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.
Nick is desperate, holed up in a cheap hotel, suffering from an ulcer and convinced that a local mobster wants him killed. He calls Mikey, his friend since childhood, but when Mikey arrives... See full summary »
Henry Graham lives the life of a playboy. When his lawyer tells him one day that his lifestyle has consumed all his funds, he needs an idea to avoid climbing down the social ladder. So he intends to marry a rich woman and - murder her.
Three days into his Miami honeymoon, New York Jewish Lenny meets tall, blonde Kelly. This confirms him in his opinion that he has made a serious mistake and he decides he wants Kelly ... See full summary »
Director:
Elaine May
Stars:
Charles Grodin,
Cybill Shepherd,
Jeannie Berlin
A Los Angeles Rams quarterback, accidentally taken away from his body by an overanxious angel before he was meant to die, returns to life in the body of a recently murdered millionaire.
The comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.
A suicidally disillusioned liberal politician puts a contract out on himself and takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture.
An ambitious reporter gets in way-over-his-head trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the worlds headlines.
Director:
Alan J. Pakula
Stars:
Warren Beatty,
Paula Prentiss,
William Daniels
A radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States.
Director:
Warren Beatty
Stars:
Warren Beatty,
Diane Keaton,
Edward Herrmann
Jessie is an aging career criminal who has been in more jails, fights, schemes, and lineups than just about anyone else. His son Vito, while currently on the straight and narrow, has had a ... See full summary »
Director:
Sidney Lumet
Stars:
Sean Connery,
Dustin Hoffman,
Matthew Broderick
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. Written by
Stern
Filming lasted from October 1985-April 1986. Columbia Pictures was originally going to release the film during the 1986 Christmas Season, but because of post-production troubles, and other budgetary issues the film was not yet ready for it's original December 1986 scheduled release date. The film's release was postponed until May 1987 in order to give Columbia enough time to get budget and post-production issues sorted out before the film hit theaters. The delay in the film's release also spread a negative vibe, that ultimately helped contribute to it's eventual overwhelming failure. See more »
Goofs
AS the helicopter lowers to give the CIA agent a level shot at the duo, his wood stock, single shot, bolt action rifle turns into a black automatic weapon with a banana clip. See more »
Quotes
Jim Harrison:
Sir? We did NOT fire on two Americans in the desert. We did NOT. Who told you that? The Secretary of State? Well, how would he know?
See more »
I have no idea why "Ishtar" is often called "the worst movie ever made." It is rolling-on-the-floor, sidesplittingly hilarious! The scene towards the beginning with Hoffman and Beatty writing *really* bad songs, and the ones later in the film with a very cantankerous camel had me laughing so hard tears were coming out of my eyes. I saw the movie at the recommendation of a friend, without having heard any of the media hype, so I wasn't biased against it. I can't understand why the critics bandwagoned against it so heavily. They must have absolutely no sense of humor. Maybe they were expecting another "Reds" or "Little Big Man" or something, instead of a higher-class "Spies Like Us."
Everyone I know thinks "Ishtar" is a very funny movie. Even my mom liked it!
32 of 45 people found this review helpful.
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I have no idea why "Ishtar" is often called "the worst movie ever made." It is rolling-on-the-floor, sidesplittingly hilarious! The scene towards the beginning with Hoffman and Beatty writing *really* bad songs, and the ones later in the film with a very cantankerous camel had me laughing so hard tears were coming out of my eyes. I saw the movie at the recommendation of a friend, without having heard any of the media hype, so I wasn't biased against it. I can't understand why the critics bandwagoned against it so heavily. They must have absolutely no sense of humor. Maybe they were expecting another "Reds" or "Little Big Man" or something, instead of a higher-class "Spies Like Us."
Everyone I know thinks "Ishtar" is a very funny movie. Even my mom liked it!