Ishtar: Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Adjani, Charles Grodin, Jack Weston, Tess Harper, Carol Kane, Aharon Ipal�, Fijad Hageb, David Margulies, Rose Arrick, Julie Garfield, Vittorio Storaro, Elaine May, Richard P. Cirincione, Stephen A. Rotter, David Leigh MacLeod, Nigel Wooll: Amazon.ca: Video

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At the time of its release in 1987, this Elaine May production was bandied about as one of the worst films of the decade. It was nominated for three Razzie Awards that year--Worst Picture, Screenplay, Direction--but it still was not the nadir detractors claimed it to be. (Remember, that was the year Norman Mailer's self-indulgence spilled all over the screen in Tough Guys Don't Dance.) If this comedy had been made by unknowns, it would have simply faded into the obscurity it deserves. The fuss came about because May squandered much talent and a ridiculously large budget, rumored to exceed $40 million, returning less than half of that in ticket sales. Two artistically challenged lounge musicians (Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman) are jettisoned out of the States by their agent, who finds them a gig in Morocco. En route, they become pawns in an international power play between the CIA, the mythical emir of Ishtar, and upstarts hoping to overthrow the emir's regime. There are some humorous bits, such as when Hoffman and Beatty so badly perform their horrible ditties that audiences are left appalled. Most of the time however, we are the ones lulled into a near daze by a hokey script and boorish jokes about blind camels. If Abbott and Costello had made this flick, it might have worked. --Rochelle O'Gorman

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars You have to be ... ?, Oct 16 2011

By

Mooseman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ishtar [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

This is a poorly done, low budget master-piece. I have seen it many times and laugh hysterically every-time. The only thing more hilarious than the movie is the asking price of $199.99 how pathetic is that. I hope your copies shrivel up and blow away!

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5.0 out of 5 stars You don't get it!, May 1 2012

By

JAMES P. NEVINS (Ajax, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ishtar [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

Have been waiting for a DVD of this movie for years. It is a wonderful flick.
Those who pan this as the worst ever movie, with hokey dialogue and bad songs etc, miss the whole point.
IT SUPPOSED TO BE BAD!!!!
I can tell you from experience that the people who love this movie the most and have almost made it a cult film are professional musicians. Dustin Hoffmand and Warren Beatty are the epitome of so many terrible lounge lizards and are frighteningly close to alot of real characters out there: bad musicians, bad vocals, always thinking just one break and they're ready for the big time.
I love it.
Ishtar fans, stand up for your rights. Demand a DVD.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Little known treasure!, April 2 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Ishtar (VHS Tape)

When Ishtar first came out in the theaters - my husband and I wondered aloud "was this the worst movie we've ever seen, or the BEST?" We decided it was the BEST -- at least one of the best, anyway.....We usually have to rent it once a year (sometimes more) to get a good laugh. It's so funny I literally cry! Can Amazon please get behind this and get some copies of this movie in DVD for all the loyal ISHTAR fans? We need our own copy of ISHTAR! We're ready to buy it NOW! PS "Half-an-Hour" is one of the greatest songs in the film!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I love it! Where's the DVD?
It's been many many years since I've seen this, but it still ranks as one of the funniest movies I've seen. Read more

Published on July 4 2005 by P. Zylik

5.0 out of 5 stars I would buy the DVD~!
You have to bring this out on DVD

It is a milestone movie! It has to be done!!
Yes it takes great acting to come up with this totally funny Movie... Read more