Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? My thoughts:

A few days ago my husband and I were having breakfast and he asked me what I thought about the new Quentin Tarantino movie. I didn't know what he was talking about and he told me, "It's about 1969 Hollywood, the Manson murders and Sharon Tate is in it." My honest first reaction was feeling a little upset about the film being made. I have literally mixed feelings about Sharon Tate and the Manson murders being depicted in Hollywood. I really like Sharon Tate in Valley of the Dolls (a favorite book and film for me, guilty pleasures) Eye of the Devil and The Fearless Vampire Killers. I think she was good in these roles, and I think she might have gotten really big if she had not been killed. And if I may put my tinfoil hat on, I wonder how things would have turned out with Roman Polanski. I know Roman Polanski cheated on Sharon, but I still wonder... (He's probably just a sexual predator and nothing would have changed his path but...) I have done a ton of reading about Sharon Tate, and EVERYONE describes her as a beautiful person inside and out. It makes me so sad to think that a beautiful person will forever be remembered in such a terrible way. I feel like sometimes people just milk her story. I am not saying it shouldn't be talked about, I'm just saying we should be respectful rather than sensationalizing an innocent woman's death. Let's face it..sensational is a word I feel could be applied to most if not all Quentin Tarantino's films. So my first reaction was being sort of prickly about the film. But then...

I watched the trailer and it looked very interesting. As much as I try to feel self righteous about my feelings towards Sharon Tate, as well as the others at 10050 Ceilo Drive and the Labianca's and Gary Hinman and all the other victims there could be...I am one of the people who eats up everything about the Manson murders. It's fascinating, it leaves you wanting more. I have read many books about the Manson Family and their murders. I have a big interest in cults and that was my main interest in the Manson Family. I never found Charles Manson as interesting as his followers. Maybe it was because they were mostly young girls, and I related to them more. So here I am, feeling a pull between my sensitivity around the Manson murders, and a morbid curiosity and wanting to know everything there is to know about this case. So the whole movie is not completely about the Manson murders, it is more about 1969 Hollywood. This also made me feel a little more comfortable with the film, not completely..but more comfortable.