Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Aug. 13, 2013
Price: Blu-ray $19.99
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Dustin Hoffman (l.) and Warren Beatty hit the Middle East in Ishtar.
Though it maintains a reputation for being one of Hollywood’s premiere flops, writer/director Elaine May’s 1987 movie Ishtar has developed a notable cult reputation over the past decade. Hmmmmm. Maybe Sony’s been waiting for the rep to grow before releasing this baby…
The comedy film tells the story of two past-their-prime singer/songwriters (Dick Tracy‘s Warren Beatty and Little Big Man‘s Dustin Hoffman) who go to the Far East to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel, but end up in the middle of an international melee during a layover in the fictional Middle Eastern state of Ishtar. Enter a foreign government, the CIA and left-wing revolutionary rebels….
The PG-13 rated movie came in with a budget of around $51 million, making it one of the most expensive Hollywood film of its day. When released in theaters, however, Ishtar — and director May, in particular — received mostly poor reviews and grossed only $13 million in wide release.
Ishtar also won a Razzie Award for Worst Director and was nominated for two other Razzie Awards: one for Worst Screenplay (also May) and another for Worst Picture (for Beatty, who produced the film).
With that kind of history, it’s not too much of a surprise that Ishtar has been announced for Blu-ray release before — no less than three times over the past three years, in fact. (Our favorite previously announced release date was Jan. 4, 2011, which would have made it a delightful post-holiday treat!)
Here’s hoping Ishtar makes its high-definition debut — finally — this time!
Check out the movie’s trailer:
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