Nonureva Really Surprised!

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Peter Hayes There has never been a group quite as interesting and impossible to pin down as Pink Floyd. On one hand, harbingers of that self-indulgent monstrosity that was prog-rock, but on the other creators of the most complete and total albums ever released.This is not really a concert film and not really a documentary - so what is it? A happening, an event, a showcase? You tell me! Different and occasionally brilliant, but more than anything a historical document. In the same way as A Hard Days Night is for the Beatles. And rather like HDN it catches the band just before it shot off in to outer space (in more ways than one). They were about to change the world, not having done so.Yes they can rock (they could have earned a crust doing nothing else), they can dope out, they can extend. However if Pompeii had erupted again as they played they wouldn't be viewed as any more important (today) than Emerson Lake and Palmer - which they sound a bit like at points.Dope damaged rock. Floyd only survived it by being geniuses and then only just. For example, Echoes seems to be played for several hours despite being a substandard song that goes nowhere at all. Might sound better on drugs, but you can say that about a mouse dancing on a biscuit tin. Gilmour looks like Ashton Kutcher and, by what we know him as today, seems earthbound and restrained. No chance to play those searing solos with which he made his name (note: most of his modern work is actually a synth and not a real guitar. This is the limit of basic 70's equipment.) Waters looks a bit thuggish. Especially with that home hair cut. Aged better than the rest of the group though. Mason just looks like a Spinal Tap clown - but at least he acts like he cares a bit. Not the playboy drum tickler he is today (50 million quid in the bank according to the Sunday Times. Has anyone ever been so over-rewarded in the arts as drummers?). Richard Wright is what he always was - massively underrated and probably the only thing keeping the songs from falling in a great big heap. May you rest in peace....

dromasca I have seen the short version of the film, as it has been broadcast last summer by the TV chain ARTE-TV. It is a great pleasure always for me to see in concert some of the great names of rock from the 60s or 70s, and in this case the quality of the film and the sound are very good. The setting is the amphitheater in Pompeii, combined with may shots from the ruins of the lost and rediscovered city. Beautiful setting, good music, and the faces of Pink Floyd members coming from time back more than 35 years ago - this is a fine experience for the music lovers. Otherwise the documentary value of the film is reduced, at least in this version. I read from other people comments that interviews and more preparation sequences exist in the longer version, unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to see them.

MisterWhiplash Not only does Live at Pompeii accomplish the assignment of documenting early Pink Floyd (though not early enough to have Syd Barrett), but it's directed by Adrien Maben with such an electric, slow to quicker and back to slow pace that even non-Floyd fans should take a look at this. The film starts off with a bang- "Echoes", part.1, as well as the concluding part.2, rivals the version on their Meddle album, and in my opinion is their best, most free-wheeling (yet not in overtly psychedelic) improvisational piece. Along with this are the spooky "Careful with that Axe Eugene", the menacing "One of these days (I'm going to cut you into little pieces)", the mind-blowing "Saucerful of Secrets", the serene "Set the controls for the Heart of the Sun", and even a wonderful piece with a dog on vocals and Gilmour on Harmonica called "Mademoiselle nobbs". These early noteworthy tracks from Floyd's pre-Dark Side catalog is also incorporated with studio footage of the group recording sections of that LP, as well as interview footage where Waters, Gilmour, and Mason explain some of their opinions on the current scene of music (at the time), if they really take drugs (personally, I don't trust them), and how synthesizers help their iconoclastic creations. In truth Live at Pompeii was made more for the main fan base of Floyd fans, and for those looking for a "Floyd Fix" it's a must-own (I pray they release a DVD of this because of the noticeable pan and scan format on VHS), however for those who like music videos in general there are camera tricks and such different splicing and editing that it can boggle and possibly enlighten the mind. It's a unique piece for fans and a trippy curio for casual listeners. By the way, if you can, try to seek out the VHS tape of the film. It may not be what is called the 'director's cut' like on DVD, but it's superior by not including cheesy new visual effects that cut into the greater effect of the original 1972 cut.

krazeer0nster Man oh man I LOVE this "rockumentry" of Pink Floyd in their early, pre DSOTM (Dark Side Of The Moon) days. This takes place in the ancient ruins of Pompeii and despite it being filmed back in 1971-2, the images and audio are really good. Crank this up on a modern home theatre system and you will see what I mean. The songs have been commented on by others on imdb so I'll focus on other things on this excellent movie. The band eating in the diner is hilarious, especially Nick Mason asking for apple pie *without* crust. Dave Gilmour asking people to trust Pink Floyd for not being a very drug oriented band was funny as well. Heh Heh. The atmosphere was perfect for the songs that were played there. I especially liked the fact the band was laid back, yet still energetic. They play all the songs on this film with aplomb. Some of the songs have some moodiness about them (Set the controls... Careful with that axe, Eugene)thanks to the lighting, fog, and time of day and that makes them even cooler. I enjoyed the behind the scenes stuff whilst they were recording their landmark album, DSOTM, and hearing the studio engineers complaining about "feedback" was a hoot. [Studio engineer]:"Feedback..." [Gilmour]:"What's rock and roll without feedback?!" Exactly! The dog singing the blues was also hilarious albeit goofy :-) If you're a die hard Floyd fan and have a taste for their older stuff, this is the video for you. If you're open minded and curious, I also urge you to buy this video. 10/10 here :)