Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is filled with Easter eggs, references, cameos, and all other manner of things you might've missed. The 9th film by Tarantino, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood transports viewers back to a meticulously crafted version of 1969's Los Angeles, with the director paying both homage to the era and of course linking into his own shared universe(s).
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood centers around Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), the former a TV star struggling to adapt to a changing Hollywood, and the latter his stuntman who finds himself relegated to the role of driver and handyman. Third on the bill, but crucial to the story, is Margot Robbie's Sharon Tate, one of many real-life figures who appear in the movie, some with much bigger (and more obvious) roles than others.
The likes of Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis), Bruce Lee (Mike Moh), and Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch) all turn up at various points, and Tarantino, who grew up in L.A. during the 60s and is a well-known cinephile, clearly delights in recreating and nodding towards famous stars, movies, and locations of the time. He's always been a little playful and self-referential, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is no exception.
Sergio Leone & Sergio Corbucci
Quentin Tarantino is famously a huge lover of Spaghetti Westerns, and the king of them is Sergio Leone. His title pays tribute to two of Leone's most acclaimed movies - Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America - while also putting a spin on it that clues us into what to expect from the movie, with the ellipsis suggesting that this is a fairytale, something Once Upon A Time In Hollywood's ending later confirms. As well as Leone, there's also a tribute to Sergio Corbucci, who directs Rick Dalton in Nebraska Jim. Corbucci made 1966's Django, which was the major influence on Tarantino's own Django Unchained.
Inglourious Basterds
The two Sergios aren't the only directors to get a shout-out in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. During the same Italian period that sees Dalton work with Corbucci, he also stars in a film directed by Antonio Margheriti, as evidenced by a poster for the movie. While Margheriti was a real Italian director who made Spaghetti Westerns, the name should ring a bell with Tarantino fans because of the hilarious scene from Inglourious Basterds, where Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth) poses as none other than Margheriti, being forced to constantly repeat his surname to prove he is Italian. In the same scene, Brad Pitt's Aldo Raine pretends to be a stuntman, and actually is one here.
That's not the only connection to Inglourious Basterds, as early in the movie we get a scene from one of Dalton's movies, The 14 Fists of McCluskey, where his character burns a bunch of Nazis with a flamethrower. It's extremely similar to the ending of Basterds, and it also gives us some clues as to Once Upon A Time In Hollywood's ending, both in terms of the return of the weapon and the fact that it's going to re-write history.
Michael Madsen's Cameo (& Other Tarantino Regulars)
Quentin Tarantino loves to work with the same actors over and over again, and that proves to be the case with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Both DiCaprio and Pitt have worked him before, but there are also some smaller roles for who he refers to as "The Gang". One of the best cameos in the film comes courtesy of Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill), who we see working opposite Dalton in an episode of Bounty Law.
Other familiar faces include Kurt Russell, who plays a stunt co-ordinator here, having previously played Stuntman Mike in Death Proof. Zoë Bell, who worked as Uma Thurman's stunt double in Kill Bill and later appeared in Death Proof, is also shown looking after the actors and stunts here. Tim Roth, another regular collaborator, was supposed to appear, but the credits note his cameo was cut.
Tess Of The D'Urbervilles & The Maltese Falcon
At one point in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Sharon Tate goes into a bookstore to pick up a present for her husband, Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha). The shop she goes into is yet another real Hollywood location, Larry Edmunds Bookshop, and Tate purchases a first-edition of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Ten years later, the real Polanski would direct a film adaptation of the book, called Tess, and dedicate it "To Sharon". In the bookstore, there's also a bust of a falcon, which is a replica of the Maltese Falcon statue from the movie of the same name.
The Green Hornet
Although Once Upon A Time In Hollywood's Bruce Lee has proved controversial, his scene in the movie is among its most memorable, with Lee getting into a best 2-out-of-3 fight with Cliff Booth. During the fight, Booth constantly refers to Lee as 'Kota', which was the name of his character on the TV series The Green Hornet. Lee played a driver, and it's clear from his costume and fighting style - the jump kick was a familiar one on the show - that this scene takes place on the set of The Green Hornet.
Beverley Hills, 90210
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood features the final film appearance from the late Luke Perry, who sadly passed away before the movie's release. Perry plays the actor Wayne Maunder, appearing alongside Dalton in the TV series Lancer (which was a real TV show, and for which Tarantino purchased the rights in order to use it in the film). One of Perry's most famous roles was in Beverley Hills, 90210, and there's another connection to the TV series in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Booth's wife, Billie (who he may or may not have killed), is played by Rebecca Gayheart, who appeared in Beverley Hills, 90210 as Toni Marchette, a love interest of Perry's Dylan McKay.
Burt Reynolds & The FBI
Rick Dalton is loosely based on a number of 1960s Western stars, and among them is Burt Reynolds. Reynolds broke through on TV series Gunsmoke, before going on to star in movies, meaning Dalton's career path followed a similar trajectory. We see Dalton making a guest appearance in an episode of The F.B.I. That was an actual TV show, and in reality Dalton's role was played by Reynolds. Reynolds was supposed to appear in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood as George Spahn, but passed away before filming had commenced, with the role being taken over by Bruce Dern, who himself appeared in TV series Lancer, which is also featured here.
The Mamas And The Papas
The Mamas and the Papas, whose music was a key aspect in 1960s counterculture, make their mark on Once Upon A Time In Hollywood in a number of ways. Two of the group's members, Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot, appear in the film at the party at the Playboy Mansion (a likely deliberate anachronism to clue us into the movie's alt-reality, since Hugh Hefner didn't purchase the property until the early-1980s). Their music has a bigger role, with both "California Dreaming" and "Straight Shooter" featuring on the soundtrack. The latter is especially significant, as the sheet music for the song was found on a grand piano in the home of Polanski and Tate after the Manson murders, just feet from where's Tate's body was discovered.
I'll Never Say Never To Always
Music always plays a big part in Quentin Tarantino's movies, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is no exception. While we hear various classic songs from the era played out on stereos, there's also one that's performed by some of the actors. When we first see the members of the Manson Family on the streets of L.A., they're singing a song called "I'll Never Say Never To Always." That was written by Charles Manson himself. The Manson Family also includes a number of cameos from some familiar faces, including Lena Dunham as Catherine Share, Victoria Pedretti as Leslie van Houten, and Harley Quinn Smith as Froggie.
The Manson Murders
As has been well-documented since the early days of the film's development, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood features the Manson murders, which in real life saw members of the Manson family murder Sharon Tate and four of her friends at her home on Cielo Drive. While the movie changes the ending by having them break into Rick Dalton's house instead, where they're killed by Rick and Cliff, there are some truths in there. It's true that Tex Watson led the attack with two others, and that a third female, Linda Kasabian, was present, but eventually tried to stop the massacre. That's a role filled by Maya Hawke in the movie, the daughter of regular Tarantino collaborator Uma Thurman, but instead she leaves the scene, yet another clue that things are going to play out differently. We hear Watson tell Booth: "I'm the devil, and I'm here to do the devil's business," something the real-life version said to Wojciech Frykowski, one of the victims.
The Spahn Movie Ranch
The Manson Family is situated at the Spahn Ranch, where Cliff Booth goes to visit George Spahn, who he used to work with. Spahn Ranch is another real location, having been used frequently as a location for Westerns but then falling into disrepair in the late-1960s. Spahn allowed the Manson Family to live on his ranch for free, in exchange for the female members performing chores and occasionally having sex with him. The real Spahn Ranch has since been bulldozed, so the production designers instead had to recreate it at a nearby location.
It's not the only familiar Western set used in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood either. At the beginning of the movie, as Dalton and Booth are being interviewed on the set of Bounty Law, the setting is the same Melody Ranch from Django Unchained, where Dr. Schulz goes to claim his bounty. It's not unthinkable that Schulz may even have been referenced in Bounty Law at some point.
The New Beverly (& Other Real Hollywood Locations)
Sticking with Tarantino's recreation of L.A. in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, there is a slew of real locations that appear across the film, with the director unsurprisingly showing a particular affection for the city's cinemas. The most notable of these comes on the night of the murders, when Tate and her friends go to the El Coyote restaurant (as they did in real life). Tate spots a film premiere, and is shocked to learn it's for an adult movie. This was the Eros, an adult movie theater which later became The New Beverly Cinema, showing double features in 35mm. Tarantino himself purchased the building in 2007 to save it from re-development, and owns it to this day, occasionally making suggestions for the program. As well as the New Bev, there's also the Cinerama Dome; the Bruin, where Sharon Tate goes to watch her own movie The Wrecking Crew; the Aquarius, which is advertising Hair; and the Vine Theater, which is showing 1968's Romeo and Juliet.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood references a number of other real locations too, such as the Musso & Frank Grill, and stores like Peaches Records & Tapes. There are also plenty of nods to 1960s movies and TV shows: some have already been outlined, but there's Rosemary's Baby, Pretty Poison, Three in the Attic, Valley of the Dolls, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Candy, The Man From UNCLE, Lady In Cement, The Killing Of Sister George, Don't Make Waves, The Mercenary, and, of course, The Great Escape, with CGI used to insert Rick Dalton into the movie (after Steve McQueen himself had appeared earlier in the movie), among others appearing on billboards across the city.
Tarantino's Usual Brands
Quentin Tarantino's shared move universe incorporates characters, films-within-films, and also some recurring brands, two of which appear in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Red Apple cigarettes have been featured in Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, and The Hateful Eight, as well as movies Tarantino was involved in but didn't direct, such as From Dusk Till Dawn and Planet Terror. The brand is first seen here with Cliff Booth smoking a packet, but the biggest reference comes at the end. If you didn't hang around, then you missed Once Upon A Time In Hollywood's post-credits scene where Rick Dalton films an advert for Red Apple, reciting the slogan: "Better drag, more flavor, less throat burn."
Another of Tarantino's famous brands is Big Kahuna Burger, which is most recognizable from Pulp Fiction, but also featured in Reservoir Dogs and From Dusk Till Dawn. It doesn't get as overt a shout-out here, but does appear on a billboard. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood also introduces some new brands, including Chattanooga beer and Wolf's Tooth dog food, the latter of which could be a reference to Winston Wolf.
Batman
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has a couple of references to Batman, the 1966 TV show, despite the fact it'd been cancelled by the time of the film. Al Pacino's Martin Schwarz mocks the series' famous "Pow!" sound effects, but it gets a bigger shout-out during and after the credits. The Batman theme plays over Once Upon A Time In Hollywood's credits, and at the very end viewers who stuck around can hear Adam West and Burt Ward, with Tarantino including audio from the Batphone Secret Number Contest.