Burning Man: The Burning Sensation

A knockout documentary with a renegade personality ideally suited to its anarchic subject matter.

The film feels like a violation of the festival's philosophy of "participants only, no spectators": Who, after all, is going to sit in a theater to see this but a spectator? It is fun stuff to look at, though.

An appealing blend of counter-cultural idealism and hedonistic creativity.

The overall vibe is druggy and self-indulgent, like a spring-break orgy for pretentious arts majors.

It would be nearly impossible to make a totally bad documentary about the festival, but I have yet to see the perfect documentary depiction of Burning Man.

Cynics may scoff, but the spirit of Woodstock -- not the 1999 debacle, but the 1969 original -- lives.

As predictable as a segment of "MTV Spring Break," which at least doesn't try to hide its voyeurism, Burning looks more like a travel-agency video targeted at people who like to ride bikes topless and roll in the mud than a worthwhile glimpse of independent-community guiding lights.