Ishtar (1987) - DaaVeeDee

Ishtar (1987) (DVD) (*)

$34.99

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
Arabic ( Subtitles )
Czech ( Subtitles )
Danish ( Subtitles )
Dutch ( Subtitles )
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )
Finnish ( Subtitles )
French ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
French ( Subtitles )
German ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
German ( Subtitles )
Greek ( Subtitles )
Hindi ( Subtitles )
Hungarian ( Subtitles )
Italian ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Italian ( Subtitles )
Norwegian ( Subtitles )
Polish ( Subtitles )
Portuguese ( Subtitles )
Spanish ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Spanish ( Subtitles )
Swedish ( Subtitles )
Turkish ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
France ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
103 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1987 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Elaine May

Written By:
Elaine May

Actors:
Warren Beatty ..... Lyle Rogers
Dustin Hoffman ..... Chuck Clarke
Isabelle Adjani ..... Shirra Assel
Charles Grodin ..... Jim Harrison
Jack Weston ..... Marty Freed
Tess Harper ..... Willa
Carol Kane ..... Carol
Aharon Ipalé ..... Emir Yousef
Fijad Hageb ..... Abdul (as Fuad Hageb)
David Margulies ..... Mr. Clarke
Rose Arrick ..... Mrs.Clarke
Julie Garfield ..... Dorothy
Cristine Rose ..... Siri Darma (as Christine Rose)
Robert V. Girolami ..... Bartender (as Bob Girolami)
Abe Kroll ..... Mr. Thomopoulos
Hannah Kroll ..... Mrs. Thomopoulos
Herb Gardner ..... Rabbi Pierce
Bill Moor ..... U.S. Consul
Edgar Smith ..... Prof. Barnes
J.C. Cutler ..... Omar
Bill Bailey ..... Gen. Westlake
Ian Gray ..... Manager Chez Casablanca
Maati Zaari ..... Porter
Larbi Bouhaddane ..... Taxi Driver (as Bouhaddane Larbi)
Fred Melamed ..... Caid of Assari
Ron Berglas ..... CIA Agent (as Ron Berglass)
Neil Zevnik ..... CIA Agent
Matt Frewer ..... CIA Agent
Alex Hyde-White ..... CIA Agent (as Alex Hyde White)
Stefan Gryff ..... KGB Agent
Alexei Jawdokimov ..... KGB Agent (as Alexei Jawdocimov)
Phillip Schopper ..... Waiter
Aziz Ben Driss ..... Waiter Chez Casablanca
Kamarr ..... Maitre D'Chez Casablanca
Eddy Nedari ..... Mohamad. the Camel Seller
Nayef Rashed ..... Mohamad. the Camel Seller (as Adam Hussein)
George Masri ..... Mohamad. the Camel Seller
Warren Clarke ..... English Gunrunner
Arthur Brauss ..... German Gunrunner
Sumar Khan ..... Ishtari Gunrunner
Jon Paul Morgan ..... Djellabah Seller
Nadim Sawalha ..... Rug Shop Owner / Camel Seller
Haluk Bilginer ..... Guerrilla leader (as Haluk Belginer)
Mark Ryan ..... Screamin' Honkers
Stuart Abramson ..... Screamin' Honkers
John Freudenheim ..... Screamin' Honkers
Bruce Gordon ..... Screamin' Honkers
Paul Standig ..... The Swing
Joseph Gmerek ..... The Swing
John Trumpbour ..... The Swing
Marie Jean-Charles ..... Teacher's Daughters
Patrice Jean-Charles ..... Teacher's Daughters
Danielle Jean-Charles ..... Teacher's Daughters
Tony Head ..... Street person (uncredited)
Frank Patton ..... Rescue Cop (uncredited)

Synopsis:

Considered one of the great box-office turkeys of its decade, Ishtar was an attempt by writer/director Elaine May and stars Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty to do a modern-day road picture in the style of the much-loved Bob Hope and Bing Crosby comedy classics. Beatty is Lyle Rogers, a dimwitted songwriter who befriends and partners with Chuck Clarke (Hoffman), who is only slightly more intelligent but every bit as untalented. Together the duo dreams of becoming a big-time lounge act, but their songs, with titles like "That a Lawnmower Can Do All That," are unintentionally hilarious. Chuck becomes suicidal, but just when it seems they'll never strike it rich, the boys are offered a shady gig at a North African hotel, entertaining U.S. troops stationed in the tiny nation of Ishtar. On their way to accept the job, Lyle, Chuck, and their blind camel are sidetracked by a mysterious woman (Isabelle Adjani) and a scheming CIA agent (Charles Grodin), who are involved in a rebellion against the country's emir. The memorable songs crafted by Chuck and Lyle were written by actor and composer Paul Williams.

Naive Lyle Rogers and more self-assured ladies man Chuck Clarke are a newly formed songwriting team based in New York. They are passionate about their work but are not very good at it, which they don't really realize. Their quest to be famous songwriters results in the end of each of their respective marriages. They are even worse at performing, which is what they feel they have to do to sell their songs. They decide to take the best of the all the bad offers presented to them by their agent, Marty Freed, which is to perform in a hotel lounge in Morocco. Their flight to Morocco is via its neighboring country of Ishtar. In Ishtar and then later in Morocco, both Lyle and Chuck are individually approached by a young woman named Shirra Assel, who requests their assistance on a matter which could possibly result in her death if they don't help her. In reality, she believes she is in possession of a map that would lead to an uprising against the ruling government of Ishtar, led by Emir Yousef. Her brother, who discovered the map, was killed by the Emir's men because of his discovery. She is trying to get the map to the leftist guerrillas that want to overthrow the government. Seeing her make contact with Chuck and then Lyle, CIA agent Jim Harrison gets involved as he is trying to prevent the overthrow of the Emir. As Jim believes that Lyle is working with Shirra and Shirra believes Chuck is a CIA agent, both Lyle and Chuck believe the other is indeed a political operative. But what Lyle and Chuck don't know is that both sides want to kill both of them in the belief that they both are working for the opposing faction, their deaths to be a minor casualty for the greater good.

Two totally untalented song-writers are advised by their agent to get away....as far away....as possible. Upon their arrival in Morocco, they are separately recruited as spies for opposing sides of a planned revolution, while simultaneously vying for the attentions of an attractive left-wing revolutionary. Based on an idea by Elaine May.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 05 December, 2011.