Strap on your skates! Dust off your ELO records and get out that clarinet! Yes, this December we’re celebrating your mum’s favourite movie, Xanadu!
You know you’ve made it when Hollywood creates an entirely new awards show just to honour your film. Except when the show is the Golden Raspberry Awards, which honours the worst movie of the year, started in 1980 just to give Xanadu its due. Or as the one word review in Variety magazine ran: “Xana-don’t.”
A confused mismatch of Greek myth, roller disco, 1940s big bands musicals and some weird cartoons featuring horny goldfish, Xanadu has something for everyone. Which is exactly the problem. In trying to have something for everything, it fails to leave anything for itself. It’s a hodgepodge of mediocre dance numbers, bizarre creative choices and special effects that are special in the same way as that kid at your school who ate paste was special.
It’s hard to write positively about Xanadu, given its myriad of cinematic sins, so instead I’ll be the change I want to see in the world and focus on what’s great about it – Olivia Newton John. She is LUMINIOUS as a Greek muse sent to Earth to inspire sentient shop mannequin Michael Beck (great in the Warriors and nothing else) to… let me check my notes… quit his job as an artist to open a roller disco.
In addition to ONJ and some pretty boppy Electric Light Orchestra numbers, this film is also notable for being the last film to feature perhaps one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Gene Kelly. Alas, it is depressing that even he can’t inject life into this mishmash. Or can he? Am I just being a Grinch who needs a little disco magic? Let’s all decide on Saturday 13 December when we decide if this film is RAD, BAD or MAD.
Also check out other Entertainment events in Launceston, Parties in Launceston, Music events in Launceston.
