Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (Director's Cut) Reviews

• 5 stars for original film, 2 stars for "Director's Cut"

  
  By A4KS0500X6PI5 on 2003-10-22
  Well, it seems PINK FLOYD: LIVE AT POMPEII director Adrian Maben has got himself a case of George Lucas disease. The new DVD release of the so-called "Director's Cut" of that film is completely re-edited, with a slew of new material, and it completely ruins the mood of the film. Thankfully, they included the original version of this haunting movie on the disc, as well. There's a drastic difference between the two.

  Here's the deal:
  The original version of the film, released in 1972, was 61 minutes long, and consisted only of performance footage from the Pompeii amphitheatre and a Paris studio, plus some extra footage of Pompeii. This was shot in full-screen 4:3 and is presented as such on the DVD.

  Maben went back into the Abbey Road studios while the band was putting together DARK SIDE OF THE MOON in 1973 and shot some documentary footage of the band recording and talking. The new footage was spliced in between some of the original performances for the film and the result was released in 1974 in America; it was maybe 70-something minutes long. Unfortunately, this edit has not made it to the DVD.

  Now, this new version uses more footage from Abbey Road, some B&W
  footage of the band in a studio in Paris, new shots the director took of Pompeii, a whole bunch of archival footage of space exploration, and new titles that look made for a straight-to-video release instead of the Godard-esque ones we had with the original (Willy Kurant was one of the cinematographers.) This is about 91 minutes long, and has been inexplicably matted to a 16:9 format.

  I must say the new footage seems extremely out of place. It doesn't match visually with the old footage, looking very straight-to-video. Much of the editing of the original is broken up with splices to new stuff the director just couldn't keep out ("Hey, Pink Floyd is "spacey"--- I'll put in computer-generated shots of planets!"); the result is more a series of thematically related music videos than a unified movie. What really gets me is that there's an interview on the DVD with the director where on multiple occasions he touches on why the original and almost-original versions of the film were so special, and then he proceeds to destroy that with his new version.

  In the original, the ruined Pompeiian setting gave the movie a
  palpable sense of silence and isolation; in the new version they're not much more than a pretty background. The original version held its shots long enough to give the viewer an opportunity to absorb the spacial setting for himself; now we're treated to the short attention span version of things. And why was this this thing masked to 16:9 for the new version? Having a dad who's worked on satellites and space probes my whole life has given me an appreciation for space footage on its own merits; but using simulated flyovers of Mars's surface to accompany Pink Floyd is worthy of a fan's website, not a feature film... please, let the spirit of "Laserium" rest in peace.
  
  

• A terrific relic for Pink Floyd enthusiasts

  
  By A19JYLHD94K94D on 2004-01-10
  Footage of classic period Pink Floyd is so rare and few, that Live in Pompeii is a real treat. It was filmed in 1971, at the peak of their musical genius and creativity (not to devalue the musical and conceptual brilliance of the masterworks Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall, but musically they reached their peak in the period between Meddle and Dark Side Of The Moon), and shows the classic line-up - Roger Waters (bass), David Gilmour (guitar), Richard Wright (keyboards) and Nick Mason (drums) - young, energetic, creative and unpretentious. At this point in time, pre-Dark Side Of The Moon, they weren't yet settled in a niche; they haven't yet made it into the consensus, and they kept experimenting and trying new things, messing about with synthesizers and recording techniques. In this DVD we see them both in the studio and in performance, as they keep exchanging instruments and experimenting, and that's what makes it much more interesting and alive than the Dark Side and The Wall concerts, let alone anything made after the split from Waters in 1983, in which point they were just bleating out their old hits again and again in the same way. Only just managing to break free from the influence of their originator, Syd Barrett, the Pink Floyd are still, in Live In Pompeii, in a transition and struggling to find their voice, yet at the same time not certain of the relevance of their music. Nick comments in one of the many interviews thrown in between the songs - `We might have become a relic of the past... to many we represent that childhood of '67, the underground scene...' - and at this point, there's little in their music that signals of their great break into the mainstream in 1973. In between the performances, we get to see little bits of the Floyd in the studio, in the first stages of creating their masterpiece, Dark Side Of The Moon. It's a fascinating historic relic and an engrossing look at history in the making.

  The musical parts of the video concentrate on Pink Floyd's most experimental instrumental numbers - in fact, only two vocal numbers were included, excluding old stage favorites like Fat Old Sun, Remember A Day and Astronomy Domine and recent numbers like Fearless and San Tropez - which allows it to give us a real look at how they were experimenting with their sound at the time, and to see them live, undubbed, is priceless. Take the epic instrumental A Saucerful Of Secrets from 1968; as Mason keeps the savage and steady beat, Gilmour is sitting on the ground with his Fender in his lap, gently running a slide up and down it, barely touching the strings. Wright pounds chaotic and nearly random notes on his piano, while Mr. Waters, his bass laid aside, plays percussionist and strikes the cymbals fierce and hard. He then walks off to the gong, and starts beating the hell out of it. Wright moves over to his organ and Waters picks up his bass, and they pick up the rhythm. Not synths involved. On Roger's own Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, he doesn't play bass at all; he just barely struggles with the lead vocals, and occasionally beats the gong.

  The instrumental classics Careful With That Axe Eugene and One Of These Days we get to see the full ability of the Floyds' instrumental prowess, as they settle into hard and driving grooves with persistent drums and deep, powerful basslines. Careful With That Axe Eugene is shot by night, with images of bursting volcanoes juxtaposed with an ecstatic Roger Waters shrieking out the song's only vocals. The effects and editing may be dated, but the atmosphere is still mesmerizing. Synthesizers, whatever Floyd's criticizers may have been saying at the time, are used subtly and tastefully. In one of the interviews David and Roger discuss the suggestion that the synthesizers may have taken over their music, claiming rightfully that they're in total control of their music, and that electronic devices can ever only be means and equipment and never a replacement for the artist's creativity. Furthermore, they say, it's immensely important for a musician who wants to be in control of his music, to know all about the equipment, recording and editing. The film really does show Floyd to be a group of very conscious creators, who need to know and understand the final outcome of their efforts - it especially shows in the studio segments. This is and important trait that contributed a lot to Floyd's greatness.

  A surprising and wonderful touch is the short number Mademoiselle Nobbs, a classic 12-bar blues. As Roger strums an acoustic guitar and David plays a soulful harmonica, Richard helps by holding the microphone for the lead vocalist - a lovely dog, who sings her bit in the finest blues tradition, in a soulful and heartfelt duet with Dave's harmonica. It sounds to me like the talented mutt is the same one who contributed her voice to the number Seamus from the 1971 Meddle album, and if you thought the dog's voice on that track was overdubbed, seeing Mademoiselle Nobbs live will change your mind. The concert is bracketed by the epic classic Echoes, which was split in half - a technique adapted on record only in 1975 on Wish You Were Here. Echoes remain, whether on record or live, one of Floyd's most wonderful and impressive numbers, and show their instrumental skill and creativity to the fullest. Strangely enough, this is the only song in the films that allows Dave and Rick to have their voices heard, while on their albums at the time they sang on most of the tracks.

  Incredibly rewarding for Floyd fans, even those who are not as enthusiastic about the early material, is the extra footage added in 1973, which shows Floyd working on their upcoming masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon. We get a chance to see David laying down the final layer of Brain Damage, dubbing the lead guitar part over the nearly complete song; we also get a glimpse of Waters messing about with the synthesizers while working on the classic electronic piece of musical paranoia On The Run, as well as Richard recording the vocals for Us And Them.

  One final question - what's the matter with Rick's beard, and why is it fading in and out of existence throughout the movie? Because other than that, the illusion of a live concert is maintained most of the time, albeit one where the crowd is either centuries dead or carved in stone. The conception of the video, as well as the music, shows Floyd as what they were - one of the most original and creative (some might say pretentious, maybe) bands of their time, just one step before entering the pantheon of timeless music forever.
  
  

• Essential Pink Floyd. At the pinnacle of their career.

  
  By A1E371HE68KMWB on 2002-05-04
  Lots of the images of Pompeii and the ruins and of volcanoes and Roger Waters shreiking may seem a bit dated (and the 9 shots of Nick Mason at once, as well). But all-in-all, this video is amazing, I first saw it at a midnight show in a theater and had to get it on video. The performances document most of my favorite Floyd songs incl. Echoes, One of these Days (a particularly awesome version), Careful with that Axe Eugene, and many more from the post-Barrett-pre-Dark Side era. But the video also features some footage of the band working on Dark Side of the Moon in the studio, as well as some humorous mock-interviews and shots of the band eating (w/ Nick being very particular about getting a piece of pie w/out crust, but it is a round pie!)... We get to see a very glazed eyed Gilmour assert that Pink Floyd is not a drug band... much much more here. Your Pink Floyd collection is not complete without this video.
  
  

• Not very interesting

  
  By AYCWW6IPQFI6D on 2001-04-21
  The content of this programe was a disapointment to me. As was the viewing quality itself. The footage shown is dated (some interviews were taken 15 years ago) so, inevitably, you have to admit a lower picture quality than with more recent material. Newertheless one expects to hear some new informations (be it related to the band or to a certain album or tour) during an interview. However, this tape seems to lack all of the above mentioned. Don't get me wrong, I am of course a Pink Floyd fan, but I suggest that if you're looking for a really interesting collection of interviews you should not spend your money on this videotape.
  
  

• Old Floyd On Video Will Always Get 5 Stars

  
  By A3EWK0PP9WWFMV on 2003-11-04
  Before there was the The Wall (Over embellished/pretentious Floyd), before there was [] Momentary Lapse of Reason, The Division Bell (What I Consider Paint by numbers Floyd i.e. see P.U.L.S.E.!), There was good ole Pink Floyd, ie DSotM, Wish You Were Here and their Masterpiece the Angry and political Animals.
  Before this time Pink Floyd was hungry, had something to say and was looking for a direction, a vision if you like. Their early work was summed up perfectly with the release of this DVD.
  It was not cropped like some may have you believe, the original was released 16:9 in theaters not 4:3 in VHS that was done later for the vhs release. The theatrical release came first. Also. not all of the songs are shot in Italy, Eugene,Nobs and STCFTHOTS were filmed in London because they ran out of time while in Italy and you can see them in a dark sound stage. It still makes this bloody DVD brilliant, and even though it is only stereo, wait until you hear echoes and careful with that axe eugene thru your DVD players surround sound. OMG, it is unreal!!!!Again, for just the sound alone it would have been worth it for the asking price. You can pretty much learn the entire song of echoes on guitars just from camera positions.
  Now to address some additions added into the film that were not there before. there are some space/planet features that are kinda confusing, as well as the CGI art of how Pompeii would have looked, which is not a bad idea given the whole concept of the "Pompeii" thing. Even the planet thing didn't bother me after the second viewing, and I am a die hard Floyd fan. I have a european version of the See Emily Play 45 Single that Syd drew of the "Choo Choo Train", though I must admit I am glad that they developed there own style and let the Beatles be the Beatles.
  It was somwhere in between a Saucerful of Secrets and the release of Meddle, particularly the line in Echoes starts everything special in Floyd to come, by its obsurdness and obscurness thatr makess it so wonderfull...
  "...strangers passing in the street by chance two separate glances meet, for I am you and what I see is me"...
  (That happens every fricken day !!!)

  Next Note:
  Now I know they have have complete Live AUDIO/VIDEO Recordings of Dark Side of the Moon 1972-1974 tours, Wish You Were Here 1975 tours and Animals 1977 In the Flesh tours. If Jimmy Page can work his magic with his masters for both the DVD and How the West Was Won and that footage is older than yours(PF's). What is stopping you, third party Pink Floyd footage is nice. But we would rather se see something directly from Roger/Dave/Nick/Rick/Strom/EMI and best of, making of classic album DVD isn't cutting it any more, you have released, DSotM like 80 times allready, how about a live animals tour or a live DSotM 1972 Hollywood Bowl Tour. A nice DVD 5 1/2 hour Package is what we want. Not a 1/2 hour BBC VH1 presentastion is what we want.

  The Pompeii Video is worth every penny, just a shame they will rip us off with a Pulse DVD or a Delicate Sound of Thunder DVD.
  Its a shame, cause you are my favorite muscian Mr. Gilmour
  
  

• Pretty In Pink
  By A2KSTS2FOBLV17 on 2000-02-17
  From the very opening sequence with it's cinematic partially faling off the screen credits you know that this video is different. In an amphitheatre among the ruins of Pompeii, Italy in a combination of scorching sun and erily lit night parts this video concentrates almost totally on the MUSIC of Floyd and not just a live show. Opening with half of Echoes, with it's teasingly slow wobbly intro of Wright's piano with a view from afar gradualy zooming in on the band. The material of the film is a mixture from Meddle (1971) and earlier albums . Live footage is spliced in with scenes from inside Abbey Road while recording Dark Side and even the band having an evening meal! (No crust please!) Gilmour shines throughout with blistering guitar lines. Wright's analogue synth's and organs sound great as does Water's excellent bass work and Mason's energetic drumlines (and a fine muzzy to boot). In these days of modern technology it is obvious that some parts have been added later with the band placed infront of a more colourful background but hey, it's the music that counts isn't it? And of course it was only the Seventies
  
  
• Wonderful original film
  By A1O8HNYE3Z913A on 2003-11-09
  I just received my copy of this DVD from Amazon, and it's a wonderful DVD. Any film footage from the Floyd during the 60's/70's is virtually non-existent, so this original film, shot in 1971 at this ancient Roman Amphitheatre, finds the band at their pinnacle, enjoying a momentum that would last, at least, until their 1977 "In The Flesh" tour. The tracks are wonderful, and the sound, despite only stereo, has been beautifully remastered.
  Then, why did I give it only 4 out of 5 stars? Because the new "Director's cut" is kitschy at best. Full of computer generated "space footage" (awful), plus DSoTM era interviews (some of them truly revelatory, and wonderful to watch), director Adrian Maben put in everything he could, despite the fact that most of that material was totally unrelated to the Pompeii concert. Thankfully, on the "bonus features" section, Maben had the good taste to leave the original theatrical film -unedited and uncut-, where the band performs their music, warts and all, as nature intended, and as millions of fans all over the world watched it originally. In my humble opinion, I think that the DSoTM interviews should have been included as bonus features, having the original film under the spotlight.
  But, rest assured that if you like the early Gilmour era Pink Floyd, you'll absolutely love this DVD. The music is incredible, and the band are in top form. This is, probably, the definitive Pink Floyd live film we'll have from the classic years (at least, until something is unearthed from the 1970/1977 period).
  
  
• Worth Getting If Your New To The Floyd
  By AUVNASDCXIP2O on 2001-02-11
  Much like the Darkside Interviews Tape (and from the same company), this tape contains footage from the Omnibus documentary. This tape is about 10 minutes shorter (45 minutes in all) but the audio is much better on this tape as the footage is all different from that on the Darkside tape. If you're looking for more history on the guys or are a collector this is definately worth getting but it won't tell you anything you don't already know if you're a long time fan. The video quality is about 6-7 out of 10 which warrants only 3 stars but that's expected due to it not being an official release. As such there is no music or performance footage on here, just interviews from 1987 and 1994 from the Floyd and a Waters interview from the earlier 80's.
  
  
• Live At Pompeii: Cooler than a Polar Bears Arse
  By A1T6NP80XFBUQZ on 2001-08-08
  This is the video that turned me from Pink Floyd apathy to Pink Floyd fanaticism. It is perfect. The cinematography will blow holes in your mind the first time you see it. Then it will blow holes in the hole-less parts every time after that. The selection of music is great because, unless your a pretty hardcore fan, you've probably never heard it. That was the case with me. The opening notes of Echoes part I durring the long zoom-in sucked me in and I wasn't released until the closing notes of Echoes part II that bring the video to it's conclusion durring the long zoom-out. Everything between (Careful with that Axe Eugene, Saucerful of Secrets, One of These Days, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, and Mademoiselle Nobs, to name them all) is captured in musical and cinematic perfection. Nick Mason gets well deserved air time - he must be one of the hardest working drummers in rock history. Where else can you see Dave Gilmour sitting in the dirt screwing with his effects to make the crazy guitar sounds that were so characteristic of Pink Floyd at this time? Or Richard Wright mashing his keyboards with his entire forearm produce beatifully cacaphonic sounds? Or Roger Waters silohueted against a brilliant sun as he mercilessly beats on a massive gong? Even the studio footage of Dark Side of the Moon is awsome. Now we all know that Nick Mason doesn't like pie if theres any crust on it - "Rather have none at all than a piece with crust," he says. One of my favorite things in the world to do is to watch this tape - I'm watching it now. GET IT!
  
  
• Pink Floyd on Video before anyone ever thought of MTV
  By A30XW5PG4YPT6D on 2002-03-22
  This classic 1974 video has been re-mastered slightly since its original release. The audio is a little better but still sounds as Roger Waters' states in one part of the "Dark Side of the Moon" recording segments "A little too toppy." The video quality is better as well but still washed out in some segments.

  Technical difficulties aside the reason to own this if for the sheer excitement of watching and listening to these four creative talents. You get a chance to see these guys perform in an ancient amphitheatre many of their original classics. The play list includes Echoes Part-1 and Part-2, Careful With That Axe Eugene, A Saucerful of Secrets and more. It is fun to see how they created all of the space age sounds in the days before computers, digital samplers, and fully programmable synthesizers.

  The video segues are creative in that transitions are done using film optics that in later days became staple effects in modern production video switchers. An example of this is the transition to the song "One Of These Days I'm Going To Cut You Into Little Pieces" with little bits of the picture appearing in cut out pieces of paper, which is the modern Matrix wipe effect.

  As an added bonus you will witness the tracking of "Dark Side Of The Moon" and even hear the voice of Alan Parsons though the studio PL system.

  A technical note in that the surround effect is good through a Dolby Pro Logic 2 system or with DTS Neo 6.1. Good effects can also be had hooking up your VHS-HIFI audio outputs to a classic Marantz Quad receiver like the model-4300 and using the Vari-Matrix function.

  Enjoy !!!
  
  

• A must for the Floyd fan
  By A1LKX9ZOGV5CWC on 2000-04-07
  I've seen this over and over these past 15 years, and never tire watching it. At this time, Pink floyd were still very much experimental, and nowhere is that more evident than here. Imagine Dave Gilmour, in the middle of "Saucerful of Secrets" sitting down in the dust, with a few pedal effects around him, a steel bar, laying the guitar flat on his lap and finding out what weird sounds he can coax out of it. The end of that piece is excellent, as a strong wind picks up and adds to the ambience.

  The nightime shots are less interesting unless you like psychedelic light shows (I don't). The daytime shots are interesting both for mood and feel. I learned the entire "Echoes" guitar solo from watching the tape when I was a kid. (the director kindly holds the camera on the guitar the whole time).

  My only beef is the audio quality. I have this on video, CD, and the LP (remember those?), and each one has the same, hissing and popping oversaturated sound. I really hope that the original master is 1) better, 2) is dug up one day for remastering and cleaning up, and 3) released on DVD. The sound quality is the only reason I can't give it 5 stars.
  
  

• 5 STARS FOR THE MOVIE, 0 STARS FOR THE DVD
  By A39W3263A9HCMN on 2005-10-18
  I was excited I nearly crapped myself when I heard this was getting a DVD release. I always watched this on video (infact I would always rent it) and loved it. then this movie got released 1n 2004 and I bought it with my birthday. I liked the movie- but HATED THE DVD!!!! Here's why:
  
  1. PFLAP was shot in a 4:3 fullscreen format. Here, they put it in "Cropped Widescreen" and cut off the top and bottom by putting black bars. Rediculous! Instead of a talking head during the interviews, we get a talking nose (lotsa nose-hairs!) more like "Crapped Widescreen."
  
  2. They put in needless and boring interviews. Really annoying. They last for 10 minutes and get really boring.
  
  3. Also, what's really a blasephemy is that they cut out "Us and Them". Rediculous! It's the best song they ever written. I can't believe it.
  
  4. They edited "echoes" by making Nick Mason's sunglasses dissapear and reappear. How really crappy.
  
  Seriously, get the original VHS. It's worth your money. Otherwise rent it. DOn't get this crappy DVD.
  
  
  
• Exploration In Sound
  By A2TC8DVTA99GLN on 2000-01-07
  Pink Floyd has never failed to amaze me. Their mix of audio and visual elements in "Live at Pompeii" creates a near-to-perfect Floyd experience. The songs are from the "transitional" Floyd era...post Syd/pre "Dark Side of the Moon". Set in the ruins of an ancient coliseum, Floyd plays to an invisible audience. Mix in stunning visual photography of ancient murals and lava pits, with Floyd's droning music as a soundtrack, and you have an excellent psychedelic experience. Might be boring to a sober mind, but endless entertainment to Floyd fans or those who like to let their mind wander. Turn out the lights, hook up the stereo, and enjoy "Echoes", "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun", "A Saucerful Of Secrets", "One Of These Days", and more. New releases of the video have behind-the-scenes of the making of "Dark Side Of The Moon", interviews, and lunch.
  
  
• Pink Floyd is Pink FLoyd
  By A358XBHRVFDGD on 2000-04-22
  This video shows the best of Pink Floyd. We can see the band dealing with the instruments, modulating sounds, testing gears and throwing them into music. Between the songs, there are interviews, studio sessions and that sort of things. The setlist is:
  1. Echoes - Part I
  2. On The Run
  3. Careful With That Axe, Eugene
  4. A Saucerful Of Secrets (crazy song, isn't it?)
  5. Us And Them
  6. One Of These Days I'm Going To Cut You Into Little Pieces (great drums)
  7. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (great organ modulation)
  8. Brain Damage
  9. Mademoiselle Nobs (what a dog, eh?)
  10. Echoes - Part II
  
  
• The Essence of Pink Floyd
  By AYFTXVP53UX85 on 1999-12-05
  This film captures one of rock's most creative bands at their absolute creative peak. They were still wildly experimental, just on the cusp of mega-stardom. The film captures the Floyd just before Roger Waters began dominating the group and terrorizing the shyer members of the band, such as Rick Wright. The film is a perfect visual representation of the Floyd in this period--conceptual, strange, trippy though tasteful. Their interviews in the film are priceless, especially Nick Mason's bitter struggle to get a slice of pie without the crust. The film demands multiple viewings.
  
  
• Advice from a Pink Floyd fan
  By A3UK21NY0SBOZ7 on 2004-06-06
  Want to know if this DVD is for you?

  LONG ANSWER:

  Well, it depends on what kind of person you are, even if you're a Pink Floyd fan. There are many kinds according to the type of music and/or mood they prefer.

  1)There are the solitary, silent people who prefer to stare at something and find beauty even in the patterns of the floor tiles. These people prefer to look beyond what can be seen or heard and find "the spirit" of something, no matter how caothic it may seem. These are the fans of 1968-1972 Pink Floyd's looong, strange pieces. I know somebody like this, a painter, friend of mine, and he was immediately hypnotized by "Echoes", in spite that he wasn't a huge fan of Pink Floyd. These people will really enjoy the original concert film. I did. If you dream about being alone in the desert and watch the sunrise listening to "Echoes", this is just for you.

  2)Others prefer the glamour and the coloured lights of traditional concerts; they like interviews with artists, special 3D-effects, and Star Wars. They enjoy jazz and prefer more "structured" music. These profile correspond to Pink Floyd fans from "Dark side" through "Wish You were here". These could love the Director's Cut; however, some of them might be dissapointed.

  3)And there are those who don't really appreciate jazz, classical music, or staring at anything. Those of you who listen to pop music all day or who think "The Wall" is the best Pink Floyd music ever, this DVD is not for you.

  There are many kinds of art... There is simple-structured art, like pop music or naif-style paintings, whose beauty can inmmediately seen, but when trying to find the soul of it... well, there isn't any. And there is the other kind of art, that present in desolate De Chirico paintings, in El Bosco's obscure visions, and in the desert. This can't be appreciated in a first sight; instead, it needs to be studied and re-visited many times, in order to love it. This is the type of art present in "Live at Pompeii". I saw Shrek and liked it a lot the first time, second time it wasn't that fun and the third time it didn't capture my attention anymore. But Live at Pompeii is a DVD I will wear out.

  SHORT ANSWER:

  If you really love the songlist, buy it. If you like Pink Floyd but don't like these particular songs, keep searching.
  
  

• Pink Floyd-Live in Pompeii
  By A1SJ1Z5L0ZYD1P on 2004-10-20
  The origanal was great I couldn't wait to get it on DVD and than it came out I gave my original away I bought the Dvd the directors cut.
  Well this brilliant director took the monolisa and cut her up through a bunch of modern crap threw it on top of it and made a real mess.I loved the original where you could watch Pink Floyd play and it was in order,before the Idiot director decided to cover all of the live playing with moon shots,sun spots and volcanoes erupting.The Directors cut is crap the Origanal was brilliant and I wish that I had my original VHS back.
  
  
• A Fine Floyd Film
  By A3SYWFUX8JTFTD on 2000-04-23
  This is an excellent, but somewhat overlooked, document of a classic Pink Floyd performance. Most people associate Floyd concerts with light shows and football stadiums, but this performance is set in the ruins of Pompeii (actually, in a old stadium, but I digress), without the special effects or even an audience. This IS Pink Floyd music, as raw and real as you've never imagined

  The songs are truly the focus of this film, but the performances are intertwined with images of volcanic eruptions, ancient mosaics murals, and the plaster casts of the victims who were buried alive beneath tons of lava. The Pompeii setting gives a totally differnet feeling to these classic Floyd songs. For example, "Echoes" is filled with underwater imagery, but in the film, the performance is paired with footage of bubbling volcanic mud springs, and of the band members traipsing through the desert in a sand storm, giving a whole new dimension to the song.

  The performances themselves are outstanding. Highlights include the aformentioned "Echoes," divided up into to Parts I and II, and a frenetic take of "A Saucerful of Secrets." I read somewhere that this was the last time the Floyd ever performed this particular song. A shot of Roger Waters risking a possible burst blood vessel during "Careful with that Axe, Eugene" is another highlight.

  As an added bonus, this film includes interviews of the band, and footage of the recording of "Dark Side of the Moon." These revealing sequences of the band fiddling in the studio, arguing over recording teqniques, and having supper, show the human side of Pink Floyd, contradicting the notion that their machines and electronics do all the work, something that David Gilmour dicussses in his interview. The behind-the-scenes footage does not show Roger Waters in a particularly flattering light, as he is shown as very irritable and pompous, but his intimidating intelligence shines through in his interviews. The Nick Mason "pie with no crust" scene is a hilarious bit of rock and roll pretentiousness.

  Kudos must also be given to the director and the film crew. Their slow crossover shots, almost reminicent of Kubrick, fit the dreamy atmosphere that the music provides. The ultra-slow zoom-in shot at the beginning of "Echoes", followed by the same shot done as a zoom-out at the end of the film, is clever and effective.

  I take away one star for some minor faults. One, the cameras focus too much on the drumming on "One of these Days." I would have much rather preferred scenes of Roger playing his delayed echo bass part, or footage of Gilmour's scorching slide guitar solo (This is also a problem during "Set the Controls..." but Nick Mason's tribal beats in this song are much more interesting to watch.) Two, the parts where they cut away to the band in front of a green-screen, mimicing their previously recorded performances, are just plain cheesy, and take away from the atmosphere. Lastly, there are no interview segements of Richard Wright. A minor complaint, but he is an important member of the band, and his exclusion, for whatever reason, just doesn't seem right.

  Those flaws do not take away from the outsanding portrait of the Pre-DSOTM-era Pink Floyd that is "Live at Pompeii." Any Floyd fan should click on the "Add to Shopping Cart" button right way, and let the Floyd take you to places you've never been before.
  
  

• Fully understand
  By A3KKOJK2M6356D on 1999-12-14
  If you didn't fully understand Pink Floyd before, than video will make you understand! Everything that they do makes sense! If you are a true Floydian than this video is a must, if you are not than the video will make you become one! I have never seen a band put so much of themselves into their songs. When they play, you can tell that they are actually part of the music! The music that they play in the video displays how talanted they are, how creative they are and shows why Pink Floyd is more than music - it's a way of thinking and it's a mind set! Buy the video and you'll understand all that Pink Floyd stands for!
  
  
• The Floyd in all their Glory..... without the crust.
  By on 1999-05-19
  When I bought this video, I didn't know what to expect. At the time I owned only 14. Now I own over all the Floyd Cd's (and of course "imports".) My first impression was one of shock. Echoes blew me away. I rather listen to this live version anyday over the studio version. Gilmour plays the Guitar as if there was no tomorrow. The transformation of Echoes into a Guitar driven song to a Bass driven song is done masterfully by Waters. Wright stars in the latter half of A Saucerful of Secrets, just before Gilmour bursts in with his vocal solo. In One of these Days, Nick Mason shines and proves how underrated he his. And yes he is the one who says One of these Days I'm going to cut you into little pieces. In Careful with that Axe, Eugene, Waters produces the scream, Carefull... Carefull... Carefull with that Axe, Eugene AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't agree more with Nick Mason, I also want the pie without the crust. In my opinion this Tape represents the Floyd at the peak of their working together. No Barrett is long gone, Waters hasn't become the focal point of the band, and Gilmour has another 15 years ahead of him before he leads. At this point everybody puts their part in, including Mason and thankfully Rick Wright. This video is among the jewels of my Floydian collection. Not exactly a starter video by far, but the Floyd's best including The Wall. I highly recommend this video anybody into The Pink Floyd.
  
  
• A great transition from old PF to the classic era.
  By A9LQVU185DFLB on 2003-10-11
  A classic concert film set on the backdrop of an ampitheatre in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, until recently it was only available on VHS. Now, the film has recieved the DVD update and I'm quite pleased with it.

  An assortment of earlier Pink Floyd songs are played by the band, including "Careful With That Axe Eugene", "One Of These Days" and "Echoes". While I am disappointed that the audio is only stereo, it sounds better than it ever did on VHS.

  The film itself is rather interesting, mixing footage of planets and other space exploration with shots of the band and the destroyed city of Pompeii. The footage of Pompeii is best used during the beginning of "Echoes, Part 2".

  Overall, it is a decent upgrade of the original film, featuring just enough new stuff to warrant a re-release. A great insight into Pink Floyd just before they hit their peak, and for a good price too!
  
  

• this is the REAL Pink Floyd
  By AI264XUOHCW9O on 2006-07-27
  I just have one question. What planet do these guys come from? This is one of my most listened to DVDs - all the more so after buying Roger Waters In the Flesh and PF's Pulse, both of which I find sanitised overly-lush productions, and unfortunately highly over-rated and disappointing. I love the minimalist sound of early Pink Floyd - and this film captures them at their psychedelic best.
  
  Unlike Pulse, there's no fancy light shows or distracting films to underscore how boring the performance is. A lot of reviews express disappointment at The Director's Cut - I've owned this feature 18 months and never watched the main film. I just watch the original movie - it's more than captivating enough.
  
  It was a work of genius to film this in Pompeii, it emphasises the spacy nature of the music, the other-worldliness of their productions. It's hypnotic.
  
  What I like about it best is the lack of extra musicians and backing singers - its just Pink. I listen only to live music, primarily to see musicians play. In South Africa, the major - or minor bands for that matter - never seem to make it this far, so seeing them live on DVD is the next best.
  
  I wish a whole lot more Sixties music would be brought out on DVD - and I'm not even a flower child of the Sixties, though I sometimes wish I was!
  
  
• Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii
  By A1KT053TNPMIVS on 1999-12-28
  This film can be best described as a depiction of the bridging point from where Pink Floyd's core sound changed quite dramatically from a Psychedilc rock band to a post modern experimental rock outfit.

  The most notable change to Floyd, besides it actual sound, was the abscence of the original founding member Syd Barrett.

  Floyd's first project, in the abscence of Syd Barrett was a 50% live - 50% Studio album called Ummagumma. This album has elements of Floyd's past sounds and future sounds mashed together. A lot of Floyd fans were shocked by Dark Side of the Moon, which to them was a sound so radically different to that of Syd Barrett's Floyd, that most Floyd fans denounced the album, and never listened to Floyd again.

  This video is a must for old-sound Floyd fans as well as the new. As the film explains the band's reasons for the change. The video gives you a glimpse into their past, and was to become their future.

  The video features live performances of this transitional sound, that is featured on their album Ummagumma, as well as interviews with each of the four band members.

  The video also gives you glimpses into the production of Dark Side of the Moon, which as we all know was the real turning point in Pink Floyd's path to success.

  Very raw sounds, very raw filming, very raw editing, but this seems to apt as the band were at a very raw stage.
  
  

• A true masterpiece
  By A1BN9S0TNSO1KT on 2003-06-26
  Firstly, one has to say that pre-Dark Side era of The Pink Floyd is just as good as what followed the greatest album of all times. This way, it is quite obvious that Live At Pompeii should be extremely good. But it's not just it. I bought the VHS expecting to watch one of the greatest band of all time doing their well-known songs live. And that's not what I found. I found the greatest band of all times rediscovering their own songs, and making it so beautifully that I would call it mystical.

  The set list includes the 23-minute-epic-masterpiece "Echoes", much better than the original version. The chemistry between the band is so intense that you actually feel as if they were all doing just one thing: magic, not music. Each song is played slowly, yet intensively; few vocals are heard. Waters roars as a lunatic in Careful With that Axe, Eugene, while volcanos furiously spit magma. Gilmour murmurs softly a kind whisper in A Saucerful of Secrets, after Mason performs an amazing set of double bass drum. Even a dog is "invited" to "sing" in Mademoseille Nobes, which makes it even more strange (in a positive way, believe me).
  If you're a die hard Floyd fan and loves songs such as Careful With that Axe Eugene, Echoes and One of These Days, go for it. If all you have ever heard from the Floyd is Another Brick in the Wall and your idea of their songs performed live links to bricks falling from the stage, forget it.
  
  

• To: A viewer
  By A2CNWZE49KGW6V on 2003-10-16
  This DVD is incredible. I would recommend it any fan. And Pink Floyd never went "bubblegum-mainstream pop" in their career. DSOTM was written at a time when David Bowie and T-Rex were taunting their pop fantasys' and PF wrote an amazing album with things we all experience everyday. It had the lyrics, music, and an incredible concept that was shown so incredibly. PF never gave up, sold out, or wrote easily-digestible-by-the-masses ablums. Roger Waters is one of the greatest lyricists' of all time and PF worked unbelievably hard to mold all their work to their vision. At no time did they make music like any other. As far as selling out goes, they never did it. Stanley Kubrick wanted "Echoes" for 2001: A Space Odyessy and PF told him no. They did do soundtrack albums but they did the whole album from scratch and soon after released those albums under their name. The only people that Roger Waters allows to recreate "The Wall" in theatrical form is young school children, not even college students. Their albums were never easily-digestible either. The song "Pigs (3 different ones)" from "Animals" was about Mary Whitehouse and how she tried to keep their "...feelings off the street." PF was never just trying to make a lot of money. They used to buy entire blocks in a town and give all the homes to those who could not afford them. They gave to charity and did a lot to help those who could not help themselves. When Roger Waters played "The Wall" on the Berlin Wall he donated all profits to charity. Keep in mind that there were four hundred thousand people at that show. PF doesn't try to brag about how they are generous because they are extremely humble, unlike U2. Yes they wrote some songs lamenting the life of being rich pop stars but don't forget they charitable things they did with a lot of that money and just because they are huge rock stars doesn't mean they enjoy it, if you analzye some lyrics you would understand that. Stardom just came with their amazing music, they would have made it even if no one was listening. (...)
  
  
• Echoes of Pompeii...
  By A3UA40JOD3BE1M on 2006-09-05
  Now THIS brings back fond memories... of midnight showings, wall-to-wall hippies, "exotic" tobaccos, and... well, I can't remember much else! LOL! But seriously, as soon as this was released, in a "Directors Cut" no less, I raced out and bought it... and you can't imagine how crushed I was by what the director, Adrian Maben, had managed to do to his original film.
  
  I've made it a rule of sorts not to write negative revues, I'd much rather tell you why I liked something than why I thought something sucked; my first exception to that rule was for the totally execrable "AvP," and this, I'm afraid, is my second. Thankfully the "Original" film IS included in the "Special Features," and it's for this that I gave the 5 Stars.
  
  The production, such as it is, is incredibly simple by todays standards, we're talking 1971 after all, so, there're no lasers, no circular screen, no Varilights, no "Floyd droids," no mirror-ball, no wall, no pigs, no uber-show. What you do have are the four remaining members of the band, recently Sid-less, playing direct to camera in the Roman Amphitheater in Pompeii. Stretching themselves artistically in new directions, experimenting with new sounds and musical structures; in a number of the tracks presented here, you can hear the genesis of what they were to become, especially in the superb "Echoes."
  
  Visually you get a mixture of static shots of the band playing, with the occasional tracking shot front and back of them. There's some footage of them walking on what appear to be the slopes of Vesuvius, looking at bubbling mud pools and clouds of steam. There're some over-dubs and front projection work done in a studio in France, but the most visually interesting numbers are "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun," "Careful with that Axe Eugene," and "One of these days," which are all performed at night... VERY atmospheric! "One of these days" is actually quite bizarre as practically ALL of the footage is of Nick Mason playing up a storm, the rest of the footage of the band, with the exception of a couple of blink-and-you'll-miss-'em cut-aways, was lost!
  
  So, what IS the problem with the "Directors Cut?" Simple. The performance of the band has been butchered; interview footage, some of it unintentionally hilarious such as an obviously stoned David Gilmour telling the director that they're NOT a "drug orientated" band, "You can trust us," he says, has been edited into the breaks between the tracks. There's also footage of Gilmour, Waters, and Wright, in the Abbey Road studios trying out alternate versions of numbers from "Dark Side." All of this additional footage is well worth having, but, IMHO, it should have been edited into a separate documentary, or used to illustrate the obligatory interview with Maben, not shoe-horned in between the tracks themselves!
  
  And then, as if to add insult to injury, Maben completely loses the plot and cuts in a bunch of grungy old stock NASA footage, y'know, Saturn 5 rockets taking off, a horribly pixilated 20 year old CGI'd planetary fly-by that looks as if it was produced on an Atari console, solar flares etc etc etc. This is embarrassing, I mean, the title sequence of "Star Trek Voyager" has better looking "space" footage than this old tat!!! Hell, if you want "trippy" visuals with your Floyd you'd be better off ripping the audio from the disc, converting it to mp3 and then playing it through iTunes with the Visualizer turned on!!! And if you're going to do that, edit the two halves of "Echoes" together via a 30-second cross-fade... I'm actually starting to like this version better than the studio one! Maben's justification for this travesty in his interview is completely bonkers, something about aliens in another galaxy picking up a faint broadcast of the Floyd's performance, then jumping in a ship and tracking the signal back to it's source!!! Oh, and did I mention the fake "Letterbox" format? (sigh)
  
  My advice to any self respecting Floyd fan is to buy this and watch the "Original" film FIRST; just soak up the performances and marvel at how young and scruffy they all once were! LOL! Then, grit your teeth and watch the "Directors Cut" for the additional interviews and Abbey Road footage. So, in summing up... Pink Floyd: 5 Stars, Adrian Maben: 0 Stars!!!
  
  
  
• The Best Music Video Ever Made!
  By on 1999-04-21
  I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on the big screen right after it was released and it totally blew me away! Now here I am over 25 years later with the VCR version and it still blows me away. The location is fantastic, the interviews are fantastic, the art interspersed with the songs is fantastic and watching Pink Floyd make music is one of the most fascinating things ever seen. My only regret is that the camera was on Nick Mason so much while David Gilmour was ripping out this incredible guitar work. I wanted to see what he was doing! The short tastes I kept getting were such teasers and I was getting rather upset with the cameraman! What an awesome group and we are so lucky to have had them in our lifetime. Thank you, Pink Floyd, for bringing such joy into not only my late teen years, but my adult years as well. This video should be released in the theaters again for the new generation of Floydians to experience. Definitely a have-to-have for every PF collection.
  
  
• DVD
  By A29J39GHQY6Q3W on 2002-09-26
  I read that Pink Floyd's Live at Pompeii is scheduled for its DVD release in March of 2003. ABOUT TIME!!! An added note, Roger Waters' manager Mark Fenwick confirms Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii(The Directors' cut) will be released on DVD.
  
  
• Floyd climbing to their career peak
  By A3R7JG37B324ID on 2003-10-23
  I saw Pink Floyd at Pompeii in 1979 at a midnight theater show in college. It was part of a double show, the other being Flesh Gordon. Needless to say, very few in the crowd were there to see the Floyd. However, for a minority (including myself), the film
  had quite an impact. I had to wait years to find the VHS version, but once I did, it was played over and over. I was always intrigued by the shots of the Pompeii ruins, artwork, bubbling mudpits, and lava flows intertwined with the soundscapes of Floyd classics, especially Set the Controls and Careful with that Ax Eugene. It provides a powerful atmosphere of isolation and despair. Unfortunately, in the DVD version, Adrien Maben has inserted some space footage (planets and spaceship) and other modern imagery (Naples) that distracts from the original mood of the theatre version. The DVD does contain some extra footage of interviews and Dark Side sessions, but the real power of the film is the concert footage. Fortunately, the DVD has an option for concert footage only. This is a must for all serious Floyd fans, and anyone who is intersted in their pre Dark Side phase. The performances of Echoes, Ax, and Set the Controls are probably the best ever recorded. Get the headphones, turn out the the lights, put on the Concert Footage option, and enjoy.
  
  
• Careful with that video edit Eugene, uh, I mean Adrian.
  By AJNFCL2IC72JU on 2003-10-23
  This new DVD release is different than the previous VHS version so hold on to your original video tape! (that version may never be re-released again).

  "Live in Pompeii" has been for years (and will remain) my #1 desert island video, music or otherwise. The slow panning cameras behind the amp stacks, the bubbling mudpits and boiling lava scenes and the rough, unpolished band performances in the ruins of Pompeii's ampitheatre are powerful and at times scary.
  The music, like the setting, is spacious and slow moving but haunting and bold below (and above) the surface.

  
  DVD Director's cut: This is a real mess and would be even more confusing to those not familiar with the original film. My main gripe here is not the newly added "space" visuals and other non-related footage. The real bugger here (for me) is the so called "widescreen" format, bullocks! What they did instead was take the original film and squash and crop it to add black bars. It's simulated widescreen, so what we see is actualy less of the viewable print! It doesn't look/feel right at all and I found it unsettling to watch. Mind bogglingly atrocious.
  But... we do get extra audio and visual footage of the band in Abbey Road which is prized by a (Water's era) Floyd fan like myself. And with the added visuals it does give us another, alternate version. So for that it's better than not including it at all. Still, what were they (Adrian?) thinking?

  DVD original concert : This is the jewel of it all. I'd never seen just the straight 60 minute performance film before. It's cohesive, effective. Pompeii was a dead on great choice choice for the band to re-create their heavy yet airy soundtrack.
  There is only an occasional overdub or visual blip. (Overdubbed bass on Madmoiselle Knobs). BTW- Seamus was Steve Marriott's dog and was being cared for by one of the Floyd while Steve was away on tour. I'm not sure if the dog in Pompeii is Seamus or not.
  As for the lack of Rick Wright interview on the origianl Abbey Road footage, that never bothered me. He never was a very vocal or opinionated member, despite his priceless contribution to the band/music. What we do get is his utterly sublime, hovering and vulnerable high vocal along side Gilmour on Echoes. That always gives me goosebumps and itself is worth the price of admission. And to cut Echoes down the middle to bookend the film was a fitting and perfect framework.

  DVD extras: Just more, good stuff to include. They even have the covers to several famous bootleg albums of the 70's! and a map of Pompeii! good fun.

  The DVD itself is a fantastic value chock full of goodies.
  The sharpness of the audio and video is a vast step up from the
  previous versions.

  Now I'm just waiting for the "Live in Pompeii" film to hit the midnight theatre show again! Without the crust please.
  
  

• Pink Floyd - Pulse
• Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon
• David Gilmour: Remember That Night - Live from the Royal Albert Hall
• Led Zeppelin
• Roger Waters - The Wall (Live in Berlin)