This off-shot of Desperately Seeking Susan should interest fans of Debbie Harry, lead singer of the rock band Blondie,who has inspired all female rock musicians throughout the world. It's cute and light entertainment, though not very good, but Harry fans beware: our girl appears off and on throughout the entire film, but only has one line of dialogue. Still, it's superior to the previous film,due mainly to the fact that Debbie is a million times cooler than Madonna.The best film, so far, for Debbie fans is Intimate Stranger.
7 Reviews
Full of quirky characters but not much more .....
merklekranz30 July 2013
"Forever Lulu" might be considered a "black comedy", but the story randomly puddles around like a doodlebug on a pond so the few dark comedy elements are lost in the confusion of a badly scattered script. Do not expect to see much of Alec Baldwin or Deborah Harry as their parts are small. The editing is especially weak, and while there are at least a bunch of recognizable character actors, they are badly wasted by the meandering storyline. There is shooting and an attempt at portraying meaningful friendship, but the entertainment value simply isn't there. Skip "Forever Lulu" even if you are a fan of Alec Baldwin or Deborah Harry................ - MERK
Disaster
trevcham30 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Lead German actress is probably one of the worst actresses I've seen. Either she is clueless with what's going on or screaming unnecessarily. Movie is poorly written and shot. Doesn't make any sense. The lead character is so dumb it makes it hard to watch. She knows she is being hunted by (really dumb) mafia guys, she has a ton of new money and Fame, yet she stays in her dingy apartment. It was so bad. She knows she is being hunted yet she gives her friend that stupid white fur coat which causes her friend to be kidnapped by mistake. Pure 80s trash. Alec Baldwin looks good as a cop though.
And fyi Debbie Harry makes an appearance for about 5 minutes max.
And fyi Debbie Harry makes an appearance for about 5 minutes max.
Great 1987 Film
whpratt17 November 2008
Enjoyed this film about a girl named Elaine, (Hanna Schyqulla) whose luck in life seems to be going down hill. Elaine wants to be a writer and she works during the day for a company that makes toilet seats and in the evening she writes her books. Elaine one day is late for work and she loses her job and has fallen behind in the rent and is being evicted from her apartment in a rough section of New York City. Elaine is also looking for an elusive woman named LuLu (Deborah Harry) and they keep running across each others path. Unfortunately, Elaine gets herself mixed up with murder, robbery, drugs and two attaché cases full of money, plus a full length mink coat and the mafia is also very interested in her whereabouts. This film has plenty of comedy, some nudity and plenty to keep you interested right to the very end of this film. Enjoy
Obscure NYC film of late 80s
sgcim23 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
We thought this film was made in the 70s, because of its portrayal of NYC as a crime-ridden, sleaze hole, and the use of rotary phones, disco music, and other older artifacts of the 70s.
The only clue that it might have been from 1987 was Schygulla's advanced age, and Wayne Knight in a bit part as a high-heel licking masochist in the one racy scene at an S/M club. Schygulla sounded like she had a little problem with the language, causing her to give a weaker performance than if it were a European production. Like other Kollek movies I've seen, it seemed to have a good message, but was hampered by the miscasting of Schygulla. The best part of the movie was some of Paul Chihara's music, including one scene where he wrote a cue that sounded like it could have come from a 1980s Steely Dan record, and the end title music, which was a pretty, minor key piece involving some fine playing by two acoustic guitarists,
The only clue that it might have been from 1987 was Schygulla's advanced age, and Wayne Knight in a bit part as a high-heel licking masochist in the one racy scene at an S/M club. Schygulla sounded like she had a little problem with the language, causing her to give a weaker performance than if it were a European production. Like other Kollek movies I've seen, it seemed to have a good message, but was hampered by the miscasting of Schygulla. The best part of the movie was some of Paul Chihara's music, including one scene where he wrote a cue that sounded like it could have come from a 1980s Steely Dan record, and the end title music, which was a pretty, minor key piece involving some fine playing by two acoustic guitarists,
Worth watching because of the lead actress, not because of Debbie Harry.
ron-568-38867630 October 2009
Although this movie has been advertised on cable TV as starring Deborah Harry, she actually has only a brief cameo role. The real star is the lead actress, Hanna Schygulla. Though the script is a bit thin, Hanna Schygulla is so appealing that it is easy to become engrossed in the movie. It's hard to understand why such an attractive and capable actress, who was a major star in Germany, never got much attention in Hollywood. The plot is basically about a woman whose luck gets so bad that she hits rock bottom, but then takes advantage of curious turns of events to turn her life around. In the process she learns what is really important to her, and also comes to realize who her real friends are.
Campy vanity production
lor_19 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My review was written in April 1987 after watching the film at a Midtown Manhattan screening room.
"Forever, Lulu" is an amateurish effort desperately seeking laughs but getting mainly unintentional ones. Fortunately not the clone of "Desperately Seeking Susan" that its plot summary suggests, picture is still wide of the mark as entertainment and will be mainly of interest to midnight movie followers of high camp. Mystery is why Tristar acquired the indie production, presumably thought to be of interest to undemanding home video and pay-cable users but hardly a theatrical entry.
Hanna Schygulla toplines as Elaine Hines, a European transplant living in New York who is working in temporary jobs while writing her novel. Film comically depicts her growing list of misfortunes: fired from her job; stuck with the check on a big date; stuck in the rain; evicted from her apartment, etc. Things pick up when she contemplates suicide: wielding her gun creates confusin and rsults in a well-dressed couple deposting their coats in her arms out of fright.
Elaine becomes involved in a goofy adventure when she finds a package in the man's coat pocket, which leads her to an apartment where she becomes involved in a gun battle between gangsters and the police. Only Elaine survives, making off with two cases containing drugs and $500,000 in big bills.
Pic's resemblance to Susan Seidelman's hit "Susan" pic peaks when Elaine finds a photo (signed "forever, Lulu") of the eponymous heroine (played by rock star Deborah Harry) and starts searching for her, after earlier placing a personals ad in the paper to find the owners of the coats. Unfortunately for the film (and Harry's fans, lured perhaps by her billing ov3er the title with Schygulla), she doesn't find Lulu until the very end, with Harry getting perhaps one line of dialog in what amounts to an extended cameo popping up on the outskirts of the action as a bystander from time to time. En route to this underwhelming conclusion, Elaine becomes a hit novelist due to the media attention she receives after she turns in the money to the police.
Filmmaker Amos Kollek, who in addition to his behind the camera credits delivers a poor performance as Elaine's cynical literary agent Larry, directs ineptly , most of his would-be funny lines falling flat. Gimmick casting of Schygulla, talented dramatic star from the R. W. Fassbinder troupe, giving odd, heavily accented readings to "hip" expressions is more embarrassing than funny. Pic's camp value is finally realized in an over-the-top climax staged at the Fulton Street fish market.
Cast tries hard, with sympathetic readings by Annie Golden and Paul Gleason as Elaine's best pal, an ex-lover, respectively. Schygulla has her moments, but she is at the mercy of very weak material. Not to be faulted is some extremely color pastel lighting by cinematographer Lisa Rinzler, which brightens up the low-budget production.
"Forever, Lulu" is an amateurish effort desperately seeking laughs but getting mainly unintentional ones. Fortunately not the clone of "Desperately Seeking Susan" that its plot summary suggests, picture is still wide of the mark as entertainment and will be mainly of interest to midnight movie followers of high camp. Mystery is why Tristar acquired the indie production, presumably thought to be of interest to undemanding home video and pay-cable users but hardly a theatrical entry.
Hanna Schygulla toplines as Elaine Hines, a European transplant living in New York who is working in temporary jobs while writing her novel. Film comically depicts her growing list of misfortunes: fired from her job; stuck with the check on a big date; stuck in the rain; evicted from her apartment, etc. Things pick up when she contemplates suicide: wielding her gun creates confusin and rsults in a well-dressed couple deposting their coats in her arms out of fright.
Elaine becomes involved in a goofy adventure when she finds a package in the man's coat pocket, which leads her to an apartment where she becomes involved in a gun battle between gangsters and the police. Only Elaine survives, making off with two cases containing drugs and $500,000 in big bills.
Pic's resemblance to Susan Seidelman's hit "Susan" pic peaks when Elaine finds a photo (signed "forever, Lulu") of the eponymous heroine (played by rock star Deborah Harry) and starts searching for her, after earlier placing a personals ad in the paper to find the owners of the coats. Unfortunately for the film (and Harry's fans, lured perhaps by her billing ov3er the title with Schygulla), she doesn't find Lulu until the very end, with Harry getting perhaps one line of dialog in what amounts to an extended cameo popping up on the outskirts of the action as a bystander from time to time. En route to this underwhelming conclusion, Elaine becomes a hit novelist due to the media attention she receives after she turns in the money to the police.
Filmmaker Amos Kollek, who in addition to his behind the camera credits delivers a poor performance as Elaine's cynical literary agent Larry, directs ineptly , most of his would-be funny lines falling flat. Gimmick casting of Schygulla, talented dramatic star from the R. W. Fassbinder troupe, giving odd, heavily accented readings to "hip" expressions is more embarrassing than funny. Pic's camp value is finally realized in an over-the-top climax staged at the Fulton Street fish market.
Cast tries hard, with sympathetic readings by Annie Golden and Paul Gleason as Elaine's best pal, an ex-lover, respectively. Schygulla has her moments, but she is at the mercy of very weak material. Not to be faulted is some extremely color pastel lighting by cinematographer Lisa Rinzler, which brightens up the low-budget production.
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