Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor reviews Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII

One of the most distinctive concert films in rock history, Pink Floyd at Pompeii, has been rereleased to theatres - along with an accompanying soundtrack.

Filmed in 1971 and released the following year, the film captures the band shortly before Dark Side of the Moon ushered in their most commercially successful phase.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall recaps the experience - and explains whether or not this is worth the watch.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talk SEDB Time.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Now to talk entertainment, and I'm joined by Steve Newell,
editor at Flex dot Code on NZ and some good
news for Pink Floyd fans, Steve, Oh.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Some good some good news for fans of good music movies,
not just Pink Floyd fans, because I kind of don't
because I kind of don't think I am a Pink
Floyd fan, to be perfectly honest. One of those acts
that I couldn't tell you when I deliberately listened to them,
and probably don't think there's anything in the catalog that's
interested me for like for forty years or something. Okay,

(00:45):
so far, Oh god, it's such a good sale. However,
they made what I reckon is maybe the best music
movie ever made, which is Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii,
And I had one of the best experiences I've had
in the cinema for years the other night going to
see this. It's been remastered, re released, and it's playing
an Imax fantastic so it's on the biggest screen you

(01:08):
can see it and with the best sound system you
can hear it on. That applies to Auckland and to
Lower Hut also, but it is in cinemas all around
New Zealand with a bunch of sessions today. It's on
for a very limited time. What makes this such a
good watch is that it kind of sounds like a
concert film. It's not. They go to the Amphitheater at Pompeii,
the ruins of the Amphitheater and play to nobody. So

(01:29):
they just go up there with a film crew. It's
all shot on film. It's shot in nineteen seventy one.
It looks incredible. There's these it's nerdy as hell to
say what I'm going to say, but there's these lovely
kind of like long slow dolly shots and crane shots.
Because it's seventy one and shot on film, it looks incredible,
it sounds amazing. It gets a bit kind of sharfy.
There's some like buzzy editing techniques. But then as well

(01:51):
as the band performing and they're in real top form here,
it's easy to kind of forget that they would go
on to kind of become the sort of big, bloated,
larger than life band that relied on I guess more
like concepts and props and staging than necessarily the interplay
between the band.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Members, because they filmed this before their release Dark Side
of the Moon and they.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Just before so as well as there's probably like half
a dozen kind of key musical sessions like sections to
this film. They're great to watch, particularly particularly the drumming
of Nick Mason, which is you can't take your eyes
off and playing. But then it's intercut with stuff like
them sitting in the canteen at I think Abbey Road

(02:34):
and like talking about the custard pies they want to get.
It's spinal tap as and then also some footage which
purports I'm not sure if one hundred percent is or
not if it's the versions you hear on Dark Side
of the Moon, but it's it's them making individual contributions
to Dark Side of the Moon, like I'm going to
punch my guitar solo or now, and that that's really
cool to watch as well. But really it's this This

(02:58):
is a classic of the genre. It's great to watch
watch songs come come to life here, and it's this
band that's really on the precipice. They're about to become
the biggest rock band in the world.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Okay, so it's on in cinemas around the country, but
if you haven't to have an Imax close by, it's
also playing there, which I imagine would be right.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
And I can't recommend this enough because as well as
you know, as well as this looking looking, you know,
looking as good as Oppenheimer does on the Imax screen,
it's also been mastered for that surround sound environment the
sections of the sections of the film, for instance, with
the bands playing and the sounds actually like moving around

(03:39):
the room, you're really kind of there with them while
they play. I had such a good time at this.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Now, can let's stick with the theme of music films
and music documentaries. Good news for Malon Williams fans this week.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, a documentary A long time in the making comes
to cinemas this week. So it's pretty rare opportunity to
see two really good music films in cinemas at the
same time. But Marlon williams n Two Worlds docum meant
Williams path to making his most recent album. The albums
are t Weckerwecker, an album that's recorded in today which

(04:16):
Williams isn't fluent, and so the film traces his I guess,
grappling with this idea and what it means for him,
as well as the process of writing this material, and
I guess kind of reflecting on why an artist at
his stage in his career would choose this kind of project.

(04:37):
You know, it's it's not just a it's not just
an interesting idea for a record. It's a process that
sends him on a bit of a journey of self discovery.
And sees Williams like reflecting with you know, the loss
of his own cultural identity and so other stuff swirling
in there as well. Look, it's just great to spend
nineteen minutes in his company. Is such a charismatic dude.

(04:58):
There's a reason why he's he's a star, and this
film continues to continues to illustrate that.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more very much. Looking forward to it.
That's out May first, isn't it?

Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah, it is and directed by Ursula Grace. Williams has
done a fantastic job of kind of capturing a very
complex story over a number of years and making into
something ready cohesive and powerful.

Speaker 2 (05:22):
Thank you so much, Steve. We'll talk next week.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen
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