On paper, Ishtar looked like it had a lot going for it. Its stars were Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty; between the two, they had two Oscar wins and 16 nominations between them. Behind the camera, Elaine May was respected as both a writer and director. And the film had a budget that, for its time, broke the bank. Yet none of that was enough — the movie was savaged by the critics and all but ignored by audiences, making just over $14 million during its U.S. theatrical run. In fact, the movie’s name became kind of a punchline, synonymous with big-budget Hollywood failures for decades after its release. We once spoke to Hoffman about the film, he told us he didn’t think it was the movie’s fault; he felt the fates — and some studio executives — had aligned against it. (Click on the media bar below to hear Dustin Hoffman)
Ishtar for the curious, is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms.
On paper, Ishtar looked like it had a lot going for it. Its stars were Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty; between the two, they had two Oscar wins and 16 nominations between them. Behind the camera, Elaine May was respected as both a writer and director. And the film had a budget that, for its time, broke the bank. Yet none of that was enough — the movie was savaged by the critics and all but ignored by audiences, making just over $14 million during its U.S. theatrical run. In fact, the movie’s name became kind of a punchline, synonymous with big-budget Hollywood failures for decades after its release. We once spoke to Hoffman about the film, he told us he didn’t think it was the movie’s fault; he felt the fates — and some studio executives — had aligned against it. (Click on the media bar below to hear Dustin Hoffman)
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