1. When You're Strange (2010)
The living members of The Doors were disappointed with Oliver Stones's biopic of them and Jim Morrison. Ray Manzarek refused to consult on the film, didn't like Stone from the beginning. Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robby Krieger all praised Val Kilmer's performance as The Lizard King, but weren't satisfied with with Stone's portrayal of him. In an interview, Krieger called the script to Stone's biopic "kind of stupid." In a story about a Doors documentary (in the end being "When You're Strange") by Billboard Magazine, Manzarek said, "This is the anti-Oliver Stone. This will be the true story of The Doors." What's unique about the documentary is that there are no talking heads, no interviews done for the documentary. It's all footage of the band, some of it never seen before, with a narration by Johnny Depp. It begins with a surreal scene in the desert. There are no Indians. It's the film Morrison made as a student at UCLA entitled "HWY: An American Pastoral." After seeing what appears to be a car after an accident, Morrison gets out unscathed and hitchhikes along the highway. A car eventually pulls over and he gets in. The driver is another figure of himself. As he drives, listening to the radio, Morrison turns up the radio as he hears the news of his own death in Paris. We are then brought back to the 1960s, as we get a glimpse in reverse of what was. Throughout the film we are shown behind the scenes (fans meeting the band backstage) as well as previously published footage ("Light My Fire" performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"). There is plenty of The Doors' music throughout the film and a few songs by other artists (one being "Surf Rider" by the Lively Ones). "When You're Strange" isn't just simply a documentary. We are pulled into the events and stories given first hand by Densmore, Krieger, Manzarek, and Morrison. The film ends in a dark, sold-out arena with cameras flashing. The last thing said by Johnny Depp is a reference to a business opportunity talked about earlier, "As of this date, none of their songs has been used in a car commercial." "Gasland" was not worthy. This is something that Wayne Campbell would probably attest to. It's not a concert movie like "Stop Making Sense" about the Talking Heads. If you're a Doors fan, there's no reason to not see this. It will make you forget Oliver Stone's movie, if you haven't already. The documentary doesn't make any reference to it. And you don't need to be high or on acid to enjoy it.