James Franco Plays Allen Ginsberg In "Howl" (VIDEO)

James Franco, author and occasional movie star, plays legendary beat poet Allen Ginsberg in the new film, Howl.

Shot in stark black-and-white, the film focuses on Ginsberg's earlier career, specifically his obscenity trial following the release of the controversial titular poetry collection in 1956.

"Howl" is scheduled for release on September 24th.

Is Franco a good choice to play Ginsberg? Does the film seem to capture the poet's spirit?

WATCH:

Comments

[direct democracy]

10:01 PM on 08/23/2010

I will probably have to drive through three or four states to find a small theater that will show it.

[Nancy Doyle Palmer]

05:04 PM on 08/23/2010

I saw this at Sundance - wonderful film and all the right due diligence to try to get it right.

[Lev Raphael]

05:33 AM on 08/22/2010

Note on the trailer--is it me or does he seem to be mostly hugging and kissing women? Why the censorship?

[SouthSideHooligan]

04:49 AM on 08/22/2010

Could be hit or miss. No feelings either way from the trailer but I'll definitely see it.

[mmm pecan pie]

02:35 AM on 08/22/2010

" A poet always stands naked before the crowd!" -- Allen Ginsburg

Cannot wait to see this!

[naschkatze]

02:34 PM on 08/21/2010

I'm looking forward to it, but I wonder why it's not in with that other group of 5 films "about art" on the art page.

[Bruce Forbes]

02:06 PM on 08/20/2010

I can't wait for this. "Howl" is one of my favorite poems, and Ginsberg one of my favorite poets. People who today call themselves "Beat Poets" are a joke...the genre is tied to the times. It's just like kids running around today calling themselves "Hippies".

[ShanniC]

01:43 PM on 08/20/2010

Moloch! Moloch!

[naschkatze]

02:35 PM on 08/21/2010

I love the line about his dead friend Carl Solomon (I think) being lost in "the total animal soup of time".

[PostModernGuy]

12:54 PM on 08/20/2010

Cool.
I wonder who's going to play Ferlinghetti. Wasn't he, as the publisher of Howl, the one really on trial?

[naschkatze]

02:32 PM on 08/21/2010

Yes.

[kapalabhati]

09:39 AM on 08/20/2010

AY FREAKING MEN!
I love this, and I can't wait to see it.
History is repeating itself; those who forget it are doomed to relive it.

[cldanielsjr]

08:26 AM on 08/20/2010

It looks like this country is headed back to a 50's mentality - maybe that means a new Beat generation is also coming. Franco looks like a good choice. It is hard to tell from the small preview but it looks good. I hope that most; if not all of the poem gets presented in the movie. Or maybe it would end with a reading of HOWL by Ginsberg? [ Or maybe the movie should start that way?]

[kapalabhati]

09:41 AM on 08/20/2010

You are absolutely correct. The "counter-revolutionaries" are the Teapartiers who are trying to drag us back to a time of the "real America," that is white, divided, and bible thumping.

Bring on the Beats 2.0!

[Retrofuturistic]

11:06 PM on 08/20/2010

I don't know if we have enough smart people left to have another Beat generation....

[Max Hardcore 2]

05:03 AM on 08/20/2010

is that pronounced like myopic or bio-pick? I'll vote myopic.

[suzy86]

09:01 PM on 08/19/2010

Looks interesting.. Jon Hamm and James Franco is the same film? Fantastic!!!

In my opinion:

I think James Franco is understated as an actor. I think he's amazing and he continues to challenge himself by trying different genres.

[bwright85]

11:18 AM on 08/20/2010

"I think James Franco is understated as an actor. I think he's amazing and he continues to challenge himself by trying different genres. "

Agreed!...not too bad on the eyes either :)