Ishtar (1987) is commonly considered one of the great film flops of all time. Warren Beatty must surely have been happy when Kevin Costner came along and took that title for him with Waterworld. I read this fascinating excerpt from Warren Beatty biographer Peter Biskind's book "Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America" about the making of Ishtar on the Vanity Fair website (linked to through slate.com's round up of 5 amazing film making stories). If you have time to read this, it is certainly worth it, as it provides an interesting perspective on stardom, egotism, stress, and determination, and how it can destroy a production, friendships, careers, and waste millions of dollars. Most of what it says about Dustin Hoffman I knew, but I really did not know anything about Beatty or the director, Elaine May, the talented writer and friend of Beatty's who bit off more than she could chew by accepting Beatty's gift of a project for her. Anyways, if you want to know how not to make a film, this is a really interesting place to start!
Madness in Morocco: The Road to "Ishtar"
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