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SCREENING

Ishtar

Ongoing

With Paul Williams in person.

Dir. Elaine May. 1987, 107 mins. DCP of newly restored edition. With Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Adjani. Charles Grodin. Wildly underrated at the time of its release, Elaine May’s deceptively screwball comedy is a cross between a Hope and Crosby road movie and a trenchant satire about the Middle East that feels as relevant today as it ever was. Beatty and Hoffman are brilliant as a hapless duo of failed songwriter-performers. Paul Williams managed an amazing feat—writing songs that were intentionally awful yet totally endearing. “Honest and popular don’t go hand in hand. If you admit that you play the accordion, no one will hire you in a rock and roll band…”

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