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A slight upgrade from the previous, extras-packed SE with a new, anamorphic transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and 6.1 DTS-ES tracks and two new featurettes.

Info, here.

A somewhat relevant article

I have always had mixed emotions about the film, but I thought the original 2-disc DVD was fabulous (except the commentary and the transfer, obviously). Maybe worth a double-dip.

Like the man says:

[quote]I said “I'm not telling you how to direct. I'm telling you how to do the story.â€

Just my opinion, but there is no better example of a hit-or-miss director than Oliver. The same year this movie came out, he released JFK, politics and paranoia aside, is probably my favorite of all of his films. And the same goes for Nixon and Any Given Sunday (also favorites), which came after two films I'm not really fond of at all.

He has talent and vision bursting out of his pores, but he's only ever been able to harness it partially, and often not at all. He's like a cinematic Thomas Wolfe.

I wanted the soundtrack to this film so badly to be all Kilmer and no morrison. I think Val is the better singer. discuss.

[quote="Polybius"]Like the man says:

[quote]I said “I'm not telling you how to direct. I'm telling you how to do the story.â€

Polybius wrote:He has talent and vision bursting out of his pores, but he's only ever been able to harness it partially, and often not at all. He's like a cinematic Thomas Wolfe.

That is the most accurate comparison of Oliver Stone I've ever read.

Also, I think I'm just tickled that someone mentioned Thomas Wolfe - I'm a huge fan of his writing. A couple of years ago the original uncut version of Look Homeward Angel was published under the title O Lost. It's thrilling to read it - particularly the first thirty or so pages that were later edited out - and imagine how a young writer even conceived of something so epic in scope.

So who gets to be Stone's Maxwell Perkins?

For anyone who doesn't know, Ray and Jim actually met while attending UCLA film school together.

Yeah, I'm a big fan and yeah, I was really pissed by the one dimensional portrayal of Jim. He was all of the things depicted in this film, but he was a lot more, as well.

I'm going to have to look into O Lost. This is the first I've heard of it and I am mightily intrigued.

Polybius wrote:For anyone who doesn't know, Ray and Jim actually met while attending UCLA film school together.

Yeah, I'm a big fan and yeah, I was really pissed by the one dimensional portrayal of Jim. He was all of the things depicted in this film, but he was a lot more, as well.

Ray and Jim were also friends with Francis Coppola at UCLA, which was a big factor in how "The End" wound up in Apocalypse Now.

I'm a fan too, and now looking back I can see how it was a one-dimensional performance. Also, with the exception of Kyle MacLachlan, the rest of the band was kinda miscast. Not so much musically, because they all did a good job of playing those songs. I just know that John Densmore didn't have a thick New York accent.

We should start a new forum dedicated to music DVD's. Just a thought

BTW Polybius, I read an excerpt of a book about Jim's last months in Paris in Rolling Stone a couple of years ago. It was really intriguing and for the life of me I can't remember the author or title. Does any of that ring a bell?

flyonthewall2983 wrote:

Polybius wrote:For anyone who doesn't know, Ray and Jim actually met while attending UCLA film school together.

Yeah, I'm a big fan and yeah, I was really pissed by the one dimensional portrayal of Jim. He was all of the things depicted in this film, but he was a lot more, as well.

Ray and Jim were also friends with Francis Coppola at UCLA, which was a big factor in how "The End" wound up in Apocalypse Now.

Yeah, I also listened to the Coppola's commentary on the new Apocalypse set.

I wondered if I could get away with that. Damn

flyonthewall2983 wrote:I wondered if I could get away with that. Damn

Is all good.

Wow, I can't understand who in their fucking right minds would want yet another "SE" of this one....

flyonthewall2983 wrote: BTW Polybius, I read an excerpt of a book about Jim's last months in Paris in Rolling Stone a couple of years ago. It was really intriguing and for the life of me I can't remember the author or title. Does any of that ring a bell?

Hadn't heard anything about this, either.

I'm so out of the loop

I had thought this was the same time that all of the future American film honchos were at UCLA, but I wasn't sure if they knew each other. I know John Milius is a big Doors fan (one of several reasons I love the insane son of a bitch, in spite of his politics.)

flyonthewall2983 wrote:A somewhat relevant article

I have always had mixed emotions about the film, but I thought the original 2-disc DVD was fabulous (except the commentary and the transfer, obviously). Maybe worth a double-dip.

Agreed. I don't see how they could improve on the previoius SE. I too have a love-hate relationship with this movie as well. Stylistically, you can see him trying out a lot of the techniques he would perfect in JFK and Nixon but content-wise it's a mess. I believe it's in either the commentary or on the retrospective Making Of featurette that Stone does admit to making mistakes on certain aspects of the film namely the composite character that Kathleen Quinlan plays.

Polybius wrote:

flyonthewall2983 wrote:BTW Polybius, I read an excerpt of a book about Jim's last months in Paris in Rolling Stone a couple of years ago. It was really intriguing and for the life of me I can't remember the author or title. Does any of that ring a bell?

Hadn't heard anything about this, either.

I'm so out of the loop

I had thought this was the same time that all of the future American film honchos were at UCLA, but I wasn't sure if they knew each other. I know John Milius is a big Doors fan (one of several reasons I love the insane son of a bitch, in spite of his politics.)

I believe I still have the copy of Rolling Stone somewhere. Someone said it was called "The End", but I seem to recall it was something different.

Here's a link to the book I made reference to earlier.

I'm surprised nobody here has yet mentioned The Doors Collection released by Universal on DVD in '99. It was originally a laserdisc special edition of the videotapes of Doors material released in the 80's and early 90's. It has a very interesting (to say the least) audio commentary throughout all three videos by the remaining members of the band. It also has Manzarek's two films he did in college, Evergreen and Induction.

flyonthewall2983 wrote:Here's a link to the book I made reference to earlier.

That sounds interesting. According to the band's official site all the surviving members have contributed to a new documentary on the band, their legacy, etc. Should be interesting to see how comprehensive and what kind of footage (rare or otherwise) will be included.

That new box set with the remastered albums (as well as a disc with a 5.1 DTS mix of the albums) looks interesting. It seems also that Genesis is planning some similar next year with their catalog.

A documentary about The Who is in the works as well, directed by Murray Lerner. Read more here

I'm just curious as to what you hardcore Doors fan think is the best biography to get on the band and/or Morrison? Or are there several good ones so that you can get various viewpoints?

Danny Sugarman's No One Here Gets Out Alive was pretty much my starting point. You might have to search it out, but there's a book by a guy named Frank Lisciandro called An Hour For Magic that's a personal account of a smaller period of time, hardly definitive, but a lot of fun. It centers around his filmmaking endeavors as much as his music. Lots of Frank's excellent behind the scenes photos.

Those are both older books. I know there has been a lot published since then, none of which I'm up on.

Jim Morrison: Frank Lisciandro Remembers

I found the aforementioned issue of Rolling Stone, and since bought the book, Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend. I'm about 100 or so pages into it although I haven't given a good read for awhile. It's from the author of Hammer of the Gods, and it's pretty interesting so far.

Polybius wrote:Danny Sugarman's No One Here Gets Out Alive was pretty much my starting point. You might have to search it out, but there's a book by a guy named Frank Lisciandro called An Hour For Magic that's a personal account of a smaller period of time

flyonthewall2983 wrote:I found the aforementioned issue of Rolling Stone, and since bought the book, Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend. I'm about 100 or so pages into it although I haven't given a good read for awhile. It's from the author of Hammer of the Gods, and it's pretty interesting so far.

Thanks to both of you for the recommendations. I will definitely check out Sugarman's book. I've looked around and it seems to get enthusiastic recommendations across the board.

I should also say that I read Densmore's book which was a pretty fascinating read. It's interesting in that Suicide Girls interview with Manzarek how he and Densmore do not see eye to eye on the commercialization of the Doors music. I have to say I'm with Densmore on this one. I really don't want to see "Light My Fire" over an ad for Budweiser.

I don't really like John and, as I stated above, I think Stone's relying on the one guy in the band who didn't really like Jim (and who Jim apparently didn't like) was a huge mistake. But I'm with you. I love Ray, but he's wrong.