The year 1984 was a busy one for actor Bill Murray. Columbia Pictures released the major hit Ghostbusters in June and the less-successful but interesting Razor’s Edge in October. That same year, MGM planned in September to release another movie in which Bill Murray appeared in a much smaller role, Nothing Lasts Forever. But MGM postponed the release of the film, ultimately deciding not to release it. But you may watch it below.
Saturday Night Live writer Tom Schiller wrote and directed the unusual movie, which stars Lauren Tom and Zach Galligan, the latter who like Murray starred in another 1984 blockbuster, Gremlins. In addition to Murray, the film also features Sam Jaffe, Imogene Coca, and Dan Aykroyd.
You will notice right away that the film features the classic look of early black and white Hollywood movies from the 1940s and 1950s (although some scenes are in color). The film begins with Galligan performing as a concert pianist, and the movie follows his return to a New York City under the control of the Port Authority.
The film then takes some odd turns into futuristic science fiction territory. Murray appears later in the film as a conductor on a bus to the moon. Eddie Fisher shows up on the bus to the moon to sing his 1954 hit “Oh My Papa.” On the moon, you also will see Calvert DeForest, i.e., David Letterman’s Larry “Bud” Melman. It’s that kind of a movie.
So check out the lost film Nothing Lasts Forever here (available here through YouTube for now at least). The video is not movie-theater quality, but it is watchable and I made it through. The movie itself is interesting as it seems to aim for some kind of Wizard of Oz magic. But you also might understand why the unusual film was never released. See what you think. [September 2014 Update: The whole movie is no longer on YouTube, but you can check out the trailer below.]
The making of Nothing Lasts Forever is recounted in the book, Nothing Lost Forever: The Films of Tom Schiller
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What do you think of Nothing Lasts Forever? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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includes the song “Forbidden Nights.”
