Following up on my viewing of 1980’s The Jazz Singer, somehow a critical flop but a musical smash, I turned my attention to another similar phenomenon from the same year. 50’s throwback Grease had made the late Olivia Newton-John a global commodity, so finding another poptastic, retro-tinged musical vehicle for the Aussie singer was a holy grail for producers. The writer of iconic hit You’re The One That I Want was brought in to pen the choon Magic, which topped the charts around the world. Expectations were high that Xanadu would repeat the same trick as Grease and cement Newton-John as a movie star.
That kind of magic, famously, didn’t happen here, although Xanadu is a cult film these days, largely because it’s a melange of colourful ingredients that don’t quite gel, but are undeniably entertaining in their own right. Based on the plot of the 1940’s Rita Hayworth vehicle Down To Earth, Xanadu is set in LA’s funky Venice Beach, and sees young painter Sonny Malone (somehow Michael Beck from The Warriors and Megaforce) falling for Kira a beautiful roller-skater (Newton-John) who may or may not also be the goddess Persephone in mortal form. Things get complicated when Sonny teams up with Gene Kelly, pretty much playing himself but billed as Danny McGuire, who wiki describes as a ‘former big band orchestra leader turned construction mogul.’ Leaving that headspinning contrivance aside, Danny and Sonny decide to open an abandoned-art deco nightclub to lure Kira back to earth, leading to a roller-skating finale that….
I’ve been publishing reviews since the 80’s, but that’s one of the worst scenarios for a film I’ve ever attempted to translate from gibberish into English, and audiences not surprisingly shrugged and stayed away. But like the proverbial curate’s egg, parts of Xanadu really are excellent; Kelly has a neat old school dance routine, and there’s a fearsome proto mash-up of big band music and rock, featuring the song Dancin’ by The Tubes that is way ahead of its time. The main musical guests are the Electric Light Orchestra who contribute not only the winning title song, but also All Over The World, set in a department store with the mannequins coming to life.
A recent interview with one of the Tubes suggested that the film came about too early to catch the early 80’s MTV wave, and that assumption may well be correct; it’s certainly got several scenes that would jump out as lavish pop video fodder. I saw Xanadu on the BBC iPlayer as part of a tribute to Olivia Newton-John, but she doesn’t seem particularly comfortable with this ramshackle vehicle, and who can blame her? This may not be Xanadu as Orson Welles or Coleridge imagined it, but it you’re looking for a gaudy pleasuredome with Gene Kelly dancin’ to ELO, you’re absolutely welcome to this one. As the title song says, it takes your breath and it’ll leave you blind, and both of these things are entirely true of this incarnation of Xanadu. And yes, it can happen for you…
That description of Gene Kelly’s character is pretty much crazy.. having seen this it’s not what comes to mind.
What comes to mind is something I’ll have to repress for the rest of my life.
It does have a fab soundtrack, but I was ok with the casting until I saw Michael Beck in The Warriors… Then mind blown. Also why didn’t Gene Kelly’s character recognise Kira??
I actually watched Xanadu back to back with Can’t Stop the Music, because I knew both movies were credited with inspiring the Razzies. I think I liked Xanadu better in comparison, but it’s still pretty bad. You’re right about it feeling like gibberish.
They are two movies of similar ‘anything goes’ tone. It’s monumentally misconceived, but as least doesn’t have the Village People singing Danny Boy…
To me, Xanadu is so bad it’s…well, bad. But it looks like at least a few people who were in it had fun, so there’s that.
It’s like the overlayered three different movies on top of each other. It makes Grease seem like a hard hitting drama. They call it Xanadu.
Had this on VHS back in the day. Nobody liked it. I was too young to even understand it. But we liked ELO and I guess that meant we were obligated to own it.
While researching, I came across a critic saying that ELO were a ‘where are they now?’ Headlining a massive world tour last time I saw them, just before the pandemic, hardly one hit wonders. Their music is constantly in films and commercials. I think there’s something that lends itself to cinema in their music, and the big scenes set to their music give the film a lift it doesn’t earn on narrative drive or relatability.
Not enough good parts was my estimation though cults have been built on less and the chance to look back at good old crazy times always worth while.
A mad 40’s screwball fantasy without jokes mashed up with a roller skating let’s go disco album promotion; what could go wrong?
I suspect nothing did until it reached the largely unimpressed punters.
Didn’t know the connection to the Rita Hayworth film. However, your review has not convinced me to give Xanadu a spin. It does, however, make me want to give my Grease DVD another spin!
Grease, looking back, was quite a surprise hit; musicals had been failing left right and centre for a decade, but somehow this combo of fresh new stars and oldies worked like a charm. Grease 2 showed how hard it was to make that formula work, but Grease is still a stone cold classic!
Totally agree. Grease is one of those films that I don’t quite understand why I love so much. But I do!!!
After watching that trailer, I’m going to say that Newton-John killed this movie’s chances. They needed someone else, someone with character. Someone like Jessica Rabbit…
She’s a cartoon character, right?
So is ONJ, at least in the trailer.
That is true even once you’ve seen the film. She looks great, but has a far more underwritten character than the male leads.
Yep.
And we all know cartoons are the best movies. get rid of all those “real” people and then you can have a good movie on your hands…
The Rescuers Down Under?
Perfect Example.
I am SO glad we both understand cinema so well.
I know I’ve been pretty wishy washy, but when you run for King of Scotland, I promise to vote 5 or 6 time for you. Because you’re a pal….
You cannot beat Bernard and Bianca on a motorboat made out of a giant leaf and firefly!
No matter the plot daft as it is, she was a stunning looking lady.
And a terrific voice as well. Let’s get Physical!
Oh let’s not.
https://youtu.be/vWz9VN40nCA
Is that you in the red shorts?
Yes, although I’m a bit more shredded these days…
Is shredded a good thing?
I was wondering the same thing!
Maybe like this guy:
https://www.sideshow.com/storage/product-images/9038141/shredder_tmnt_square.jpg
That is me.
Very intimidating! But where’s the kilt?
I’m just drying it out.
Is it a ninja-kilt?
How did you guess?
My keen deductive skills, honed in the wilderness of life. Nothing gets by Detective Bookstooge!
So I hear. What’s your next case?
Bookstooge and the case of the missing Christmas Present. It looks like it will be a looooong case….
He looks funky!
For body builders like me and Alex, yes.
You having an extension done?
Xanadu . . . where time stops and the magic never ends. I think the trailer was enough for me. I remember the ad campaign for this one when it came out and it just seemed like so much of what was going on at the time. Same year as Can’t Stop the Music, another favourite of yours if I recall . . .
These ARE great films, I’m sure you have similar affection for popular movies from your era like Roundhay Garden Scene or Dickson Greeting.
Fred Ott sneezing still gets me every time. The guy was a natural performer for the camera.
Do you still have your stub?
Didn’t have tickets back in the day. We got tokens to put in the machines.
Will you be reviewing What The Butler Saw?