Down on Us

My review was written in November 1989 after watching the movie on Unicorn video cassette.

Perhaps the screwiest of Larry Buchanan's series of conspiracy-theory films, "Beyond the Doors" is a direct-to-video release postulating that the government put a hit out on Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison.

Filmed in 1983 with the Joplin-esque title "Down on Us", it's fun but extremely silly entertainment, opening with a George Bernard Shaw quote: "Assassination is the extreme form of censorship".

Unlike his other films about Marilyn Monroe and Lee Harvey Oswald, Buchanan is on pretty shaky ground here, trying to create links and conspiracies involving three of the showing stars from the '60s.

Episodic pic unfolds awkwardly in flashbacks dating from 1968-71, as Steven Tice reads a file left him by his just assassinated dad (Sandy Kenyon), a government mole who was assigned to kill the three singers, supposedly because of their political stands and influence on young people.

Name-dropping script mentions Richard Nixon (especially in somewhat cryptic quotes from a 1977 interview) and others in vaguely pointing a finger, and depicts another deceased figure, J. Edgar Hoover, onscreen. Links between the three stars and their personal interrelationships remain quite unconvincing, however. Buchanan is far more circumspect than the recent "Wired" film in depicting surviving folks; no one will recognize, for example, sidemen Mitch Mitchell or Ray Manzarek from the characters shown on screen.

Main content, filled with sexploitation material involving groupies going topless, is a rather campy re-creation of concerts and backstage/out-on-the-town incidents. It's all rendered goofy by the decision to save big bucks and rely on a dozen soundalike songs by David Shorey, RIchard Bowen and Janet Strover that gives the feel but do not replicate the impact of the singers' actual hits.

Three hesps in the lead roles don't look like their targets, but Riba Meryl as Joplin and Gregory Allen Chatman as Hendrix do prettty well in mimicking thier voices and manner. Bryan Wolf does a poor job recalling Morrison, while his unidentified gilfriend (called simply "She" in the credits) is well played by Susanne Barnes.

Pic's only revelation is the claim that Morriswon faked his own death in order to regain his privacy. According to Buchanan, Morrison wnet to live in a monastery in Spain, dying there quietly in January 1974. If you believe that one, Buchanan has the real story of Howard Hughes and Jean Harlow in the can for perusal as well.

Many people think that drugs were the reason that three top rock stars in the early seventies all died of "Drug Overdoses" within a one year period. People are afraid to ask why. That is, everyone except Larry Buchanan. Larry is not afraid to put his ass on the line to tell the truth. As a famous rock journalist with over two decades in the trenches, I take my hat off to Larry for laying out a courageous and extremely plausible scenario! Watch this film and learn the truth. But remember, you might not like what you'll discover about your government!

Schlock master Larry Buchanan combines his love of conspiracy theories with his amazing ability to present unrealistic history in this movie, perhaps the worst rock music related film ever made. The actors only vaguely resemble Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, and produce amusing sound alike fake music for the soundtrack. All musical performances take place on the same cheap set which is said to be in different places all over the world. Everything has an extreme bargain basement quality about it. A lot more fun to watch than Woodstock.

I am usually very forgiving when it comes to low budget movies. I accept them for what they are and some have a quaint, perhaps overly ambitious but unpretentious charm about them. This is not one of those movies.

For one thing, this movie clocks in at almost two full hours. About half of the running time includes actors performing songs no one ever heard of as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. Only song you will recognize is the Star Spangled Banner which was performed at Woodstock on a gray morning. In the movie, its a small stage indoors. Anyone expecting this movie to have an hour of real concert footage of the three stars mixed in are mistaken. Again, this movie is two hours long and that just summed up half of it.

It is very easy to look up the chain of events that led to Jimi, Janis and Jim's death now. Back in the mid 80s, it wasnt so easy. The basic premise of the story is the government targeted these three rock stars for assassination. The reasons are not really well explained. Paranoia that they had some political power? Paranoia over the influence they had on the baby boomer generation? At first it looked like paranoia over their views of the Vietnam war but that didnt last. The story is built around an unfinished autobiography of an agent who is killed presumably to cover up the events. How this agent learns about the things he isnt there in scenes is not explained.

The movie often looks like mid 80s instead of late 60s/early 70s where it was set. The New York club scene is very 80s to the point I thought the Tom Tom Club and Cindi Lauper would make a flamboyant appearance. If I walked in on that one scene, id think Jimi Janis and Jim lived into the 80s and that was the big surprise in the plot. I probably would respect this movie more if it did have a twist like that.

There is tons of small budget showing up in the movie. Again, i accept that if there is some entertainment value but it is hard to find entertainment in this movie because of these weird music performances. I can't really fault the acting considering the script they had to work with. Its a shame they couldnt buy the rights to perform the songs the artists are known for but honestly, i dont think it would be worth the money to do that.

There is a funny scene with veteran b movie actor, Richard Kennedy as J Edgar Hoover takes a phone call in a dress. Yes, we know the stories alleged about Hoover but it was still funny to see.

Overall, the story is nil and quite boring with alot of music that only vaguely resembles anything Hendrix, Joplin or the Doors did. 2 hours is a far too long for a movie of this quality. I admire the overly ambitious subject matter but this is definitely a pretentious offering from Larry Buchanan and I didn't see that quaint charm shining through on this effort.

I love this movie it is so funny. I think that Jim Morrisons stoned surfer dude dialog is worthy of an academy. Jimi's vomit is the stuff of the heavens, and hey at last a good looking Janis who CAN sing. Anyhow if you love bad movies and sitting drunk with your friends and making sarcastic remarks is your idea of fun, this may be your waterloo! The bizarre music may be the highlight, but then I remember the plot. Honestly it's really crazy and you must see it to believe it. I suppose the Hendrix guy was the best, but they sure give him some off the wall lines. Jim of course is made out to be an incoherent wreck. Janis they were nicer too, but somehow I don't think any of three hung out as much as this film would lead you to think. Actually thinking isn't the point of this movie, it's just enjoying the schlock. Ed Wood had he lived may have turned out something just like this.