When You're Strange (2009)

A look at the late '60s and early '70s rock band The Doors, including rare exclusive footage.

Director:

Tom DiCillo

Writer:

Tom DiCillo

Stars:

Johnny Depp, John Densmore, Robby Krieger

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Johnny Depp	...	Narrator (voice)
John Densmore	...	Self (archive footage)
Robby Krieger	...	Self (archive footage)
Ray Manzarek	...	Self (archive footage)
Jim Morrison	...	Self (archive footage)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pam Courson	...	Self (archive footage)
The Doors	...	Themselves (archive footage)
Murray Goodman	...	Self - Judge (archive footage)
Jimi Hendrix	...	Self (archive footage)
Lyndon B. Johnson	...	Self (archive footage) (as Lyndon Johnson)
Jim Ladd	...	Self (voice)
Paul A. Rothchild	...	Self (archive footage)

Storyline

A chronological look at The Doors, focusing on lead singer, Jim Morrison (1943-1971), from the formation of the band in 1965, it's first gigs, and first album, to Morrison's death, after years of alcohol and drug use. Along the journey, we see archival footage of rehearsals, performances, and private moments including a Miami concert resulting in Morrison's arrest and trial for indecency. His love of the spotlight, his desire to be a poet, and his alcohol-fueled mood swings lead to a back and forth between public and private desires, successes, and failures. The band's music plays throughout.

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Plot Keywords:

fan the person | dead rock star | police officer | police arrest | band | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content including references, nudity, drug material and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's narrator, Johnny Depp, also starred in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)" and "Dark Shadows (2012)" which both revolve around music.

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Goofs

A mock newspaper clipping announces both that Sharon Tate and her friends have been found murdered and that Charles Manson and his "Family" are suspected. Manson and the "Family" were not identified as the Tate killers until December 1969, more than four months after the murders happened.

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Quotes

Narrator: Nothing, he says, is as eternal as poetry and song.

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Connections

Referenced in Special Collector's Edition: La colina de las botas (2011)

User Reviews

An emotional rerun of teen years - for me at least.

"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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ha idegen vagy - A Doors története

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$66,833, 11 April 2010

Gross USA:

$246,078

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,194,182

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (5.1)

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1