Some Xanadu, Some Xanadon't.

Recently I uncovered a transcript of the pitch session for Xanadu, the Film Cinema 16:9 presented at a private screening this weekend.

There were three people in the room, Richard Christian Danus,
Marc Reid Rubel, Robert Greenwald. What followed was a historic conversation which would would bring about what can only be described as "Xanadu." I'd like to share it with you:


Hollywood - April 20, 1979

Richard - So okay, here's the thing... This is seriously going to be huge.

Robert - Right, let me hear it.

Marc - Disco Rollerskates.

Robert - You mean like Roller Boogie?

Richard - No... better.

Robert - Better than Roller Boogie?

Marc - We're going to get ABBA.

Robert - ABBA? They're huge... we're going to need some real "Money, Money, Money."

Richard - No he didn't say ABBA, he said Olivia Newton-John.

Robert - That's better.

Marc - She's great.

Richard - She's beautiful.

Robert - She's cheaper.

Marc - That's what I think.

Robert - So a disco roller skate movie that's better than Roller Boogie? We're going to need a different angle.

Richard - See, that's the thing. It's a Science Fiction...

Marc - Like Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century.

Robert - A Sci-fi, roller disco staring Olivia Newton-John?

Richard - With Rock and Roll.

Marc - ... and flashy costumes.

Richard - Electric Orange Jumpsuits.

Robert - You're going to put Olivia Newton-John in an orange jumpsuit?

Richard - Yes.

Marc - No.

Robert - Shouldn't you show off a beautiful woman rather than cover her up with an orange jumpsuit?

Richard - Exactly.

Marc - She'll be wearing long flowing...

Richard - Short...

Marc - ... Short flowing near transparent dresses.

Robert - short doesn't "flow" boys.

Richard - Slits. Big slits. Olivia will be wearing two flaps of cloth as a dress.

Robert - I like it, sexy sci-fi roller disco, starring Olivia... Are their ray-guns?

Marc - Yes.

Richard - No.

Robert - I don't like ray guns.

Marc - No ray guns.

Richard - It's a greek myth... only sci-fi.

Robert - Greek myth?

Richard - No ray guns in greek myths. People can wear modified togas.

Marc - and big hair.

Robert - but boys, Olivia's beautiful, but really they had beautiful women in Roller Boogie.

Richard - We'll have music.

Marc - It's a musical.

Robert - A musical?

Richard - We'll get Gene Kelly.

Robert - A musical sexy sci-fi roller disco film starring Olivia and Gene... He's getting older.

Marc - He's still got it.

Richard - Oh yeah, he's still got it.

Marc - We'll just dress him up in modern costumes.

Richard - Tin Foil.

Marc - Fringe lots of fringe.

Robert - Is it a western?

Richard - only a little.

Marc - not really.

Richard - in one scene.

Robert - Boys... I like it. A sexy sci-fi loosely based on a Greek myth, with fantastic costumes...

Marc - Slits.

Richard - Cloth Flaps.

Marc - and really tight tights.

Robert - A sexy sci-fi loosely based on a Greek myth, with slits galore, cloth flaps, really tight tights, roller disco film with music, Olivia, Gene with a peppering of western to include the southern crowd. And Neon, I like neon. It should be a sort of 70s Art Deco.

Marc - 80s. We're going to define the aesthetic of this decade Rob. We're going to show the world what the 80s is going to be. It's the future in a movie.

Richard - The dream of the future made real.

Robert - Genius. Let's do it.