Memorable, crazy movie

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

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.

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.

A truly bizarre film, but all the more entertaining because of it. Starts off in the style of a 1930s science fiction, and just seems to get stranger and stranger. I particularly liked the guided tour of the lunar surface for the paying tourists who laughed when their guide made a comment on the crashed Soviet probe she drew their attention to. The idea of native "moon people" (who look like native Hawaiians), also being another nice touch. Obviously, there was a very creative mind at work here.

It is rare that you find a film that is truly unique, but NOTHING LASTS FOREVER is one of those films. It looks at times like a 'thirties romance, at others like a 'fifties B-movie, but plays like neither. Clever, witty dialogue is spiced up with pretty songs, and Zach Galligan is surprisingly likeable as the aspiring artist in a surreal New York. Although in many ways a slight and insubstantial film, its gentle, off-the-wall charm makes it a quite unforgettable viewing experience. After all, how many other films have you seen recently featuring an Hawaiian dance routine set on the moon?