How Elaine May's Ishtar Became a Production Disaster

Considered one of the worst movies of all time, Ishtar is notable for a lot of things, including spawning the term "movie jail,” a place where director Elaine May would go, never to direct another film again. But is this hate warranted? Or is Ishtar perhaps a misunderstood masterpiece?

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

I hope you enjoyed my first deep dive into a single film! Next episode we’ll be taking a look at the upcoming Vertigo remake and how remaking classic films may be better than you think! If you enjoyed, consider subscribing, liking the video and letting me know what you thought! :)

[@brian_dunne]

Ishtar changed my life for the better. Definitely a misunderstood jewel.

[@stpat7614]

1:02 Actually, Hoffman and Beatty have both defended Ishtar.

[@meankatrina]

Cliched as it is, I don't think it's a coincidence that out of the three key players in the story of Ishtar, the only one who was sentenced to cinema jail was the woman. This was good to watch, I've heard about Ishtar but never knew the background. Great video!!!

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

I don’t think it’s a coincidence either! Sexism is definitely responsible for a lot of the ways Elaine May was treated her entire career. I didn’t want to just complain about that as it felt diminishing of a much broader roller coaster of ups and downs, but I think it’s the issue that has been most present from the start, especially when comparing her to her friend Mike Nichols’ career. Thanks for watching and for the kind words!! :)

[@clintscroggs65]

I finally saw it last month, and I couldn't understand where all the hate came from. It's kind of fun to see Hoffman and Beatty just be silly, and that Hoffman was the ladies' man and Beatty the milquetoast. Nothing here that should have made it such the disaster it turned out to be.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

I completely agree! Thanks for watching

[@brickellrich1]

Thank you very much for this! Another phenomenal work. I get happy whenever I get a notification for the channel. Never dissapointed and it always makes my day.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Thank you for the kind words! :) Comments like these make my day and make sharing these videos even more fun. I am so happy you enjoyed!

[@clarahallit]

Great video, very well researched! It's a shame how this movie's production went, you can tell there's a lot of potential hiding between the pages. However I do think May's story is exemplary of how much women in Hollywood aren't taken seriously when it comes to directing. I mean, every single man on this crew seriously thought he could make her OWN movie better than she could?! Not to mention the disaster that went on during Mikey and Nicky's production because of that same reason.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Thank you! I completely agree that so much of what happened with May is due to her being a woman. The fact that her Final Cut was revoked after only one movie that didn’t do that poorly all things considered is pretty indicative of much of the sexism of the industry in the 70s.

[@gkroll8467]

@@whenthepicturesgotbiggerno she’s a neurotic mess and keeps second guessing herself she did her own heavens gate kept refilling scenes a road film with political tones was not necessary it’s not because she’s a woman

[@clintscroggs65]

@@whenthepicturesgotbigger that doesn't explain Heaven's Gate, etc, that met a similar fate from the studios and only later were seen to be worthwhile efforts.

[@WG55]

This video is incorrect about _Mikey and Nicky._ May had been increasing the number of takes required from film to film, scene to scene, until even minor scenes would require 40 to 50 takes. By the end of principal photography, she was editing over one million feet of film, more than twenty times what a normal production would require. The lengthy editing phase stretched to over a year, and Paramount studio was getting impatient. To prevent studio interference on the final edit, she sabotaged the release by stealing two critical reels from the vault to hide in the garage of a friend, thinking that this would prevent a "premature" studio edit. Paramount released the butchered version anyway after taking final edit rights in a lawsuit. It was poorly edited, had serious continuity flaws, and bombed at the box office. After all the lawsuits, Elaine May finally got the rights to her final edit, and it was finally released in 1986. And that was the last movie that she ever made for Paramount.

[@ghostwolf1435]

I have a huge soft spot for it The songs they made together were hilariously bad 😊 Both Hoffman and Beatty have defended Ishtar

[@robwalser]

History will show that Ishtar is one of the greatest films of all time

[@lookdoug1516]

These men are pawns

[@sarahrozaner3494]

Loved this video! I’ve never even heard of Ishtar and now I NEED to see it!!

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Thanks! If you get a chance to check it out, let me know what you think!

[@gardendormouse6479]

I saw it in the theater when it came out. It isn't as bad as people make it out to be.

[@mst3kpimp]

i would be interested in seeing the different cuts of ishtar.

[@Shanopla]

I think a large part of the problem were the expectations from big name actors who already known to be serious for a comedy of this style. If they had used unknowns there would be no expectations and it would have been fun - like Napoleon Dynamite. Imagine if some actor you already knew - big name - had tried to pull off being Napoleon...

[@rmgaspar49]

I think A New Leaf is coming out in blu-ray just now, but none of the other three are available officially, which is a huge blow to those who want to follow up this very good video.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Seriously! I would love to see a boutique label do a box-set of all four films. It would be an instant purchase for me :)

[@rmgaspar49]

@@whenthepicturesgotbigger Only if we get the 17 versions of Ishtar as a bonus, including the cook's.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

@@rmgaspar49 Seriously!

[@gkroll8467]

@@rmgaspar49god noooooooooo

[@brianahodge8613]

Another great video! Would love one of Heaven's Gate and the after effects of Michael Cimino's career because of its failure.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Thank you for watching! I love seeing your comments and support :) I’m glad you’d be interested in a Heaven’s Gate video - it’s such a crazy story and another example of failures defining filmmakers!

[@brianahodge8613]

@@whenthepicturesgotbigger So sad that it did since The Deer Hunter is one of my favourites of the 70s

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

@@brianahodge8613 Same here! It’s so intense and gritty.

[@gkroll8467]

@@brianahodge8613yet the same studio have him year if the dragon Whete he goes in Chinese foot to n c to give the film ambience insanity!

[@JoeSnodgrassworks]

Can't believe you made this. Telling the truth is a dangerous business, man. ... Ishtar is a great movie, not necessarily because it's good, though. At the same time, Masters of the Universe had to suffer so that this movie could be made. I don't love that.

[@hismajestyrick2184]

Just watched Ishtar for the first time last night and was pleasantly surprised by how funny and enjoyable it was

[@TrickyNick79]

During the filming of Mikey and Nicky, May spent huge amounts of money filming continuing to film after the scene had ended. Once, she kept filming evening though the actors had gone home for the day.

[@gkroll8467]

Crazy chick

[@kennethrussell1158]

It was an attempt to make an 1980's version of a Hope/Crosby movie of the 1940's.

[@kennethrussell1158]

Maybe Warren Beatty should have considered writing and directing the movie himself.

[@FilmMinutes]

i love ishtar!!!

[@TwigTheThird]

3,2,3,4-4,2,3 AND These men are PAWNS! I put a price of 20,000 dirham on their heads. Next they will be hailed as the true messenger of GOD! They were just a couple of songwriters, who came to Ishtar, to break into show business. Easy boy, easy boy, easy boy, easy boy! What the hell's the matter with him is he blind?! Well yeah he is, bu-but he's in perfect condition. So how did they wind up on everyone's hit list? Your life is in danger. Behave normally we have guns pointed at your back. No don't put your hands up you idiot! Oh little darlin'. My little darlin'. I can't believe these men may control the fate of the Middle East. Oh where, ar-are you? Do it! Ayiyiyiyiyiyi schmechahii buttahotsfayaaah! This is unbelievable. HOOPA HOOPA HOOPA Kno-ow well-a. That my love-a Are the two American messengers of god dead yet? Is this the oasis? Does this look like an oasis to you? Yeah look at the birds! Are those vultures? YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH Wa-as just fo-or you He's aiming at us! Would you stop being paranoid! Run smuck, they're trying to kill us! Warren Beatty. Dustin Hoffman. Isabelle Adjani. Your girl? How did she get to be your girl? ONLY YOU! I think they're wonderful! Ishtar: Written and directed by Elaine May Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha this is some of our best work!

[@patrickc3419]

I’ve honestly never seen it and all I know of the movie is it’s infamy through pop culture. Is it as bad as everyone says?

[@gardendormouse6479]

No, it's not. I saw it when it came out. It's not great, but it's more than watchable.

[@mrblobby7864]

It's a shame that there's no fancy Elaine May blu ray boxset from a label like Criterion, Eureka or Indicator. It's only 4 films so would be nice and compact but with the rights issues surrounding Heartbreak Kid and the already cancelled blu ray of Ishtar, I doubt it will ever happen.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Yeah, I’d love to see one. Elaine May deserves way more credit and Mikey and Nicky is the only film of hers that has really received the full boutique treatment.

[@kennethrussell1158]

Great channel, my wife and I just started watching.

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@daniellajones2188]

Another super informative video!I’d love to see a video about Heaven’s Gate 😊

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Thank you and thanks for commenting! :)) I’ll definitely do it if you’re interested!

[@gkroll8467]

@@whenthepicturesgotbiggerthey thought that would be funny that Beatty wasn’t the chick magnet and Hoffman was

[@rossinnz]

I recon it was a brilliant movie. Made ya smile almost all the way through.

[@stephenhaynes149]

Love this. I quite liked Ishtar myself!

[@the503creepout7]

Just saw Ishtar for the first time pretty recently. It's definitely better than it's reputation suggests but i wouldn't call it a great film. It's just ok with a few redeeming highlights due to the acting of Beatty, Hoffman, & Grodin. i really enjoyed the first act & the leads are certainly endearing. But i felt that not far into the 2nd act, it starts losing steam. The film kind of a turns into a whole different movie going from an underdog buddy story to a fish out of water adventure flick, making it seem a little disjointed. I'd give it a C+.

[@paulglover7048]

I will die on this hill. Ishtar is one of the funniest movies ever!!!

[@zaxapitsa]

"...alongside such classics as the Treaty of Versailles and new Coke". I subscribed earlier on the video but yeah, subscribed.

[@FilmJournal]

Great video! Really enjoyed this and learned a lot

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

Thank you! I’m glad you liked it :)

[@sianwarwick633]

The movie wasn't hated, it was only a disaster at the box office

[@gkroll8467]

Like giving huge budgets to Scorsese gangs if by aviator when the academy hates him he thought those films would get him an Oscar but they saw through that shit finally had to give him one because there was no director left to give it to

[@Calv1999]

I hate warren Beatty but Heaven can wait is one of the best old films I’ve ever seen. Had no idea it was written by her

[@whenthepicturesgotbigger]

My dad would agree with you. Heaven Can Wait is really good! Have you seen McCabe and Mrs. Miller? That’s probably my favorite Warren Beatty movie.

[@Calv1999]

@@whenthepicturesgotbigger no and I wouldn’t like it because it’s Robert altman. I’d rather watch paint dry than one of his movies again

[@Calv1999]

@@whenthepicturesgotbigger my favorite warren Beatty movie is when he announced La La land won best picture 🤣

[@nozcadream]

This movie is just great! 😂 ok, maybe not great, but so hilarious, to me it is a Cult. (I like the kind of movie as Kiarostami's "Where Is the Friend's House?", so maybe that explains something 😅 )

[@Justmeagain64]

It was a great movie

[@cynthiarowley719]

I love this movie, it has hilarious moments. Hollywood story, too many cooks. Warren, shame on you.

[@gardendormouse6479]

Yes, exactly. Too many cooks, too much going on, too much ego.

[@n1663r]

This is why they had to make laws and rules too hire women.

[@gkroll8467]

Never should have left n y and Beatty and Hoffman should have waived their five million each salary

[@surferles589]

Scorcese is right. The comedy is sublime. Hollywood doesn't like sublime. And Heaven's Gate is awesome - I think the audience felt it was too ethnic for a Western.

[@ThunderAppeal]

It was a terribly good movie. It was terrible and good. But overall a terrible movie.

[@ThunderAppeal]

But I read somewhere that both Hoffman and Beaty did all their own singing.