Post Description

BRON: VHS


Originally produced in 1981 and released in 1984 on VHS courtesy of Warners, this approximately 60-minute VHS was inspired by Danny Sugarman and Jerry Hopkins' book No One Here Gets Out Alive. With Ben Fong-Torres as script consultant, an appearance by the late Paul Rothchild -- the Doors' longtime producer -- and interviews with Sugarman, Hopkins, and the surviving Doors members (Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robbie Krieger), this is a good overview of highlights of one of America's premier rock bands and the enigmatic figure that was their voice. There are performances from The Smothers Brothers and Ed Sullivan shows, as well as a very cool set of Jim Morrison photo stills over the song "The Changeling," among other delights. The mini film clip of "L.A. Woman" is said to be full-length, but it feels truncated, though that's a minor quibble. The inclusion of footage from Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now for "The End" makes a good impact here -- the Doors translate well to VHS. There's no music to click onto for the "song discography," and at the rate Bright Midnight Records is releasing new/old Doors projects, the list of their previous recordings without an update is a letdown. There are six full chapters to this disc: "Intro," "Starting Out," "Living on the Edge," "The Miami Concert," "From L.A. to Paris," and "End Credits," with a fine outtake of "Touch Me" playing over the credits. The song "The End" is looped for the selection menu to these four "doors" on the root menu. Well put together, the No One Here Gets Out Alive VHS is a good starting point for the casual fan of the Doors. The cool interview in black and white with the voice from the past, Morrison himself, adds that other dimension to this interesting collection of stories and song.