- Actors: Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Adjani, Charles Grodin, Jack Weston
- Directors: Elaine May
- Writers: Elaine May
- Producers: Warren Beatty, David Leigh MacLeod, Nigel Wooll
- Classification: PG
- VHS Release Date: 24 Jan 2000
- Run Time: 107 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00008T785
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 22,826 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The critics missed the point of this film.
The humour is along the lines of "The Office" meets "Dumb and Dumber". The Rogers and Clark songs are cringingly bad, deliberately so - that is the whole point of the film. Rogers and Clark are meant to be deluded about their lack of talent (a bit like David Brent's pop video "If you don't know me by now").
They rate their song "Dangerous Business" better than anything Simon and Garfunkle have written.
It's not typical slick american one liner humour, but I found it very funny and have watched it many times.
Ignore the critics and give it a go.
The humour is along the lines of "The Office" meets "Dumb and Dumber". The Rogers and Clark songs are cringingly bad, deliberately so - that is the whole point of the film. Rogers and Clark are meant to be deluded about their lack of talent (a bit like David Brent's pop video "If you don't know me by now").
They rate their song "Dangerous Business" better than anything Simon and Garfunkle have written.
It's not typical slick american one liner humour, but I found it very funny and have watched it many times.
Ignore the critics and give it a go.
Format:DVD
Ishtar is one of those movies remembered for its failings, on screen and off. Neither as bad as snobbish, know-all critics of the time had us believe, nor as great as the extremely talented Warren Beatty evidently thought it would be, Ishtar is still an enjoyable movie.
Described at the time as a "vanity production" which lost $40 million, Ishtar apparently previewed well, and was number one on its opening weekend, only to be beaten by a b-grade horror movie called The Gate. Stories of rampant egotism, "creative differences", and grandscale self-indulgence filled the movie press, and Ishtar ended 1987 as the number one turkey.
Watching it today, free from any need to justify its existence, Ishtar has its moments - how could it not, with stars like Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman and director Elaine May? It deserves credit for trying something different (a romantic comedy with a political subtext, touching on themes of oil and power). I have a soft spot for the film, but would be the first to admit that this isn't Beatty's finest hour - for that, check out Reds, which is a masterpiece. But if you do buy Ishtar (and it isn't cheap), give it a chance. No one else did 25 years ago.
Described at the time as a "vanity production" which lost $40 million, Ishtar apparently previewed well, and was number one on its opening weekend, only to be beaten by a b-grade horror movie called The Gate. Stories of rampant egotism, "creative differences", and grandscale self-indulgence filled the movie press, and Ishtar ended 1987 as the number one turkey.
Watching it today, free from any need to justify its existence, Ishtar has its moments - how could it not, with stars like Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman and director Elaine May? It deserves credit for trying something different (a romantic comedy with a political subtext, touching on themes of oil and power). I have a soft spot for the film, but would be the first to admit that this isn't Beatty's finest hour - for that, check out Reds, which is a masterpiece. But if you do buy Ishtar (and it isn't cheap), give it a chance. No one else did 25 years ago.
Format:DVD
ISHTAR has been subjected to a smear campaign ever since it broke its production budget, something that is totally irrelevant to its value as a film. As a film it is not only well scripted, well acted, and beautifully shot, it is consistently funny. Compare it fairly with any of the old Hope/Crosby road movies, to which it pays tribute, and it is much, much cleverer. To condemn anything without a hearing is absurd, and yet so effective has been the whispering campaign against ISHTAR (politically motivated?), that despite brilliant performances by Hoffmann, Beatty, Adjani, & Grodin (a real standout), the only DVD available is this one in PAL format which requires a special all-zone player to view in the USA. Sad, very sad.
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