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‘The Doors’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Chuck Klosterman

March 2, 2021 · The Doors (1991) · Biography · Drama · Music · 1:52:12

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 33:28The first band rehearsal where Light My Fire comes together in two minutes
Chuck Klosterman▶ 36:51The everything's taking off montage with the plane scene where they introduce themselves

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:01The Top Gun connection, the theme of death with the bald guy representing death moving closer to Jim, and the closing credits sequence with LA Woman
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:12The Doors music and how well the band members look like they're actually playing their instruments, especially Frank Whaley on guitar and Kevin Doan on drums

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:32Meg Ryan's miscasting as Pam - felt wrong at the time and Stone later disowned the casting; plus Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama, terrible wigs throughout the movie, dated desert drug scene special effects, and problematic casting process behind the scenes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:18Agrees Meg Ryan seemed like she was in another movie, and the wigs were terrible - specifically notes Whaley 'looks like a burn victim'
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:05:38Disagrees that Meg Ryan was that bad, thinks Nicole Kidman would have been better casting but defends some of Ryan's comedic moments

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:51Ian Astbury — Lists multiple casting alternatives: Ian Asbury (The Cult) offered Morrison role, Michael Hutchins and Bono considered, Michael Madsen auditioned for Morrison then moved to Tom Baker role, Billy Idol originally cast as Tom Baker before motorcycle accident, Patricia Arquette should have gotten Pam role over Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan was Stone's first choice for Charlie Sheen's Platoon role
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:01Billy Idol — Jokes that Billy Idol would have multiple Oscars and played Abraham Lincoln if not for motorcycle accident
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:10:56Ian Astbury — Agrees Ian Asbury would have been good choice for Morrison, notes Michael Hutchins could have been good, finds Bono choice strange but plausible for that time period

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:22Michael Wincott (the producer) - winner
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:37Titus Welliver — Added Titus Welliver as additional nominee and identified Michael Wincott from The Crow
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:13:16Michael Wincott - agrees he's the winner

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:21Val Kilmer memo instructing people not to make eye contact with him during filming; Patricia reporter character was a composite, not a real person; they filmed at Barney's Beanery for the bar scenes
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:19:53Oliver Stone told him Val Kilmer's biggest issue was being tired of wearing the same black leather pants every day during filming

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:57Val Kilmer — Val Kilmer - this made him an A-lister and changed his career, putting him in conversation with the most important actors
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:43Frank Whaley — Frank Whaley in Pulp Fiction over The Doors
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:24:04Val Kilmer — Val Kilmer - agrees this is by far his best role and a giant movie star role

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:31Would you have watched a prequel about Jim's entire stint at USC film school? Also asked about best use of Arthur Rimbaud book - Eddie and the Cruisers vs this movie, answered Eddie and the Cruisers
Chris Ryan▶ 1:40:35Yes, would absolutely watch USC film school prequel. Asked did they always have such incredibly telling books lying around as props - questioning whether the strategic book placement was realistic
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:41:07Observed that Jim Morrison character needs to lay books out so every title is visible rather than stacking them, suggesting Oliver Stone was being very deliberate about book placement for symbolic effect

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:36Val Kilmer — Val Kilmer wins the movie convincingly, like a unanimous MVP vote in an NBA season

Movies Referenced (30)

Natural Born Killers (1994)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman▶ 25:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:12:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lincoln (2012)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Platoon (1986)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 25:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apocalypse Now (1979)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reality Bites (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 38:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Oliver Stone

38 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 1:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ray Manzarek

5 mentions · Chuck Klosterman · Known for Strange Days, The X Files▶ 8:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian De Palma

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities▶ 28:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dead or Alive

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The A-Team▶ 5:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Corman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Apollo 13, Little Shop of Horrors▶ 1:42:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 6:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Friedkin

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for To Live and Die in L.A., The French Connection, The Exorcist▶ 28:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (74)

Jim Morrison

51 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, Chris Ryan · Known for Forrest Gump, The X Files▶ 2:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Val Kilmer

38 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman · Known for The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 2:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Whaley

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman · Known for Broken Arrow, Pulp Fiction▶ 24:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Madsen

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Hateful Eight, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Species▶ 45:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Walton

9 mentions · Chuck Klosterman, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Little Nicky, He Got Game, Forget Paris▶ 15:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Idol

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Wedding Singer, Speed▶ 45:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ed Sullivan

9 mentions · Chuck Klosterman, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 27:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meg Ryan

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail▶ 41:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Dillon

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Platoon, The Doors▶ 2:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Led Zeppelin

6 mentions · Chuck Klosterman, Chris Ryan▶ 11:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patricia Arquette

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman · Known for True Romance, Boyhood▶ 41:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Killers

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman▶ 25:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (7)

Buddy Holly

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman · Known for Big Fish, Almost Famous▶ 7:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman▶ 29:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Manson

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood▶ 52:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cameron

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 1:25:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Cash

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Walk the Line▶ 7:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Loretta Lynn

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Logan Lucky▶ 7:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Malcolm X▶ 2:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗