Xanadu (1980)

August 8, 1980

Xanadu is a 1980 American musical fantasy film written by Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel, and directed by Robert Greenwald. It stars Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck and Gene Kelly in his final film role. The film features music by Newton-John, Electric Light Orchestra, Cliff Richard, and The Tubes.

The title is a reference to the nightclub in the film, which takes its name from Xanadu, the summer capital of Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty in China. This city appears in Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an 1816 poem that is quoted in the film.

A box office disappointment, Xanadu earned negative critical reviews and was an inspiration for the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards to recognize the worst films of the year. Despite the lackluster performance of the film, the soundtrack album became a huge commercial success around the world, and was certified double platinum in the United States. The song "Magic" was a U.S. number one hit for Newton-John, and the title track (by Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra) reached number one in the United Kingdom and several other countries around the world. The film has since become a cult classic for the way it mixes the storyline from an old-fashioned 1940s fantasy with modern aesthetics featuring late 1970s and early 1980s rock and pop music on the soundtrack as well as for fans of Newton-John.

Storyline

A struggling artist living in Los Angeles meets a girl who may hold the key to his happiness.

Sound Effects Used

• Disney Castle Thunder
• H-B GULP, CARTOON - SPEEDY'S GULP, SWALLOW
• Hollywoodedge, Large Splash Or DiveW PE127201 (Debut)
• Sound Ideas, SWORD - SINGLE SWORD CLANK 03
• UNIVERSAL, CAR - THE CAR HONKING