Film: “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” directed by Quentin Tarentino

Some movies have a knack for evoking an era. Hal Ashby’s “Shampoo” was filmed in 1975, but captures Election Eve 1968 to a tee. “American Graffiti,” made in 1973, asked “where were you in ‘62?” and proceeded to show us that innocent point in time . Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood” is in their league, and perhaps surpasses them in some ways.

The year is 1969, and Hollywood is undergoing a transformation from boring Western TV shows to ethnic, anti-hero entertainment. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a washed-up TV cowboy who is forced by his agent (Al Pacino) to move to Italy and make spaghetti Westerns. His sidekick/stunt man (a brilliant, magnetic Brad Pitt) has a dog, lives in a trailer and chauffeurs Leo up to his mansion in the Hills. Next door to Leo lives Sharon Tate (a perfectly ditzy Margo Robbie) with her husband Roman Polanski. Robbie is great at portraying the B-actress nobody really remembers until “it” happens.

The LA backdrop is a baby boomer’s dream: Jose Feliciano and Buffy Ste-Marie play on the car radio, Paul Revere and the Raiders spins on the turntable, while “Mannix” and “Hullabaloo” boom on the portable TV complete with rabbit ears. And as if you didn’t guess, the Playboy Mansion In LA is in full swing.

Some of the scenes, particularly one where Pitt visits Spahn’s Ranch (home to Charles Manson and his brood) are astounding and terrifying. Lena Dunham plays one of Charlie’s girls as does Rumor Willis, Bruce and Demi Moore’s daughter. Emile Hirsch plays the ill-fated Jay Sebring, Tate’s hairdresser. Bruce Dern plays old man George Spahn. With appearances by Kurt Russell, Brenda Vaccaro, Timothy Oliphant, Luke Perry, and Damian Lewis (as Steve McQueen!)A 3-hour epic with an ending (no spoilers, please) that will knock your go-go boots off. Violent as hell in the QT tradition but hey it’s Quentin, baby!. Bravo, signore. (Sunday)