Nothing Lasts Forever

1984 "You're Born. You Live. You Shop. You Die."
6.2| 1h22m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 06 September 1984 Released
Producted By: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

An artist fails a test and is required to direct traffic in New York City's Holland Tunnel. He winds up falling in love with a beautiful woman, who takes him to the moon on a Lunar Cruiser.

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Reviews

Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
draverd Wow! This Film is A Classic that should be in the Hall of Cinema Masterpieces! I think the best way to describe this Film is to say that it is A Parable, wrapped in an Allegory, that is stuffed into an Enigma. At face Value one could Assume that this Film is Droll, but we must dig Deeper to what Lies Beyond the Surface. That being said, if you Love Cinema & Film, watch this Movie Now! Do Not read any reviews that can Contain Spoilers because that could quite possibly Rob You of this wonderful experience.SPOILERS: This Film is A Tale of Adam, A False Piano virtuoso, Who at the Start of the film, Can bear this Heavy weight No More! And, Reveals that He (and the Group He works for) are shysters. After this tumultuous beginning for our Main Character he Sets out on his journey, not knowing what Road Lies before him. Well shortly there in A Kind Hearted soul helps Guide him, to A Proper Path, to Become an Artist! This Leads him to Return to The United States, Specifically New York City, which appears to be the 1930s (which through out this film invokes the mystique of The Golden Age of Cinema). There is a Totalitarian Presence felt as Adam must Supply Papers for A Second time when entering the city. This is where the social commentary Starts to Take off in this Film.Adam is told he must produce "Art" and bring it to A "Government Art office", within 48 Hours, other wise he will be deported. Shortly There after Adam Stays with his Aunt and Uncle temporarily. Now the Film from now on Screams at us through allegory. We first see this as Adam arrives and we are first introduced to them, while Concordantly we see they are holding A Party. His Aunt, uncle, and their Whole social Class, do nothing but put on heirs. Through the way they Act and Talk, and also through Symbolism within the Film. When we see individuals put on heirs there are either masks, Statues, or Objects behind them which gives the individuals Horns.Next within the Plot Adam goes to the Government Art Office where they Keep on demanding that he presents Art. Yet, Adam Keeps on telling them that he wants to be an Artist, but currently knows No Art. Well A Supervisor comes by and next thing we know Adam must Take an Art Test, which by the way is to Draw A Nude women in only 3 minutes (Which is Ludicrous)! This is an Absolute Brilliant allegory upon several Areas of society. In One Instance it is talking about how society tries to identify select Few things as Art, which correlates to the Smug, pompous, Elitism that we witnessed moments Prior at the Party with the earlier scene. It is also talking about how in all walks of life, society will try to Label an Individual, to A Set Construct, as to define A Person as A Set thing, rather than defining A Person as the essence which is their inherent being. No Two People are alike so why does Society try to make it that way through Brute force? Alas he Fails the test (According to Societies Standards) and is Given A Job so he can Stay in the city. The Job by the way is a Cross between a Toll booth/Border Patrol in a Sense. Well here Adam Meets the Women he saw Before, to whom he had to draw Nude, and he Befriends Her. He Joins her after work and goes to an Under Ground Art Area, which is also A Cafe. Well from here on out She becomes his Love interest (Temporarily) while also being A Tutor for him for what Society calls "Art". which Again is A Brilliant Conversation on Society. No One Can Tell You what Art is for it Lies within the Eye of The Beholder. Some People may Love A Certain Piece of Art, or Style, or Type; where as others will absolutely Hate it. Technically all inner Artistic expressions of Man is Art! No One can say it is Not! Now for the film to have Adam become an Artist, by repeating what others do, and going by what others say is an Incredibly Deep and Intelligent Joke.Through Out the Film Adam Does Acts of kindness which eventually leads him to A Secret Society. Which when he once First Enters the film Slowly becomes Color. This is to signify that he is Getting A New Great Understanding. Now The Film Brilliantly shifts things and At First Glance it appears that this group is actually an occult at Face value, that is until Adam Goes into The Inner Sanctum. We Find out that he has entered A Spiritual Plane and that Vile, Carnal desires of the Physical plane had to be Burned off to purify him. He is then Told that the people there are spiritual helpers who help guide people on The Right Path. For Man is like a Lost Child who Pursues Power, Money, and things that do not matter. Which Speaks Volumes for Societies come and Go over Time, again, and again. Which now is an Intelligent Play on The Title of the Film.We Basically Learn that All Life is Important, and that Materialism is A Total Waste. Next we Find Out that Adam Has A True Love, who lives on The Moon. So Basically the Film is saying, "Life may not Go as how we have Planned, but if we do that which is right, we will have A Wonderful Life! Yes... that which is most Important, Love, May appear to be as far as away as the moon, but if we are Good, and have Faith, Love will help Guide us, it will Lead us, and above all else Give us that which is most Important of All, True Love".
Murat Bekar Never officially released, neither theatrically nor on home media, Tom Schiller's surreal science fiction fantasy Nothing Lasts Forever stars Zach Galligan as an eager young artist struggling to find his creative outlet in a New York City under the tyrannical rule of the Port Authority. Shot in black and white (for the most part) and with the sound recorded in mono, the film replicates the Classical Hollywood style of the late '30s and early '40s to create a dreamlike work that, had it been made during the indie boom of the '90s, would have easily found a cult following. Featuring strong supporting work from the likes of Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Tom, Apollonia van Ravenstein and Bill Murray – not to mention a midpoint shift in narrative that will leave an unsuspecting viewer reeling – Nothing Last Forever is an oddity of a film, perhaps too unusual for its time, that deserves, at the very least, a proper worldwide release.www.azim.org Movie And TV Database
fedor8 Fortunately this film doesn't last forever, either. An aspiring "artist" gets to become one when he proves to some (semi-) imaginary underworld hobo-society that he is capable of falling in love with an Asian girl that lives on the moon and does a bit of a hula-hula greeting dance for the geriatric Earth visitors. Sound stupid? It is. This ridiculous mess has maybe one funny moment, the rest consists of boring musical numbers and pointless dialog. The aim was originality, yet manages only to be dull. They tried to create an old-movie feel to it by using a more traditionally-oriented instrumental soundtrack, which is a lot better than the tiresome songs. It also tries to create an old flair by having a wide-eyed, innocent male lead. Excuse me, but how does that image fit in with the scene where he is shown humping the German girl? I hardly think Capra's films would have had the same impact on the viewers if Gary Cooper had been shown being ridden by his female co-stars. (Or that famous scene in "Gone With the Wind": imagine if Gable were coming inside Leigh and she complained about not getting an orgasm, to which he responds "Frankly, dear, I don't give a f***".) And what's with the b&w/colour transition? It makes no sense at all. This film is an example of what happens when a TV producer tries his hand on a feature film. Ackroyd (in a tiny role) and Murray (in a small role) can't help this time-waster, either.
ubercommando This movie shares some similarities with Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". The mixing of 1930's and 1980's, the totalitarian state that pretends to be caring, a mix of freaky supporting characters and subtext behind every shot and concept. But Nothing Lasts Forever is lighter and more optimistic in tone and a modern (ish) fairy tale of searching for one's talent and purpose. The concepts of the Manhattan Port Authority taking control of New York, underground Angels, going shopping on the Moon in a bus and Bauhaus German techno artists in a mock 30's setting all show great creativity and originality; often missing in a lot of American comedies. And it also works the soundtrack (a mix of original and classical music) into the story extremely well.