A New Kind of Love

While it's never a total waste of time to watch a movie featuring Paul Newman (I mean - the handsomeness really is off the charts), this is one of those very strangely plotted old movies. But there are costumes by.....

 ..... Edith Head!! So at the very least this movie is a visual treat (both costume and human-wise). Also starring Paul's beloved wife - Joanne Woodward. 

A New Kind of Love (1963).

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Joanne Woodward's character works as a "fashion pirate" of sorts - she goes and copies high fashion designs for the lower-priced line she works for. She's a designer for a 1960s version of Zara or H&M or Forever21 or something.

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman star in this lighthearted romantic farce about plain Jane fashion buyer Samantha Blake, who gets a dramatic makeover and is subsequently mistaken for a glamorous call girl by womanizing reporter Steve Sherman.

I told you that the plot was weird (and that doesn't even begin to delve in to the strange intricacies you'll see if you actually watch the film).

Also weird - her blue-tinted glasses. She wears them a lot. I had no idea that that was a 1960s eyewear trend.

Maurice Chevalier shows up at one point. Why not. They're in Paris after all. It's only natural.

So many strange sport-related dream sequences.

See all the previous movie posts here.

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!