XANADU is a musical fantasy film released in 1980 directed by Robert Greenwald. It stars Olivia Newton-John as Kira, Michael Beck as Sonny Malone, and Gene Kelly as Danny McGuire. Sonny is an artist toiling away painting album covers for a living. Danny is a has-been song and dance man resigned to retirement after a career in construction. Kira is an immortal muse sent from a mythological plane to bring Sonny and Danny together so they can create a performing arts roller skating club called XANADU.
Famously.
It’s well understood to be one of the worst movies ever made. It helped invent the Golden Raspberry Awards. We don’t have much nice to say about it, either — we think it’s embarrassing at best. But we, the Xanadudes, down two hosts this week, still try to pull apart what does and doesn’t work and why in this strange misstep of a musical.
**References: **
#MichaelBeck #35mm
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Show art by Emily Csuy. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro: “Whenever You're Away from Me” composed by John Farrar and performed by Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John from the XANADU soundtrack.
Timestamps
Coming soon! Maybe. I’m trying, okay?
