Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. (blu-ray)
Guns, God And Government Live In L.A. was filmed on the last night of the world tour in support of the Holy Wood album. When originally released on DVD in 2002, the visual footage of Guns, God And Government was taken from numerous concerts around the world during the tour, set to the audio soundtrack from the Los Angeles show. Now for the first time, this Blu-ray presents the original high definition L.A. footage and soundtrack together as a cohesive concert film. The spectacular staging, the costumes, the lighting and the charismatic presence of Marilyn Manson himself combine to make this the ultimate live Marilyn Manson release.
For more about Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. and the Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray release, see the Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray Review
Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray Review
When Guns, God and Government - Live in L.A. was initially
released on DVD in 2002, the visual content was assembled from a number
of different shows Marilyn Manson staged around the world. What this
Blu-ray disc contains is the original high-definition L.A. footage and
soundtrack put together as a cohesive film for the first time ever.
I must admit upfront that this is a show unlike anything I have seen
before. It is crazy, it is loud, it is very controversial. Marilyn
Manson fans are probably chuckling now because they know exactly what to
expect from their idol when he performs live, but I didn't, so Guns, God and Government � Live in L.A. was quite an experience for me.
I must start with the obvious - Marilyn Manson and his band
look...different. Leather, stockings, chains, and other S&M gear is
definitely what these guys like. And I can see why - their music is
dark, angry, and very disturbing.
Guns, God and Government � Live in L.A. is comprised of a total
of sixteen songs, some of which have earned quite a reputation -
"Disposable Teens", "Antichrist Superstar", "The Beautiful People",
"Cruci-fiction in Space", "The Dope Show", etc. Again, I can see why -
their lyrics are incredibly provocative, at times borderline offensive.
The music is loud, heavy and edgy. Rhythmically, it is also surprisingly
diverse. Some may argue that it comes rather close to what Trent Reznor
and his boys do, but I disagree; Marilyn Manson most definitely has a
style of his own.
The actual performances are very strong. As mentioned earlier, most of
the songs tend to be quite provocative - with plenty of crotch grabbing,
spitting and all sorts of other weird behavior enhancing them - but I
suppose people who go to shows like this one expect their idols to treat
them in a certain way.
Finally, I have to confess that many of the stage acts in Guns, God and Government - Live in L.A.
are pretty damn spooky ("Cruci-fiction in Space"). I am sure some of
you would disagree with me, but they certainly stayed with me long after
I finished watching the show.
Welcome to the Freak Show!
Tracklisting:
1. Intro/Count to Six and Die
2. Irresponsible Hate Anthem
3. The Reflecting God
4. Great Big White World
5. Disposable Teens
6. The Fight Song
7. The Nobodies
8. Rock is Dead
9. The Dope Show
10. Cruci-fiction in Space
11. Sweet Dreams/Hell Outro
12. The Love Song
13. Antichrist Superstar
14. The Beautiful People
15. Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes
16. Lunchbox
I like how this show looks in high-definition! Generally speaking,
detail is very good, though due to the unique lighting and other special
effects used on the stage, occasionally some scenes look slightly
softer than other. The close-ups, however, especially those of Marilyn
Manson, look good. Contrast and clarity are also pleasing, though for
the same reasons mentioned above, they could vary a bit. Mild
motion-judder is occasionally noticeable, but I don't think that the
overwhelming majority of you will be bothered by it. Finally, I did not
detect any serious transfer anomalies to report on this review. All in
all, Guns, God and Government Live in L.A. looks strong on Blu-ray, and I don't have a problem recommending it to you. (Note:
This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on
your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio
5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master
Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other
two tracks for the purpose of this review.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track allows for a truly satisfying sonic
experience. The bass is strong, the rear channels intelligently used,
and the high-frequencies not overdone. The "live effect" - all the crowd
noises, echos, etc - is handled well, and many of the songs convey the
type of depth studio recordings have. Additionally, there is good
separation between the different instruments even when things get a bit
too rowdy. For the record, I did not detect any disturbing audio
dropouts to report in this review.
The LPCM 2.0 is also quite strong. It certainly lacks the depth and
range of dynamics the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has, but it still
allows for a decent listening experience. If you could take advantage of
the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, however, there is no reason to
experiment with the LPCM 2.0 track.
Finally, the Dolby Digital 5.1 certainly does not have any technical
flaws, but I find it to be notably inferior to the DTS-HD Master Audio
5.1 track.