behold the cheeeeese

[lagilman]

Some of you know my deep and abiding love for Gene Kelly and all the other song-and-dance men of the 1940's Hollywood musicals.

And some of you know that I cannot resist the musical cheese.

Put them together? You have that masterpiece of cheese -- "Xanadu," playing at the local "Mimosas and Movies" theater this morning.

Of course we went.

Oh lord, the mock. The snark. The sing-alongs!*

For those of you who missed 1980 - Olivia Newton John is Terpsichore, the muse of dance. Michael Beck is the burned-out painter in need of inspiration. Gene Kelly is the former musician-turned-businessman with one last dream. Together, they open a club. With roller skates! And dance numbers! And totally implausible dialogue!

'Bad' does not convey the truly awful badness of this movie. Awful. Horrible. Painfully bad. Train wreck bad. But Gene Kelly was hot, man. And sexy. And man, could he dance. They don't make 'em like him any more (okay, maybe Hugh Jackman, but only just). Even standing still, Kelly had more grace and agility showing than most athletes do in motion. And even he couldn't save this movie (although he did his damndest for the paycheck)

(apparently, ON-J has much the same effect on males of a certain age, as well. Me, I don't see it.)

ETA: I should clarify that I have seen the movie before. I knew what I was getting...


*(the soundtrack is killer, even now. ELO was teh shit, man.)

Comments

[deedop.livejournal.com]

Shameless confession: I love singing the Xanadu theme at karaoke, and yes, with enough tequila in me, I can hit the high note. It may not be pretty but it's there, and so far no one's fled from the bar. :-)

[onalark.livejournal.com]

I am not ashamed to say I love that terrible, terrible movie.

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

Neither am I.

Hell, I squeed openly when I finally found it on DVD.

[booraven22.livejournal.com]

Now why did I know Ms.Terri would be her in full on squeemode???

::raises Hand::

I too have a massive love for the Xanadu!
(The title song still makes me turn into a 12 year old searching for her rollerskates!)

[lagilman]

What's not to love? Although I think I needed more vodka for that "moment in time" solo. All I kept thinking was "This is the song that goes like this..."

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

I remember sitting in the theater and cringing as I watched "Xanadu," mainly because I'd so desperately wanted it to be good.

Funny: If you go follow the YouTube link, one of the other videos that page links to is one of Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John singing a take-off of "Makin' Whoopie" called "Makin' Movies" that's actually quite adorable.

[lizbetann]

Oh, I've been dying to rewatch this movie. I adored it so. When I was 8.

It's up there with Grease II for omg so bad and yet I love.

And anything that introduces, "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree" to a new generation (ie, me) can't be allllll bad.

o/~Xanadoooooo-ooooo-ooooo/Now we are here/In Xanadooooo-ooo-ooo-ooo...o/~

[lagilman]

Half the audience was reciting along. We got kulcha here in New Haven.... (all those Yalies must be good for something)

[ex-fashioni.livejournal.com]

I think people who are not our Our Certain Age don't get the fabulousness of ELO.

I get lots of blank stares from older and younger alike. I wonder...

And yes-- truly, wretches movie but Gene Kelly is da bomb.

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

I do adore Hugh Jackman, but on his best day he cannot hold a candle to Gene Kelly.

And I suspect he'd enthusiastically agree.

[lagilman]

with much enthusiasm, yes. Part of Jackman's charm is that he so loves (and respects) his heroes and his history...

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

Oh god, the memories... I would (and will) go to anything with Gene Kelly in it.

[bevhale.livejournal.com]

I thought I was the only one who really loved bad movie musicals. The cheesier the better. I also love Gene Kelly and will watch anything he's in. Xanadu is on my list for best bad musicals. My husband runs screaming from the room when I start watching any of my bad musicals.