Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray Movie 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!

Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Guns, God and Government – Live in L.A. arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

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).

Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Death Parade - this is the same documentary that was included on the DVD release of the Guns, God and Government – Live in L.A.. It contains plenty of archival footage from different shows Marilyn Manson staged in different parts of the world, from London to Moscow. The documentary contains a curious duet between Manson and Eminem, as well as cameo performances by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Not subtitled. (30 min, 480/60i).

Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government, Live in L.A. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you happen to be a Marilyn Manson fan, you want to pre-order Guns, God and Government - Live in L.A. as soon as possible. While I cannot say yet that I liked what I saw - I would probably have to watch the show one more time to figure out exactly how I feel about it - I must admit that it certainly had an effect on me. On the technical side of things, as expected, Eagle Rock Entertainment's Blu-ray treatment does not disappoint.