Disco de Pet Shop Boys: “Life in Pop”

Usually I have no patience for documenaries but I enjoyed watching this one, maybe because the content is so relevant - the band, after all, is still making fantastic music. As if to prove that, the DVD bonus features include recent videos along some old rare TV perfomances. One can think the Pet Shop Boys have issued enough DVDs and interviews, but this is actually their first complete biographic documentary which traces their career from school days to Potemkin's premiere.

The narration goes through candid interviews or rather edited monologues of Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant filmed together and separately (watch Lowe walking on the gloomy beach in his hometown, Tennant's silhouette as London is fading away in the twilight behind the window). It's quite intriguing to see them talk about the essence of their distinctive image, music and career nuances. The timeline is supported, throughout the film, by extracts of their videos and various TV footage. Plus, as usually, you have a little variety of guests: Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Robbie Williams, Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters, Trevor Horn and others.

The only inconsistency I find is that after the Behaviour era the documentary speeds up its pace and Bilingual, Nighlife (especially) and Release periods are covered quite superficially.

In a way the DVD audiovisually duplicates 'Pet Shop Boys Catalogue', a massive book by Chris Heath.

Just to settle the discussion on this item, I know someone who got this and it is NTSC and Region 0 and not a bootleg. Unfortunately some of these were mispressed without the Flamboyant video. The credits on the case don't show the Flamboyant video but it is included on the HK or Hong Kong version. Unfortunately when I ordered this version from Amazon they did not send it to me. They sent me the non-HK version that does not have the Flamboyant video (which is great!) so when you order this make sure that Amazon sends the right one. I am sending mine back for a replacement. The picture of the case is misleading. The HK version does come in a standard US-type DVD case, not a CD case as the cropped picture leads you to believe.

12-14-06 Update: The replacement came and it IS the Hong Kong version however, I have found out that not all Hong Kong discs have the Flamboyant video. The only way to tell is to look at the disc itself and if the code of numbers on the inner rim ends in @1 then it has the video, if it ends in @2 then it does not have Flamboyant. Unfortunately my 2nd copy doesn't have the video and I am sending it back to Amazon as defective and they have been very kind about it. I am asking for a refund and will attempt to get the right copy on ebay as Amazon cannot open an item to check the code for me. Good luck!

What a great DVD. I'm not getting caught up in the videos that are or are not in the bonus material. This was a great show for a fan, and really shows the breadth of the PSB as artists, what they have accomplished, where they may have stumbled, and how inspirational they have been to so many. I highly recommend this DVD. It's 3 hours of enjoyment.

Watched it three times in the course of the first week I owned it. What can I say? We follow Neil and Chris through their childhoods, into the period when they met each other, and follow them through each album.

Inciteful and fun, we see the concepts behind each PSB release, including projects they did for other artists like Liza MInnelli and Dusty Springfield.

The film takes us right through their musical "Closer to heaven", the performance of "Battleship Potemkin", and their latest album "Fundamental"... right up to today basically!

Includes commentary by Liza Minnelli, Brandon Flowers of the Killers, Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, Bruce Weber, and of course, a lengthy interview with both Boys.

Fabulous for any Petheads collection.

If I wrote a lengthy review of this documentary, I'd only be repeating existing praise in different terms. So: If you're a fan, it's going to hook you, and you're going to smile throughout.

Most memorable to me:

The hilarious "I'm With Stupid" video (extra).

The bit about the film "It couldn't happen here. Precious little footage, but enough to acknowledge its significance/existence.

The clip from the Performance tour of "Your Funny Uncle".

Watching day fade to sunset, and then night, as Neil's interview progresses in front of a large window showcasing the London skyline: unintentionally artistic.

Their first TV appearance (in Belgium) performing an early (Bobby O?) version of "West End Girls"... a 30-year-old Neil bopping about most uncharacteristically, and Chris smiling at the end. Priceless.