Mt. Rainier and Lenticular Clouds - Dec. 2008 copyright: JMM

April 27, 2013

Xanadu

OK X is a tough letter for which to find a decent topic.  I almost went with the Xenia, OH super outbreak of tornadoes from April, 1974 but there was just too much info.  Perhaps next year for the 40th anniversary.  Thus began the 'dance of the truly desperate', googling subjects that begin with the letter X.  

I finally decided to settle on Xanadu, that horrible roller disco movie from 1980 starring Olivia Newton John, Michael Beck and Gene Kelly.  That last one always surprised me.  Why would Gene Kelly agree to get involved with this awful project?  He surely had enough money by then.  ONJ was riding a huge wave of popularity by 1980 between 'Grease' in 78 and her string of hits after that.  Michael Beck was in the cult classic movie 'The Warriors' the year before.  

My interest in the movie was solely due to ELO's contribution to the soundtrack.  I was a rabid ELO fan at the time and a couple of the songs had been pre-released before the movie came out, including "I'm Alive".  I only went to the movie in the hopes that they'd be featured performing.  Instead they showed The Tubes.  The movie was, and remains, just wretched.

Did any of you see this train wreck of a film? What did you think?

13 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, I did. Horrid doesn't really begin to describe it...Good use of X!

    Tina @ Life is Good
    Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
    @TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

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  2. It's a shame when a movie with good people in it doesn't work,yes it was awful.

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  3. Anonymous12:34 PM

    Nope, for some reason, I let this one pass me by!

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  4. It was too horrible to watch the whole thing lol!

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  5. I never seen the movie but did used to have the soundtrack because of ELO. Great X post!

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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  6. Never saw it. But I do love ELO! :)
    tm

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  7. I used to be a big ELO fan at one time. :)

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  8. I was born quite a bit after this movie came out, but several friends have tried to convince me to watch it with them. So far I've resisted :)

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  9. Anonymous9:24 AM

    I never saw this either but it will always remind me of my cousin. He hated this song so much we sang it to him to annoy him. ha ha ha

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  10. Only Xanadus I know are the Coleridge poem and the 1960s hit by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.

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  11. ELO is really awesome, that's for sure!!

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  12. Grew up seeing The Tubes, a San Francisco tradition in the 70's and 80's. Vince Welnick was a founding member...

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  13. no, never saw the movie but am a fan of ELO and I liked the perfume called Xanadu when I was in high school...I believe it came in a purple bottle.

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