xanadu

In honor of Laney's birthday...

the year: 1980

the genre: musical


the cast: Gene Kelly (Danny McGuire); Olivia Newton-John (Kira); Michael Beck (Sonny Malone)


the plot: The Greek muses incarnate themselves on Earth to inspire men to achieve. One of them, incarnated as a girl named Kira, encounters an artist named Sonny Malone. With the help of Danny McGuire, a man Kira had inspired forty years earlier, Sonny builds a huge disco roller rink. (And if THAT doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will.)


don't miss: the dance number between Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John. It was filmed after production for the movie had finished and it became clear the filmmakers had not given their audience the one scene the movie required: Gene and Olivia dancing together. Gene Kelly choreographed the dance number. His conditions for doing it included a closed stage that included only himself, Olivia Newton-John, a cameraman, a choreographer he had befriended, and two others.


watch for: the sun rising in the Pacific - oops!


count: how many Xanadu dancers there were for the Roller Disco scene.


listen for: "I've been known to twinkle a toe or two."


did you know: Danny McGuire was also the name of Gene Kelly's character in Cover Girl.


extra bonus points: if you know the famous one sentence review that this film received.



also listen for: "Kid can you imagine it?" "Imagine what?" "A bandstand. Right over there in that corner. And a big band, like in the 40's." "Nah, nah, nah. Bandstands went out with running boards. Over there. A great rock 'n' roll band. This is the 80's!" "Real smooth dancers... wild trombone... the band decked out in tuxedos." "Six guys wearing electric orange... synthesizer... heavy precussion... electric guitar."