Xanadu and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Blu-ray) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

[GlennF]

I would buy WHOREHOUSE just for Dolly. Let's face it. It is really the only full out musical she did and there ain't going to be anymore. As I have said before, the joy of blu rays is you can skip to the good parts...I just hope they give a decent number of well placed chapter stops, although this seem to be going the way of the dodo as well.

 

[Rob Willey]

Finally I'll be able to retire my DVD of BLWIT. I watch it every Thanksgiving and it will be good to have it on Blu.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Nice news from Universal...now how about a release date for the Marx Bros box set?

 

[ahollis]

Finally I'll be able to retire my DVD of BLWIT. I watch it every Thanksgiving and it will be good to have it on Blu.

Well it is a hard candy Christmas.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

The release of Xanadu (1980) on blu-ray should now generate some interest in another film featuring Gene Kelly some 36 years before. Especially since Gene essentially reprised one of his Golden Era roles for Xanadu, the role of Danny McGuire. That film was Cover Girl (1944) featuring Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth along with a slew of other 40s/50s era actresses you may recognize. Eve Arden for one.


Surprisingly though, Xanadu is not a sequel to Cover Girl but it does have connections to a 1947 film, Down To Earth (featuring Rita Hayworth). According to the Wiki page, Down To Earth was used as a basis for Xanadu.



For those so interested, Cover Girl was released on Blu-ray by our good friends at Twilight Time and still available on Screen Archives. Those buying the Xanadu blu-ray might want to pick up Cover Girl as well, especially at the end of Feb 2016 when TT has their 5th Anniversary Sale. Good timing since the Xanadu blu hits the street 8 days later. And if I were Nick Redman, I'd be happy to see the release of Xanadu generate new sales interest in his Cover Girl release. Could make it another TT sellout.


View attachment CoverGirlMovie_20127.gif

 

[TomF]

Might this bode well for eventually getting Streets of Fire (1984) on Blu?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Might this bode well for eventually getting Streets of Fire (1984) on Blu?

Now THERE is a wish list item. Love Streets of Fire!


Yeah, eventually I believe we will get it. It's another popular Universal title. And I think Xanadu and all this week's preorders pave the way for STREETS OF FIRE.


We will have it, I am certain.

 

[Keith Cobby]

The release of Xanadu (1980) on blu-ray should now generate some interest in another film featuring Gene Kelly some 36 years before. Especially since Gene essentially reprised one of his Golden Era roles for Xanadu, the role of Danny McGuire. That film was Cover Girl (1944) featuring Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth along with a slew of other 40s/50s era actresses you may recognize. Eve Arden for one.


Surprisingly though, Xanadu is not a sequel to Cover Girl but it does have connections to a 1947 film, Down To Earth (featuring Rita Hayworth). According to the Wiki page, Down To Earth was used as a basis for Xanadu.



For those so interested, Cover Girl was released on Blu-ray by our good friends at Twilight Time and still available on Screen Archives. Those buying the Xanadu blu-ray might want to pick up Cover Girl as well, especially at the end of Feb 2016 when TT has their 5th Anniversary Sale. Good timing since the Xanadu blu hits the street 8 days later. And if I were Nick Redman, I'd be happy to see the release of Xanadu generate new sales interest in his Cover Girl release. Could make it another TT sellout.

CoverGirlMovie_20127.gif

Xanadufilm.jpg

Cover Girl is one of my favourite musicals and the TT blu-ray is very good. I would like Down To Earth released as well but I am not expecting it as we know sales of these films is slow.


Has a 5th anniversary sale been announced or is it speculation?

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Cover Girl is one of my favourite musicals and the TT blu-ray is very good. I would like Down To Earth released as well but I am not expecting it as we know sales of these films is slow.

Has a 5th anniversary sale been announced or is it speculation?

You might call it speculation but there have been 3rd and a 4th Anniversary Sale(s).

 

[MBrousseau]

I'm so excited about this blu-ray release of XanadU. Way to go, Universal! And now, if you still continue to get more musicals to your BD library, what about Thoroughly Modern Millie?

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

I had such a har- ...enthusiastic appreciation for Olivia, I thought I'd go blind.

 

[Richard M S]

I admit I never "got" the appeal of STAR WARS even though I was 12 when it opened. However XANADU, released a few years later when I was 15, is another story.


Though the film was released in 1980, make no mistake - in every way this film is a pure 1970's time capsule, for better or for worse.


One could not go anywhere that summer without hearing "Xanadu" and "Magic" and "I'm Alive" - they were enormous hits, bigger than the film as I recall.


So I want to see it again, especially since we are now about the same distance away from the 1970's as the original film was from the 1940's which it harkened back to as a plot point, most effectively in the very charming dance duet between Gene and Olivia.


By the way, XANADU has its own connections to COVER GIRL. Gene's character in both films is named Danny McGuire - he hoped it would be a capstone to his career, bringing it full circle - it had an animation sequence, and Gene on roller skates like he was in IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER. Unfortunately, the reaction to the film was certainly different from what he expected.


Finally, for architecture buffs, it also is a great way to see the decaying but-still glorious Pan-Pacific Auditorium, now long gone.


Needless to say, I pre-ordered the blu-ray with the link.

 

[RobertSiegel]

I'm so excited about this blu-ray release of XanadU. Way to go, Universal! And now, if you still continue to get more musicals to your BD library, what about Thoroughly Modern Millie?

Oh another person who is waiting, yes Millie would be incredible on blu-ray, as would Universal's Sweet Charity and we can't forget Flower Drum Song. I love these 3 1960's Universal musicals. Will we ever see them on blu-ray though.

 

[RobertSiegel]

This is a sad video, the fire at the Pan Pacific Auditorium, the building used as "Xanadu." They were able to save two of the 50's art deco pieces from the front and incorporated them into the Pan Pacific Park, which now stands in the building's place.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Amazon has posted the blu-ray cases with cover art. Looks like they went with the theater display posters.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Anybody else notice the price drops on these two titles on Amazon but for some reason those price drops don't get reflected in my pre-orders?


I've already had to cancel & reorder twice to get the lower price. Today BLWIT dropped to $9.99.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron here!


You should not have to cancel. Amazon will honor the lowest price between the time you preorder and the time of delivery.


In fact, Amazon will send you an email after you receive your Blu-ray telling you how much you saved since your initial preorder.


So, absolutely, no need to cancel and re-order. However, if it makes you feel more assured, I can't blame you for doing so.


Looking forward to Xanadu and nice to hear it's so cheap.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I think it was Saturday that NPR interviewed the founder of the Razzies. Apparently Xanadu and another film, Showgirls I think, were the inspiration for starting the awards.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I notice that Xanadu has a score of 5.0 on IMDB. Great film, great cast, and fantastic music from ELO. Another film with Gene Kelly on blu-ray, and the lovely Livvy.

 

[Peter McM]

Hopefully Mr. Harris will treat us to "A Few Words About..." one or both of these titles--especially if they turn out as good as we all hope.