This is the last blog post of the semester for our last screening, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Before I really start talking about the film, I’d like to delve a little into my first impression of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Like most Tarantino films Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had gained a lot of hype before its much-awaited release, so it was on my radar. I planned to see it once it came out, of course, but it wasn’t one that I felt I needed to see. I wasn’t going to die if I never got around to it; I could wait until the DVD release. I’m not a die-hard Tarantino fan, but I was going to see this movie at some point because I generally enjoy his work even if I haven’t seen all of it. I waited a week or two after its initial release until our local theater had it, mainly because I didn’t want to drive an hour to a theater that did have it, during this time I heard from other people about the alternative ending to the Manson murders and gained more interest. I knew the basics of the Manson murders and thought, “okay, let’s see how Tarantino does it.” So when I sat down to watch the two hour and forty minute film that used the Manson family as a plot device rather than focusing on them, I was pretty surprised. But I wasn’t disappointed. Even though it wasn’t what I was expecting I enjoyed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it was charming. Usually I have to prepare for a three-hour movie, its straining on my attention span, but this movie flew by.

There are a multitude of reasons for that and a lot of them have to do with Tarantino’s attention to detail. For one, it is visually appealing. Besides having historically accurate wardrobe and sets, the cinematography is stunning. The shot where Rick Dalton is floating in his pool practicing lines and the camera pulls away from him and up over his house back to street level where the Polanski’s exit their front door and leave for a night out made me gasp in the theater, amazing. In Priscilla Page’s article “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: The Final Rodeo”, she mentions that Tarantino drew inspiration from his childhood memories to help shape the look of the film. She says, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood often feels like a story from the perspective of a child’s eye.” There are a number of shots that show the spaces the characters are operating in, prioritizing small details that aren’t essential to film’s plot but definitely add to the viewers involvement in the film. It plays into our sense of curiosity. There isn’t a lot that happens in the three-hour long movie, using different ways to frame or look at a mundane situation like a party or Rick’s camper fill in that time and keep the viewer interested. It also plays into the nostalgic aspect of the film by giving the viewer a chance to recognize the design style of the 70’s.

Charles Manson has become a household name, even if you don’t know what exactly happened you know the name. Because of his historical significance and the amount of research and media that has been created around him, it is easy to assume that a film that includes Charles Manson as a character would be centered around the Manson Family. It is almost a given that a movie set in Los Angeles during the 1970’s would highlight the hippie counterculture, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood takes the opposite side of the free-love movement. Rick Dalton’s character is battling with his own feelings of inferiority in an industry that is changing faster than he can keep up with, his character also symbolizes the fear of change felt by those who still held on to white picket fence values as the culture shifted. It’s a more subtle representation that doesn’t define Rick’s character; fearing change doesn’t make you a bad person it makes you human.

One of my favorite parts of the film was the characters, mainly Sharon and Cliff. I liked that Sharon didn’t face any conflict in the film, she was a refreshing break from Rick’s personal troubles and Cliff’s curiosity with Spahn Ranch. Her scenes felt light and happy. I liked Cliff because he was a mysterious character, I want to know more about his backstory and what exactly happened with his wife. Yeah, he’s a stuntman, but he was given too large of a part to just be the guy that drives Rick around.

After I watched this movie, I did become curious about Charles Mason. If you are interested in learning the details of Charles Manson’s impact on the entertainment industry the podcast You Must Remember This made a 12-part series about it, here’s the link (it’s also available on spotify). I couldn’t listen to it late at night because some of it did freak me out a bit.

We’ve watched a lot of films this semester and it’s hard for me to choose my favorite, so I’ll start with my least favorite. It was Detour, it wasn’t really my thing. I disliked Al, I know some characters are meant to be disliked but….

I can’t nail down a favorite, but I can narrow it down to two:

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

I liked how much I had to think through this movie, even though it isn’t really meant to be comprehensible. Valerie was also beautiful to watch; I loved the set design. The soundtrack was airy and ominous, I can see why it has gained its own cult following. The witchy/vampire theme was a bonus as well.

The Warriors

The first time I saw the Warriors was about a year ago and it was like nothing I had ever seen before, it hits different. I love the personalized gangs and the excitement of the chase, it made me feel energized. Another movie I did not know was a cult film but I’m so happy we watched it because I was able to look at it from a different perspective.

Every semester I try to sign up for a fun class, something for myself, and this was my fun class. Watching weird and out-of-the-ordinary movies was already something I enjoyed so when I saw that there was class that studied them, I had to sign up. This class has turned into so much more than that, not only have I gained a knowledge of cult films but I also know a lot more about the movie industry than before (a LOT more). Every week I looked forward to our screenings, I wish we could have continued to watch them on campus but knowing that this class could operate online was a huge comfort. I’m going to miss this class; it’s been one of my favorites. Even though this is the end, I have learned so much about cult film that I feel confident in my ability to continue exploring the cult film category. I will keep a lookout for more film classes to take because I’m hooked.