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It Couldn't Happen Here

Surrealist piece of self-indulgence made by pop duo The Pet Shop Boys in 1988, this extremely bizarre film has no real plotline, but is comprised entirely of a series of loosely-linked nonsensical tableaux that usually lead nowhere, and sometimes have no relationship to each other at all. As well as starring Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, it also features Barbara Windsor, Joss Ackland and Gareth Hunt. Basically a feature-length promotional video for some of their songs, scenes from the film include a zebra at a railway station whose handlers have their faces painted in the same zebra stripes, a ventriloquist's dummy flying a biplane, and a priest leading a party of fishermen in hauling a massive cross out of the sea. Don't look for any kind of plot or meaning in this movie- there simply isn't one, it's just a meaningless set of surreal events. Main theme song from the film is The Pet Shop Boy's popped-up cover version of Elvis Presley's 'Always On My Mind'. The film was born out of the duo's immense reluctance to go on tour- they hoped that it would act as a compromise to their fans to see them live in action. Although poorly received by the critics (which is hardly surprising), the film did receive an award at the WorldFest Film Festival in Houston. One thing to bear in mind- if you want to see it, it's only available on VHS cassette, never having been released on DVD.


Do You Remember It Couldn't Happen Here?

Do You Remember It Couldn't Happen Here?