Stone offered Jim Morrison to Ian Aspery (as spoken) of the Cult, who turned it down and later toured with the Doors in the early 2000s; his voice, like Eddie Vedder's, was compared to Morrison's.
An unverified report that Bono wanted the role; Michael Hutchins (as spoken) could have been good, while Bono doing it seems strange.
Michael Madsen auditioned for Morrison and was moved to Tom Baker, initially Billy Idol's role, losing 40 pounds.
Billy Idol's motorcycle accident also cost him the T-1000; without it he might be huge, joked into Lincoln or an HBO prestige series.
The casting director said Patricia Arquette auditioned well for Pam and should have gotten it; an unknown would have been better.
Kyle McLaughlin (as spoken) was Stone's first choice for the Charlie Sheen role in Platoon.

Recasting Couch

Robin Wright as Pam; Olivia d'Abo as Pam

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:15:59Read transcript

The Meg Ryan part must be recast: Robin Wright as Pam, a 1970s Jenny Gump and a better actress.
Olivia Diaba (as spoken), described as the teenage daughter from The Wonder Years and from Kicking and Screaming, would be the right age and easy to buy.
Sharon Stone is floated, but would compete with Morrison too much; she could have played the Kathleen Quinlan part.

Band and Courson-family opposition; Kilmer eye-contact memo; leather pants; invented scenes; Manzarek's criticism; composite reporter; Mojave fine; Billy Idol's reduced role; Barney's Beanery; Break script rumor

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 01:17:02Read transcript

The band opposed the film and wanted to be in it, like Queen with its movie; the Courson family wanted Pam portrayed as an angel.
A memo told someone not to make eye contact with Val Kilmer during filming.
A participant who profiled Kilmer around 2005-06 interviewed Stone, who said Kilmer's biggest issue was wearing the same black leather pants every day.
Stone invented or took liberties with the closet fire, Thanksgiving and Morrison's anger over Light My Fire.
A 1991 Manzarek quote says the film was about "Jimbo Morrison, the drunk," not the sensitive poet and funny guy he knew.
The reporter was a composite character, not a real person.
The desert scenes were shot in the East Mojave Preserve, drawing a fine; Billy Idol's role shrank after his motorcycle accident, so he is seated or framed around it.
The bar Morrison frequents is Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood, where he pisses in the film.
Did not know which bar it was. — Chris Ryan
A single-site claim that an early Stone script, Break, an early Platoon, was in Morrison's apartment in France when he died; flagged as half-assed.

Picking Nits

Reporter girlfriend subplot; invented dinner party; mystical opening; Ray disappearing; no bass-player discussion; unexplained 66 jersey; missing early-band material; long final stretch; bathtub reaction

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 01:31:02Read transcript

The reporter girlfriend runs too long, and the invented dinner party is a pivotal scene that should have happened.
Asked how much Native American material is needed, a pitch replaces the made-up opening dream sequence with Morrison's real early life; counter: that mystical material is why people wanted the movie, tied to Danny Sugarman's (as spoken) book, so it could not have been made otherwise.
Ray disappears in the second half and needs a scene expressing concern.
Biggest nitpick: no discussion of the band having no bass player and using an organ, which gives Break On Through a surf-music quality.
Morrison wears a number 66 jersey while recording poetry, possibly Browns; nobody knows whose, Marion Motley is guessed.
Biggest nitpick: deleted scenes on YouTube show more early performance; more early-band material would beat the last hour, 15 minutes too fat.
The 20 minutes after Miami, including the birthday party, could move faster.
Pam finding him dead accuses him of joking, a movie cliche.
Asked about the skinny, handsome dead Morrison instead of a bloated one, ranks it with the two Morrisons following down the hall to meet Warhol. — Chris Ryan

Probably Unanswerable Questions

USC film school prequel; telling books lying around; best use of an Arthur Rimbaud book; Madsen's character

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:38:41Read transcript

Would watch a prequel about Jim's entire USC film school stint, every class. — Chris Ryan
Did they always have such telling books lying around, like Mailer's Armies of the Night next to the TV, with every title visible; jokes about Bill's own set-dressed books.
Eddie and the Cruisers, definitely, is the best use of an Arthur Rimbaud book. — Chris Ryan
Was Madsen's character a Roger Corman type? Answer: an actual hanger-on in Warhol and Paul Morrissey art porn.