The Doors: When You're Strange

The Doors documentary was surprisingly aired on PBS last night. It's not available for purchase on DVD until late June.

The Doors have been a staple in my music collection, and this documentary was worth the viewing just for the film of the band behind the scenes, recording and at photo shoots. The footage of Jim Morrison from a movie he filmed in 1969 was surreal and the audio edited in at times made it even more eerie. The editing of all this footage was brilliantly done. The downside is the documentary didn't need to be 90 minutes and the audio balance of Johnny Depp's narration and the music was a bit off.

I am sure everyone was looking forward to this film exposing something more than previous films had, but maybe there is nothing more to tell. Maybe Jim's talent will forever be overshadowed by his erratic, drug induced fits. Maybe there wasn't anything mysterious about the story of "Mr. Mojo Risin". Maybe the rest of the band is content to leave things as they are and move on.

You don't need a documentary to tell you these guys were all talented, and if you listen to thir music, you can hear their story and their genius. "And when the music's over, turn out the light"

MM Rating: 2 megaphones

"Iron Man 2" Review

Not being a comic enthusiast, I can only comment from a novice Iron Man point of view. That said, I was excited to see this film because the first one was so entertaining.

The Plot (imbd.com): With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military.


The Cast: I was a bit disappointed at what I call the clutter factor. There were too many characters, the cast cohesiveness suffered and it ran a bit long. Robert Downey Jr., however, carried the movie on charm and enthusiasm. He delivered a quick witted, laugh-too-long-and-you-will-miss-the-next-joke demeanor. Narcissistic billionaire Tony Stark is likable because the audience is allowed to see glimpses of his humanity when the masks are off.

The supporting cast was not used wisely, most of the time:

• Gwyneth as Pepper Potts was the nagging girlfriend


• Don Cheadle is too good of an actor to play Jim Rhodes.


• Scarlett Johansson looked amazing but her part was far too short-lived for all the hype


• Mickey Rourke was OK, and I am afraid to say anything else...

I have heard grumblings from fans about Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury but I found him ridiculously funny. My issue throughout the movie was that John Favreau needs to decide which side of the camera he wants to be on.

The Music: The soundtrack was a forgettable mash of driving guitars and strings, which didn't ruin anything but didn't make anything memorable either. Not that I was expecting a wonderful score, but there wasn't anything exciting about the rock tracks either. AC/DC music all runs the same after a few songs.

The Verdict:In many ways this was a typical summer blockbuster with exciting explosions and fight scenes, and while the "clutter factor" was distracting, there ware a few underlying bright spots. It was fun and a worthwhile matinee, as some scenes were worth seeing on the big screen. Robert Downey Jr. delivers as usual.

The Heavy: Herein lies the story of a man wrestling with not only his identity but his immortality as well.



MM Rating: 3 of 5 Megaphones: