Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

[AArdvark]

We've seen his meds list.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

This is a tough one. Other than PTA, QT makes the best movies that have existed over the past several decades. This is definitely his most "reserved" work. Not packed full of violent flourishes. Nobody even says "the n word". And the thing is, nothing ever actually happens.

So it's 2.6 hours, and you either enjoy the wonderful performances as they are happening (and they are wonderful), and dig the whole QT LA nostalgia vibe, and get up at the end saying, that was a lovely, fanciful snapshot of a time that never was, or you get up saying, what the fuck was the point of all that?

Because -- and I'm serious here, even though the movie is marketed as having something to do with the Manson killings -- nothing ever happens. There is a "twist" at the end regarding Manson (who is on-screen for maybe 30 seconds) which is amusing to no end, but even the twist is in the service of nothing ever happening. This is ultimately a film with no plot. It's a 161 minute postcard.

So there ya go. It's definitely not in his top tier, or even top five. It's a relatively bad Quentin Tarantino movie, which means it's the best thing you'll likely see this year.

Enjoy the ride, that's all I'll tell ya if you decide to see it.

We watched it last night. I was able to discern within the first few minutes that it was going to be relatively plotless and at the same time, it wasn't going to be a series of intense conversations like Inglorious was. I credit you to letting me understand and go with the flow for the plotless movie.

And therefore I thought it was really great. No, I suppose I cannot put it above Reservoir Dogs, The Hateful Eight, Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds or even the KilL Bill movies, but sure as shit was a million times better than Deathproof.

While there was no overall plot, the individual scenes at least had something going in them at all times. Brad Pitt performing a Grand Theft Auto mission in terms of seeing if that old guy was still around and figuring out that everything he was told was the truth. That was a great bit! The Bruce Lee piece, the pieces where DiCaprio was trying to psyche himself up to perform correctly. (I guess I didn't quite get why it was so important to do everything in one take. Just how things were back then?)

I'd say it was a sedate QT movie like how Enceladus was me turning it down a notch except for, welp, the ending.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Of course nothing's simple with Tarantino, and the real story isn't the story, but the story under the story -- one of older Hollywood icons being traded in for new ones, and maybe the idea that when something has run its course, it'll end even if you try to prevent it. As the closing credits rolled, my thoughts were of the little Dutch boy sticking his finger in a broken dam, trying to stop it from leaking. When it's a dam's time to blow, it's time.

When DiCaprio is talking to the little girl about the Bronco Busting book he was reading, it was obvious that he was really talking about his character, but I wonder if QT thought any of that applied to him. It shouldn't - Hateful Eight was really good - but I wonder.

[Jizaboz]

I rented it last night for my girlfriend and I.

Parts of the beginning made me chuckle. And then it all went downhill. Garbage. Absolute fucking boring garbage. I had to go to bed because I was falling asleep on the couch.

How people like this idiot directors movies and call them “genius” and shit is beyond me. This movie fucking sucks.

[Jizaboz]

Oh and do we have to put “god bless you please mrs Robinson” in EVERY FUCKING MOVIE?! That song fucking sucks too. Shit like this is why I don’t watch many movies.

[pinback]

Goodness.

[Flack]

I think we can all agree it was no The Jerk, Too.

[AArdvark]

Well, I'm not gonna watch it then.

THE
HARD CHOICE
AARDVARK

[pinback]

Well, I'm not gonna watch it then.

THE
HARD CHOICE
AARDVARK

He just called Tarantino "this idiot director", so I'm not sure I'd accept his advice as the final word on anything, movies or otherwise. But you don't watch movies with the sound on anyway, so who gives a fuck.

I don't understand any of the other people on this BBS.