I have to start by saying that this premiere was both scary and obscure from the audience’s perspective. I arrived earlier than usual and could walk around to scout for the best spots to take photos and record videos from.

Everything seemed easy in the beginning until the boulevard got packed with tourists and movie fans across the street from the Chinese Theatre. As you can see in the photos below the crowd got so big that it was almost impossible to move around. I could barely move the tripod upwards to put the camera above people’s heads, and things got a little hectic when I started hearing passersby screaming “Move… keep moving.” Obviously, the boulevard is a public sidewalk that is transformed into a mosh pit every time there is a movie premiere and let’s be honest, not everyone goes there to enjoy this kind of event.

About an hour before the celebrities arrived, I heard a lot of people screaming behind me. Everyone moved to the sides and I saw two big guys beating a short homeless guy. There were no police officers around. All officers were too busy protecting the area reserved for guests. Fortunately, the homeless guy could run away but it was a shame that kids had to see that kind of violence in front of their eyes. Two teenage girls visiting from Eastern Europe ended up crying in panic. A boy was crying too while his mother tried to calm him down. Everyone was in shock, including me.

A few minutes later, music from the 60’s started playing. Songs like “Sugar, Sugar“, “Pinball Wizard” and other classics made the crowd and guests sing and dance non-stop. This was the best part of the afternoon, besides seeing the celebrities sharing moments with fans, of course.

The film “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” is set in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

Ralph