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  1. Tempting though it might be to buy into the conspiracy theories surrounding Hendrix, Morrison and Joplin, let’s not forget that these three individuals were, quite frankly, terribly irresponsible human beings. Why some people have trouble believing three rock stars hooked on drugs died from…erm, you know, drugs, strikes me as astonishing. The death toll for rock stars dying from drugs is incredible, so I’m not certain why folks focus on these three deaths so much. Anyway, fact is if these three lived, there’s a good chance they’d be recording duets with “American Idol” contestants and judging on “America’s Got Talent”. Really, the Establishment had nothing to fear from these stars. They were hardly the three most politically-charged performers of the Woodstock era.


  2. The same brain chemistry that often allows for the energy, creativity and artistic genius is also of course implicated in the self-medicating, excess and eventual destruction of these and many others.
    The only “conspiracy” is the pathetic lack of recognition and understanding *to this day* of the treatable underlying mental health issues involved.

    end of mini-rant

    Nice review, Lisa!


    • Firstly, I’ve never bought into the belief that creative types are by nature self-destructive, require drugs, etc. I believe you’ll find that the penchant for destroying oneself is quite common throughout the race–in fact, I believe that destroying oneself is humanity’s greatest (and most unfortunate) talent.

      Secondly, I think people who abuse drugs are less mentally disturbed, more just flat out irresponsible.

      Finally, we live in an overly medicated society. You want a conspiracy? Take a perfectly normal human foible, demonise it until it becomes classifiable as a disease, invent a drug to “cure” or “regulate” the disease, then sit back and watch the billions of dollars roll in. Depression and hyperactivity are perfectly natural human states. The (witch)doctors are turning us into vegetables. Honestly, you want to make me chuckle? Tell me you have a degree in medicine–that’s always good for a laugh.




  5. Delighted to read one of the rare level-headed assessments of Larry Buchanan films. (And all are invited to read MY taje on this one at ManorOnMovies.com )

    It became “fashionable” to smugly rip Larry Buchanan, so often by those with little or no understanding of the exploitation film industry nuts and bolts and no personal familiarity with the man himself.

    As it so happens, I contacted Larry regarding another film, and found him to be a gentleman, VERY honest about the shortcomings of his movies, intelligent and as helpful as humanly possible. And I am hardly the fanboy type who loses all objectivity upon meeting someone with a degree of celebrity.

    In fact, his autobiography is very candid about said shortcomings, explaining much about many but never putting the blame entirely on second parties.


    • Thank you. If nothing else, Larry Buchanan’s films were always uniquely his own. When you watch a film like Beyond the Doors, you can’t help but admire the ambition behind it and the fact that Buchanan got this film made despite not having the type of budget that he probably would have preferred.


      • Sounds like you get it. And this applies to so many other directors/producers out there, many often mocked: They did the best they could with limited resources–and, yes, that included talent, in some cases–and they got movies made…and, for this, they deserve at least a modicum of respect.

        Most garage bands never recorded an “Electric Ladyland” but that doesn’t mean they didn’t passionately love music–or, worse yet, deserve to be mocked for inability to measure up to the Hendrix Experience.


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