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Xanadu (1980)

Director: Robert Greenwald

Average user rating
4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

An experience so vacuous it's almost frightening. Built around a threadbare Hollywood fairytale which has Newton-John (on roller-skates) playing a muse despatched by Zeus to help mortals realise their fantasies, it turns out in fact to be an unashamed show-case for Livvy's multifarious 'talents'. Alas, as the film grinds from one epic production routine to another, it becomes painfully clear that she can't deliver a line (the script, full of gnomic punchlines, is admittedly abysmal), hold a note (the Jeff Lynne/John Farrar songs are lowest common denominator), or step a pas de deux (despite the helping hand of Gene Kelly, who can still cut it on the dance floor). Not even Michael Beck, fresh out of The Warriors, can salvage the disaster.

Author: IB

Time Out Film Guide


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User reviews of this film

  • dande said...
    Posted on Nov 28 2007 10:13 the web is verey good
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  • dande said...
    Posted on Nov 28 2007 10:12 i want watch the movie
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  • dande said...
    Posted on Nov 28 2007 10:11 i want watch the movie for free without money
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  • David Fowler said...
    Posted on Nov 17 2007 17:40 Magnificent camp! An excellent remake of the far less entertaining 1946 Rita Hayworth musical "Down To Earth". Olivia is utterly without hope of Hayworth's charisma. She is however sweet and genuine and truly entertaining. She's no great dancer, but she, of course, sings like an angel. The ageless Gene Kelly charms and dances with his usual aplomb. Michael Beck looks great in jeans and white socks, otherwise the less said the better. The wonderful Jeff Lynne/John Farrar score perfectly encapsulates the sound of the time, and the voice of Zeus is provided by the great Wilfred Hyde-White. A full eight course meal of sugar confections. No more than that, but no less than that either. You might wanna get out your roller skates........
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