MovieChat Forums > Xanadu (1980) Discussion > Flopped? Did they market this film wron...

Flopped? Did they market this film wrong?

posted 11 years ago by Tolyngee
7 replies | jump to latest

Saw this as a kid, and loved it. Thanks to our family VCR, I saw it many times.

Just watched it again today. I wouldn't be surprised if it had been 30 years since I last saw it.

But... did they market this film wrong? It flopped? I loved it as a kid, maybe they should have marketed it to kids?

Not my intention to offend anyone, but I'm not understand the "gay" angle. It's a fantasy musical love story. Not unlike Wizard of Oz, and Grease, which I also loved as a kid. I don't remember a "gay" angle to those two films.

I mean... I had a crush on ONJ. How's that... gay?

Too bad this film killed her career. She was gorgeous on skates!

[–] thbryn 11 years ago

...a gay angle: Not sure what you mean?

Musicals are a tough sell. This was at the end of Disco. That ship had sailed and I think people must have thought the plot is so weak that it had little chance of being anthing more than a bad music video.

[–] oprlvr33 10 years ago

Precisely. 1980 literally meant bye-bye disco. A new era. Sadly the filmmakers and producers wanted one more deal to politely close the door.

It didn't go, cinematically. Audiences were SO DONE with disco-fever. Like trying to hang onto bell-bottom pants and platform shoes, when fashion was changing to cargo pants, Chic jeans, stiletto heels and ballet flats. Theatrical revivals or TV movies are one thing, cinematic, quite another.

The only movie musical that truly rocked the box office after this, was Victor/Victoria (1982)

Movie musicals can sell as long as the timing is right, the casting perfect, and production keeps it all real.

Peanutlee33

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Blueghost 9 years ago

IF I had shot it, it would have been a better movie.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] Clothes-Off 9 years ago

It may have put a big dent in her movie prospects, but "killed her career"? Hardly. After this film's release, she went on to record the album that would give her not only the biggest hit sing of her career, but of the entire decade. That single was unstoppable. She just continued to reinvent herself up until the breast cancer scare slowed her down.

"Well, for once the rich white man is in control!" C. M. Burns