Herb Shellenberger
htshell.org

Robert Greenwald's Xanadu (1980)
July 12, 2013
International House Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA, US


Outdoor screening as part of Totally Terrible 80s!
Introduction by DJ and musician Maria Tessa Sciarrino

"A campy guilty pleasure, this quintessential 1980’s 'disco musical' was a box-office flop and despised by critics everywhere. True, the story of a muse (Olivia Newton-John) who comes to life to inspire a young artist (Michael Beck) is loaded with sappy and sometimes silly plot developments, and director Greenwald, while possessing a talent for visuals, hasn’t an idea about narrative. But for those willing to bask in its unpretentious and curiously effective fantasy elements and musical numbers, Xanadu is a disco-thumping, roller-boogeyin’ lark. The good score helps. Gene Kelly, in his final dramatic role (if you can call it dramatic), appears as sort of a wise sage who opens a dance hall and gets to perform a dance or two." —TLA

Xanadu, Robert Greenwald, 1980, US, digital, 93'

https://htshell.org/files/gimgs/th-51_xanadu.png
https://htshell.org/files/gimgs/th-51_xanadugroup.jpg
https://htshell.org/files/gimgs/th-51_xanaduposter.jpg