Have you ever wondered why our magazine is named “The Door”? I mean, sure, it’s a doorway to the world of online casino, but that’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it? No, the answer is a lot more discreet, to the point where I sincerely doubt that you’d guess my source of inspiration… Unless, of course, you read the title of this article. Yes, indeed – the godfather of this site is a 1991 movie based on the life of Jim Morrison, a famous musician active in the 60s. It may sound like a strange combination, considering the fact that Morrison had very little to do with online casino, and yes, in many respects it is, but so what? It’s the name of a movie I love and also one of my favorite bands, and I also love online casino, so I figured “Hey, why not combine two things that are close to my heart?”
But why do I love the movie so much? Well, to understand that, we need to examine its story first. “The Doors”, while technically being about the 60s band of the same name, is mostly about its lead vocalist Jim Morrison, played by Val Kilmer. We follow his life as he descends further and further into his rock fantasy and his drug habit, which gradually destroys his relationships with his band mates and friends. It’s a very difficult movie to watch, with every subsequent concert feeling like it might be Morrison’s last as he just keeps falling into this bottomless pit with no way out. Don’t get me wrong, the optimistic atmosphere of the 60s has been preserved in its full, nostalgic glory (keep in mind that by the time the movie came out it had been less than 30 years since Morrison last performed, so the memory of the real person was still alive in many people) and the music is absolutely great, but we all know from the very start where this is going, and it’s painful to witness.
It’s all made that much worse by the fact that, from a technical standpoint, the movie is glorious. Val Kilmer doesn’t just play Morrison – he is Morrison. I mean, just compare pictures of him with pictures of the real performer, and it’ll be extremely hard to tell the difference in both appearance and behavior. The same can be said about the concerts, which genuinely look like they’re the real deal. If you watch the movie, you’ll swear that they used videos filmed form his actual concerts rather than recreations, which is absolutely stunning. And last, but not least, this is one of the first movies shot in widescreen, which, as we all know, eventually became the norm which was used for all movies and TV shows, and even home video. Overall, “The Doors”, while not an easy movie to watch, is definitely a marvel that is worth being seen at least once.