Once upon a time in Hollywood......

Running late, I took offence at the bank teller putting my copper coins of the realm into my bank account. A whole two pounds and I'd asked him to cash it - Boy did I give him a stare! I'm now hungry and there's only 15 mins till the start of the program, Greggs it is, two sausage rolls and a feeling of guilt for breaking my new no pastry rule but at least something on my stomach before showtime. 

So, sitting comfortably in the back rows of the Tyneside, something seems amiss - its already well after 12 and the curtains haven't gone up yet. Delayed trailers and then a fifteen minute blank screen with assurances of "just a minute, it will be on in a minute"

Off we go, this one's old school with opening titles and cast list straight from the genre its dealing with. Tick.
We meet our stars almost immediately in an old 60s sedan and its just great, we're in Los Angeles amid the outskirts of Burbank I assume with the raucous accompaniment of radio advertising and Tarantino's usual scene stealing taste in related music. Tick.
De Caprio is an insecure 50s television western star of now diminishing favour (check out a wonderful scene with Pacino where he is told that you're basically on the way out when you play guest baddies in the networks current hits) and Brad Pitt (Cliff Booth) plays the cool unflappable best mate and stunt double to Rick Dalton (De Caprio) Another big Tick.

I could go on for ages talking of the cameos from Tarantino's screen family - Michael Madsen, Tim Roth who appears only on the credit list under 'cut' which is a splendid touch.

This A4 type sheet only allows me so much info and I don't want to overstay my welcome but just to say that despite its occasional calendar references, its not really a linear film I feel as it just drifts off around details of the time - hippy generation, a little uncomfortable Bruce Lee stuff, Sharon Tate and the the spectre of Charles Manson in the background. I found it immensely entertaining, even down to the geeky mentioning of names like Morey Amsterdam from the Dick van Dyke show and Dean Martin's Matt Helm spoof on James Bond and a sort of Quinn Martin voice over late on in the film. If you're from that generation I think you'll enjoy it, but watch out for the gratuitous violence which was applauded from behind me and I can't make my mind up as to whether it was cartoon or a statement of the time. Go & see. Big Tick.