Xanadu
Directed by Robert Greenwald
Written by Roger Christian Danus, Marc Reid Rubel
Starring Olivia Newton John, Michael Beck, Gene Kelly
Release Date August 8th, 1980
This week, Olivia Newton John passed away. She was 73 years old and had bravely fought cancer for several years. Tributes have poured in for the singer who holds a wonderfully unique place in our culture. She's at once a figure of resolute earnestness that Generation X held up for mockery. But she's also a person who is remarkably easy to like and whose work is very easy to enjoy. Take for instance her rather checkered film career. Aside from Grease, a movie that has achieved cult fame, she wasn't in many movies and she was certainly not in many good movies.
In fact, my favorite Olivia Newton John movie is one that falls into the not very good category. Xanadu is an epic fever dream of cocaine fueled 1970's weirdness. It's a musical that longs to bring the generations of the big and the disco together for a Brady Bunch style family singalong. It's pure bland white bread on one side and goopy, gooey Hollywood cheese on the other. It's a massive misfire of intent and yet a wildly enjoyable failure.
Find my full length review at Geeeks.Media, linked here.
