You won't be disappointed!

Redundant and unnecessary.

Excellent but underrated film

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

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 jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review.*

When describing Jim Morrison, Denis Leary famously said 'Do we need a two hour movie about The Doors? I don't think so. I can sum it up for you in five seconds. I'm drunk I'm nobody, I'm drunk I'm famous, I'm drunk I'm ###### dead' Now, I like Denis Leary and have always found him entertaining in both his acting roles and especially his stand up, but on his opinion on the late Jim Morrison I have to strongly disagree. Morrison was a fascinating man and this remarkable little documentary goes some way of capturing the essence of the man. Interlacing sequences for the film HWY: An American Pastoral, which itself is half dream half film, the documentary portrays The Doors in their rightful place as the zeitgeist for revolution. If there is one downside, it is that it concentrates too much time on Morrison, leaving little time for the remaining members of the band. It does however go without saying that without Morrison, The Doors wouldn't have been half the band they were, so maybe that's fair

I love the Doors. Considering that you're reading my comments here, you're probably considering watching the film and, therefore, must be a fan as well. I have been a major fan of the band since I was first exposed to them in Oliver Stone's 1991 film. I understand that Stone had taken some creative liberties in his portrayal of the band's life (particularly Jim Morrison, himself). Knowing that Stone's film was merely his own interpretation, I sought out to learn more through other sources. Since then, I have read Jim's poetry and a handful of biographies about Jim and the band, including John Densmore's autobiography. Morrison was a mysterious individual (probably why myself and so many others are so intrigued by him) and I believe the only person to know the absolute story behind him was Pam Courson. With Pam having died shortly after him, I'm all right with the fact that the utmost truth behind Jim's existence and experiences may never be revealed (including that of his death). My intent has always been to read as much as possible and draw my own conclusions, so movies such as Stone's THE DOORS would be seen more as entertainment than information.In 2009, filmmaker Tom DiCillo completed his biographical film on Jim and the band, WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE. Based on the information I've gathered from reading about the band over recent years, I'd say his documentary is probably one of the best representations we're ever bound to get. My only regret is that, seeing as how the film must fit into a reasonable run-time, many moments are glossed over and some instances in which I wish it'd go into richer detail are breezed through. The film covers the band's life from it's origins in the mid-60s to Jim's unfortunate death in 1971. The events are depicted impartially and depicted Jim as a struggling artist as opposed to the crazed drunk Oliver Stone would have us believe. The film remembers that Jim was going through tough times over his years with the band and compensated through his drug/alcohol use, rather than stumbled around as a belligerent idiot, and gives us some insight when possible behind his troubles.Johnny Depp narrates the film and his mellow delivery is perfect for the material. My primary complaint with the film is the lack of interviews. Despite the surviving members of the band supporting the film, we are never once treated to interviews with Densmore, Krieger, or Manzarek. In fact, the only interview included with the film is with Jim's father George and it comes in the form of a special feature on the DVD. Jim's relationship with his father (a Navy admiral) was always strained and his interview would've added some excellent insight to the film. Regardless, the film is loaded with information for the casual Doors fans and contains some fantastic footage of their concerts, TV appearances, and even behind-the-scenes footage of the band at home or in the studio recording.DiCillo's film is an absolute must for the fans and provides some great information to those who might be interested in learning more. It's a reasonable 90 minutes and never once did it bore me. If anything, it's made me want to revisit the books and dive once again into the chaos and mystery that was Jim Morrison.

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.