Criminally Underrated Films, Volume 1: Ishtar
"When I drew the above cartoon, I had not actually seen Ishtar. ... Years later, I saw it on an airplane, and was stunned at what was happening to me: I was actually being entertained. Sure, maybe it's not the greatest film ever made, but my cartoon was way off the mark. There are so many cartoons for which I should probably write an apology, but this is the only one which compels me to do so."
- Gary Larson
You have probably never seen Ishtar. You probably do not want to see Ishtar. Odds are if you've ever even heard of Ishtar it has been in a sentence which most certainly contained the word "flop." Ishtar has a bit of a reputation for being arguably the worst film ever made and one of the single largest, on a percentage basis, busts in Hollywood history. If you're reading this post, I trust you will set aside your pre-conceived notions and keep an open mind.
First, the basics:
Plot:
Two terrible lounge singers get booked to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel but somehow become pawns in an international power play between the CIA, the Emir of Ishtar, and the rebels trying to overthrow his regime. (via imdb)
Cast:
Warren Beatty - Lyle Rogers
Dustin Hoffman - Chuck Clarke
Other notables - Charles Grodin
The plot as described above is not helping the cause at all. The real plot of this film is in the development of Rogers & Clarke as singers and songwriters. Near the end of this post you'll find some links to some of the tunes from Ishtar.
Next, let's address the most common stereotype associated with the film. Was Ishtar the biggest "flop" in Hollywood history? No. Top ten all-time? Yes. Ishtar was released in 1987 by Columbia Pictures. The film had a production budget of $55 million and grossed roughly $12.7 million at the box office. While recovering only a portion of the budget in ticket sales, plenty of movies have done worse. In fact, Ishtar did not even come close to what is the biggest "flop" of all time - The Adventures of Pluto Nash ($100M/$4.4M). If we're going by pure numbers here, Pluto Nash is six times worse than Ishtar.
For a film to do poorly, you would assume that the reviews were terrible. Incorrect. In fact, many of the critics had positive things to say:
"A smart, generous, genuinely funny affair. Sometimes, like the camel who almost ambles away with the picture, it's longish in the tooth, but it is based on an extremely astute vision of life."
- Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times
"The most underestimated commercial movie of 1987 may not be quite as good as Elaine May's three previous features, but it's still a very funny work by one of this country's greatest comic talents."
- Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Roger Ebert, whose opinion I respect immensely, was not so kind:
"A truly dreadful film, a lifeless, massive, lumbering exercise in failed comedy. Elaine May, the director, has mounted a multimillion-dollar expedition in search of a plot so thin that it hardly could support a five-minute TV sketch."
Plenty of great movies get bad reviews and plenty of bad movies get great reviews (Sideways being a perfect example of the latter). If we can learn anything from Ishtar, it's that one should always decide on their own what's funny to them.
So why is Ishtar good?
Great question. The answer is two-part and pretty straightforward. Dustin Hoffman and the music. Rogers & Clarke are lounge singers without a clue. The duo always compare themselves to legends ("Bridge Over Troubled Water has nothing on Dangerous Business!") while working low-end club gigs. Dustin Hoffman as Chuck Clarke is amazing. In one scene, Chuck is particularly depressed and on the ledge (sort-of) of his room. He pleads with Lyle not to call the police because the press will have a field day with it. This misguided sense of self-importance shows up throughout the film and is good for plenty of laughs.
The genius of the film, in my opinion, is watching Rogers & Clarke hone their craft. As they work through their opus, "Dangerous Business," the lyrics get weirder and funnier. Seeing the takes which do not make the final cut gives you an appreciation for the brilliance of these two as songwriters.
The music alone is worth the time. The plot is admittedly lame (and goes downhill in the last 30 mins), but the music, man. It's all about the music. I really hope that some of you will go out and watch Ishtar. It's really worth it, honestly. If not, do not deprive yourself of the music. Below are links to some excellent Rogers & Clarke tunes:
Enjoy the music and enjoy the film, if you can find it. It's an extremely limited dvd release. We have one, but it only plays on European dvd players. I'm really hoping the cult following and audience demands will create enough buzz for a more widely available release in the future.
Ishtar is not the best movie of all time, but it's not the worst. Not by a long shot.
Some fabulous Ishtar resources:
