All The Subtlety of Roller Disco, Plus the Nuance of Scott Baio

What is it about Xanadu that makes it one of our favoritest movies ever? We suspect that we're charmed by the verve of its awfulness; unlike mediocre disasters, the likes of which stampede endlessly through theaters, Xanadu's aspirations are so very mighty, and so very strange, and so utterly unattained. Good grief, it sounds like we're writing its epitaph. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth, as Ms. O.N.J.'s masterpiece is as alive and shimmery today as it was when first spewed forth. It was no surprise to us that the Castro theater was completely packed -- literally not one empty seat -- last Friday night as part of the theater's "MiDNiTES FOR MANiACS" film series. And when Olivia sang that dreary "Suspended in Time" song, the entire audience whipped out their cellphones, gleefully swaying the lit screens like electronic lighters. Ahhhhhh...good times.

Last Friday, roller films were the theme, with Xanadu, Roller Boogie (one of the many missteps in the management of Linda Blair's career) and the aborted foetus that is Skatetown USA (which marks the cinematic debut of Patrick Swayze, a man only slightly upstaged by his own cheekbones). Only strong stomachs can withstand Skatetown USA, which unlike the silly Xanadu lurches from attempted-comedy to attempted-concert to attempted-romance, consistantly failing to meet its own very low aspirations. (One joke, for example, involves a man drinking water but forgetting to swallow, the water drooling down his chin -- ha ha ha?) During a horrifying ballad that began with the words "fly like an eagle" we saw over a dozen audience members walk out, and to be honest, we're not sure that withstanding the entire onslaught left us that much richer.

The next night in the Midnight-Maniac series looks more promising, though: a punk-grrrl theme yields Valley Girl, The Legend of Billie Jean, and Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains -- gleaming 80's-vintage gems, the lot of them. You can email freekyfridays -- at -- gmail -- dot -- com for more info and updates.