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The Doors: 20th Anniversary Special Edition [UK Release] Blu-ray Review

  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
  • Resolution: 1080p/24
  • Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo, Spanish (Castilian) DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo, Spanish (Latin American) DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Subtitles: N/A
  • Classification: 18
  • Region: AB (No Region C)
  • Discs: 1
  • Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment
  • Blu-ray Release Date: April 18, 2011
  • RRP: £24.99

[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B004OQJSEU[/amazon-product]

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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]

Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG  thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)

The Film

[Rating:4/5]

Ride the snake, baby, in Oliver Stone’s surreal biopic about The Doors, in name only. I say in name only, because this mystical, acid trip of a film is really a film focused on the myth and legend of Jim Morrison, here played with eerie similarity by Val Kilmer, who also took on all duties of live vocals.

From the rise of the band with their shy frontman to the sexualized, drug-fueled underground poet on the edge of the law, Stone’s film is a magic carpet ride of aural and visual stimulation taking you on a journey to the edge of sanity. “The blue bus is calling us, driver where you taking us?” We already know the dark recesses where the journey of The Doors concludes; it’s the hypnotic ride by Kilmer and Stone that makes it worth taking.

The Doors also features a great performance by Meg Ryan as Morrison’s girlfriend Pamela Courson, and a cameo by Billy Idol.

Video Quality

[Rating:4/5]

The look of The Doors has always been one of soft focus, often unnatural flesh tones, lens flares, and diffuse details, so it will never be sharp and “pop” on any format. With that being said, this transfer from Optimum looks as good as can be. There is a minimal amount of source damage to be seen, the clearest scenes look rather sharp, and Oliver Stone’s beautiful imagery looks about as good as it ever has.

Audio Quality

[Rating:4.5/5]

The Doors has never sounded better on any home video format. The lossless 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is big and spacious with those additional back channels and there is a wide stereo spread across the front. Low frequency extension is deep, but musical during the performances, dialogue and vocals are full and clean, and high frequencies are airy and natural.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:2.5/5]

There are two excellent hour-long featurettes exploring Jim Morrison and the music of The Doors, both of them worthy of multiple viewings.

The supplements provided on this release are:

  • Jim Morrison, a poet in Paris (1.78:1; 480i/60; 0:52.09)
  • Back to the Roots (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 0:55.53)

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:4/5]

The Doors may be more legend than fact, but it is still mesmerizing to watch and filled with the classic music of The Doors, some of it performed by Val Kilmer doing a perfect Jim Morrison imitation. This is classic Oliver Stone and a must-see film done well on Blu-ray.

Additional Screen Captures

[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B004OQJSEU[/amazon-product]

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.co.uk

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]

Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]

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