Pet Shop Boys: It Couldn't Happen Here [1987]

I can't quite make my mind up about this 'film'. I use the term fairly loosely because what It Couldn't Happen Here is, is a collection of music from the Pet Shop Boys massive 1987 hit album Actually, with a surreal film cobbled around it. I watched the film on the 2020 BFI Blu Ray disc and must say while the film is a bit of a mixed bag, the disc and the extras are absolutely first class (hence the 5 star rating as it's a product rating not a film rating), so I'll cover those first as I feel that the extras alone make the disc a worthwhile purchase and essential viewing.It Couldn't Happen Here has been available in the past, but is since long out of print on VHS and Laserdisc so to see a Blu Ray world premiere for the film is tremendous. The scan itself is very good. There's a decent balance of grain though some night time scenes can get quite noisy; I guess it was hard to strike a good balance but better than applying DNR and all the other gubbins applied these days that makes transfers look waxy and generally awful. Colours are excellent, the film doesn't look overly saturated or washed out. Considering the film has probably been sat in it's canisters since 1987 it appears to be in surprisingly good condition. No traces of dirt or damage here.Audio is a different story. I watched the film late at night, so wore my favourite Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones so as to not disturb others. It would be both a blessing and a bit of a curse. You get a 2.0 stereo track here. Nothing fancy, no DTS-HD or 9000.1 Superbit HyperDTS or what have you. And that's fine. However with headphones on, yes I could detect some good use of left and right pans, dynamics and so on. It was all pleasant enough, yet at various moments throughout the film I detected some very obvious sound edits, occasional foley mistakes and most unfortunate of all moments that sounded like damage to the actual audio track itself. Perhaps the damage could not be repaired, or was undetected in the remastering process? It's a shame really, so with that in mind I'm going to hunt down a copy of the film on Laserdisc to compare the audio tracks. If the Laserdisc sounds either a) better or b) has no sign of damage on the track then I'll tear out the audio from that and remux it to my Blu Ray disc to make my own ultimate edition.As for the extras, this is where it steps up a notch. I absolutely encourage you to watch the interview with director Jack Bond. It's about half an hour long as Bond describes his backstory from childhood to becoming a director and all the (now iconic in many cases) projects he has worked on throughout his career. It's the way he talks to the camera though. Like he's talking directly to you. Some of the things he has to say, especially about his early years, are just so vivid, so touching. I was nearly in tears, genuinely. Again, I urge you to buy this disc, even for just this interview if nothing else. Respect where respect is due. You get another interview on the disc with choreographer Arlene Phillips, again at a half hour long. There is also a commentary track with director Jack Bond which I am very keen to listen to, I'll be making sure to do that soon.There is also a trailer for the film which, according to the sleeve notes, has been digitally reconstructed. My guess is that the reel for the trailer has been lost, intentionally destroyed or is damaged beyond repair. It doesn't say what the process was for the reconstruction, my guess is a team worked to rebuild it using a VHS or Laserdisc master for reference? It doesn't look like an obvious reconstruction apart from the credits card at the end of the trailer which looks like it was recreated from scratch at high resolution.Fans of image galleries will be in their element here because you get some really great, high resolution and highly detailed scans of shot cards, draft and final scripts (these are great as you can see big changes between the original vision for the film and the final version) and best of all you get superb high resolution scans of the VHS and Laserdisc sleeves from across the world (USA, UK, Spain and Japan iirc). There are also some great publicity and lobby photo cards, again, lovingly preserved in high resolution.Finally you get the full music video from the lads 1987 hit single You Were Always On My Mind. It's a shame that the source for this isn't that great, it looks like a 2nd or 3rd generation VHS or Betamax transfer. Again though I imagine this is the best that Warner Music UK could provide. Perhaps more consideration should be given to the preservation of music videos as much as the consideration is given to preserving films, television shows and so on?As for the film itself, well it's a bit of a mixed bag. The majority of it makes no sense and may well be that it is open to the viewer to interpret what they think it is all about or what it signifies. I'll give my thoughts here of how I interpreted the film, it may very well differ to your opinion and that's fine, again, that's maybe how the director envisioned it and wanted to create discussion.The film appears to depict Neil and Chris on some sort of a road trip, from a sleepy, but once bustling, seaside to town (Frinton-on-Sea is my best guess) to Scunthorpe to make an appearance at a nightclub. Along the way they meet a variety of strange and surreal characters including much-loved Carry On star Barbara Windsor who appears as the owner of a B&B in Frinton-on-Sea, and also as Neil's mum. Each segment of the road trip is broken up with mini 'music videos' of a variety of hits from the bands 1987 hit album Actually.What I found interesting is the opening scenes appeared to depict Neil and Chris as schoolboys, getting up to mischief, it also appears to imply they went to schools run by religion (perhaps Chruch of England or Catholic, I'm unsure). The boys break away from a school outing and along the way stumble upon various things that are perhaps classed as 'sins' (the song It's A Sin is slotted in here rather aptly). Things like 2p peep show cinema arcade machines, explicit cabaret shows featuring guys in leather and girls in sexy period outfits (perhaps suggesting exploration of their sexuality?).The road trip makes it's way towards Scunthorpe and the climax where the surrealism is cranked up to another level. It really is quite bizarre stuff, I wouldn't say on the same level as David Lynch, Shinya Tsukamoto or the writings of Hunter S Thompson. Perhaps more along the lines of the great Jim Morrison film HWY An American Pastoral (which I haven't seen in years, reminder to self to rewatch it soon!). There is an underlying theme of World War II here but I can't quite put my finger on what the significance of it is supposed to be.Barbara Windsor is superb, taking the surrealism in her stride and throwing herself fully in to her role. As do all of the cast, you get some great dance pieces here but also some superb character roles. One scene in particular features the boys sat alongside a travelling ventriloquist at a greasy spoon cafe. The boys overhear the man placing his order for a fried breakfast and I'm almost certain the scene is an outtake as both Neil and Chris are absolutely wetting themselves in hysterics, yet the ventriloquist never breaks character and finishes the scene. It's worth watching the film just for this scene, I was in hysterics too and if it was an outtake it's brilliant that director Jack Bond left the scene intact.Before you know it 86 minutes have flown by and the end credits are rolling. It's difficult to formulate an opinion on the film immediately because there is so much to digest. It could all be a load of old cobblers and the film simply means nothing. I'm inclined to believe otherwise. Underneath all of the madness I think the boys, and the director, actually had something to say. It's just hard work trying to pick out all the little pieces to find out what that message actually is.One thing is certain, I am delighted with the BFI disc and am glad I took a punt on it. As an 80's child I am well aware of how huge the Pet Shop Boys were back then (and still are today), though I was unaware of the existence of this film. Looking at it now it's great to see the little pieces spliced out of the film that went on to make up some of their music videos that I would have seen aired on TV of a Saturday morning (I never had the luxury of Satellite or Cable television in my home, just 4 terrestrial channels). That bloody tuxedo Neil is wearing finally makes sense now!Take a punt on this disc, or rent the film on BFI Player (though buy the Blu Ray if you can). It's a great historical piece with the bonus of being filled with even better music. Thank goodness it's now been rightfully and properly preserved for the future.

Filmed in the middle of the PSB self-termed 'Imperial Phase' It Couldn't Happen Here is often seen as the a huge blip in a triumphant period in their career. A surreal examination of lyrics and Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe's own insecurities by writer/director Jack Bond the film features cameos by Barbara Windsor and Gareth Hunt as well as Joss Ackland who later went on record as saying his decision to appear was because his grandchildren liked the band's music. It is the music which makes the bizarre storyline and visuals hang together with the undoubted highlight among sections of Milton being narrated, Hell's Angels and 1990s actress Natalie Roles turning up uncredired in her first screen role as a dancer, is a ventriloquist's dummy being identified as an existentialist theorist.As the title of this review suggests I'm a big fan of the band and understand many of the strange in-joke leaps of transition in the story but many won't. At the time for those of us who like the music the film was a substitute for a live tour which wouldn't happen for the first time for another eighteen months.

The release of this movie must be like a dream come true for Pet Shop Boys enthusiasts, myself included. I was completely oblivious about It Couldn't Happen Here up until the announcement of its remastered release few month ago, as I was a wee Greek lad when the movie was released 30+ years ago. Now, as an adult and a UK resident, watching this has left me equally astounded by the superb quality of the remaster, as well as nostalgic about the Eighties...Almost like a road movie and a long form music video, most of it features Neil and Chris walking around while they are either performing their songs, or their songs play in the background. What could be - kindly - described as a loose narrative, involving a murderous priest, an existentialist dummy, and an odd pilot among other peculiar characters, some of the plot circles around a fictional childhood of the Boys. The imagery is full of references that are not easy to spot, and although it grows tiresome, at the same time is mesmerising.Once one accepts that bizarre is the key word for this film, it is going to be an unforgettable viewing experience. A critical and commercial failure at the time, this quintessentially British oddity is so very PSB, I cannot recommend it enough. And the presentation of this exquisite dual package surely adds points to its grandeur: the mini book, the design, the covers, everything so neat and meticulously presented. As an avid PSB fan, I urge you to watch it, and own it for your collection (best £20 you could spent on a physical release this year).**** for the film***** for this edition

Essential for fans (like me). Very good for collectors (of material of the band, like I am too). I'had to have it because It was the only DVD that was missing in my collection of the Boy's.

Ioved this video. Excellent dance choreography by Arlene Phillips. I only seen it once so far but will watch it again. Love the Pet Shop Boys

This film was widely derided when it was first released in the late 80s. It's quite surreal although it does boast a few big name actors in the cast.It's still no easier to understand and will probably only appeal to PSB fans.The Blu-Ray packaging on this limited edition is excellent and the quality of the remastered picture is great.