hum ored ▁par ody ▁of ▁the ▁k itsch iest ▁elements ▁of ▁early - si xt ies ▁rock ▁and ▁roll ." ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁L ol ita ▁premier ed ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁( the ▁copy right ▁date ▁on screen ▁is ▁ 1 9 6 1 ). ▁It ▁performed ▁fairly ▁well , ▁with ▁little ▁advert ising ▁re lying ▁mostly ▁on ▁word - of - mouth ; ▁many ▁critics ▁seemed ▁un inter ested ▁or ▁dismiss ive ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁while ▁others ▁gave ▁it ▁g low ing ▁reviews . ▁However , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁very ▁controvers ial , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁he be ph ilia - related ▁content . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁positive ▁reviews , ▁Bos ley ▁Crow ther ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁" con sp ic u ously ▁different " ▁from ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁had ▁" some ▁strange ▁conf us ions ▁of ▁style ▁and ▁m ood ," ▁but ▁never theless ▁had ▁" a ▁rare ▁power , ▁a ▁gar bled ▁but ▁often ▁moving ▁push ▁toward ▁an ▁off - be at ▁communication ." ▁Richard ▁L . ▁Co e ▁of ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁called ▁it ▁" a ▁peculiar ly ▁brilliant ▁film ," ▁with ▁a ▁tone ▁" not ▁of ▁hat red , ▁but ▁of ▁mock ing ▁true . ▁Director ▁and ▁author ▁have ▁a ▁view point ▁on ▁modern ▁life ▁that ▁is ▁not ▁fl atter ing ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁des pis ing , ▁either . ▁It ▁is ▁regret ▁for ▁the ▁human