Because really, Xanadu is more of a 70s musical that happened to come out in 1980, than an 80s musical. It has people wearing satin Adidas shorts and knee high athletic socks with their roller skates. The music is basically disco. And it has that weirdly resurgent 1970s Gene Kelly. Never mind, Olivia Newton-John and she was so 70s.
While Xanadu points backwards, Grease II points forwards. Not do we get an early Michelle Pfeiffer, but also a pre-Dynasty Maxwell Caulfield and a slightly pre-TJ Hooker Adrien Zmed. It wasn't even really a sequel to Grease. And besides, Outkast just made a video based on Grease II, so it's getting the "we have seen this bad movie 27 million times on TNT, so it has been burned into our subconscious by now" so-bad-it's-good moment.
However, neither of these truly represents the 80s musical, as they have people singing, and the real 80s musical had people dancing up a storm to pop music in settings where they could plausibly be dancing: Flashdance, Footloose, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. So the real answer is, neither. But the better answer is, Grease II.
And besides, Outkast just made a video based on Grease II, so it's getting the "we have seen this bad movie 27 million times on TNT, so it has been burned into our subconscious by now" so-bad-it's-good moment.
WHERE IS THIS VIDEO?
I never watch MTV anymore, they never show videos. *harumph*
1. Amazing analysis. 2. I see your point about Xanadu looking dated, but that's entirely because it took place in the time period in which it was filmed. The scenes in the 40s don't look "dated" in the same way, because they were, in and of themselves, a flashback to an earlier time. Grease II, as it took place about 20 years before the film was released* so it doesn't have the "look" of an early 80s film in that way.
* Wow, that would be like someone making a film now, set in the days of Fast Times. Man, are *we* *old*!
3. I know that Footloose has made it to Broadway, and there's been talk of doing Flashdance on stage as well - so why ISN'T there a stage musical version of GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN? I mean, how many other musicals have spawned an Emmy Award winner, an Oscar winner, two Tony nominees and Shannen Douherty? Their classic work should be honoured in some way!
Because of you, I've spent the day thinking about my ribbon barrettes and my white with red and blue stripes roller skates and my friendship pins and my shoe laces with hearts on them and that lovely roach chip with feathers hanging off it I once had and rainbow suspenders and Hello Kitty the first time Hello Kitty came around...
"I wanna coooooooool rider, a cooooool rider... if he's cool enough, he can burn me through and through, whoaha..." I would love to sing that on American Idol. Hee Hee. Good poll.
As much as I love Michelle Pfeiffer dancing around in black leather, singing about cool riders and that joke (ha. ha.) about the constitution, I have to go with Xanadu.
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While Xanadu points backwards, Grease II points forwards. Not do we get an early Michelle Pfeiffer, but also a pre-Dynasty Maxwell Caulfield and a slightly pre-TJ Hooker Adrien Zmed. It wasn't even really a sequel to Grease. And besides, Outkast just made a video based on Grease II, so it's getting the "we have seen this bad movie 27 million times on TNT, so it has been burned into our subconscious by now" so-bad-it's-good moment.
However, neither of these truly represents the 80s musical, as they have people singing, and the real 80s musical had people dancing up a storm to pop music in settings where they could plausibly be dancing: Flashdance, Footloose, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. So the real answer is, neither. But the better answer is, Grease II.
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WHERE IS THIS VIDEO?
I never watch MTV anymore, they never show videos. *harumph*
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2. I see your point about Xanadu looking dated, but that's entirely because it took place in the time period in which it was filmed. The scenes in the 40s don't look "dated" in the same way, because they were, in and of themselves, a flashback to an earlier time. Grease II, as it took place about 20 years before the film was released* so it doesn't have the "look" of an early 80s film in that way.
* Wow, that would be like someone making a film now, set in the days of Fast Times. Man, are *we* *old*!
3. I know that Footloose has made it to Broadway, and there's been talk of doing Flashdance on stage as well - so why ISN'T there a stage musical version of GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN? I mean, how many other musicals have spawned an Emmy Award winner, an Oscar winner, two Tony nominees and Shannen Douherty? Their classic work should be honoured in some way!
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I love them all equally.
*cries*
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Ergo I sit here and sing Fame. :D
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I hope?
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