Sundance is coming up which means that shortly we’re going to be hearing about all the awesome films we should see but technically can’t because they’re impossible to find. But! Collider.com was able to hook it up with a preview of four clips from the much-buzzed-about Howl starring my ex-boyfriend James Franco. A description sent to Collider by the filmmakers:
In 1956, one of the most controversial works of American art galvanized a generation. Now, the story behind Allen Ginsberg’s HOWL come to life in a genre-defying feature film that is at once a legal drama, a character study and an animated trip into the magic and madness of the modern world.
James Franco stars as the young Allen Ginsberg – poet, counter-culture adventurer and chronicler of the Beat Generation – who recounts in his famously confessional, leave-nothing-out style the road trips, love affairs and search for personal liberation that led to the most timeless and electrifying work of his career, the poem “Howl.”
There’a more information about the film here, but let’s focus on what we’re seeing in the clip. I’m thinking that, based on what we’re seeing in the YouTube video, this could be a fantastic film or a complete disaster. I am intrigued by every part of it, but not sold on any of it, particularly Franco’s performance. However, he looks sexy as hell with that beard and I don’t even like beards, so maybe he could change my perspective on all sorts of things.
Are you looking forward to seeing Howl? Heard any good buzz about other Sundance flicks?
Has anyone here actually tried to read Ginsberg? Like it was written by a drunk. Oh wait, it was.
I did my best to get this started for you. Swing and a miss here Molls.
i’m teaching “howl” in my lit class next week! now i’m going to show my class this preview to get them interested in and less afraid of and turned off by all the shocking stuff AG talks about in the poem. i might watch it… on netflix.
“Howl” is great–whatchu talkin’ about? I bet this is why Franco was sleepi–attending classes at Columbia: for authenticity.