The film arrives in cinemas on August 14th and will be available to pre-order on DVD from hmv’s online store on the same day
There is no director on the planet who has the same kind of following as Quentin Tarantino. Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson have records of consistent and undeniable quality, but no one can create an event and a buzz like a new Tarantino film can.
For his latest effort, which is being billed as the ninth of his career, Tarantino is looking back at old Hollywood and he’s assembled a stellar cast to do it.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt lead the way, while there are also roles for Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Tim Roth, Damian Lewis, Kurt Russell and James Marsden, among many, many others.
Set in Los Angeles in 1969, the film follows DiCaprio's Rick Dalton and his longtime stunt double, Pitt's Cliff Booth. The pair are struggling to keep afloat in Hollywood and forge their way around an industry they hardly recognise anymore.
Robbie's Sharon Tate then moves in next door, sending everything into chaos. Throw into this, you’ve got the haunting spectre of The Manson Family, who are about to bring the hippy-dippy, happy-go-lucky culture of the 1960s to a bloody end.
Tarantino directs and provides the script. This new movie will be distributed by Sony Pictures after the demise of The Weinstein Company, Tarantino's first movie to do so.
The film is out now on DVD shelves, but, back before it hit cinemas, we caught an early screening of Tarantino’s new effort and have rounded up five reasons why you’ll love it…
The period detail is incredible…
With a budget that’s around the $100 million mark, this is a huge undertaking, but you can see exactly where the money has gone. The re-creation of 1969 Los Angeles is incredible, the look of the cars, the restaurants, the clothes and Los Angeles itself is flawless.
The atmosphere is uneasy from minute one…
The spectre of the Manson Family hangs in the background of the film and Tarantino manages their presence carefully. He has always been a master at suddenly filling a scene with an almost unbearable tension and that is utilised in this movie to great effect.
It’s a long watch, but it doesn’t feel like that…
Tarantino’s taste for long-running times shows no sign of abating with this movie clocking in 161 minutes. This time though, there’s not a wasted second, the running time whips right by.
It’s very funny…
Every Tarantino film has its fair share of killer one-liners and slapstick gags and Once Upon A Time is no exception. You’ll be laughing constantly.
The ending is quite something...
We won’t give anything away, but for sheer, jaw-dropping, powerful and unexpected finales, this is up there with Tarantino’s very best. You will be leaving with your mouth open.
Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood is out now in hmv stores. Click here for full details.
