MovieChat Forums > Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019) Discussion > The Name of Polanski's Dog Here

The Name of Polanski's Dog Here

posted 5 years ago by ecarle (14979)
3 replies | jump to latest

At some point in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we get a "morning moment" of hot young director Roman Polanski having a cup of morning coffee in his backyard -- a reminder that no matter how rich and famous you are...life is life. You have a cup of coffee in the backyard and start your day.

Polanski's dog runs up to him and Polanski shoos him away saying something like "Go away, Saperstein!"

Its a nice "in joke" from writer-director Tarantino.

Saperstein -- DR. Saperstein -- was the name of the villainous warlock pediatrician played by Ralph Bellamy in Polanski's 1968 hit "Rosemary's Baby."

So..Polanski WOULD go on and name his dog after a character in his biggest hit. (To date: Chinatown was coming...)

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21460) 5 years ago

Ah, great find! I love all the “in jokes” and nods throughout all his films and I had not caught this one. This scene seems to be there for us to compare, the “real” man, Booth and the love of his dog to Polanski.

I was watching Battle of The Godfather’s (1973), staring Henry Silvia a couple of days ago and there is a narration that sounds SO much like Kurt Russels in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that I had to call my daughter in the room to verify.

Start at 3:20 and tell me if you think QT has seen this film:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LXGKflGvGVA&t=1s

[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

Start at 3:20 and tell me if you think QT has seen this film:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LXGKflGvGVA&t=1s

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Wouldn't doubt it...it looks and sounds like "QT's kind of film."

I might add that QT himself did similar narration after the Intermission in "The Hateful Eight," but without the time clock vocals.

In OATIH, QT has a poster in a theater for a movie called "The Mercenary." I recently saw a brief clip from that film in which somebody gets shot through a flower on their lapel just like a character in Django Unchained. And "The Hateful Eight" borrows strongly from an old episode of a TV series called "The Rebel."

I'm not terribly big on saying that QT is "stealing" from these films so much as taking things the rest of us would NEVER find(well, many of us) and giving them "new life in better movies," usually with great lines(though QT has taken some of those, too.)

Its more than "homage" its "resurrection and better use," if you ask me...

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21460) 5 years ago

I am a fan of The Mercenary and yes, it’s actually Jack Palance who is shot through the flower like in Django. Great movie. 👍 I’ve never heard of the Rebel but will look for it.

Its more than "homage" its "resurrection and better use," if you ask me...

I agree with you.