The first commercial showings of Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood are happening as we speak. This is the HE forum for early reactions, but please go gently and non-specifically as far as the final act is concerned. I don’t know when it will be fair to start discussing the final 20 to 25 minutes but I would think that an “olly olly in come free” policy could be instituted as of…what, Monday morning? Is it realistic to expect that people will keep their yaps shut any longer than that?

The below paragraph is from A.O. Scott’s N.Y. Times review, titled “We Lost It At The Movies.” I suppose that my beef with OUATIH is analogous to the fact that I’m a much bigger fan of High Noon than Rio Bravo. I’m never been seduced by the laid-back allure of hang-out flicks. I prefer films with real stories — films that convey character and focus upon goals, and are laden with metaphor and teeming with story tension. Tarantino’s latest ends well, but otherwise it doesn’t satisfy the above criteria.

From regional critic friend: “Just saw it. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Meanders all over the place, but so what? Never dull, never uninteresting. Loved how immersed QT was in the 1969 culture, loved the performances — especially DiCaprio’s — and thought the soundtrack was outstanding, full of esoterica (he even uses the Chris Farlowe version of ‘Out of Time,’ made famous here by the Rolling Stones, but Farlowe’s version was No. 1 in the UK). Film had a great sense of humor, and the alternative history finale totally worked. I thought QT’s last film, The Hateful Eight, was dreadful, so this for me is a great comeback.”