REVIEW

DVD Review: Blue Man Group Shows You How To Be A Megastar

Written by Scott C. Smith
Published July 08, 2008
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The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is good, but not great, although I'm at a slight disadvantage in having to use 5.1 headphones instead of a proper surround sound environment, so your mileage may very.  The mix does make good use of all channels, particularly the left/right rear channels and center channel, as you are enveloped in Blue Man's signature percussion.


Bonus material includes a music video for "I Feel Love"; a piece of comedy called "Mono Makes a Plea — Save the TVs" campaign (bemoaning the switch to digital signals which will affect us all) and finally, and perhaps most importantly, a documentary called "Inside the Tube." It features the founders of Blue Man (Phil Stanton, Chris Wink, and Matt Goldman) as they discuss the group, the philosophy of the Blue Man, and the evolution of Blue Man from a theatrical presentation to the rock concert experience of The Complex.  It's a fascinating insight; Stanton, Wink, and Goldman are extremely intelligent and creative individuals with a lot of passion for what they do. As far as I know the documentary aired only on PBS during a fund raising drive, with the documentary being sold as an incentive gift for new PBS members. If my memory is correct, the documentary was being sold for a $75 contribution; now you can watch it for free!

If you already own The Complex and are on the fence about purchasing How to Be a Megastar, I would suggest it primarily for the documentary included in the DVD extras. The DVD also includes a CD version of the concert, so for less than $20 you're getting a DVD and audio CD — a great deal. If you are new to Blue Man I would recommend starting with The Complex to see what you think. I think you will enjoy it.

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Scott C. Smith is a freelance writer from Hillsboro, Oregon, returning from a two-year-long break to resume writing for Blogcritics. He is best known for his rabble-rousing web site, What's In Scott's Head, and his political columns at Counterbias.
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DVD Review: Blue Man Group Shows You How To Be A Megastar
Published: July 08, 2008
Type: Review
Section: Video
Filed Under: Music: Experimental, Music: Rock, Video: Music, Video: Performing Arts
Writer: Scott C. Smith
Scott C. Smith's BC Writer page
Scott C. Smith's personal site
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