Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The True Story Behind Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Were you among those who flocked to theaters this weekend to see Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood—perhaps even in glorious 35mm or 70mm? If so, there’s much to discuss, and even more post-film research to dive into. That’s where Julie Millercomes in. Her deep dive into Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring’s close friendship will answer questions that linger after seeing the film, as will her breakdown of the Manson family members responsible for the slaughter of Tate, Sebring, and several others (played in Once Upon a Time by Mikey Madison, Madisen Beaty, and Austin Butler, recently tapped by Baz Luhrmann to play Elvis Presley in an upcoming biopic). At least one person intimately familiar with the real-life crime has applauded Tarantino for his approach: Debra Tate, sister of Sharon. She told Miller that she was grateful to Tarantino for depicting those responsible for her sister’s murder in what she considers an accurate light: “I hope that audiences take from this that the perpetrators were not glorified good-looking people. What I hope that people take from this is the fact that the victims were real people with real lives. They were full of life and full of light, and the people that killed them were not.”
Want more Once Upon a Time coverage? Laura Bradleyhas a sweet little ode to Brandy, aka Brad Pitt’s dog in the film—and the movie’s true hero. Elsewhere in HWD, K. Austin Collins is buzzing about the new documentary Honeyland; Yohana Desta lays out where the final season of Orange Is the New Black left all the ladies of Litchfield; and Joe Pompeo takes a closer look at a tumultuous season for CBS News.