Does anybody else on this list use Google Alerts to find references to
Ishtar on the web, as I do? I hope so, because 90% (at least) of what
I find are people in blogs or newspaper columns using Ishtar as a
point of reference when discussing some new big budget movie that is
horrible - "bound to be 2007's Ishtar - har har har!" and I leave a
comment, generally rude, about how it seems unlikely, since Ishtar was
a great movie, and then the usual boilerplate... my tone is generally
snarky, and not likely to win any friends, I'm sure other folks on
this list could do a better job.

Not that I'm sure it's a job that needs to be done. I just know that
your typical Ishtar fan feels pretty isolated, and you never know when
somebody might read a rebuttal in the comments section on a blog and
say "wow, I never knew there were others" and they might follow the
links and get involved.

Being an Ishtar fan must be a bit like being gay... we're kind of in
the closet, but knowing others makes it easier to come out. Is there
a bit of gay subtext to Ishtar? I didn't see it when my wife first
suggested it, but it's got that whole show tune thing going, and has
anybody else wondered why it took so long for Lyle to break off the
kiss with Shirra when he still thought she was a boy? It looked like
he startled, then kind of started getting into it, then reeled back
when he realized he was liking it... or am I mis-remembering, or
misunderstanding, or just plain mistaken?

Anyway, below is a good exchange I had because I was dealing with a
reasonable and nice man... more reasonable and nicer than me anyway!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: nfreporter@... <nfreporter@...>
Date: Aug 17, 2007 8:59 AM
Subject: Re: Ishtar 2
To: Matt Love <matt.mattlove1@...>


Dear Matt,

Thanks for your well thought-out reply to my column. I had no idea
that there were Ishtar groups still circulating about. While you were
correct in stating that the Ishtar barb wasn't the gist of my article,
I would like you to know that I was always a fan of the flick.

I know the intent was to create a series of movies like the
Hope-Crosby "On the Road" films, so I can see why an Ishtar 2 (or 3)
might have been a better product.

Anyway, thanks again for writing and best wishes,

Frank Thomas Croisdale
Niagara Falls Reporter

---- Matt Love <matt.mattlove1@...> wrote:
> I know it wasn't really the main thrust of your article, but I
> couldn't let Martin Short's comment go by without a comment of my own.
> It's hard to say why Ishar failed so badly, but the world would have
> been a much better place if they HAD made an Ishtar 2, and George
> Lucas had quit while he was ahead... not to mention the guy who did
> Babe - that second movie was like if you took Bambi and threw him into
> Bladerunner or something. Bizarre and disturbing.
>
> An Ishtar sequel along the lines of Bob Helbig's fan fiction piece
> Dangerous Business (online at
>
http://www.angelfire.com/pa3/bobhelbig/Telling_The_Truth_Can_Be_Dangerous_Busine\
ss_index.html)
> would be welcome indeed.
>
> Yes, there is Ishtar fan fiction. Yes, there are Ishtar fans, and we
> are active on a number of fronts; there is a documentary film about
> Ishtar fandom in the works (http://www.waitingforishtar.com/), the
> manager of the Ishtar fan website (http://www.ishtarthemovie.com/) is
> putting together a tribute CD featuring cover versions of songs from
> the movie, and possibly a US release on DVD (something the heathen in
> Europe have been enjoying for years).
>
> People that say silly things like "Ishtar is the worst movie of all
> time" are guilty of the same thing as people who say "Napoleon's
> greatest military achievement was sending his troops into the teeth of
> the Russian winter."
>
> It isn't just exaggeration; it's exaggeration 180 degrees away from the truth.
>
> Matt Love
> http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ILoveIshtar/