i noticed. When a letter from Morrisons father is brought up, it mentions only one paragraph of this well meaning letter, and uses it out of context to create drama. This is a 2 star fail in an otherwise clear cut and to the bone fact telling documentary.