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The World Beyond BetterMost => The Culture Tent => Topic started by: Aloysius J. Gleek on July 14, 2010, 11:21:27 pm

Title: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in "Howl"
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on July 14, 2010, 11:21:27 pm

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtfz1dpHS0I&feature[/youtube]

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/07/james_francos_allen_ginsberg_d.html


Howl Trailer:
James Franco’s Allen Ginsberg
Doesn’t Disappoint

By: Willa Paskin
7/14/10 at 10:15 PM

James Franco does a mean, understated impersonation of Allen Ginsberg in this excellently edited trailer for Howl,  a biopic of the poet centering around his most famous poem's obscenity trial. The trailer cuts between the trial—with Treat Williams and Mary Louise Parker on the stand, and Jon Hamm, in full Don Draper gear, as Ginsberg's lawyer—, black and white footage of Franco reciting "Howl" in a club, and color footage of Franco, with a very neat beard, giving on camera interviews. The whole thing really moves, and is polished and accomplished enough that by the time Franco is howling at a psychedelic sky, it seems like a cool, zany touch.




http://fireman.ilcannocchiale.it/?yy=2009&mm=6&p=3

CULTURA
8 giugno 2009
Franco nei panni di Ginsberg

(http://towleroad.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c730253ef01156fe25ca4970c-pi)
Prime immagini ufficiali per la preparazione del file Howl  in cui James Franco interpreta Allen Ginsberg
 nella foto (a destra) con il suo amico Peter Orlovsky (a sinistra, interpretato da Aaron Tveit).
Segue la foto originale:
(http://towleroad.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c730253ef01156fe29f7f970c-pi)

(http://thefictionadvocate.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/james_franco.jpg?w=400&h=400)

Title: Re: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in "Howl"
Post by: serious crayons on July 15, 2010, 12:25:45 am

That looks promising. Interesting subject, good cast.

Title: Re: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in "Howl"
Post by: southendmd on July 15, 2010, 01:12:07 pm

I was lucky to see this in June.  It was the opening selection at the Provincetown International Film Festival.  Although skeptical of James Franco as Ginsberg, he really pulled it off.  It is a great impression--the voice, the mannerisms--and he can read the poem well.  Even his prettiness gets lost behind the horn-rimmed glasses.

Interesting to note that Ginsberg wasn't even at the obscenity trial; Ferlinghetti, the publisher, was the defendant. 

The filmmakers, known for documentaries such as The Times of Harvey Milk (this is their first narrative film), were present, and posed the question, "How do you turn a poem into a film?"

The black-and-white bits show the writing and early performance of the poem, and trial scenes and later interviews with Ginsberg are in color.  Most was edited from actual transcripts.  However, the animation that is interspersed was distracting, and IMO neither successful nor necessary. 

Title: Re: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in "Howl"
Post by: Marina on July 15, 2010, 01:19:17 pm

Very much looking forward to this one too.  :)

Title: Re: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in "Howl"
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on July 15, 2010, 01:24:55 pm

I read once that Franco was the great grandson of Gutzon Borglum who carved Mt. Rushmore, but I cannot verify that now so I don't know why I am even mentioning it.

Title: Re: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in "Howl"
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on January 14, 2011, 01:57:47 pm

I watched Howl last night, it was wonderful and amazing. It made me have a bad dream later I think but that is okay.

James Franco was marvelous as Ginsberg. The whole idea that they had to go to court over the publication of the poem, the idea put forth that the uneducated, "average man" would be hurt by it somehow, the stuffy pretentiousness of some of the characters really hit home with the disclaimer at the beginning that the whole thing was taken from transcripts.

The animation severed well I thought, to fill up those spaces and illuminate the words of the poem being spoken. I first heard the poem read the night Ginsberg died, and remembered it was long but my gawd it is an epic! I will post the words here in a separate post, they should be read. Infact there appears to be videos of Ginsberg reading it, I will use those too.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vvzyPMa82I[/youtube]