If you thought Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was already long enough, you might not be prepared for the extended cut with 10 more minutes of footage – especially because of what that footage is all about. Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was one of summer 2019's biggest hits, and truly stood out among a wave of blockbusters and sequels. The film is set in 1969 and follows actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his friend and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they struggle to stay relevant during the last years of Hollywood’s golden age, all this with Tarantino’s peculiar narrative, violence, and sense of humor.
Like any other Tarantino film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood wasn’t free of controversy, and it was mostly criticized for its portrayal of some real-life actors, namely Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and Bruce Lee (Mike Moh), to the point where its release has already been canceled China. This hasn’t stopped Tarantino from enjoying the success of the film, and decided to release an extended cut on October 25. But what exactly does this version include?
The extra material is at the beginning and the end of the film, so viewers won’t have to worry about trying to remember if a scene was already there or not. The first addition is (another) fake commercial for Red Apple cigarettes, the in-universe brand that can be found in almost every previous Tarantino film. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’s first theatrical cut already had a Red Apple commercial playing during the credits, but this one is in color and stars James Marsden as Burt Reynolds instead of Rick Dalton. Next is another fake commercial, this time for Old Chattanooga beer, Cliff Booth’s go-to beer brand. There’s nothing outstanding or relevant in it except the 1960s vibe that Tarantino successfully achieved.
As mentioned above, there’s nothing new in the actual film, and the next batch of new footage is at the end. First is a sequence from the pilot of Lancer, the show Rick Dalton starred in alongside James Stacy (Timothy Olyphant) and young but very wise and experienced Trudi Fraser (Julia Butters). The scene also features a bit more of Luke Perry’s role as Wayne Maunder. Finally, there’s a longer version of the Bounty Law clip shown earlier in the film, with more of Michael Madsen’s Sheriff Hackett. And because apparently there can’t be enough fake commercials, the clip announces that the show is sponsored by Red Apple cigarettes and Hostess Brand’s Twinkies.
Very much like the story itself, the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood extended cut is not for everyone, but it’s another chance for those who enjoyed it the first time to watch it one more time (with extra advertisements) – or for those who weren’t convinced by it to give it a second chance. This added footage might have been better off as DVD/Blu-Ray featurettes, but that can’t be compared to watching a Tarantino film on the big screen.