Olivia Newton-John died yesterday – what a remarkable woman and career! Of course there is “Grease” and her many Top 40 hits – I’ve read that “Physical” was the #1 song of the entire 1980s (based on…sales? airplay?).
But for me, “Xanadu” stands out the most in her career.
It really is amazing, on several levels. Is it a great movie? Not quite. Endlessly watchable and enjoyable? Oh – yes indeed. It’s serious-ish, it’s whimsical, it’s fantastical.
I like how film critic James Berardinelli summed it up in a 2005 retrospective review: “Conventional wisdom decrees that Xanadu is a horrible film. In a sense, conventional wisdom may be correct, but it ignores one key ingredient: viewed in the right frame of mind, this movie can be a lot of fun… The film is too energetic, too jaw-droppingly campy, and too silly not to be enjoyed and celebrated on some level.”
And the end scene – roller skates, disco, genre-skipping, Gene Kelly (greatest danger of the 20th century!), circus performers, pre-“Breakin'” Shabbo Doo (!!), taking place at the iconic Pan-Pacific Auditorium, and of course Olivia in probably her most stunning incarnation – is almost like being transported to a literal Xanadu.
