Xanadu (1980)
Genre: Music / Fantasy
Duration: 93 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Robert Greenwald
Stars: Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly and Michael Beck
IMDb score:
5,4 (16.730)
Releasedate: 8 August 1980
Xanadu plot
"A Fantasy, A Musical, A Place Where Dreams Come True."
The Greek muses inspire mankind to create works of art. One of the muses takes the form of the attractive Kira and is introduced to the painter Sonny Malone. Together with Danny McGuire, a man previously inspired by Kira, Sonny builds a huge roller-skating disco.
Actors and actresses
Kira
Danny McGuire
Sonny Malone
Simpson
Sandra
Richie
Jo
Helen
Muse 1
Muse 2
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
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- 87623 messages
- 12889 votes
Not to be estimated this... well, movie?
Say what you will about musicals, but they usually seem polished and well-thought-out. Xanadu is a stark exception. It's such an uninteresting jumble that it's hard to believe it has any standing at all.
What struck me most were the incredibly sloppy dances and the sometimes soulless way everything is filmed. The dance number between ONJ and Beck on roller skates resembles a failed front end of a talent show, but the saddest part is ONJ's singing solo just before the final "spectacle." She simply sings a full song without the camera even attempting to move. For three minutes, you watch ONJ swaying her head, singing against a pitch-black background. It's embarrassing.
The story is utter nonsense, visually it's absolutely worthless, the music is mostly laughably bad, and the whole thing is just a complete disgrace. I actually felt sorry for Gene Kelly; he doesn't deserve to have this as his last film.
If you want to stare in amazement at 90 minutes of bad taste, this is your ideal film. You won't find anything worse than this.
0.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
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- 3180 messages
- 8228 votes
The bright colors and neon lights are typical of the disco era, but there's also a nostalgic element with the presence of Gene Kelly, tap dancing, and a big band. Disco meets swing. The story is a bit corny, but the main point is to get swept away in a trance. Olivia Newton-John plays a muse who appears in various eras. She doesn't say her full name, but it must be Terpsichore, the muse of dance. We also learn that Zeus speaks with a British accent—it's the voice of old Wilfrid Hyde-White. Olivia Newton-John and ELO sing some catchy songs; they only appear together on the title track at the end.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Lovelyboy
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- 3953 messages
- 2955 votes
And just like last week with Hair Sunday, I also got to work on some music before finally grabbing my headphones for some prog rock, metal, and blues. And this time it was Xanadu. Did I expect much from it? Did I recognize it? Well, no, I know the Newton John song, but I didn't know it was related to a movie.
But let's get right to it with this film, which, according to the synopsis, centers on an artist and his soon-to-be-encountered Muse. And I can easily imagine the buzz surrounding Kira, because Newton John is, to say the least, captivating. Besides that, it has a powerful soundtrack, primarily inspired by Jeff Lynne and The Electric Light Orchestra, and a true celebrity has been brought in with Gene Kelly.
But other than that, I have very little to do with all the singing and dancing, whereas I simply hate the average musical or musical film. But it must be said that Xanadu is frivolous, playful, cheerful and colorful, and with Danny and Sonny at times a nice nostalgic image is created, while with Sonny it is all a bit more modern. What is silly is that fluttering of Sonny who in reality of course would have been fired long ago, and then he is the best and most important painter and they push him to finish his work only to send him away to change paintings. Exactly!
It's not all that bad, though. While Olivia carries the film, the average genre enthusiast might love it, but I don't really care for it. A three for the effort and Newton John's performance, and the whole thing should be seen through an '80s lens.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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