6.13.2012

What a Way to Go!

So, I'm now obsessed with What a Way to Go!. I watched it, & before it was even half way over I thought to myself - "Yup. This is now one of your favorite movies ever, Mallory."

It has everything! It's genuinely humorous, there's dancing, AMAZING COSTUMES AND SET DESIGN, it's awesomely retro, all the actors are great, it's weird.... I can't even deal with it. Watch it!

For more about the plot you can go here, but basically - Shirley MacLaine plays a woman who has a lot of husbands. All she wants is love & a simple life, and yet each man she marries proceeds to get exceedingly rich and then die - leaving her the money. She doesn't want the money! She just wants love! AH!

Now I'm just going to list some of the reasons the movie is so great....
1. The coffin-skid opening in Pinky's mansion.
2. The satin-background opening credits. 

3. Costumes by Edith Head! As soon as I saw that, I knew it was going to be a feast for my costume-loving eyes.
4. Dick van Dyke! My forever crush. Looking for something to watch on Netflix instant? Go watch The Dick Van Dyke Show. Quick. It's still funny! At least to me it is.
5. Shirley MacLaine is a delight. Apparently the movie was originally written for Marilyn Monroe. Now, I love Marilyn and Some Like it Hot is one of my favorite movies, but I just can't picture her being able to pull off the role in the same amazing way that Shirley does.
6. Dean Martin. I love him (you don't want to see how many Dean Martin songs I have in my itunes), even though he is always a rather carrot-y hue.
7. The silent movie parody.

8. The part of the silent movie parody where it looks like the Smoke Monster from LOST shows up.
9. The set and production design.
10. A French painting chimpanzee.
11. Paul Newman (looking the handsome-est) playing a "starving artist" who is always eating.
12. Art by shotgun.
13. A French movie parody.
14. Mechanical painting to music.
15. Once again - Paul Newman.
16. AMAZING "ART WORLD" COSTUMES.
17. Robert Mitchum's character's colorful plane interior.
18. AMAZING GLAMOROUS COSTUMES!
19. A champagne glass bed.
20. Shirley's facial expressions.
21. Dance numbers featuring Gene Kelly.
22. PINK EVERYTHING!
Alright, the end. 

Such a visual delight. But not only a visual delight! AN ALL-AROUND DELIGHT, PEOPLE! SO FUN!

Want to look at another movie post? Go HERE

9 comments:

  1. Why isn't this on Netflix instant?!
    In other news, I love Dick Van Dyke. What a guy :)

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  2. Oh! And Paul Newman is always eating? Reminds me of Brad Pitt in the Ocean's movies :)

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  3. I can't wait to go see this now! I love so many of those actors-- hope she has a happy ending

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  4. Well I am desperate to see this now. Am so curious to see who she ends up with!

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  5. Alrighty, I think I need to see this movie immediately.

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  6. I love this movie, shirley maclaine, and edith heads work!

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  7. This movie has been my secret fave for years! So glad I'm not the only one!

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Thanks for your comment you wonderful person you.