UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: Photo of Roger WATERS and Rick WRIGHT and PINK FLOYD and Nick MASON and … More
The concert film Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII, featuring Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, has found new life at the box office 53 years after its initial release.
Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII, which is being distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, opened on IMAX screens and in regular theaters on Friday. The official summary for the film reads, “Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII, the groundbreaking 1972 film directed by Adrian Maben, returns to theaters, now digitally re-mastered in 4K from the original 35mm footage with enhanced audio.
“Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy, the film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience. Filmed in October 1971, the performance features unforgettable tracks such as ‘Echoes,’ ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’ and ‘One of These Days.’
“The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheater, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance, creating a unique and immersive experience. Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of the band working on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios.”
Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII earned nearly $2.6 million from 654 North American theaters in its opening weekend for a No. 10 finish at the domestic box office, per The Numbers.
Coupled with the $3.8 million the film earned in international ticket sales over the weekend, Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII earned $6.4 million at the worldwide box office in its opening Friday to Sunday frame.
‘Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII’ Is Being Widely Embraced By Critics And Audiences
While an official rating hasn’t been designated, all eight of the critics who have reviewed Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII on Rotten Tomatoes have given the concert film a “fresh” rating.
Neil McCormick is one of the three top critics on RT who given the film a “fresh” rating, writing for the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph, “Fifty-three years on [Pink Floyd at Pompeii] looks utterly magnificent, a glorious record of a group at the height of their powers that will delight every old rocker and should be required viewing for every aspiring young musician.”
RT top critic Glenn Kenny of Roger Ebert online also gave Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII a “fresh” review on RT, writing, “Director [Adrian] Maben’s frequent close-up views of guitarist David Gilmour’s cosmic-blues fretwork will make axe wonks happy, especially given the dimensions of the screen.”
In addition, Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of The Financial Times writes on RT, “This fascinating mish-mash of a film captures [Pink Floyd] at a crucial juncture, moving from psych-rock trailblazers in the European underground to prog superstars in US arenas. The head-trip still works.”
Audiences are sharing the same enthusiasm as critics for Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII and to date have given the concert film a 96% “fresh” score on RT’s Popcornmeter based on 5,000-plus verified user ratings.
Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII marks the third film in three months featuring classic rockers on IMAX screens.
Becoming Led Zeppelin — featuring new interviews with band members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, as well the late John Bonham in archival footage — played on IMAX and regular screens in February and recently arrived on digital streaming.
In addition, the John Lennon and Yoko Ono documentary One to One: John & Yoko, was released on IMAX and regular screens earlier this month and will debut on digital streaming on May 9.
There is no word yet about a digital streaming release of Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii – MCMLXXII.
