Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood Blu-ray Review

Restoring Hollywood – The Production Design of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (1080p; 9:18): A look at how Barbara Ling and her crew worked to achieve the look of Hollywood from 1969.

This is the biggest joke of a featurette, wherein all the participants are telling you how painstakingly accurate it is in terms of detail. I would buy the "alternate universe" business if they didn't keep insisting how accurate they were to 1969. Some of us were quite alive back then and some of us lived in LA and know exactly what accuracy is. No, there was no Pussycat Theater in that location of the boulevard - it was the New View Theater until it became the Pussycat in 1974. No, there was no Peaches Records on the boulevard in 1969. On that side of the street it was only Vogue Records and before that Discount Record Center. No, They Came to Rob Las Vegas never played the Chinese.

And my favorite: In Brad Pitt's close-ups in front of Pandora's Box you can clearly see the Capitol Records building on Vine north of Hollywood Blvd. In the Margaret Qualley reverse shots she's in front of Pandora's Box, which was located on the south east corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights, about four miles away from Hollywood and Vine. Oh, and Pandora's Box? Torn down in 1966. Oops.

Other favorite: The party at the Playboy Mansion. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Playboy Mansion in 1969. Hef didn't buy it until the early 1970s. Oops.

Talk about taking a crap on a movie that has an alternative reality to begin with.

Absolutely loved this movie. Arguably QT's best and one of my favorite movies in years.

My wife and I really got caught up in it. Looked gorgeous in 4K. Like Inglorious Basterds, it's a bit of fantasy revenge porn, but it's so well done and all of the actors involved are positively fabulous in their roles. GREAT soundtrack and score. The Tarantino formula is alive and well. Looking forward to watching it again sometime in the next month or so.

TravisR said:

Arguably QT's best and one of my favorite movies in years.

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I feel the same way about it.

Films like this that keep my passion for cinema alive. After QT retires I'm going to be broken hearted.

One of the best films of 2019 and currently my favorite Tarantino film. We are showing it this Saturday in the Booth Bijou Garage Theatre.

Mark

I am a big QT fan, but this film just didn't do anything for me or my wife. I loved the soundtrack, but the film, itself was rather slow and boring for both of us. I wouldn't put it in my Top 5 Tarantino films.

I will give it a 2nd chance somewhere down the road, since so many others seem to really love the film. A close friend of mine who is also a big QT fan felt similar to me about it, though, so it's certainly not just me it didn't resonate with.

I really loved it, and it has good re-watch value for me, as I think I missed a lot of stuff on my first viewing. I think it's perfectly okay for a reviewer not to share my opinion of the film, I only read these reviews for the technical stuff, & anyone who didn't grow up in Hollywood/LA in that time wouldn't notice any historical anomalies, which I'd think any period film would have (some by the bucket-load).

Scott Merryfield said:

I am a big QT fan, but this film just didn't do anything for me or my wife. I loved the soundtrack, but the film, itself was rather slow and boring for both of us. I wouldn't put it in my Top 5 Tarantino films.

I will give it a 2nd chance somewhere down the road, since so many others seem to really love the film. A close friend of mine who is also a big QT fan felt similar to me about it, though, so it's certainly not just me it didn't resonate with.

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You are far from being alone in that regard as movies in general always generate diverse opinions when it comes to film appreciation. It's just the way it is, even for great films that are universally loved and appreciated.

I’ve seen this movie twice- the first time in a theater, and
during the Christmas break on UHD BluRay. I think this film is similar to Jackie Brown in that it will get better with repeated viewings, and it’s a film you can just put your feet up, settle in, relax and have a good time with it.
My list of Quentin’s films, from most favorite to least favorite-
1- Pulp
2- Jackie
3- Basterds
4- Hollywood
5- Dogs
6- Hateful
7- Django
8- Death Proof
9- Kill Bill 1&2

Jeffrey D said:

I’ve seen this movie twice- the first time in a theater, and
during the Christmas break on UHD BluRay. I think this film is similar to Jackie Brown in that it will get better with repeated viewings, and it’s a film you can just put your feet up, settle in, relax and have a good time with it.
My list of Quentin’s films, from most favorite to least favorite-
1- Pulp
2- Jackie
3- Basterds
4- Hollywood
5- Dogs
6- Hateful
7- Django
8- Death Proof
9- Kill Bill 1&2

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Interesting that you put the Kill Bill films at the bottom of your list, as they would be near the top of mine. I have a hard time picking a favorite QT film, so instead I will group them.

Top Group:
Pulp Fiction
Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2
Inglorious Basterds

Middle Group:
Jackie Brown
Django Unchained
Reservoir Dogs

Bottom Group:
Hateful Eight
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

* I have never seen Death Proof

Scott Merryfield said:

* I have never seen Death Proof

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I envy you.

Stephen_J_H said:

I envy you.

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I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but Death Proof felt like one of those lazy 70's schlock features from Crown International Pictures like "The Van", or "The Pom Pom Girls".
This rings true to the 'Grindhouse' experience that Quentin, and Robert were aiming for, but as a stand alone feature it is the Tarantino film that I tend to skip watching.

Bryan^H said:

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but Death Proof felt like one of those lazy 70's schlock features from Crown International Pictures like "The Van", or "The Pom Pom Girls".
This rings true to the 'Grindhouse' experience that Quentin, and Robert were aiming for, but as a stand alone feature it is the Tarantino film that I tend to skip watching.

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I had read enough about Death Proof that I decided the film wasn't for me, which is why it's the only Tarantino film I have not seen.

Scott Merryfield said:

I had read enough about Death Proof that I decided the film wasn't for me, which is why it's the only Tarantino film I have not seen.

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Seeing "Grindhouse" at the Drive in was one of the best movie going experiences I have ever had. Not because I loved the films of Planet Terror, and Death Proof with the fake trailers. It was because it was cool, fun, and very different than anything I have experienced at the cinema. And it was at the Drive in theater which authenticated its retro vibe. I had a blast.

That being said it was an "experience", and just cannot be replicated at home. So I don't even bother.

DEATH PROOF is a blast. If you like Tarantino, it is vintage Tarantino. I also loved the full GRINDHOUSE. The fake trailers in the middle were the best part. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is so much fun I can't stop watching the 4k over and over. I think it has a good chance of winning Best Picture at the Oscars.

Yeah, the fake Machete trailers in Grindhouse were especially hilarious!

Re: The time inaccuracies of the picture... it's called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I believe things like the Pussycat Theater were added because they are just iconic. Also the Playboy Mansion. Or Pandora's Box. Tower Records wasn't around then, but I would have preferred to see it rather than Peaches. Or Eli Wallach's Music City. And why not an Angelyne billboard while you're at it? There are things about the location that just exist in the mind out of time and exact place. It's not Chinatown, but... it's Hollywood.

Re Deathproof

My wife’s favorite Tarantino film.

Pulp Fiction is her least favorite.

I just love her!