Xanadu (1980)

Xanadu is a 1980 American musical fantasy film written by Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. Starring Olivia Newton-John along with Michael Beck and Gene Kelly in his final film role, the film features music by Newton-John, Electric Light Orchestra, Cliff Richard and the Tubes. The title refers to the nightclub in the film, which takes its name from Xanadu, the summer capital of Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty in China. The city itself appears in the 1816 poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is quoted by Newton-John's character in the film.

Released in the United States on August 8, 1980, by Universal Pictures, the film was a critical and box-office disappointment, and (along with Can't Stop the Music) inspired the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards to recognize the worst films of the year. Despite this, the soundtrack album became commercially successful worldwide and was certified double platinum in the United States. The song "Magic" was a US chart-topper for Newton-John, and the title track (performed by Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra) reached number one in the United Kingdom and several other countries. The film has since become a cult classic for its mixture of 1980s music and culture, creative choreography, and special effects that were innovative for the time.