The Doors: The Doors Are Open
by Jo Durden-Smith
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robby KriegerDirector: Jo Durden-Smith
Brand: Pioneer Artists
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 56 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-01-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Movie Reviews of The Doors: The Doors Are Open
Movie Review: Morrison's Fictional Documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
The Doors Are Open may be Morrison's fictional documentary. Although, Morrison was talking about The Doors' career that "it's making itself," he could also be talking about this documentary. The performances and music in this DVD are The Doors performances when they appeared in England, at the Roundhouse, the thesis of the documentary and the presentation aren't a vision of how The Doors saw themselves either then or now, but how the BBC/Granada TV saw them.
The concert footage is intercut with footage of demonstrations, political figures such as Nixon, Reagan, George Wallace, Mayor Daley, with the discordant sound of When The Music's Over providing the soundtrack for the riot at the Democratic National Convention. All the concert footage of The Doors is excellent, it's up close on the stage. While it is in black and white none of it looks grainy or washed out as other period pieces look. The sound is live sound from the performances and this is The Doors at their best, Morrison at his most theatrical and the band backing him with pounding music, this is best listened to LOUD! There are only a of couple occasions when the sound is a bit lacking like Morrison's microphone goes out. You can see this during The Unknown Soldier when he's using two mic's and doesn't know which mic is live.
Not only is The Doors performances on this, but also footage of The Doors in England and during interviews that has now become classic Doors footage. Things such as the band going through customs and identifying themselves and their profession, John Densomore on percussion, Ray Manzarek's very stiff and formal recitation of his name and birthdate, and finally Morrison identifying himself and profession only as Jim, a scene which was recreated in Oliver Stone's The Doors. Some of Morrison's most famous quotes are also from the English interviews such as him saying "to be a superstar in this day and age one has to be an assassin or a politician."
Granada TV was trying to present The Doors as a band with a political context they miss the point and some of the footage of the strife in the streets misses the point of The Doors. The Doors were truly a revolutionary group, while other bands of the time were making fairly pedestrian songs about peace, love and flowers, The Doors were there to confront and this comes out in the concert footage. You can really see that when The Doors go into Celebration of the Lizard and terrifying the audience with the discordant sounds and lyrics, and then suddenly segue into Light My Fire. The Doors wanted to confront their audience, make a statement of the times, confront the prevailing days wisdom, and the music and the lyrics do exactly that.
Summary of The Doors: The Doors Are Open
Running Time 56 minutes. 5.1 Dolby Digital created from the original two track mix at POP Sound. Manufactured and printed in USA. 2001Similar DVD Movies
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