Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13084 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-10-30
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: German, English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 140 minutes

Synopsis
A 90-minute retrospective film about the Pet Shop Boys featuring guest interviews with Robbie Williams, Jake Shears and Bruce Weber, among others.

Customer Reviews

About time!
Finally PSB get the documentary they deserve. What's so good about this is all of their albums, eras and phases get equal time devoted to them. There's no skimping or sweeping certain aspects under the carpet to pretend they never happend. It's also good seing them go back home to places from their past to film segments in and shows they're still very Northern when it comes to it (when a lot of people think they're a snooty Southern act). My only problem with the documentary are the other acts who contribute. Fair enough, Robbie Williams and the Little Britain fellas has worked with PSB and are friends with them so I can see whay they were used but why use Brandon Flowers, the posho from Keane and the typical male music journo type? Were these just chucked in to appeal to the indie/student market when it was on Channel 4 that time? Are there no female PSB fans who could have contributed? No Kylie (she worked with and is friends with them). No Sam Taylor-Wood. We do get some old Liza interview footage where she talks about working with them but it woulda been nice to have had some old Dusty interview footage where she talks about them or they could have gotten Vicky Wickham to speak on her behalf. Maybe I'm nit-picking though? Anyway, it's the only document of their path we have (besides the music, of course) so check it out!

A treat... 2 and a half hour long PSB retrospective
This is real value for money at over double the length of the version broadcast on UK TV in 2006, plus it comes with extras (selected promo videos from the 'Fundamental' album together with vintage TV appearances). It's very well put together, with snatches of PSB tracks used to illustrate Neil and Chris's reminiscing. Especially well captured are the childhood backgrounds of both Neil in Newcastle and Chris in Blackpool, with the influence of both places on the duo's music clear to see. The numerous clips of arty videos, collaborations with artists of all descriptions, film performances, soundtracks and excursions into musical theatre all remind us of how adventurous this band have been compared to your average rock and pop combo.
Often talking heads drafted into these kind of retrospectives don't add much but Jake Spears from the Scissor Sisters and The Killers' Brandon Flowers (who gave a genuinely enthusiastic ovation for the Boys at the 2009 Brits) are interesting, acting as a link between 80s British synth pop and contemporary American music. However, the guy from Keane should consider himself lucky to be invited on, as he's hardly a household name like the others interviewed (Robbie Williams, Bruce Webber, etc).
The closing comment by Matt Lucas and David Walliams about the Pet Shop Boys being 'almost as good as Erasure' is a fittingly tongue in cheek ending to this typically self-effacing tribute. After watching 'A Life in Pop' you're reminded of just why in the fickle world of pop the Boys have been held in such affection and critical esteem for a quarter of a century. 'Depth through surface' indeed.

great!
These boys came into my life with "Suburbia" and since then have been good friends of mine until today. Of course I needed this documentary and what can I say ? It is just great, interesting, detailed as it should be and gives a nearly complete overview not only about their lives and success but also about my last 22 years.
Thanks!