I was glad to see that “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood” (which I reviewed as one of the best movies of the year) had a big opening over the weekend. It wasn’t Marvel-superhero big, but it did make around forty million, which is more than any other Quentin Tarantino movies earned in their debut days.
After you see it — but not before! — take a look at this piece by writers at the AV Club, who compiled details on a lot of the real people and places that show up in the movie, even for just a few seconds. Here’s my favorite:
With those striking blue eyes and iconic mole, there’s no mistaking Anne Francis on the pin-up poster that adorns Cliff Booth’s Van Nuys trailer. Best known for her role in Forbidden Planet — which earned her a nod in“ Science Fiction, Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show — Francis appeared on most of the big television shows of the day, from The Untouchables to The Twilight Zone. In 1965, she was cast as private investigator Honey West, a show that,despite running for only one season, quickly developed a cult following. Produced by Aaron Spelling, West was an American answer to the British Avengers and featured Francis as one of the first female private investigators on TV, cruising around in a bitchin’ convertible Shelby Cobra with her pet ocelot.
While I’m at it, here’s a list of all the songs Tarantino used on the soundtrack (usually pouring out of car radios turned to KHJ radio).