I just found the movie Xanadu and this is just absolutely the peak of cinema

[-]

Possible_Shoulder_50@reddit

Don’t forget the badass Don Bluth Animation scene.

[-]

librarykerri@reddit

I have actually never seen the movie (just random clips), but I had the soundtrack on vinyl and listened to it repeatedly.

[-]

I must have seen it 20x in the movie theater (my sister worked there and got me in for free) and I have a great movie display for it but it didn't survive the years. I was in LOVE with Michael Beck the guy who played Sonny and wore out my Xanadu soundtrack. Did I love it?! HELL YEAH!!

[-]

Ill-Experience-7910@reddit

saw it at the theater & had the soundtrack. ELO is awesome

[-]

Hugelogo@reddit

Saw it in the theater. Loved it. Had the soundtrack as a kid. Loved it. Still watch sections from it on YouTube- especially the final Musical number. So good. One of the best bad movies ever made.

[-]

SteveLivingroomCO@reddit

Love the first side of the soundtrack. ELO crushed it. Side B was ok, ONJ had a few good songs.

[-]

Hugelogo@reddit

Yeah - I loved everything by ELO that was on it.

[-]

YamAlone2882@reddit

I loved this movie. I’d put on my roller skates and pretend I was ONJ and everything.

I have Xanadu and Magic in my playlist.

[-]

bigdpix@reddit

Magic was our wedding song!

[-]

bigdpix@reddit

I have been informed it was "Suspended in Time" by my current wife. Same wife as before, but also current 😉

[-]

YamAlone2882@reddit

I love that!

[-]

powderpoff6@reddit

Magic is one of my karaoke go-tos

[-]

classicsat@reddit

It is a mish-mash of decades, 1970s with the rollder disco, 80s with the synth music, 1930s with the building/some design/Gene Kelly.

[-]

Past_Effect8301@reddit

All with a touch of a hallucinogenic drug. 😂

[-]

skyking11702@reddit

As someone who came of age in the 80’s, I can assure you that Xanadu, no matter how charming, is not at all indicative of the decade. If anything, it was the 70’s last dying breath. Liquid Sky, The Hunger, and Cat People are much more evocative of the 80’s. There was an inherent pending sense of danger, almost doom, threaded through out the 80’s. AIDS was running amok, unchecked, and was absolutely terrifying. Not to mention geopolitical issues. And a recession.

[-]

Stump303@reddit

Agreed. It was a fun way to end a decade before it all went to hell. I was 8 when that movie came out and I loved every minute of it .

[-]

Upbeat_Literature483@reddit

One of my childhood favorites

[-]

Stump303@reddit

I have the LP somewhere. I wish they would put it on DVD so I could watch it again.

[-]

spittingdingo@reddit

Arrr, ye just have to know where to look mate.

[-]

Tripswitchnow@reddit

I loved that movie and the Broadway show was a lot of fun too!

[-]

rosewylder@reddit

This and Logans Run.

[-]

Wellby@reddit

Logan’s run is a classic sci-fy movie. I really liked it when it came out. It was based on a book and did a good job following the book. It definitely is not comparable to Xanadus cheesiness.

[-]

rosewylder@reddit

You're right! I meant those were movies I really enjoyed when I was little and not supposed to be up late at my grandparents watching movies 😆 I enjoyed Logan's run more for sure.

[-]

RBI-Man@reddit

The soundtrack brought me to the theater for that movie (ELO in particular). My brothers were crazy about Olivia Newton-John. The movie is better than what the critics say it is. A nice mixture of old and new for the dance scenes near the end. Gene Kelly was always entertaining, too.

[-]

whirlydad@reddit

My wife still has her LP from childhood. It gets a ton of play. Side one is all Olivia Newton John and produced by John Farrar and side two is all ELO produced by Jeff Lynne. I'd argue the soundtrack absolutely made the movie.

[-]

Coco_Snowdrop@reddit

We had it on video. Loved watching it and trying to roller skate after. I loved the music and aesthetic.

[-]

ActuaryFew6884@reddit

Yes, I've seen it many times and my daughter has seen it too when she was young.

Actually, I remember the song ("Magic") being played on the radio when I was young, more than I remember the movie itself.

BTW, sounds like you're the same age as me (49)

[-]

Natural-Pineapple886@reddit

Wait until you hear Xanadu (no relation to the movie) by Rush.

[-]

Cold-Negotiation-539@reddit

Wait until you read “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

[-]

timmy242@reddit

Wait til you hear ONJ recite Kubla Khan, in Xanadu, while listening to Xanadu by Rush.

[-]

Cold-Negotiation-539@reddit

… on roller skates, going backwards, like some kind of disco Ginger Rogers!

[-]

Uncle_Brewster@reddit

Local theater showed this movie a year or two ago. It was a lot of fun to see with an audience. I also picked up the recent 4K Kino Lorber release.

[-]

TheUmberTaker@reddit

Cartoon birds dancing in legwarmers? How can you not li e it :-)

[-]

ru_k1nd@reddit

I love that Adolfo "Shabba Doo" Quiñones (Ozone from Breakin’ and Breakin’2) was one of the dancers in the big Xanadu scene!

[-]

TheUmberTaker@reddit

And one of the sister muses was Valeria from Conan the Barbarian (Sandahl Bergman).

[-]

JulesyJ@reddit

One of my favorites. I was 7 when it came out and all I wanted was to be able to roller skate to all the songs on the album. I would play it constantly. Never skated that great though. there is a closed down skating rink in our town. That was there when I was a child. If I won the lottery, I would go in and fix it back up ,play Xanadu and have all my friends skate with me.

[-]

flyover_liberal@reddit

One of my favorite movies of all time -

Michael Beck used to say that The Warriors made his career and Xanadu ended it :)

[-]

powderpoff6@reddit

This would make a great double feature.

[-]

flyover_liberal@reddit

I used to have Mad Max and Warlords of the 21st century back to back on a VHS tape. Many Sunday afternoons of post-apocalyptic bliss.

[-]

powderpoff6@reddit

I think he went on to have a pretty solid career in narrating audiobooks.

[-]

RBR_DB_361804@reddit

i disagree...he was in Megaforce 2 yrs later. LOL

[-]

ChicagoLarry@reddit

Ironically i think he gets talked to about Xanadu a lot more than The Warriors anymore

[-]

flyover_liberal@reddit

I want to talk to him about Warlords of the 21st Century (later called Battletruck)

[-]

The_vert@reddit

Vastly under-rated movie, I agree. I was a little older than you when it came out. Like, 8 or 9? And this movie gave me feelings. Strong feelings. I have since rewatched it as an adult and think it's wonderful.

[-]

Bob-Dolemite@reddit

have you heard of “Breaking 2: Electric Boogaloo”?

[-]

StormFinch@reddit

Now pay close attention to the zoot suit dancers in the big number at the end, and probably sprinkled other places. You might just spot Shabba Doo, aka Ozone from Breakin and Breakin 2 Electric Boogaloo, two more of my guilty pleasure dance movies.

[-]

Moondra3x3-6@reddit

Sandahl Bergman was one of the muses. She stood out to me as a kid watching her dance. So if course when Conan came out, I had that 'Where have I seen her before' moment. 😋

[-]

StormFinch@reddit

I actually never made the connection, thank you! That poor woman really did need a better agent after Conan. Here's hoping she found happiness outside the public eye.

[-]

pagit@reddit

One of the movies I really hate, even though the ELO song All Over The World is really good and ONJ is really pretty

[-]

Ineffable7980x@reddit

I was 15 at the time. The soundtrack is great, especially the ELO stuff, but to be honest the movie is terrible. My friends and I used to make fun of it.

[-]

bjtg@reddit

I remember it being on HBO constantly, and loving it as a 9 year old. I remember buying it on DVD in my 20's for reminiscing and being "HOLY SHIT THIS IS TERRIBLE."

Still a good soundtrack though.

[-]

__redruM@reddit

I always preferred the Rush song over the movie, but yes peak GenX.

[-]

Notyerdaddy@reddit

I saw it in theaters when it came out and it’s been a guilty pleasure since then. Since the movie was shot in the late 70’s and released in 1980, I’ve always believed that it was personally responsible for the overall look and style of the entire 80’s decade.

[-]

timmy242@reddit

I’ve always believed that it was personally responsible for the overall look and style of the entire 80’s decade.

Pretty sure other commentators have made this claim before. Neon, leg warmers, synths. If the 80s could self-reflect it would call Xanadu a solid inspiration.

[-]

Multiple__Sarcasms@reddit

ELO’s song The Fall 🌟🌟🌟… (and really, all their songs on the soundtrack - but especially that one).

[-]

powderpoff6@reddit

My fave is Don’t Walk Away - theme to the infamous Chuck Bass animation sequence. The soundtrack is fire.

[-]

RBR_DB_361804@reddit

they made a musical! it's funny and kinda makes fun of the original movie.

xanadu musical

[-]

powderpoff6@reddit

I saw this when it opened, starring Kerry Butler and Cheyenne Jackson, both went on to huge success. It was during pride week in NYC. What a blast!

[-]

mrtimtracy@reddit

Then I came to America, saw Xanadu And that's all I wanted to do, rollerskate

[-]

Frequent_Policy8575@reddit

Came here for this, wasn’t disappointed

[-]

TurboLicious1855@reddit

I watch that stupid movie every year. When I dj, you better believe music from Xanadu shows up.

[-]

powderpoff6@reddit

Hell yeah

[-]

MichaelJeopardy@reddit

I saw the short lived Broadway musical they did.

[-]

SomePeopleCallMeJJ@reddit

I've always thought that ELO's catalog would make an amazing jukebox musical, but I wonder if the fact that "Xanadu" sort of was a semi-ELO jukebox musical ruined the chance that we'd ever get a legitimate one?

[-]

SurfyBraun@reddit

Oh that was fun. Not great, but fun.

[-]

powderpoff6@reddit

This is one of my all-time favorites, and yes, I know it’s not great. My parents loved movie musicals and because Gene Kelly, this was on regular rotation growing up. I have discovered this movie has a huge cult following. It is so camp!

I saw the Broadway show when it opened. I have kicked ass at Xanadu themed trivia nights. I have gone to a special screening at my local art house cinema (presented because ELO was in town. I went to that show too.).

But wait

During Covid, my local roller rink was doing private rentals with bring your own playlist, I rented it for an hour and had a Xanandu focused playlist.

It is a total cult classic, and there is a really big community of Xanadu fans out there! And guess what, my teenagers love it too!

[-]

Leeleewithwings@reddit

I loved this movie when it came out. I was in grade school, saw it at a drive in and thought it was the best thing ever. I would roller skate through the neighborhood singing Xanadu. I was the shit. But I rewatched recently and oh boy. Not the cinematic masterpiece I remember. I kinda had secondhand embarrassment about the whole thing

[-]

bungle094@reddit

Watched it as a kid. What a disaster, haha. Soundtrack was ok.

[-]

Sgibby65@reddit

My wife’s favorite movie

[-]

SoCal7s@reddit

Horrible movie. ONJ is amazingly beautiful, “Magic” is a great song, the Solid Gold Dancers and Shabba Doo are cute to see… …but as an actual film it’s bad - not even a guilty pleasure. Just watch clips on YouTube.

[-]

Office_Zombie@reddit

7-year-old me was absolutely in love with Olivia Newton-John.

I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. d

Given, in 1980, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, but that is beside the point.

[-]

Natural-Pineapple886@reddit

....and Bo Derek.

[-]

PocketZombieii@reddit

1000%. And when she was dressed in the army dress with the 40s or 50s hair … that never gets old

[-]

LaksaLettuce@reddit

The sequence with Gene Kelly is so darn good.

[-]

UnrealizedDreams90@reddit

I was 10. Movie was ok, I watched it a few times, loved the title track though.

[-]

StankyBassFace@reddit

This movie was the reason I was in love with Olivia Newton John.

[-]

Key_Hedgehog_5773@reddit

That movie is why I skated for years :) also muses.

[-]

mnreco@reddit

You forgot the most important part: Leg Warmers.

[-]

Comsic_Bliss@reddit

Lastly … Light Electric Orchestra!

[-]

bigdpix@reddit

Ha, I have the vinyl Bee Gees LHCB!

[-]

icrossedtheroad@reddit

DiCaprio was but a child when he formed this band.

[-]

Comsic_Bliss@reddit

??

[-]

MichaelJeopardy@reddit

LEO?

[-]

Comsic_Bliss@reddit

OP corrected the mistake - they had a typo that said “lastly, LEO”

[-]

TelevisionKnown8463@reddit

I watched that SO many times when I was in fifth grade.

[-]

jh8777@reddit

Same

[-]

PBRStreetgang1979@reddit

Xanadu the peak of cinema? I would have agreed with you when I was 10 years old.

[-]

efxeditor@reddit

I too recently saw this masterpiece of disco-roller skating wonder! I am mad at myself for missing out on it for so long.

[-]

No_Royal8268@reddit

Big ONJ fan and I picked it for my birthday outing when it came out (I was 12). My favorite soundtrack.

[-]

sharpfork@reddit

No regret!

https://ebay.us/m/BcMDZ5

[-]

baldmisery17@reddit

Yes.

[-]

paullbart@reddit

You’re brave. That’s a place that nobody dared to go.

[-]

bigdpix@reddit

Now you are here…..

[-]

SomePeopleCallMeJJ@reddit

Careful! That's a gateway drug into so-bad-they're-good musical movies from 1980.

Sure, you watch Xanadu a few times. No harm in that.

But then you start craving something stronger, something campier. So you give Can't Stop the Music a watch, just to scratch the itch.

Next thing you know, you're strung out in the gutter with The Apple on repeat.

[-]

BelAirGuy45@reddit

OMG. How have I never heard of The Apple? That looks truly awful. I actually won tickets from a radio station to see Can't Stop the Music when I was 12. My parents said "Nope".

[-]

SomePeopleCallMeJJ@reddit

The Apple is absolutely jaw-dropping, and I can't recommend it enough.

[-]

flyover_liberal@reddit

Hey, just wanted to recognize your homage to Mr. Mom. Well played.

[-]

MakeUrBed@reddit

What about Breakin'?

[-]

tesky02@reddit

I remember watching the Apple as a kid on cable. Blew my young mind. Have not even heard about it since.

[-]

GoldenMonkeyRedux@reddit

Own the record. The end sequence where they’re stomping around the roller disco making x’s with their arms chanting “Xanadu!” is one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.

[-]

Formal_Ground6513@reddit

This one blew my mind! 🤣

https://youtu.be/jG-ElxxSU5E?si=d1eQhYSQrHQ0fQ4g

Gahhh, I still love it!

[-]

GoldenMonkeyRedux@reddit

I forgot about that scene. WTF

It's so surreal to see Gene Kelly

That made my morning.

[-]

alcohall183@reddit

you forgot to mention the roller skating! and all the glitter; so much glitter and sequins.

[-]

Frigidspinner@reddit

Xanadu is cool but it came out in 1980 - If it defines any era, maybe it is better stated as "the end of the 1970s"

[-]

Royal_Ranger@reddit

Well said — It really was more like the gateway drug to the ‘80s and a nail in the coffin for the ‘70s.

[-]

TXtogo@reddit

It was peak ONJ - she was hotness

[-]

Pippi-ki-yay@reddit

All I remember about Xanadu was the song and several beach resorts/nightclubs with the same name popping for a few years after.

[-]

Formal_Ground6513@reddit

I was too young to ever go in but, I begged every summer. Lol

[-]

Pippi-ki-yay@reddit

Lol Myrtle Beach is exactly where I was thinking of!

[-]

mrsbennetsnerves@reddit

I LOVED this movie when it came out. It was like being dunked into a tank of purple glitter.

[-]

No_Conversation7564@reddit

You forgot to include roller skating on your list. Since you were 3 when xanadu came out I'll let it slide. Skating and roller dancing was huge in the 80s. So fun. I need to listen to "I'm Alive" on the way to work.

Have you seen Skatetown USA (1979)? Saw it in the theater with my dad and was blown away. 💚🛼 I think it's on youtube.

[-]

leftistpropaganja@reddit

As a kid I absolutely FELL IN LOVE with ONJ because of this movie.

I spent a few years hoping a woman, painted on a wall, would skate right into reality and be my girlfriend.

It also began my love of ELO. Absolutely fantastic movie!

[-]

Competitive_Hand_394@reddit

Yup, saw it in the theater, bought the soundtrack album. Should still have it somewhere.

[-]

keirmeister@reddit

Xanadu came out in 1980, so it’s really a representation of the fading 70’s era transitioning to the New Wave. But yeah, what makes Xanadu so great is that it’s really not a great film at all, but it still captures you.

[-]

danconderman33@reddit

Gene Kelly is amazing in this I think. we all know his old stuff, but to see him still have it in the 80's is great.

[-]

quietlumber@reddit

First movie that I watched on laserdisc. That was some peak 80s shit.

[-]

Diasies_inMyHair@reddit

I loved that movie!

[-]

maxweb1@reddit

I recall being a little kid in a packed theater seeing The Empire Strikes Back (...not for the first time...) and the ushers handing out free passes to Xanadu. We never went 😃

[-]

SixAndNine75@reddit

I'm a dude, I saw it quite young with my mum. Some ports of it never left me. I listen to the music often. I'm from Australia and Olivia was the best in the 80's. She was our best export

[-]

Johnny2076@reddit

Second best export… after Kylie.

[-]

SixAndNine75@reddit

Yeah, but Olivia was first :) Live some parts of Kylie also - maybe all parts but some was cheesy - but that's pop.

[-]

Kimber80@reddit

I have never seen it even though it was a hit movie 46 summers ago when I was a teenager.

But I've always loved the soundtrack

[-]

Saviour_DK@reddit

Good soundtrack; movie was a flop.

[-]

Flyingarrow68@reddit

Definitely a favorite movie as a kid, I prefer it over Grease. I didn’t realize until later in Life I dressed like the mc and am also good on skates. My kids tease me about liking the movie, but it was watched way more than most for me as a kid and I definitely wanted to marry Kira. I still love the portrayal of the muses and to me it was epic cuz of the Greek mythology added to it. ELO is still on my playlists. My dad asked me in my forties, why did you like that movie so much. I dunno I just did. Dated a Filipino woman who had grown up in SoCal and she could also skate and we laughed about it. We definitely skated to the music once.

[-]

outscidr-@reddit

I remember going to see it thinking it was going to be like Grease. I was so disappointed.

[-]

exhaustedoldlady@reddit

Omg this was THE BEST slumber party movie!!! I showed it to my daughter when she was 11, she was not impressed.

[-]

IfICouldStay@reddit

Xanadu strikes me as the last gasp of the 70s, not the 80s.

[-]

Muddgutts@reddit

this
Its always felt like a 70's movie to me. Still though, LNJ was peak.

[-]

HappyGimp@reddit

Don Bluth did the animated segments in Xanadu

[-]

Salty-Lands@reddit

I remember the one word review: Xanadon’t

[-]

Woodwork_Holiday8951@reddit

Never saw the movie, but ONJ and ELO—still amazing. I still listen to the soundtrack. Takes me back to my (very) early teens in an instant. The music still holds up great, too. 🔥

[-]

WhatWouldRaccoonsDo@reddit

No, it isn’t, wtf? It came out in 1980, so how does it recap the 80s?

Are we longing for Jesse’s Girl (1981) or hunting Karma Chameleons (1984)? I mean, I Love Rock n Roll (1982) as much as the next person, but Billie Jean can Beat It (both 1983). I could be Like a Virgin, but I Feel For You if your Careless Whisper doesn’t Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (all 1985). If you simply Walk This Way, you’ll know that your Kiss can Take My Breath Away, which leads me to believe you’re truly a Master of Puppets (all 1986). I Need You Tonight because I Wanna Dance With Somebody whether it’s With Or Without You, but Here I Go Again, Livin’ On A Prayer, & I’m left all Alone - it’s pretty Bad, Sweet Child O Mine (all 1987). I’ve got to have Faith that you believe I’m Never Gonna Give You Up & that Heaven Is A Place On Earth - it makes me So Emotional but I just need to Roll With It (all 1988). But Straight Up, I Miss You Much & want nothing more than for you to give me The Look as we head on down to the Love Shack; I’ll Be Right Here Waiting - Girl, You Know It’s True (all 1989).

Xanadu doesn’t teach anyone what the 80s was like.

[-]

GSpider78@reddit

Geezus. Are you that freakish genius Alan Borough from Spics n Specs??

[-]

bagolaburgernesss@reddit

Also of note: London Calling was voted the best album of the 80's by music critics in 1990. It was released in 1979.

I guess the 80's were the 70's all along.

[-]

Woodwork_Holiday8951@reddit

That still bugs me.

[-]

carrzo@reddit

Relax

[-]

taintedblood@reddit

I was 9 years old when I first saw Grease in the theater. I've seen it in varying medium at least 50 times since. I loved me some Olivia (in a cis-f sort of way) through "Physical" - or more fairly - "Make A Move On Me". So, yes, I saw Xanadu. Several years later on some late night tv channel, I caught it again. With weed. 10/10 recommend the latter experience.

[-]

stinkyrobot@reddit

Saw this in the theater with the whole family. I have no idea why my parents would have picked this but I’d guess my dad had a thing for Olivia. Can’t blame him.

[-]

Bad-job-dad@reddit

I remember it was a flop, hated by critics and mocked on every level.

[-]

Ray_The_Engineer@reddit

It's "fun", I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say it's a "good movie." That said, I always carried a torch for Olivia Newton-John, such a great voice and so beautiful.

[-]

ChavoDemierda@reddit

I was 7, but my oldest brother was 13 when this came out, so of course we saw it in the theater. I still love this movie. I still love love all over those campy 70's disco/roller skate movies too.

[-]

bagolaburgernesss@reddit

I made my parents take me to the theatre to see it. They were champion ballroom dancers, so the Fred Astaire aspect made it an easy sell.

[-]

Ill_Appearance_8097@reddit

Saw it at the theater. Bought the album. Listened over and over. Discovered led Zeppelin and rolling stones. Forgot about xanadu. I was around 11ish. Perfect age for that movie to seem significant.

[-]

razorhack@reddit

I watched this at the cinema. Mostly because of Olivia Newton John (hot) and the title song which was a hit. I was hoping for something like Grease but got a rollerskating Gene Kelly instead. I remember being underwhelmed and remember almost nothing of the film today.

[-]

underscorefour@reddit

Olivia Neutron Bomb

[-]

kawyckoff@reddit

So very Kitsch! Its. Gen X must see💕i had the same thought: one movie that defined the transition from 70s to 80s-this is it!

[-]

Anarolf@reddit

"Now we are herrrrrrre, In Xanaduuu"

[-]

dubiux@reddit

"Got to believe we are magic"

[-]

Anarolf@reddit

More of a Barbarella guy myself (:

[-]

hawtpipes@reddit

I loved that movie.

[-]

ReggaeDawn@reddit

I saw it strictly because Gene Kelly was in it. The most talented actor, singer, dancer ever.

[-]

i_need_another_scarf@reddit

And he moved beautifully on roller skates too! ☺️

[-]

Inevitable-Lock5973@reddit

Yeah, when I was little, I loved this freaking movie. I thought it was the best. I was like five or six I had terrible taste, but I mean Olivia Newton-John and rollerskating and Greek gods and bad hair and ELO?!?. It was amazing to me.

[-]

Individual-Trick3310@reddit

Oh lord, the "I'm Alive" song is just awesome.

[-]

Last_Inevitable8311@reddit

I loooooved this movie when I was a kid. I remember my mom took me to see it and afterwards she bought me leg warmers at the mall.

I still adore the Dancin’ mash up scene with the Tubes. So good!

[-]

Unlikely-Ad3675@reddit

Xanadu exists in Brooklyn…

https://www.xanadu.nyc/

[-]

Visible-Plenty-1202@reddit

Hated the film with a passion, but loved, and still do, the ELO bit of the soundtrack

[-]

Jeanahb@reddit

My roller derby name is Xanadoom. The younger players on the team don't understand the reference.

[-]

Unlikely-Ad3675@reddit

I love it!

[-]

shiny_and_chrome@reddit

I saw it in the theater with my family, opening week. XANADU! Dun dun da daa dun Xanadu-u-u...

[-]

Shot_Woodpecker_5025@reddit

Loved it t. Still have the soundtrack on vinyl

[-]

DullAmbition@reddit

First musical mashup I ever saw.

Great soundtrack.

Fun movie.

[-]

themobiledeceased2@reddit

Forget about the blues

Lover

Tonight

I won't take a backseat

Sweet

Tonight.

Thing

Ooh ooh ooh.

Forget about the rules

Lover

Tonight

Getting on my two feet

Sweet

Tonight

Thing

Ooh ooh ooh!

I wanna dance with you

Got some dancing to do

Until the sun comes creeping through

Got some dancing to do

I wanna dance with you

Got some dancing to do

[-]

nibor@reddit

I caught this on TV while visiting family in Ireland so would have been early to mid 80s and I was captivated. I was under 10 year old so didn't really understand a lot of the movie or who the stars were but I thought the girl was was pretty and the song and dance scene at the end where the titular song plays has stuck with me 40+ years later. I hum the song frequently.

I have only seen the movie twice and I'm not sure I caught the full thing the first time. When watching as an adult I picked up more things and also recognised it for what it was. It was good to seen Gene Kelly in what I believe was his final role and maybe knowing it had flopped made me have a more critical view of the movie.

But it doesn't matter, 10 year old me fell in love with the song and Olivier Newton John. I did not much care about the roller-skating!

[-]

Ok-Limit-9726@reddit

How did you not find this 40 years ago?

Was iconic, everywhere IN THE GEN X HIVE MIND

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

I have NO idea.

[-]

Ok-Limit-9726@reddit

Assume religious household? It was controversial

[-]

Kallidon865@reddit

My wife loves it.. I hate it with a searing passion.

[-]

xpatay13x@reddit

Saw Jeff Lynne/ELO in concert back in 2019. They actually played “Xanadu”, and we fans sitting up close kinda went crazy!! Sang along, felt Olivia’s spirit, had the best time!!

[-]

palbuddymac@reddit

Saw it in a cinema!

Bright and sparkly and colorful.

[-]

Comedywriter1@reddit

Nice!

[-]

TwistedMemories@reddit

I saw it, but nothing about it really stuck. All I remember is like motion streaks which at the time, I had no clue why they were there.

[-]

Inevitable_Can8020@reddit

One of my favorite movies ever! My friend’s mom introduced me to it in the 80’s when I was 5-6 years old and I fell in love with it. Have watched it many times, own it on DVD and have introduced my kids to the cheesy 80’s awesomeness of Xanadu ✨

[-]

JustRepeatAfterMe@reddit

Xanadu makes perfect sense to anyone who ever posed in a feather boa in front of a fake sunset or Roman column while a Glamour Shots employee aimed a fan at their bangs.

[-]

Maleficent_Gur5924@reddit

Yes! I was so obsessed as a kid I wrote to Olivia Newton-John and got her autographed head shot (which I still have). One of my favorite movies.

For context: my other faves as a kid were Bugsy Malone, The Parent Trap (original with Hayley Mills), Bladerunner and Sleeper.

[-]

cdnBlackOrchid@reddit

Bugsy Malone is still a favourite comfort movie.

[-]

Think-Cry-5284@reddit

I really really wanted to name our rollerderby team the Xanadon'ts would have been rad.

[-]

CmdrDTauro@reddit

Is perfect pop. Ridiculous. Irreverent. Completely OTT. Perfectly suited to her voice. Is perfection.

[-]

ChaChaGalore@reddit

Don’t forget the roller skating and the Don Bluth animation!

[-]

Far-Ad5796@reddit

I watched this on laser disc in my cousins wood paneled basement. Doesn’t get much more 80’s than that.

[-]

Major-Tension-674@reddit

Did you mean synthesizer music?

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

Yes, yes I did. Edited. Thanks.

[-]

Major-Tension-674@reddit

Cool, I’ll edit my post to make it look like you didn’t get anything wrong, but I’ll leave this one here to be confusing.

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

Oranges, mostly

[-]

Eyeroll4days@reddit

Do you maybe mean ELO?

[-]

Dunkelregen@reddit

Dontcha love how spellcheck thought there were law enforcement officers in the movie?

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

Gotta own up to it. I just typed LEO

[-]

bishpa@reddit

Now do Coppola’s One From the Heart

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

Just added that to my list. Will watch Sunday when I'm off.

[-]

sriracharade@reddit

Apparently it was also shot atop great mountains of that other artifact of the 80s, cocaine.

[-]

Ok_Leadership_2967@reddit

I watched it for the first time a few weeks ago. Fantastic soundtrack but it overtook After Earth as the worst movie I’ve ever seen.

[-]

TheJustinXperiment@reddit

How could a Greek muse at a roller rink…

Never mind. Just answered my own question.

[-]

ChevronSugarHeart@reddit

It’s more like a recap of the late 1970s - end of the disco era. The 1980s felt completely different

[-]

erilaz7@reddit

I remember renting it on VHS and watching it with a group of friends. I'm sure we ruined that tape from repeatedly rewinding and rewatching the scene with Olivia in the tiger-striped mini-dress. RAWR!

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

I'd be remiss to not post this link

[-]

babayagaparenting@reddit

Oh, bless you. I loved that movie so much when I was 10.

[-]

DerDoppelganger70@reddit

My aunt wanted to watch it so she took me and I watched at the movies when I was a kid. It made quite an impression on me.

[-]

Lanky-Antelope7006@reddit

I literally watched it last night.

[-]

DisenchantedIdealist@reddit

If you like the podcast How Did This Get Made, they did an episode about it.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/xanadu-live-w-michaela-watkins-classic/id409287913?i=1000713193172

[-]

babayagaparenting@reddit

My best friend and I watched that movie so many times. Love, love, loved it. Her hair with ribbons? We wanted that hair.

[-]

kanrad@reddit

Saw it in the theater with my sisters. I had no interest in the move I just wanted to swoon over Olivia.

[-]

Peneroka@reddit

To me, the movie was OK but the song was 👍

[-]

IDunnoNuthinMr@reddit

My ex loved that movie. She watched it many times.

[-]

ExtraAd7611@reddit

Only about 50 times.

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

What's wild is I never knew this movie existed. I was messaging my local theater to play some classic 80s movies (they do this a lot) and I just looked up big 80s movies in google and was like "What is this?" and saw the final dance scene and knew, I had to watch it right then. So, I did.

[-]

ExtraAd7611@reddit

It was the crowd favorite at the after school program and summer camp I went to. I still have the album somewhere and I used to listen to it regularly when I had a record player.

[-]

Twizt1Up@reddit

"Magic". Fucking banger of a tune that still holds up

[-]

blackpony04@reddit

Saw it with my 9 years older sister as an 11 year old and was immediately smitten.

Olivia Newton John was my crush ever since. Coincidentally, my first wife looked just like her as Sandy in Grease and my better wife is named Olivia.

I've seen this movie about 50 times and its my secret movie I watch when the wife is out of town. She has no idea. The final number where ONJ changes outfits is just chef's kiss. It is so sad that she has passed away as she had the voice of an angel (or Muse).

[-]

JennaSys@reddit

It is a terrible movie that I've watched more than a dozen times and have the DVD for. It was also the first soundtrack I ever purchased.

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

It's absolutely bad but I was smiling and laughing and just in awe of it all. The production, the dance numbers, were just wow.

[-]

JennaSys@reddit

Oh, for sure!

[-]

MrBones2k@reddit

Taught me that Swan could be both a lover, and a fighter. Well done Xanadu.

[-]

First-Ad-7960@reddit

I always felt like Xanadu was an epitaph for the 1970s.

[-]

DullAmbition@reddit

Yes. It’s very much 1979/1980 as opposed to the 80s.

[-]

geddylee1@reddit

Not a bad take at all. I prefer Rush’s Xanadu to this one.

[-]

LorneMichaelsthought@reddit

My mom would blast the Xanadu record when she would clean the house and I still love it for the nostalgia. I also crushed so hard on her..

[-]

HikeRobCT@reddit

I’m hoping you mean Olivia and not your mom.

[-]

LorneMichaelsthought@reddit

Hahaha yes. Olivia newton john NOT MY MOM.

[-]

TowelFine6933@reddit

Canadian was in heavy rotation on HBO in the AM early 80s. I watched it a lot when I was about 11. Even recorded the songs so I could listen to them later.

[-]

CousinBarnabas1967@reddit

Gene Kelly roller skating at 67 years old!

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

And he crushed it!

[-]

ForgottenGenX47@reddit

A place! Where nobody dared to go!

[-]

StormFinch@reddit

The love that we came to know

[-]

Minirth22@reddit

My guy introduced me to this via the closing sequence on YouTube. I could NOT comprehend what the fuck I was seeing or why GENE KELLY was there, but I was fascinated! We watched the movie, and the ending is still an incomprehensible fever dream that seems to belong to a completely different movie about the rivalry between local roller skating and dance crews!

But I have to admit, the chemistry between Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly was incredibly sweet and I loved them dancing together. And it sucks that this wrecked Michael Beck’s career, that wasn’t fair at all!

[-]

BrittaUnfiltered67@reddit

I always said that about Shock Treatment.

[-]

QuoteHaunting@reddit

If I want to make my wife mad I just play something from the soundtrack LOL 😆

[-]

PumpikAnt58763@reddit

I mean, it's not now, but it was fabulously charming back then.

[-]

Sinja_Minx@reddit

Listened to the soundtrack twice last week and all I want to do is roller skate again. My parents saw this movie at the drive-in.

[-]

bunkie18@reddit

Love the soundtrack, I had it back in the day

[-]

ImmediateBug2@reddit

Ancient Greek muses come to life and rollerskate to disco music! How can you not love that?? The opening scene, where they emerge from the painted mural, absolutely captivated 11-year-old me.

[-]

Bucks2174@reddit

It’s a waste of cinematic film. The ONLY reason to watch this dreck is Olivia. That’s it. Terrible film, terrible story. Michael Beck ruined his career going from playing Swan in the Warriors to roller skating disco. Terrible.

[-]

RubySauce@reddit

It’s an amazing movie!

[-]

shoetingstar@reddit

This movie and SOUNDTRACK gives me so much joy since I was 8 years old! So many favorite scenes but the Rock vs '40s Big Band scene and the 3rd act/last 15 minutes of ONJ in various costumes are chefs kiss. And Gene Kelly!

[-]

sirtagsalot@reddit

My wife can still quote this movie.

[-]

AbsintheRedux@reddit

I love this movie so much

[-]

Flat-History-3849@reddit

I remember making my father take me on holiday, he didn’t appreciate its beauty!

[-]

BigRefrigerator9783@reddit

When I was in the first grade renting Xanadu was an absolute MUST for every birthday slumber party!

[-]

Cool-Coffee-8949@reddit

Was there a stately pleasure dome? Did Kubla Khan decree it? Were there caverns measureless to a man? A damsel with a dulcimer?

If not, no thanks.

[-]

xxxbrimstonexxx@reddit

Just drink your milk of paradise and watch dammit.

[-]

Cool-Coffee-8949@reddit

But I want honeydew!

[-]

GramercyPlace@reddit

Actually watched it last night on my 4k projector. What a movie. Totally enjoyable but also absurd at every turn.

[-]

Peaches4U2@reddit

Can you adopt me?

[-]

Peaches4U2@reddit

Roller skates.

[-]

NoNamesLeft998@reddit

This blast from the past made me smile. I was 13 or 14 when it came out and it was great on the big screen.

[-]

jh8777@reddit

Loved this movie and the soundtrack!

[-]

CDN_Gunner@reddit

I offer up Grease as peak cinema for us Gen Xers.

[-]

No-Price5802@reddit

I counter with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, for all the freaks out there! Ps love me some Grease too.

[-]

Sunchef70@reddit

Born In 70, my mom didn’t allow me to go to rocky horror picture show 😪

[-]

mrkeith562@reddit

It’s a perspective issue. My eighties looked more like Repo Man and Fast Times.

[-]

_RLW_@reddit

I saw that film in the theater as a pre-teen. Loved it. I own a copy of it on DVD. It’s absurd and pretty damn near wrecked Gene Kelly’s reputation but I still consider it a guilty pleasure.

[-]

TDKcassette@reddit

Saw it in the theater because I loved ONJ and ELO at the time. The movie ain’t great, but the soundtrack is.

[-]

Sunchef70@reddit

My brother named one of his Barbie’s Kira. We LOVED this movie! ( and somehow my dad was shocked when he came out) lol

[-]

BotsREverywhere@reddit

Wasn’t Xanadu the impetus for starting the Razzies?

[-]

Sa7aSa7a@reddit (OP)

I was reading up on it and it was one of the two movies that inspired someone to create them.

[-]

avburns@reddit

Always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Who wouldn’t want an Olivia Newton-John looking muse to help make their dream come true? Xanadu, Magic and Suddenly are some of her best songs.

[-]

Downtown_Anteater_38@reddit

Fool Country! Performed as inserts in Xanadu in the last scene, and the B side of the Magic 45.

And right before playing Xanadu on WKRP, Johnny Fever, as Rip Tide introduces ONJ as Oblivious Neutron Bomb, which has always stuck with me.

[-]