In the wake of the passing of icon Olivia Newton-John, now is a perfect time to celebrate her life and career. When most people think about ONJ, they probably first think of her famously fantastic performance as Sandy in Grease. When it comes to Grease, though, most of us have seen it and know that it’s worth a watch. What most of us likely don’t think about as readily is her 1980 musical fantasy outing, Xanadu. Xanadu certainly hasn’t had the staying power or become the classic that Grease has. Yet, Xanadu is still very much worth a watch, (or re-watch) and there’s no better time to give it a chance than right now.
It's no secret that we all love "so bad they’re good" movies, and it’s even better when those movies are in the musical genre. In many ways, Xanadu fits into this category while also fitting in with the company of campy cult musicals, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or the Mamma Mia movies. There are elements of Xanadu that feel like they meet at some strange intersection of those movies, along with something far more unhinged, like the unexpectedly singalong-worthy songs to memorably unexpected scenes, and choreographed cast-wide numbers that capture the excitement and electricity fans love about big musicals. It’s not for lack of having the necessary elements that Xanadu hasn’t quite joined the ranks of the most revered cult musicals or become a classic with midnight showings in some movie theater every Friday night. How well it fits in with these other films is precisely why now is the time to give Xanadu its well-deserved second wind.
Xanadu was the first ever film to win a Razzie award, officially proclaiming it the worst movie made in 1980. What makes Xanadu worthy of the first ever Razzie lies mostly in the visuals and the plot. The graphics that are so bizarre they actually transcend the ability to place them in any particular time in history are difficult to ignore or look past. The movie’s plot is equally winding, unexpected, and strange. Still, Xanadu has that familiar culty quality to it. It feels like you’re laughing with it, somehow, when you laugh at it. Even if viewers are surprised by the juxtaposition of Greek mythology and Zeus as a character and the plot point of constructing a roller skating nightclub, it’s still a wonderfully fun and engaging watch. Its makings would place it perfectly in a double feature with The Room for those who are fans of that particular style of comedy and unorthodox watch-ability.
Xanadu is certainly so strange and off-the-wall that it works, but that is far from the only reason that it’s time for a Xanadu renaissance. Xanadu throws viewers directly into what is sure to be a fever dream of disco and neon and right off the bat, they are about as primed as they could be for what's to come. Yet, as the film progresses, it remains grounded in ways that make it fit in with other movie musicals. This movie isn’t only fun for those in search of a chaotically wild time, it also has what it takes to appeal to theatre fans. It builds around a Rent-like plight of artists in hope of being able to make their art while maintaining a living. It also indulges the ever-popular "man who is desperately in love with a woman he’s only seen once" trope. It even has moments of musical respite reminiscent of old Hollywood – like Newton-John tap dancing and singing “Whenever You’re Away From Me” in a classically choreographed dance number in a ballroom with Gene Kelly, himself.
Besides the other makings of a classic musical, Xanadu has the ever-important soundtrack that will stick with you. While its soundtrack is very much of its time, it stands out and gives the film appeal outside of the regular musical-loving crowd, all with the help of the popular band, Electric Light Orchestra (aka ELO.) The band’s frontman, Jeff Lynne, was responsible for most of the soundtrack, including the single “Magic,” which was #1 on the charts in the U.S., a coup that is not too common among movie musical soundtracks, let alone soundtracks of movies that have won awards for being “bad.” Of course, though, neither the fun of the absurdities nor the surprising triumphs of the movie’s strengths outweigh the power of its star. Olivia Newton-John was certainly a legend and an icon. To think of the best piece to watch in a celebration of her life, there’s actually no better than Xanadu - regardless of whether you’ve seen it before years ago or this is your first ever watch.
From tap dancing to roller skating, Newton-John is very much this film’s muse. At the same time, her character acts as Sonny's (Michael Beck) muse. Both of these roles were so demandingly versatile, that it's clear this role couldn't be filled by just anyone. Yet, as wacky and unusual as the visuals, plot, and other goings-on of the movie get, they all seem to be happening around Newton-John as she shines and demonstrates everything that makes her so uniquely good. She plays the frequent moments of theatricality to a tee while still having grounding emotion that allows the film's central love story to feel sincere. She also does this while maintaining a specific ethereal mystery that renders her identity as an otherworldly Greek mythological muse somehow believable. She has moments in this film where she performs just like an old Hollywood starlet in a classic movie musical and she more than rises to the occasion, proving that traditional musical theatre is well within her wheelhouse. She also proves her ability to perform disco songs on roller skates, a combination of skills that few have the opportunity to showcase.
From scenes of pure camp, like when she's glowingly outlined in neon, acting over-the-top as her voiceover performs "Magic" in the background, to intimate scenes with Michael Beck where she finds sweet, sincere moments among the madness, Newton-John's consistently strong and lovely voice is a constant throughout, weaving seamlessly around the songs that oscillate unexpectedly between classic musical theatre and disco. Of course, she also displays her ability to be what she was known for when she wasn’t performing in musicals: a pop star. Newton-John ends the film performing the titular song, "Xanadu," and she’ll leave any viewer humming it for days to come. As she sings and dances on a stage, this scene proves that Xanadu gave Newton-John the stage she deserved to show that there was very little that she couldn’t do.
If the unexpected range that Newton-John displays in this film wasn’t enough, she also wrote songs on the soundtrack. This makes it clear that not only was Newton-John even more multi-talented than some may have known, but she also had more to do with Xanadu than many of us realized. The world lost a legend when it lost Olivia Newton-John. While she produced plenty of work to prove that statement true, Xanadu should be first on the list, especially for viewers who want to see all of the star’s talents on display in what may be a brand new light.