Pink Floyd - The Wall 25th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition) Reviews

• Pink Floyd: The Wall - Welcome my son.....

  
  By AWFPO0SDMD4QR on 2000-11-10
  I was a Pink Floyd fan throughout my younger years, but The Wall to me
  is still one of the most wonderfully well-produced albums of all time.
  I must have seen this film in the theater over 20 times during my high
  school years. And now, seeing and hearing this film on DVD has
  'remastered' my appreciation for this entertaining visual and audio
  experience. At first sight, the graphics work on the package and the
  disc itself is attractive. the animated flowers are beautifully
  portrayed on the disc. The inner pamphlet is a simple mini poster,
  with movie and DVD credits. I was hoping for a little more to read,
  but I guess not this time. I popped the DVD into my player and was
  immediately introduced to the main menu. You have 4 choices....the
  movie, the extra features, scene/song selection and audio selection.
  Let's first talk about the audio selection, titled "Set The
  Controls". You have a choice of 5.1 surround and PCM stereo
  surround. **TECHNICAL NOTE-If your DVD player has 3D sound
  enhancement, you must turn this off for this disc. Having that
  feature on will lower the sound quality from this disc** You also have
  a "system set up" choice. It gives you specific sound tests
  and directions on volume and surround elements. A nice addition, kind
  of like the THX optimode on other discs, but slightly different. The
  next menu button is titled "Any Title You Like". Under
  this, you get to choose subtitles if you wish. Your choices are
  Spanish, French or English. You get to choose scenes by song, of
  course. Unfortunately, these choices are only numbered, there are no
  descriptions of the scene or the song. So, it may take a few tries to
  find an individual scene. You also have a choice to watch the film
  with the song lyrics below the picture. This is pretty cool. It
  reminded me of those "Pink Floyd Karaoke Parties" that I
  never went to! Anyway, it would probably be taken more seriously to
  those not too familiar with the lyrics. The final button, titled
  "A Soucerful of Features", contain all the supplemental
  material. You have your choice of two documentaries, titled "The
  Other Side", "Retro Part One", and "Retro Part
  Two". "The Other Side" is a piece produced around the
  time The Wall was released, and it's great to watch. There is a lot
  of behind the scenes footage. "Retro Part One and Two" are
  recent documentaires containing rather new interviews with Roger
  Waters, Alan Parker and others who worked on the film. Both of these
  documentaires are fascinating because it is well known (to fans), that
  Roger and Alan had very different views as to what the film is about!
  A lot of behind the scenes stories and information. They are put
  together very well and a pleasure to watch! You also have the choice
  of watching the film with commentary by Roger Waters and Gerald Scarfe
  (animation). These commentaries have great behind the scenes
  information throughout the film. Roger Waters is especially a
  pleasure to listen to because he laughs (which is rare), and he gives
  the commentary a more personal experience since the film is
  semi-autobiographical. He even mentions a story about Syd Barrett
  (the founder of Pink Floyd). This commentary is outstanding. The
  final piece of supplemental material is when you click a button titled
  "Oddities". These pieces of supplemental material include
  the trailer, photographs from the movie set, paintings from the film,
  a music video of "Another Brick in the Wall-Part 2", and a
  sequence of the song "Hey You" that was not in the final cut
  of The Wall. That's all the supplemental material...well worth it
  too! The only two complaints I have are these buttons that you can
  press that give you 10 second sound bites from the film, and the
  slowness of the menus. After you select something, you need to watch
  10 seconds of video before you are allowed to make your next choice.
  Menu design and graphics is pretty good, but should be MUCH faster.
  OK, so I watched the film and the high definition transfer is
  incredibly beautiful. Colors are deeply saturated with a sharp
  picture and wonderful clarity. The transfer is very impressive!
  Sound quality is a mixed bag. The production track sounds dated, not
  too much range but not at all annoying, just noticeable. The music is
  unbelievable! The soundtrack was remastered from the ORIGINAL MASTER
  TAPES. If you've never heard The Wall on a surround sound system, you
  are in for a big treat. The music sounds almost perfect, with some
  hiss, but nothing to complain about. There were times I heard
  instruments that I didn't remember from the album....incredibly clear,
  wonderfully recorded music. I can't say enough about the musical
  soundtrack, it comes alive on DVD. Pink Floyd never sounded better!
  In conclusion, I recommend this DVD to EVERY Pink Floyd fan, and to
  those who want to hear a unique, musical experience and watch a
  beautifully photographed film. I must add that the animation is
  absolutely wonderful. Gerald Scarfe has included his great creativity
  throughout the film! The disc loses points ONLY for its slow menu
  navigation. Other then that, Pink Floyds The Wall on DVD is
  wonderful. Tons of extra footage, a beautiful transfer and
  unbelievable sounding music. A great DVD to own whether you live
  inside or outside the wall! Enjoy!
  
  
  

• A review of the "window dressings" only

  
  By AK7HA5YU06NLG on 2005-01-27
  The movie itself - compelling, bizarre, incomprehensible (slightly less so once you listen to the director's commentary, but still a baffling story), and completely addictive. It's a film you won't be watching every week, but certainly once you put it on, you've pretty much committed yourself to falling under its spell for the duration.
  
  But I'm here to primarily discuss the diffrences between the two editions of the DVD. If you have the previous edition of this DVD, don't bother getting this one thinking that you're upgrading. The "limited edition" disc itself is absolutely no different than the old one - same menus, same extras (nothing more, nothing less), same audio encoding and video transfer, even the same artwork on the disc. The packaging is the only difference here, and it's a beautiful slim digipak that looks more like "The Wall" album than the original box did. Of course, the original box mimicked the film's promotional poster, so if you're more of a purist in that sense, get that one. The box is then slipped into an clear acetate case with the movie's logo printed on the outside. Inside is a fold-out of the movie poster and a few photos.
  
  What's odd though is that the "limited edition" is actually 5 bucks less than the previous version. Five bucks more just to get a standard plastic clamshell case? I think not! That in itself is what finally led me to purchase this movie, was the lower price!
  
  

• All in all...just another milking of "The Wall"

  
  By ATQHWEC8H46A4 on 2005-01-28
  Don't get me wrong, I love Pink Floyd (and The Wall too) but this constant rehashing of DSOTM and The Wall into "Anniversary, Special Editions...ad nauseum" is just plain ripping off the fans.
  How about the long awaited DVD release of Pulse or Delicate Sound of Thunder instead?
  
  

• The Final Cut

  
  By A3ELMRK19HOJ1O on 1999-12-16
  Most clearly put, this movie is a spellbinding artistic masterpiece. It will evoke every possible emotion and leave you wanting more of even those that are "negative".

  Roger Waters knew when the album itself, a masterpiece all its own, was made that he wanted to eventually make an accompanying screenplay. The fact that the music of The Wall forms a story on its own is a testament to Waters' vision. There is very little script in this movie, it is more of a visual aide to the music itself, and allows us to see what Waters really wanted us to see when the album was originally released. It is like an art gallery more than a movie, where each scene is full of both powerful meaning and subtle expression.

  It spotlights the roller coaster ride of Pink's tumultuous life, who is reportedly based on several influences. From Roger Waters' own personal past, to his views on the influence of drugs on music and performance, to thoughts of the mentally unstable former member of Pink Floyd, Sid Barrett, this movie will both shock and move you.

  I honestly cannot describe this movie and give it the justice it deserves. You simply must see it.

  As for the DVD itself, the remastering is truly phenomenal. From start to finish the video is crisp, and the sound.. my god the sound. I dont know if I will ever find a movie which possesses equal richness of sound. This DVD uses both senses to their fullest potential.

  Some person commented that the widescreen format meant losing a portion of the picture. Au contraire, widescreen is the only picture where you capture everything through the eyes of the director's camera. It is the full screen format which loses the sides of the picture by stretching and trimming to a (roughly) 4:3 ratio. Unfortunately however, being only available in widescreen format on this DVD, those viewers with small televisions might be faced with a vertically short, albeit complete picture.

  The DVD extras and menus are incredible. This is the first DVD I have seen which has menus to configure your sound system for optimum performance (speaker position and test). And the sound.. did I mention the sound?

  This movie and DVD version deserves far more than 5 stars, and is the definitive "Final Cut" of Roger Waters' vision.
  
  

• Powerful

  
  By A2L7KBERYYAIUB on 1999-11-24
  "Pink Floyd the Wall" is what it was always supposed to be...a visual experience. The music from the original LP hit us hard enough, with such poignant tunes as "Hey You", "Vera Lynn" and "Mother", not to mention the showstoppers "Run Like Hell", "Another Brick in the Wall", and "Comfortably Numb". It was a natural progression that a movie came out, and I'm glad it did. The result is powerful. The film creates an eerie, sad, desperate and pervasive world that envelopes you, taking you in and down with the movie's anti-hero, Pink. His life is one of rebellion and loneliness, and he never quite comes to terms with himself until the end, when it's really too late. From his early experiences with bitter and sarcastic headmasters to his final drug overdose and near insanity, we get to run the gamut of experiences with him, and if it isn't always satisfying, it is certainly compelling. One of the most memorable, tragic scenes involves Pink's crew trying to get him ready for a gig, while he's whacked out on pills and whatever else is handy. As they drag him, wasted and near-comatose, to the show he must play, he hallucinates that he's literally rotting away, while the song "Comfortably Numb" drones ominously on the soundtrack. The result is frightening, and very good.

  Not for the squeamish, this movie has many brilliant little moments like this, and as a whole, ranks as one of the more intense dramas ever made.
  
  

• we don't need no thought control...
  By A3PERVDBNCQJQV on 2002-04-23
  if there is one dvd that you must add to your collection, pink floyd the wall should be it. very few dvd videos out there offer so many extras to such a great film as this and not to mention you are already getting one of the greatest rock-n-roll operas of our time. or should i say one of the greatest films of our time period? in my life, i have never witnessed a film which successfully combine live drama, rock music, and state of the art animation such as the wall has done. bob geldof gives a truly amazing performance as pink who is slowly going crazy in his hotel room. guess what?? the viewer has the ultimate pleasure of taking this grand descent into madness right along with our lead character. through visions of war, godawful childhood memories, and a painful reminescence of a failed marriage we get a glimpse of everything which could DRIVE a person to complete insanity. pink floyd contains some of the most beautiful but insanely grotesque images ever placed on film and probability suggest few films can ever hope to rival the wall here. the wall is an emotional rollercoaster ride which everyone should take atleast once in their life if not many times. again, not a film that a serious dvd collector would want to be without so add this to your collection if you haven't already. i give this dvd my highest rating of five stars. please vote for me if this review was helpful to you and happy viewing.
  
  
• Superb film, Superb DVD
  By A79KBS0NE37Y8 on 2000-06-15
  I am partially biased to this film because I am a huge Pink Floyd fan, but I will put that aside for this review. This is one of the greatest "Rock Opera" movies I have ever seen (if you even consider it a rock opera). It has brilliant cinematography. Great effort was put in to attention to detail. In this film, everything is where it is for a reason. The story is wonderful. I believe that it is something everybody can relate to. Building up an emotional wall to attempt to combat the horrible things that occur in all of our lives, and the trauma that comes with the building of this wall. There is so much more to it than that though. So many references, so much deep symbolism in every scene. Some anti-war, anti-establishment undertones. On top of all of this, the DVD is wonderfully put together. Every menu screen has been put together with a different pink floyd song and scene from the movie. There are many great features, including director commentarys and makings of, interviews, cut footage (the "Hey You" scene that was cut out of the film), original trailers, production stills. It is wonderful. This is a wonderful DVD to own in my opinion. I have had it for a while now, and I still have not finished going through everything that is on the DVD. You won't regret this purchase.
  
  
• Don't tear down "The Wall"!
  By A8PVEP0MPYMBS on 2000-05-30
  The Wall is probably one of the greatest rock-&-roll movies of all time. It tells the story of a character named Pink(The name is sorta a joke about the name of the band Pink Floyd.). Pink's childhood was a traumatic one, his father died in W.W.2 and was raised by an over protective mom and was beaten by his school teacher. Later he became a rock star and got married to a wife that cheated on him. The movie shows how Pink completes his "wall" that he started as a kid. This "Wall" would shut him off from harsh reality and make him "Comfortably Numb". "The Wall is a stunning film filled with intense and striking visuals and animation. One such scene shows an anmated dove exploding into a german eagle or a British flag collapsing to make a bloody cross during the song "Good bye blue sky". It's amazing soundtrack will have a firm grip on you as you watch. The high ammount of symbolism will also keep you thinking. The interesting thing is that "The Wall" is based on the life story of it's composer Roger Waters. If you love the film "Tommy" you'll love Pink Floyds The Wall. -Ren
  
  
• It may not be for all.
  By on 1999-11-18
  The Wall is a flim that lets you open your eyes, ears and mind. To the non Pink Floyd fan this is a threatening thought. To those of us who choose to understand Pink Floyd the film gives us a visual view of the abundance of talent and insight that Pink Floyd has been giving to us for years through their music. This film is not about drugs, it is about bringing the viewer in with sight, sound and emotion. Those of you who can't handle that justkeep watching your mindless multi-million dollar films that don't let you experience real entertainment.
  
  
• The best audio commentaty track so far on a DVD!
  By A3PCE8W4PNVU5O on 2000-04-07
  For those reading this review who haven't seen or God forbid haven't even heard of this disturbing masterpiece: WHAT THE HECK ARE YA WAITING FOR? True, it's not exactly the most uplifting and cheerful movie ever made, but even if you see it just once in your whole life, you will remember it always.

  Basic plotline: Rockstar Pink (semi-autobiographical embodiment of Roger Waters, Pink Floyd's bassist, vocalist, and chief songwriter) has had a rough childhood, a rocky marriage, a few too many pills, and few too many gigs. So, to cope, he sits in a hotel room in front of a TV showing English WWII movies and slowly loses touch with reality through flashbacks, paranoia, and nightmarishly surreal animation by Gerald Scarfe (these bits are my favorites!). There is very little dialogue, as the movie serves as little more than a ninety-minute music video of the 1979 masterpiece album of the same name.

  The cool thing about the DVD (besides finally getting to see the footage intended to accompany the song "Hey You" which was deleted by Waters himself), is the audio commentary provided by Waters and Scarfe, who actually (gasp!) TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE! So many of the DVD's I've seen with this feature simply let the director, or whoever's talking, ramble on about politics or people they met while writing another movie altogether while a scene that you would have loved to have some of their insight to is playing...ARRRRGH! Here, the rather witty duo explain each scene's meaning, inception, and even trivia bits like trick camera work. There's a hilarious Mystery Science Theater 3000-ish bit of goofing around on Waters' part during the "Is There Anybody Out There?" sequence that was very surprising. I expected these guys, especially Waters, to be stuffy and dismal, considering the movie.

  Secret trick by the way: the DVD has a LOT of interactive menus, and on all of them, save for the into/main menu, if you push the "9" on your remote, it will acitvate a different sort of sound byte. Nothing real exciting, but kind of amusing.

  Other movies you might want to check out that actually have pretty good commentaries on them: Natural Born Killers Direct. Cut (Oliver Stone shows you all kinds of stuff you might never have noticed about the film). Clerks (Kevin Smith and members of the cast, including a very intoxicated Jason Mewes). Detroit Rock City (One of the commentary tracks is actually a series of interviews with KISS band members).
  
  

• See it to believe it
  By A3KVJJ8VYCC75Z on 1999-12-07
  When buying a movie, whether on DVD or VHS, it is crucial that that movie be so provocative and intellectually stimulating that it begs the viewer to watch it numerously. If there is no desire for a viewer to watch a certain movie more than once, than what is the point of owning it? The Wall, by Pink Floyd (the second greatest rock n' roll band of all time), is a movie which cannot be watched merely once. It has so many layers to it that it astounds me. There are so many ways in which to interpret the bizarre experiences of Pink that you will have to see this movie a number of times before you relate Pink's experiences to your own life. However, once you have achieved this, you will only want to watch it even more, if, for nothing else, to enjoy the unbelievably powerful music that is contained within and what better a way to hear such strong melodies than with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Indeed, The Wall is an event almost made to be experienced through the medium of digital picture and sound.

  The music of Pink Floyd is so incomprehensibly strong. They excel at powerful rhythms which serve to severely alter your psyche. It is this rock opera and album, The Wall, which is their most powerful work, and hence their greatest. It at the very least deserves to be a part of anyone's home video library.
  
  

• it's the same as the previous DVD release...
  By A2NKEY36LVT9PN on 2005-03-20
  If you've already bought "The Wall" on dvd, this is just a re-packaged version, it has no additional features or footage.
  
  
• Rehash ~ Where's the DTS?
  By A14PCOZDSLX06D on 2005-02-19
  The movie is great. The sound is great. So is the old one. Don't bother buying this version. Note to the producers; If you want us to spend our money, give us what we want. DVD versions of Pulse and Delicate sound of thunder. (In DTS).
  
  
• Only discovered Pink Floyd after seeing this film
  By A1XNJPCZ3TYDML on 2007-01-27
  Unlike most people posting reviews of this film here, I had not seen it when I was younger, while on drugs, nor did I even know what Pink Floyd was. Rather I simply found a short clip from "The Wall" online, watched it, and was stunned. Needless to say, I hunted down the film, and watched it in one sitting, and when it was over?
  
  I bought the original 2 disc album, and listened to it daily. Truth be told, the music itself tells a pretty good story, if dark and depressing for a good deal of it's duration. Had I heard the music before the film, I'd have known what to expect. Of course I didn't, but comparing the two is pretty stupid in my opinion. The reason for that is, while hardcore fans seem to take to heart the fact that the key factors in the production of this film weren't happy with it, they did in fact create a masterpiece of film and music fused into one giant story that has more layers and depth then most films I can name.
  
  Trying to take "The Wall" and make a film from it, must have been as trying and difficult as Kubrick's direction of "2001", as both films are stretching and reaching to not only absorb you, but trap you in a world of sight and sound, where there is no escape till the credits roll. The problem with this film is, too many people are viewing it once or twice, and missing more complex metaphors to physiological viewpoints or at the bare minimum, the main point. Merging live action segments with animation, creating tripy and psychedelic imagery for a purpose. It isn't just random algimations here, we are seeing the inner workings of a mind that seeks to isolate itself from the world...and thus build a wall, to keep everything and anything out.
  
  It's much deeper then that, but what must be said is, despite how bizarre or insane it might seem, it's a film that anyone can connect with, since it isn't about "Pink", it's about everyone, and everything, just as "2001" wasn't about outer space, it was about humanity and evolution. Everything you see is just window dressing for the real message-
  
  "Tear down the wall".
  
  This film introduced me to Pink Floyd's music, and to "The Wall", which stands as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. The film is the visual representation of that album...therefore?
  
  It's one of the greatest films ever made, that doesn't require you to know the music, the band, or anything before going in. Just know you will be glued to your chair for the duration, and when it's over?
  
  You will never be the same again.
  
  
• terrific and thought-inducing
  By A76FA5DV1V66H on 1999-11-28
  This film is one of the most powerful films I have seen. It is a shame most people have to assoiciate the downward spiral to drug use. This film is very abstract. I believe it is done so in a way so that the viewer can feel how estranged the character Pink becomes. Excellent Artwork, metaphorical presentation, and staging coupled with powerful music. Hate it or love it, must watch at least twice to start forming your own views.
  
  
• Still powerful
  By A2V3P1XE33NYC3 on 2004-11-13
  I feel like a total fool trying to write a review of "Pink Floyd: The Wall." There is almost no point in even attempting to summarize this extraordinarily symbolic and emotionally complex film into a few hundred words. It's like trying to fully explain why you love someone on one side of a postage stamp. But, I'm always eager to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) in order to review nearly everything I see on DVD or read. Why should Pink Floyd's magnum opus be any different? Actually, this film meant more to me roughly fifteen years ago than it does now. Back then I was an impressionable lad with nothing more than a car and Pink Floyd's entire catalogue on CD to my name. More than any of Pink Floyd's other albums, "The Wall" is probably the one most suited to young people. Its themes of emotional and physical alienation, its strident antiestablishment views toward education, and its bleak condemnation of war resonate most with kids who think they can change the world. By the time you get a few years under your belt, by the time life wears you down a bit and makes you more accepting of the massive hypocrisy we all toil under, the album loses a bit of its luster. Don't get me wrong; "The Wall" is still one of the best rock operas ever created, and the movie is still worth watching.
  
  The story, as though I even need to summarize it, concerns the tumultuous life of troubled rock star Pink (Bob Geldof). Here's a guy who has a whole host of ailments eating away at his soul. It would appear that being rich and famous, immensely talented, and the envy of millions everywhere isn't the type of life one would wish on their worst enemy. First of all, Pink's father perished in the ill-fated attempt to hold the Anzio beachhead in 1944, thus robbing our protagonist of a strong male influence during his childhood. With his father gone forever, Pink grew up under the stern gaze of his domineering mother, which shaped his outlook on future relationships with women. In fact, we see just how difficult it is for Pink to deal with females when he nearly murders a groupie during a rampage through a hotel room and in his growing distance from his pretty wife. Second, Pink didn't function well during his school days. His teachers at school mocked his penchant for writing song lyrics--from "Dark Side of the Moon," no less!--and spent all of their time trying to break down his individualism so they could turn him into a faceless drone. Life is apparently quite tough in merry old England.
  
  Don't worry, there are many more dilemmas our hero must deal with before he can tear down wall he built to keep people out so he can reconnect with humanity. The third major problem Pink deals with is his drug addiction, which has spiraled out of control and threatens to claim his life. He's so bad off that he spends most of his off time nodding off in a hotel room watching old war films on television while a cigarette burns to an ash between his fingers. He almost passes over to the other side at one point, but his manager (played by Bob Hoskins) manages to revive him just in time for his next concert performance. Finally (or fourth, whichever you prefer), it seems living the life of a rock star is eerily similar to a career as a fascist dictator. You can march on stage clad entirely in black, wearing an armband with a pair of crossed hammers on it, and preach to the adoring masses. You can order underlings to physically remove riffraff from the room, and send them out into the streets to wreak havoc on the decadent society. Yep, living on stage sure has its problems. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Pink also undergoes several horrific hallucinations. Good grief! It's amazing most (but not all) of the conclusion is as redemptive as it is.
  
  It's impossible to argue that "Pink Floyd: The Wall" isn't an amazing film. The sights and sounds seen in this movie stay with you for years afterwards: the Gerald Scarfe animation sequences, Geldof's creepy ability to portray a man completely detached from reality, and of course the music. Ahhh, the music! Pink Floyd went back into the studio to rerecord most of the songs, and even added a few more intriguing bits to the mix. It is in this film where one finds what is perhaps the most depressing Floyd song ever, the dirge "When the Tigers Broke Free." It's a heartbreaking tune describing the death of Pink's father (also Roger Water's father) at Anzio, and Pink's discovery of a form letter from the King of England, "signed with his own rubber stamp," offering condolences to the family for the loss of his father. Soul shattering stuff even though the song probably would fit better on "The Final Cut," the album that followed "The Wall." I could go and on with the mind blowing stuff in the movie. You definitely wouldn't want to watch this bleak film if you're feeling blue.
  
  The best thing about "The Wall" coming out on DVD are the extras. The commentary track alone, with Gerald Scarfe and Roger Waters, is worth the price of the disc. We finally get to hear exactly what these guys were trying to accomplish with the film. We also get to hear Waters's astonishing admission that his only regret about the movie is that it doesn't contain any humor. Humor? In "The Wall"? Imagine that! Fans of the greatest rock band in modern history must pick this one up posthaste. And if you haven't seen it, you don't know what you are missing.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Wall: A flawed masterpiece
  By A3J8P8N96JHNIN on 2004-06-22
  First off, let me say that this movie DOES have a plot. It shocks me that so many Pink Floyd fans would think that the movie is plotless. I would have thought that more Floyd fans would have either caught on or listened to other fans when they explain the plot. The movie is about a rock star named Pink who lost his father to the war while he was only a small child, dealt with an over protective mother all his life, had a failed marraige (mostly his own fault) and was also a rock star who abused the power he had over his audience, still a nice statement for the mindless sheep who follow a band blindly and become obsessed to the point of losing their own individuality. Pink began his career as a rock star to escape the every day Hell that he had to live with, one that haunted him for years.

  That said, Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was a ground breaking album and a step in rock and roll that HAD to be taken. A band like Pink Floyd had to exist so that they could inspire other bands (Tool and A Perfect Circle come to mind) to produce honest to God, good rock and roll with a heart and something real to say, rather then the mindless soulless corporate crap that clutters up the radio today. The character here builds up an emotional wall around him to guard his vulnerability, something that we've almost all been through at one point or another in our lives. Pink Floyd by all acounts were a revolutionary band, the first band to go the extra mile with their art and were wildly successful with it. Of course, this is just one reviewer's opinion, I've always understood a person's reason for not liking Pink Floyd. The band is not for everyone. Some don't want to be dragged along for over an hour, following a story with music. Some just want good tunes to blast in their car or headphones and that's understandable.

  Down to the movie. It's more or less over an hour of music videos, before there were such a thing. The dialogue is the music which is more of a narration which could turn some people off. I personally would have loved to see a real movie with real dialogue because everything about The Wall is theatric. From the album to the stage show. Here, the music is the film and the scenes are the background. Reverse the rolls and you would have one Hell of a movie, in my opinion. Which is not to say that this movie is without it's good points. For instance, "Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2" is a great point in the movie. The maze to represent a school is brilliant and so are the kids being lead into a meat grinder. A great social commentary on crooked education, with teachers that revel in taking out their own problems on the kids they're paid to teach. "Comfortably Numb" is also another high point. There's too many videos to run through, so I'll just say that they vary from being great (Goodbye Blue Sky, The Trial, When the Tigers Broke Free), to just being ok (Young Lust).

  The real shining star of this movie is Gerald Scarfe. His animations are AMAZING. "Goodbye Blue Sky" is really the high point of the movie, hands down. The symbolism is great and on point and gets the point across beautifully, more so then the regular scenes with actual acting. "The Trial" is also everything it should have been and more. (The judge is a butt with a face on it. How true is that?)

  All in all (no pun intended), you should get this if you're a real Pink Floyd fan, who hasn't just heard a few songs here and there on the radio. You should also buy this if you've read all the reviews on here and have a good grasp on what you'll be spending your money on. This film is not for everyone. This is the type of movie where if you don't get it, you'll most likely just watch it once and never again. Maybe twice if you're thinking that you missed something that you should be getting. And if you do get it, it's a great experience that you'll dig out every now and than for a fun time. As depressing as the movie is, there is much positivity that lies beneath the surface. So many of us have the emotional wall around us that we really do need to break down in order to enjoy life, love and all the other adventures that the world has instore for us. You have to dig beneath the surface with this movie like much of Pink Floyd's work to get the concept. If nothing else, you can enjoy the music as it sounds better on this DVD than the album. There's also two new songs. The bonus features are rather plentiful, featuring the original documentary on the movie, a two part retrospective, the music video for "Another Brick on the Wall pt. 2", the "Hey You" scene (which was cut from the movie because Roger Waters thought it dragged the flim on too much but is actually quite great), the trailer, a still gallery and commentary by Roger Waters and Gerald Scarfe which is great and at times very funny. If nothing else, the bonus features may interest you.

  If you'd rather experience The Wall in a different way and are interested in seeing just what the live shows for the album were like, I'd strongly suggest Roger Waters' "The Wall: Live in Berlin" DVD. It's a great DVD despite some stale guests here and there. A truly great thing to witness if you really love the album.

  One love to all,
  Kevin
  
  

• Pink Floyd The Wall
  By A2Q612V1Z6FVHF on 2000-02-16
  As an album, Pink Floyd's "The Wall" thrust on the music world an opus with the towering angst of a burnt-out rock star cursing his environment for causing him to build a "wall" against it and its tortures, both trivial and relevant.

  Now, the film version provides a backdrop for the popular album as the literal adaptation by director Alan Parker assaults the senses by entering the mind of a character driven to the border between genius and madness by the pressures of reality.

  Except for substituting "When the Tigers Broke Free" for "Hey You," the album's material is complete. Many of the tracks have been reworked, a tad slower and much richer than the originals, revealing all the nuances that the film's crisp sound uncovers.

  Roger Waters, bass player for Pink Floyd as well as the film's maestro, knew exactly how his audience would react toward his film even as he designed the poster art, which offers vivid snatches of several scenes scattered around the autistic main character. He is right: one doesn't remember the film as a whole so much as one is more inclined to remember a bombastic series of vignettes that have somehow surrounded Pink (played by Bob Geldof, lead singer of the Boomtown Rats).

  The images, however, do reflect a kind of demented poetry to them. Blood, whether it's dripping into a pool or a sink full of shaving cream, looks exquisite on film, just as light in the form of a match and a fluorescent bulb can appear to bring warmth as well as an oppressive glare to different scenes.

  Reviewing "The Wall" is entirely different from reviewing other movies made from albums, like "Quadrophenia" or "Sgt. Pepper," because "The Wall" is meant as a piece of didactic art as opposed to a conventional rendition of an album, explaining the album's concept and themes rather than attempt to dramatize the 1.

  The universal themes of love, sex, war and oppression link each scene as Pink attempts to provide some sort of rationale for his world. In several scenes one can almost hear Waters describing how he wants the scene shot in order to bring about this or that type of symbolism.

  "In the lyrics it says `his fat and psychopathic wife," Waters might have explained to Parker, "but that's just his warped perception of her. Actually, she is just an average wife who uses her stern facade to instill in him the perfect behavior he lacks. Get it? Okay, let's shoot it from the ground looking up so she looks bigger than life and gives her a little more respect."

  "The Wall" as a story is so lyrically tight that the album by contrast can't be pinned down to an examination of definite meanings. The film maintains this cornucopia of interpretations by painting numerous layers through images that sometimes flow, sometimes collide with each other. For example, Gerald Scarfe's animations can metamorphose a dove into a symbol of Nazi Germany, the Royal Air Force and finally the ruins of England, reversing any Phoenix myths.

  Scarfe also triumphs with the visual accompaniment to the lengthened version of "Empty Spaces" as the path of "Shooting superstars" is sarcastically examined. And a tender love scene between two flowers erupts into a violent rape as pistil and stamen battle each other mercilessly.

  The central point of the film is that Waters, or any other rock star, has the ability to become a fascist dictator in relatively the same kind of war that destroyed his father, the cornerstone of his wall. And that rock and roll has become a religion (or Reich) that has the same hierarchy and rituals as a socialistic society. The audience, however, is oblivious to it all, even as it enjoys it, and has for thirty some years.

  "The Wall" has the potential to be either a depressing hour-and-a-half of celluloid or a brilliantly colored, insightful tool to see just how far we will let out entertainers rule our lives, and vice versa. As I stepped out of the theater after viewing the film, one teenage girl remarked to her friends that it was the dumbest movie she had seen since "Altered States." Ironically, she is the audience that Waters aimed the film at.
  
  

• The Wall - Standing up nicely on DVD!
  By AFXHS8Q0Q55HF on 1999-12-03
  Just finished watching THE WALL on DVD. And it was quite good.

  Firstly, as all of you know it is presented in widescreen, which afforded me a view of those sights that were previously hidden in the pan and scan full frame version. The picture is very clear, with only a trace of those pubic hair like things every now and then. To my slight dismay, I got a digital pixel blip that I have never experienced with my DVD player. It was near the beginning and did not reappear to my knowledge.

  The sound is wonderful. I don't have a huge sound set up in my living room, but my TV does have surround sound and I thought it was a dramatic improvement over the VHS. Although I've listened to these songs more times than what's probably considered healthy, they almost sounded like brand new songs.

  The running commentary track with Roger Waters and animator Gerald Scarfe was extremely entertaining. Not only did Waters and Scarfe discuss bits of film trivia, but they also wax a fair amount of philosophic. In places Waters reminisces at length about his childhood and while some of it is stuff we've read or heard in past interviews, it's still fascinating. Scarfe, of course, talks mostly about the animation, but his commentary is engaging as well. Oh, and there are moments in the commentary that are very, very funny. I was unprepared for this and almost laughed myself to tears at some of his comments. While the film itself might be very grim stuff, Waters himself is extremely witty with a gut busting sense of humor.

  There are two documentaries on the DVD. The first one looks old and appears to have been made shortly after the movie. I only watched half of it as it was a trifle repetitive, filling in alot of screen time with clip after clip from the movie itself. The second documentary, divided into two parts for some reason, is alot better. It looks quite recent and features lengthy interviews of Roger Waters, Gerald Scarfe, Alan Parker, and others. All of them are very fun to listen to. Being a fan of Waters, I naturally liked his interviews best. Unlike other persons in the rock n roll industry, Roger Waters on film is sort of a rarity. It was neat to see him talking and telling stories.

  Among the extra bonus features on the DVD is the inclusion of the previously unreleased HEY YOU reel. While it's in black and white and the sound is somewhat raw, it is a welcome addition to the DVD. After watching this footage, it was clearer to me why, of all songs, this one was deleted and why I never really missed it. I can see how it would have made the narrative bog down a little.

  Next in the list of bonus features is a crude music video for ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART II. In the commentary, I believe it is Gerald Scarfe who says that when this song was first released as a single, a video was hastily put together using animation from the WALL live shows along with some footage of kids milling about and lip synching the words. It looks like an extremely early MTV video, shot on a budget of about fifty dollars.

  The third bonus feature, titled PROMO, takes you to another menu where you can watch the trailer, look at still production photos (some of which I have never seen), or leaf through a gallery of conceptual drawings and artwork by Gerald Scarfe.

  The menus are interesting at first but get tedious once you've had to sit through them a time or two. It is clear that time and care went into their design, but certain menus are bordering on cheesy, particular the one for sound set up, in which the selections look like red pie plates for some reason. I would have loved to see some clips of live WALL footage as a bonus feature but with all that WAS included, I can't complain. Except for the design on the DVD case. I think people will agree with me that the original blue screaming head on the old VHS box and movie poster was a more classic looking design.

  Aside from those tiny gripes, this is a top notch DVD.
  
  

• Be careful
  By A2B4IFORHECQ8Y on 2006-04-05
  This will change the way you see the world. It will change the way you listen to The Wall. It will never be the same again. It may make you angry because it doesnt fit the images you have created for the album's music in your mind. You may very well be disgusted and call it warped, maybe too much reality. This is not for everyone, not even all Pink Floyd fans.
  
  
• Hypnotic
  By A2A5IOAP5QCK5P on 2000-04-30
  Alan Parker's film "Pink Floyd The Wall" visualizes the offbeat, yet brilliant album by the band. The album's basic focus is alienation, and the film does an excellent job at showing that. It follows the life of a famous rock singer, named "Pink", who has a nervous breakdown and becomes isolated from society. He literally builds a wall around himself, and the movie focuses on how he deconstructs the wall, brick by brick. The film's first 30 minutes or so don't make any sense, and that may draw the viewer away from the film. There are many flashbacks that at first seem unimportant and senseless, but are fully explained later. Still, after the film, many scenes remain unclear and do not make sense. With that said, this is a visual masterpiece. The animation mixed with the real life gives the viewer a feeling of isolation, and paranoia almost, taking us into the mind of the isolated rock star. When I first saw the film, I was just getting introduced to the great band, Pink Floyd, and I still thouroughly enjoyed this film. Now that I know a lot about the band's music, this film will be better next time around. The songs "Comfortably Numb" (One of my favorite songs) and "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" are exceptionally used, as with all the other songs. This film is not just for Pink Floyd fans, because it vividly paints a world of isolation and alienation. But if you are a fan though, you will love this film regardless.
  
  
• Bob Geldof -- GREAT PERFORMANCE!
  By A3E1D8ZBUPXWHK on 1999-11-10
  Over the years, I never understood why so many people would equate this movie to drug-use. To me, it is more personal and emotional for that. This movie deals with basic human emotions, needs, and hurts. And Bob Geldof pulls off an wrenching performance.
  
  
• Other DVD's?
  By on 2002-01-10
  There is no doubt that this DVD is one of the best musical stories around, but why their live, 1980 performance of "The Wall" and also the 1994 performance of "Pulse" are not published in DVD?
  
  
• There's a Story In There
  By A1XPPSG7A1TEWA on 2004-06-10
  Despite what I've been reading from other reviews there is a story in this movie. You may have to watch it a few times to understand it because the movie jumps around in time a lot, but it's there.

  This is the story of a boy, Pink Floyd, growing up in England after the war. His father was killed in the war so he is starved for male attention. At one point in the movie he tries to attach himself to some other kid's dad but is rejected. His mother is very over-protective. His schoolmaster at school is abusive and too strict. He grows up to become a rock star and eventually his wife leaves him for another guy because he's always too stoned to even acknowlege her. They are all bricks in his wall. Finally he just loses his mind and nearly kills himself and some groupie that came to his room. When he wakes up from this stupor he imagines himself a cold-hearted nazi leader reborn from a rotting corpse. Finally at the end of the movie he is sentensed in a "trial" to be exposed and his wall is destroyed so that he no longer has any place to hide. Thus his nervous breakdown is complete leaving him to pick up the pieces.

  All of us have walls that we build up around ourselves. Some more than others depending on how open a person you are. We only let people see what we want them to see. That's what this movie is about. Imagine if all your deepest fears and secrets were completely exposed. You'd probably have a nervous breakdown too.

  This movie doesn't follow a traditional chronological order so it's hard to follow and fit the pieces together. If you think of the beginning of the movie as the end and the rest of the movie as flashbacks you'll understand it better.

  This is one of my favorite movies. I watch it every once in a while and am always amazed. It has possibly one of the best musical scores in history. The animated sequences are amazing with a lot of symbolism and pop art. Give it a try, especially if you like Pink Floyd's music.
  
  

• Very well made musical film.
  By A512SUUC9ULLO on 2004-12-29
  Pink Floyd The Wall is in my eyes, a very good film. It is about a rock star who goes into a deep depression because of many hardships in his life, which makes him build a psychological "wall" between himself and reality. Based on the troubled lives of some of the band members of Pink Floyd, the rock band who scored and composed the music for this film. It is a uniquely made film using flashbacks to explain the troubled life of Pink (the main character), and some scenes which use very strange images (some animated) to symbolize some of the thoughts of the character. It is not at all a very happy movie, and in my opinion will greatly disturb some of its weaker viewers. But it is still a highly recommended film, especially for those who are fans of the band Pink Floyd, of whom I am very big fan, and for those who want to see a very unique style of film.
  
  
• PLEASE!!
  By A3L5B3LXYQTSYP on 2005-01-06
  How many more bull#@%$ DVD's do we need to see before you bring out the 2 live DVD's?? Come on already!! Talk about milking it for what it is worth!!
  
  
• Give us something worth buying
  By A20Y1TF5OUJY4H on 2005-02-24
  As others have said, instead of trying to sell us the same thing in a different cover, we're much more likely to part with our money if you give us something we havn't been able to see before.
  
  Many of the Wall live dates were filmed for a possible video release. Put this on a DVD and I will buy it. Re-release next year on HD-DVD and I'll probably buy it again.
  
  
  
• Same as the last DVD release but still a great film
  By A3SP8WBIJMCMS5 on 2005-05-16
  If you are a fan of this film, as I am, please note that this release is an exact duplicate of the last DVD release but with new packaging. The documentaries are worth the price of the disc alone, as they are excellent. A great transfer of a great film.
  
  As a side note to "Der Kommissar", the last I heard, we have freedom of speech in this country. So, I am mentioning your "review" in my own and there is nothing you can do about it. I could care less if you are a "top reviewer" or not - never presume to tell me what I can or can't do again. Who the hell do you think you are?
  
  
• A great film
  By A3L8QKAKXOTAFD on 2006-04-11
  I have seen this movie so many times...and each time I can honestly say I can glean something additional that I hadn't gotten before. This film is a psychological exploration of an individual who falls away from the social norms and in doing so builds a wall between himself and reality. From his early days as a child longing for a father and his mother's attention to his assent into a rockstar Pink longs for someone to give him what he needs, which is approval. He is able to obtain this through various means but always subsequently sabotages these efforts. Each one of these incidents creates "another brick in the wall" between Pink and reality. He subsequently succumbs to being completely shut off from the norms of society and begins to create his own. He then is labeled by some as a villian and others as a hero. His own self-hatred leads him to hate all others who are different than conventional standards so that he might gain acceptance. When his "wall" is forced to come down what will be the consequences?
  I find this to be quite compelling and the visual presentation is stimulating and awe-inspiring. This is the perfect movie for someone with ADHD (this is a compliment) because there is always a constantly changing presentation from live action to animation, from past to present. The fantastic music from the album Pink Floyd's The Wall (which the film is based and inspired from) is the dialogue and narrative and is the perfect background to the images flashing across the screen. Not only is the presentation stimulating to the senses but the story gives much food for thought. Highly recommended for multiple viewings.
  
  
• Pretty Creepy
  By on 2000-01-17
  I do agree that the movie does seem undisciplined and disorganized, but only the first time did I get that impression. In fact, watching this movie with a lyrics sheet handy will explain the plot better than dialogue. The animations were extremely creepy, but very fitting, and of course the sound was excellent. I'm not a diehard fan of Pink Floyd, in fact I only saw the movie because of a friend, however I would recommend a lot of people interested in the band's music or interested in watching a creepy movie in the dark late at night...pick this one, it's definitely worth it.
  
  

• Pink Floyd - Pulse
• The Wall (Deluxe Packaging Digitally Remastered)
• Roger Waters - The Wall (Live in Berlin)
• Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon
• Tommy