Xanadu (4K UHD Review)
Director
Robert GreenwaldRelease Date(s)
1980 (August 19, 2025)Studio(s)
Universal Pictures (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A+
- Extras Grade: B
Review
Robert Greenwald’s glossy SoCal musical fantasy, Xanadu, was a critical failure upon its theatrical release in 1980, but not—as some would have you believe—a box office flop. While the film did underperform Universal’s expectations, it still made a profit. Nevertheless, it’s since become a cult classic and it’s easy to see why. Equal parts pop fever dream, 1940s throwback, and neon-soaked roller derby, Xanadu is unabashedly optimistic and vibrant, and very much a product of its time.
Its story centers on Sonny Malone (Michael Beck, The Warriors), a young artist who’s struggling to make ends meet in Los Angeles. After receiving a kiss from an enchanting young woman while walking in a Santa Monica park, Sonny quits his job as a record company billboard painter and embarks on a journey to find his purpose. Drawn to an abandoned concert hall he’s seen on an album cover in which the same girl appeared, it’s here that he finally meets Kira (Olivia Newton-John, Grease), his mysterious muse, who soon inspires Sonny to transform the hall into a new roller disco dance club. And as it turns out, Sonny knows just the person who can help him do it: a former big band leader named Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly, Singin’ in the Rain), who he also met recently on the beach.
Though the film’s story is admittedly slight, and one could certainly debate the degree to which Michael Beck rose to meet the challenges of his leading role, Xanadu’s charms are many, including a radiant performance by Olivia Newton-John at the height of her musical career (and just two years removed from the success of Grease), not to mention the timeless charisma of Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, appearing here in what was ultimately his final big screen role. What’s more, one of the film’s sequences features lovely rotoscoped animation by the renowned Don Bluth, of The Secret of NIMH and Dragon’s Lair fame.
But Xanadu’s greatest strength lies in its dazzling and well-choreographed musical numbers, featuring rock and orchestral pop songs by Jeff Lynne and performed by Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra, with assists by Cliff Richard, Kelly, and The Tubes. Though the film itself may have failed to capture the imagination of moviegoers, its soundtrack was a huge success, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide on the strength of such hits as Magic, I’m Alive, All Over the World, and the titular Xanadu, all of which received massive radio play and heavy video rotation on MTV when the cable network debuted the following year.
Beyond its iconic music, Xanadu is also a fascinating and surreal time capsule of a Los Angeles that no longer exists, spotlighting such locations as the Fiorucci Boutique in Beverly Hills (which began life in 1925 as the Arabian-themed and Art Nouveau-styled movie palace, the Beverly Theatre) and the historic Pan-Pacific Auditorium (a Steamline Moderne infused Art Deco landmark built in 1935 that was sadly destroyed by a fire in 1989).
Xanadu was shot by cinematographer Victor J. Kemper (Dog Day Afternoon, The Final Countdown, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure) on 35mm photochemical film using Panaflex cameras with Panavision spherical lenses, and it was finished in a traditional analog process at the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. For its release on Ultra HD, the original camera negative has been scanned in 4K, digitally remastered, and graded for high dynamic range (compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10). The film has also been encoded for release on a 100GB disc, with video data rates averaging 70-80 Mbps.
The quality is very pleasing indeed, and a notable improvement over the 2009 Universal Blu-ray release, not just in fine detail, texturing, and overall refinement but particularly in color accuracy and saturation. The image just looks more cinematic here, with deeper and more detailed shadows, and highlights that are far more naturally bold and luminous. To say that Xanadu comes to life in HDR is an understatement. The film’s palette pops here with candy-colored pinks and greens, electric blues, and neon reds and yellows. Photochemical grain is ever-present, at a medium level, and it’s organic at all times. Greater detail appears in virtually every frame, even in optically-layered effects shots (where the grain is obviously stronger). Really the only nit to pick here is that the digital clean-up is modest—you’ll spot regular evidence of dust, dirt, the occasional scratch, and other analog artifacts. But they’re rarely distracting. And when it comes to film remastering, far better a light touch than a heavy-handed one. It’s definitely fair to say that Xanadu has never looked better than it does in 4K. This is a very pleasing image.
Both the 4K disc and Blu-ray include the film’s English soundtrack in three different lossless DTS-HD Master Audio options—Original 4.0 and 2.0 Stereo, as well as 5.1 Surround. Whichever you choose, these tracks respect the film’s vintage tonal quality and offer clean dialogue. The audio recording and mixing for the dialogue scenes isn’t high on frills, but where Xanadu really shines is in its musical tracks and these sound absolutely fantastic, rich, robust, and with ample bass. Whether you’re a fan of Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, ELO, or all of the above, you’ll have a smile on your face as you listen to this music in lossless fidelity. Optional English subtitles are also available.
KLSC’s package includes the film in 4K on UHD and remastered 1080p HD on Blu-ray. Both discs include the following special features:
- Audio Commentary with Robert Greenwald and Douglas Hosdale
- Audio Commentary with Jennifer Clymer and Nathaniel Thompson
- Audio Commentary with David Del Valle and Krystov Charles
- Audio Commentary with Samm Deighan
All of these commentaries are brand new, and to call them an embarrassment of riches is an understatement. The first track features the director with KLSC content producer Hosdale acting as a moderator. It’s essentially an interview of Greenwald, who reveals how he got involved in the project and shares numerous production stories. The second features Motion Picture & Television Fund producer Jennifer Clymer and Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, who—first and foremost—are wildly enthusiastic fans of the film. And their track brims with that enthusiasm as they share the kind of micro-level detail that only the most avid fans can. The third is a more conventional track with film critics/historians Del Valle and Charles, who deliver a steady stream of anecdotes, trivia, and contextual information for the film (their enthusiasm too is obvious). And the final track is by Deighan, also a content producer and historian, who I think delivers the most unique and personal perspective. All are worth your time, and the important takeaway is that each track delivers its own vibe if you will—four different flavors of ice cream, all of them tasty.
To this, the Blu-ray adds the following:
- Vintage 1980 Sizzle Reel (HD – 20:29)
- Going Back to Xanadu (SD – 27:15)
- TV Spots (SD – 5 spots – 2:30 in all)
- Radio Spots (HD – 17 spots – 14:17 in all)
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:05)
- Additional Trailers
- Can’t Stop the Music (SD – 2:58)
- Zoot Suit (HD – 2:17)
- Staying Alive (SD – 2:59)
- Secret Admirer (SD – 1:33)
The Going Back to Xanadu documentary appeared on the 2009 Blu-ray and features members of the cast and crew—including Greenwald, writers Marc Reid Rubel and Richard Danus, producer Larry Gordon, and Fee Waybill and Michael Cotten of The Tubes (among others)—reflecting on the film and its impact. The trailer is also here from the Blu-ray, but it’s been newly-mastered in 2K. New for this release is the Vintage 1980 Sizzle Reel (also mastered in 2K), along with a collection of TV and radio spots for the film, and a few trailers for similar titles available on disc from KLSC. All in all, it’s a lovely collection of material.
Xanadu has taken plenty of grief in its day for being unashamedly different. In that way, it’s not unlike Flash Gordon, Tron, Legend, Labyrinth, or Streets of Fire. Together these films define a cinematic genre all their own—somewhat cheesy, yet undeniably fun, popcorn artifacts of the 1980s. They’re the very antithesis of today’s more cynical and performatively mean-spirited brand of pop culture entertainment. So if Xanadu’s time has come at last, perhaps it’s because we need its earnest charms more than ever. The film is a glossy ray of sunshine and I love every minute of it. So I’m pleased to report that Kino Lorber Studio Classics has delivered it on 4K disc at a level of quality that should delight its fans.
- Bill Hunt
(You can follow Bill on social media on Twitter, BlueSky, and Facebook, and also here on Patreon)