Rating: 
Summary: A Different Way to Watch Pompeii...
Review: I was slightly disappointed in the DVD because it wasn't the same as the VHS version of the movie.BUT... that's not to say it's not good. It is actually an interesting look at the movie in a different way. Yes, people might say the director is tampering with perfection, but at least he had the courtesy of putting the "original 1974 film" on as a bonus feature. So if you're looking for an upgrade to the VHS version (the 1974 film with the Abbey Road inserts and nothing but...) then this might disappoint. But if you're looking for a new interpretatation of the film -- done up with cheesey computer graphics, go for it. Only disappointment for me though is some of this extra footage shows up in bad places (ex. David and Rick in the studio singing their parts on Echoes over the existing Pompeii footage of them doing it "live"). Love though the enhancement of the picture (the Pompeii footage looks beautiful!!) and the sound is phenomenal. The bonus B&W interviews during the director's cut is pretty interesting as well. BTW, I think most of this "computer graphics" occur when footage is shown of the band in front of a screen of the film (ex. during "Saucerful of Secrets). All and all a nice upgrade, but the extra features other than the original film are not worth it. - if they would have added the other version, it would be perfect!!! 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Worth it for the format only
Review: Adrian Maben has replaced the original images with poor computer generation and irrelevant other footage. He has also cropped the fullscreen to create a widescreen format. If this had not come with the original untouched 1974 version, I would not have bought it.
Rating: 
Summary: Adrian Maben is mad!
Review: Firstly I'd like to say that the original Pompeii is on here and that is the only reason to buy this DVD. The new directors cut is garbage. It has computerized fly throughs of Pompeii that wouldn't make it on the History channel, as well as new shots of Pompeii and other stock footage that really has no place in this classic Floyd concert film. The only thing of interest in the new version is the black and white interveiws from France. But these should have been added as extras on the DVD. Adrian Maben has totally ruined the flow of this film. The extras are weak at best and the interveiw with Maben is of little interest to anyone but perhaps this never-was's mother.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Floyd Concert Gets Face Lift!
Review: This DVD captures argubly one of the best concerts from one of the most influential bands of all time! The visual and audio presentation of this disc is just absolutely incredible. I would be hard pressed to hear a concert that sounded and looked this good from 1972. The concert was filmed in Pompeii, Italy to an audience of stage hands, cameramen, etc. No fan was even in sight on this film. The only people there where the people on the crew. The director's cut of this film is a very good look into the 1972 time period of Pink Floyd. There are interviews in between songs that reveal the band's individual opinions about the band and the direction it is taking. The extras are okay, but I would rather have seen something a little different like more footage of Pink Floyd in the studio or something. Anyway, this is a must for any Pink Floyd fan!
Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly Beautiful! Sends Shivers up my spine!
Review: I have been waiting for this on DVD and what a treat it is to finally have it with a breathtaking picture and great vastly improved sound. The restoration of this film was done with much care and the end result is a very spell bounding and in my mind under appreciated visual document of Pink Floyd's history. This is Pink Floyd at its avant-garde best and unlike allot of reviews on here I think the director's cut is superior to the original. The renditions of Echoes, Saucerfull of Secrets, and Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun are superior to the studio versions. Playing in an ancient part of Italy only adds to the visualization. If you enjoyed this concert on VHS get it on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: this is pure post sid floyd at it's best
Review: i saw this video in 1985 or six for the first time and it was good. i saw it in 1987, compliments of purple capped mushrooms and i would give it 5 stars plus. i saw it again on a big screen in 1990 with white blotter and it freaked me out. now that i am older amd somewhat wiser i still give it a super thumbs up not just for the memories of old, but the the floyd of old is brilliant and mystical; quite frankly , intersteller.
Rating:
Summary: Good but could be better...
Review: I'm only giving this 4 stars because I thought they were going to remaster this in a surround sound format. This is a pretty cool movie if you are a Floyd fan, might not be so cool otherwise. I like some of the new stuff they added (space shot scenes and the computer animated Pompeii) and the concert itself is pretty cool. The best part of the music is that it is pre-Roger Waters taking over the band music so it is still somewhat upbeat and optimistic. It is cool seeing Pink Floyd produce their stuff although I don't think they would have been given the time of day in the video age.
Rating:
Summary: Pink Floyd At Pompeii Directors Cut DVD
Review: I just received this item a few days ago. Let me start by saying this is one of my favorite movies ever. I've seen the origional version of this movie probably 20 times, the only other movie I've seen more than this is Blade Runner. I've owned this movie on VHS and Laserdisc before buying the DVD. I love this movie that much! I was a little disappointed at first, especially with Echoes Part 1. I felt some of the changes didn't do much for the movie at first. I felt some of the recent space animation was out of place for a movie which was 30 years old. I felt there was older stock footage and animation which would have been more appropriate. It took about 15 minutes but it finally grew on me. I LOVE all the extra interview footage, especially the black and white footage. I love all of the new footage which was shot specifically for this movie. It's different but at least both versions of the movie are on the disc if you don't like the new version. My only other problem was with Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. This is one song I feel could have benefitted more from new space footage. Like I said, it's different but ultimately worth owning.
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY on DVD....but....
Review: Pros:
FAR superior picture quality over past issues
VERY good sound remix, including surround sound.
Includes original version of film Cons:
Director's cut shows LESS of the band playing and MORE statuary, street scenes, NASA footage, subway footage (including noise over the music!), CGI, other Floyd footage etc. What a mistake! Lackluster 'bonus' material (lyrics and press clippings that are too small to read, a few album covers, other material with NO description/explanation) Awkward menu.
-----------
So why five stars? The sound and picture are so improved, just watch the original version and ignore the rest.
Rating:
Summary: Careful with that video edit Eugene, uh, I mean Adrian.
Review: 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.
| 
