It Couldn't Happen Here
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Pet Shop Boys |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Musical film |
It Couldn't Happen Here is a 1988 musical film starring the British synth-pop pair Pet Shop Boys, drawing from tracks on their first two albums, Please and Actually. Originally intended as a one-hour video for Actually, the project evolved into a surreal full-length feature directed by Jack Bond, with co-stars including Barbara Windsor, Joss Ackland, Neil Dickson, and Gareth Hunt.
Plot
At dawn on an English shoreline (Clacton-on-Sea, Essex), dancers prepare as Neil Tennant rides his bicycle during the song "It Couldn't Happen Here". After purchasing postcards from a kiosk vendor (Gareth Hunt), who voices grievances about political matters, Neil disregards the complaints and proceeds to write postcards.
Elsewhere, Chris Lowe is packing his belongings into a trunk at a bed and breakfast. The landlady (Barbara Windsor) serves breakfast while Uncle Dredge (Gareth Hunt) irritates guests with his bad jokes but ultimately yields to her, as she favors Chris. When a large Full English breakfast arrives, Chris dumps it over her head and escapes, pursued by motorcyclists.
Neil cycles along the beach, passing a priest (Joss Ackland) leading schoolchildren, among them younger versions of Neil and Chris. They rush toward the pier (Clacton Pier), where adult Neil consults a fortune teller who reveals herself to be Chris Lowe. The boys watch a slapstick comedy featuring characters portrayed by the duo and Windsor. The priest recites scripture and orders fishermen to pull a cross from the sea.
Adult Neil and Chris encounter rappers performing "West End Girls" and purchase a vintage car from a salesman (Neil Dickson). As they drive away, they pick up a hitchhiker matching a killer described on the radio. After tense moments involving knives and the song "Always on My Mind", the passenger safely disembarks.
At a roadside café, they sit next to a traveler (Gareth Hunt) while "Love Comes Quickly" plays. They order an elaborate meal; nearby, a pilot (Neil Dickson) struggles with a handheld game alluding to "Two Divided by Zero". A ventriloquist's dummy emerges from the traveler's briefcase, contemplating time philosophically until Neil interrupts as the jukebox starts playing "Rent". The café wall rises to reveal dancers.
The pilot reads W. H. Newton-Smith's The Structure of Time, concluding that the dummy represents an existentialist. Boarding his plane with intent to intervene, he attacks Neil and Chris on a rural road during "Two Divided by Zero". Despite bullets piercing their car, they remain unharmed.
Stopping at a vandalized phone booth, youths courteously allow Neil inside to call his mother (Barbara Windsor), exchanging lines from "What Have I Done to Deserve This?". Neil presses his head against shattered glass; blood appears.
In suburban surroundings, a commuter unnoticed in flames passes by a scantily dressed woman; at a station, two men with zebra faces lead an actual zebra into a van. Neil and Chris observe before boarding another van containing a large snake that coils around them as they travel toward Paddington station.
At Paddington, soldiers stand guard as a limousine awaits. The chauffeur (Neil Dickson) recites lines from Milton's Paradise Lost while driving through bombed-out battlefields en route to a nightclub. Neil and Chris perform "One More Chance" for numbered dancers; afterward, their backs display the number "0".
Featured songs
The movie includes the following Pet Shop Boys tracks, either playing in the background or performed by characters:
- "It Couldn't Happen Here" (from Actually)
- "Suburbia" (from Please)
- "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" (from Please)
- "Hit Music" (from Actually)
- "It's a Sin" (from Actually)
- "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" (from Actually)
- "Love Comes Quickly" (from Please)
- "Rent" (from Actually)
- "West End Girls" (from Please)
- "Always on My Mind" (1987; subsequently remixed for 1988's Introspective)
- "Two Divided by Zero" (from Please)
- "King's Cross" (from Actually)
- "One More Chance" (from Actually)
- "I Want to Wake Up" (from Actually)
Soundtrack track listing
Although no official soundtrack was commercially released, a limited-edition promotional cassette was made available.
MC: Parlophone / TC-PSB1 (U.K.)
- "It Couldn't Happen Here" – 5:21
- "Suburbia" – 5:07
- "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" – 3:36
- "It's a Sin" (Extended version) – 7:39
- "West End Girls" – 3:59
- "Hit Music" – 4:45
- "Always on My Mind" (Demo) – 4:04
- "Rent" (album version) – 5:09
- "Two Divided by Zero" – 3:32
- "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" (Extended version) – 6:53
- "King's Cross" – 5:11
- "One More Chance" – 5:28
- "I Want to Wake Up" – 5:09
Cast
- Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe portraying themselves
- Joss Ackland as priest and hitchhiker
- Neil Dickson in the roles of car salesman, pilot, and chauffeur
- Gareth Hunt as Uncle Dredge, postcard vendor, and ventriloquist
- Barbara Windsor playing Neil's mother, landlady, and French maid
- Jonathan and Nicholas Haley as younger versions of Lowe and Tennant
Development
The project emerged from the duo’s choice to forgo touring. Tennant explained, "We had planned an elaborate tour involving theatre directors and stage designers but it was beyond our budget. Then someone suggested creating a full-length film instead."
The band sought to fulfill fans’ desire to see them perform in live-action form. Tennant remarked, "Fans wanted to see us, so making a film seemed like an excellent solution."
Lowe added, "We enjoyed producing videos, and the blend of audio and visuals fascinated us. Creating a film felt like a natural progression and something we had always wanted to accomplish."
Jack Bond
Lowe and Tennant connected with Jack Bond, recognized for his BBC documentaries on Werner Herzog and Salvador Dalí. While they contributed general ideas, Bond was largely entrusted with creative control.
Tennant stressed the importance of steering clear from stereotypical “pop band movie” clichés featuring international espionage or endless rehearsal sequences; Lowe shared this viewpoint.
Tennant highlighted that Bond integrated their music with his own vision, resulting in more than just an extended music video. He rejected the notion of it being a long-form video, noting that music films were once highly regarded.
The film adopted a surreal and impressionistic style rather than following a straightforward or chronological storyline. It resembled the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour more than A Hard Day's Night, with songs driving the plot forward.
Filming took place over the course of one month.
A scene showing a man engulfed in flames during the performance of "King's Cross" was almost removed due to sensitivities around the King's Cross fire, but ultimately remained at the request of the victims’ families.
Tennant acknowledged there were creative differences between Bond’s vision and their own but accepted this as part of the artistic collaboration.
Reception
The Los Angeles Times characterized Pet Shop Boys as creators of enjoyable and mainstream bubblegum pop, presenting the film through a sequence of MTV-inspired scenes mixed with elements of pseudo-surrealism and intricate philosophical allusions. The publication argued that the duo was undeserving of the severe criticism they received.
Proposed sequel
Following the movie's release, Lowe mentioned director Jack Bond's enthusiasm for a potential sequel, hinting at further development of the characters. Lowe clarified that any continuation would center on Pet Shop Boys themselves, rather than portraying them in unrelated cinematic roles.
Nonetheless, the film did not succeed critically or commercially. Reflecting in 1988, Tennant and Lowe suggested that a straightforward story chronicling their ascent to fame and eventual return might have yielded better results.
Related media
The music video for the track "Always on My Mind" incorporates footage from the film.
The Variety Club Remix of Saint Etienne's "Avenue" includes samples of dialogue from this movie. Saint Etienne has often incorporated Pet Shop Boys' music into their work, demonstrating their respect for the duo.
Home video
It Couldn't Happen Here was made available on VHS and Laserdisc formats in both the United States and Japan.
On 15 June 2020, the British Film Institute released a limited edition dual-format DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom. This special edition featured seven supplementary materials: an audio commentary with director Jack Bond, James Dillon, and Simon Archer; a 27-minute behind-the-scenes interview titled West End Boy; a discussion with choreographer Arlene Phillips; the complete "Always on My Mind" promotional video; a 48-page digibook; an image gallery; and the original trailer. This limited edition is currently out of print.
A standard Blu-ray version was subsequently released on 20 July 2020, substituting the digibook with conventional packaging.
External links
- It Couldn't Happen Here on YouTube
- It Couldn't Happen Here on BFI Player