NINETOES VS. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Ninetoes gave his favorite movie of 2017 ANOTHER watch. His wife is wondering if he can go word-for-word with it yet…

As Hollywood’s Golden Age is winding down, a television actor and his stunt double endeavor to achieve lasting success.

Directed and Written by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Austin Butler

Rated R

Run time 2 hours 41 minutes

Hey there, movie lovers! It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today I am taking a look at Quentin Tarantino’s modern classic Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I have popcorn in my system, and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

When you watch a Quentin Tarantino movie, you know you are going to be treated to massive amounts of violence and blood. His name is synonymous with it. Tarantino-blood/guts/violence. With this movie, I spent the first three quarters asking “Where’s the blood/guts/violence?”

Does this make it a bad movie? Not. In. The. Least! In fact, in my humble opinion, this movie was…oops, we have to wait until the end for that, now, don’t we?

We have the story of Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Pitt); both are on the cusp of being washed up in Hollywood. Dalton is the actor; Booth is his stunt double, gopher, driver, repairman, and friend. The two go together like franks and beans. Mixed into this story are Sharon Tate (Robbie), Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch), and (if you know your history) Charles Manson. Ironically, Manson plays such a small role in this. His “family” plays a bigger role, but Manson (played by Damon Herriman) is seen a couple of times at the most. If you know your history, you know what is coming when you mention the names Charles Manson and Sharon Tate.

This movie was written by someone who loves Hollywood; its history, its legends, its lore, and that is exactly what this movie is steeped in. There is one unnamed character to pay attention to in this movie, and it is the music. Not only the music, but the DJ’s playing the music. It adds so much flavor to this movie that it turns the movie into a veritable feast for the viewer.

The acting was sublime. EVERYONE was on their “A” game. DiCaprio and Pitt playing off of each other was the buddy movie we have been missing in our lives. (Fun fact: this was not the first time the pair were in a movie together. They had supporting roles in the 2012 drama, Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen.) Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate was like catching lightning in a bottle! She was phenomenal, and totally believable as Sharon Tate.

For me, the best character was an uncredited one…Brandy, Cliff’s pit bull. Whoever trained her needs an award. What she does at the end of this movie is off-the-chain fantastic! With a click of a tongue, she goes full on Black and Decker Pecker Wrecker!

Just to show you how much I love this movie, when I popped it into the Blu-ray player, my wife said, “Again?” Yes, baby, again! She followed it up with, “Can’t you quote it already?” No, my love, not YET! This one was my favorite movie of 2017!

If you have not seen this movie yet, please, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to it. This is one of my favorite “guilty pleasure” movies. As you watch, do not worry about where all the blood/guts/gore/and violence are. They’re coming. Boy, are they ever coming!

This one is perfect for fans of Hollywood history, behind-the-scenes look at how a show is made, the power of friendship, and great storytelling.

I give this 5+ popcorn buckets out of 5!

Until the next time, I bid you happy viewing!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.