European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The doors1 60s fetishism of its silliest by Eleanor Ringel Cox news service in his galvanizing new film the doors Oliver Stone lights a fire under one of the 60s sexiest myths of self destruction a the crash and Burn career of Jim Morrison. Stone is much less interested in analysing Morrison. Than he is in deifying him As a dionysian principle run amok. The doors is movie making As myth making a the sort of frenzied excessive Demon god memorial the Singer himself would be loved. Though the director has denied this in interviews his movie is As much about the life and death of the 60s As it is about the life and death of Jim Morrison. The doors is 60s fetishism at its silliest san Francisco 1967 close up of Flowers and its most convulsively persuasive beyond Morrison Lurk my Lai and Charles Manson. The other band members a keyboardist Ray Manzares Kyle Maclachla guitarist Robby Krieger Frank Whaley and drummer John Dens More Kevin Dillon a Are virtually relegated to background noise. They re around they have their lines and bits of personality but the focus is on Morrison a killer portrayal by Val Kilme who s presented As emblematic of a legendary time. Underneath the counterculture embellishments and obsessions the doors is a More or less traditional music the doors in their heyday Jim Morrison left John Densmore Robby Krieger Ray Manzares. Bio about How this band became famous As the dark poets of Rock. We see Morrison and Manzares meet at Urcla s film school in 1965 we sit in on Early rehearsals we watch the band move from opening act to de Sullivan. There s a classic movie acid trip in the desert melting stars glowing Sand Quot  skies a visit to the factory Crispin Clover reclaims his 15 minutes As a hilariously Creepy Andy Warhol and concerts that erupt into bacchanalian revels. _ but the drugs get harder. The concerts get crazier. The vibes get nastier. And Morrison gets More and More out of control a too drunk to sing at a recording session arrested in Miami for allegedly exposing himself onstage scaring the Dejesus out of his longtime Girlfriend Pamela Courson Meg Ryan in Granny glasses. All the while he a shadowed by an Indian shaman and a symbolic Bald Guy lighten up Oliver. And if you still Don t get it the film is framed by a kind of sound Booth confessional with a Paunchy bearded Morrison dressed in a football Jersey emblazoned with the number 66 hmm. 666. As has become increasingly True of Stone s movies the doors does t really build. It ignites and combust Over and Over. It s also As pretentious As hell with its references to Nietzsche and Rimbaud its stars and dissolves. But in his Way so was Morrison. His self creation in Well served by the director s hot Flash filmmaking. Despite such thudding cliches As Pam saying she saw cod while on acid or Morrison s death lick pronouncements Quot they Don t want me they want my death athe movie makes us As High on myth making As Morrison was. The film posits  a ritual something As ancient As the greeks. We Arent Nevant to understand Morrison we re meant to partaken him. Kilmer s powerhouse performance carries the picture whenever Stone gets Loo carried away. He s absolutely mesmerizing As Morrison whether romping with a Witch woman reporter Kathleen Quinlan or sneering Down an uptight network Type who s worried he s going to say the word Quot higher Quot on National to. The actor has the full lipped pout Down Pat the shimmering self absorption on full display. In one scene he lays out How Morrison could possess a song. A introducing the group to something he s just written Krieger tentatively strums the first bars of Light my fire it sounds sort of Folkie sort of Tambourine Man pretty. Then Morrison takes it and it s there a sexy scary lushly insinuating. This is not a movie for die hard doors Addi lots. Nor is it for anyone who s sick and tired of the 60s unending self glorification. A the doors is about the chaos of Charisma a As applied fed a Rock Star or a generation. It leaves you wrung out and jacked up. And wondering How Many demons can Riant e on the head of a microphone. Morrison s eager slide into drug and alcohol abuse in search of revelation. Quot Why do i drink. Morrison wrote in one of his poems. Quot so that i can write poetry. As the body is ravaged the spirit grows  a Quot no limits no Laws Quot was a Morrison Litany and to Stone that philosophy sums up the doors phenomenon. Quot sometimes the Demon would take Over Quot Stone says. Quot Jim would get into brawls be loud and obnoxious. He would have tremendous fights with women hangout ledges of buildings or stumble through traffic. Sometimes it was like somebody else totally possessed  the tradition of Byron Keats and Shelley Morrison seemed to revel in the ultimate limit death. He consumed drugs and alcohol with abandon and he was preoccupied with his own demise. Quot Quot he Kinevy Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin had died at 27,&Quot Stone says Quot and when he turned 27 he used to fell people you re drinking with no. 3. Quot Morrison did die at age 27, in Paris. The circumstances were mysterious he was found in a Bathtub. Like Many of the world s great poets and writers he was buried in Pere Lachaise cemetery and his grave has become a place of pilgrimage. Quot Jim was a gifted sensitive poet Quot says Stone Quot and in Many ways his Story is tragic. I see him As a classic  a when you hear the name a a you think of three Young norwegian musicians their 1985 world hit 1 take on me and lots of screaming teen age girls. Not so anymore., in 1991 has a rockier sound greater stage presence and instrumental expertise a and an audience that ranges from the very very Young to the very very old. At the Trio s Frankfurt concert last weekend Load Singer Morten Harket guitarist pal Waak tar and keyboard player mags Furu Hornen were still greeted by a few hysterically screaming fans but their music has evolved beyond pure teen Appeal a a s latest hit crying in the rain a gentle but rocking Ballad is proof of the change. A a was founded in 1985. The group has recorded four albums including the new release East of the Sun West of the Moon. The band members recently took an extended sabbatical which raised. Rumours that a a was splitting up. A. But they re Back and they re better than Ever. A a s tour of Europe continues see the Quot on stage Quot pages for dates and venues. A Regina Kirkendall.  writers amps Michael abrants a a Singer Morten Harket in Frankfurt. March 7, 1991 stripes Magazine /