Howl at the IFI

Howl, the movie about Allen Ginsberg‘s iconic poem and the subsequent obscenity trial surrounding it, is on release at the Irish Film Institute at the moment. It got fantastic reviews on The View (RTE1) last week, so it’s well worth a visit for poetry lovers everywhere.

IFI Howl details

The Broken Tower, a Franco film about Hart Crane

James Franco, due to co-host the Academy Awards this Sunday, has been working on a feature film about the poet Hart Crane called The Broken Tower. Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation.org) got an interview with Franco about his interest in poetry and his studies in the subject. In the interview, Franco expresses his admiration for our own James Joyce, but reveals he doesnt think Joyce’s life is dramatic enough to warrant a film. Maybe he’ll change his mind someday…Read the interview here

Carmen de Boheme
Sinuously winding through the room
On smokey tongues of sweetened cigarettes, --
Plaintive yet proud the cello tones resume
The andante of smooth hopes and lost regrets. 

Bright peacocks drink from flame-pots by the wall,
Just as absinthe-sipping women shiver through
With shimmering blue from the bowl in Circe's hall.
Their brown eyes blacken, and the blue drop hue. 

The andante quivers with crescendo's start,
And dies on fire's birth in each man's heart.
The tapestry betrays a finger through
The slit, soft-pulling; -- -- -- and music follows cue. 

There is a sweep, -- a shattering, -- a choir
Disquieting of barbarous fantasy.
The pulse is in the ears, the heart is higher,
And stretches up through mortal eyes to see. 

Carmen! Akimbo arms and smouldering eyes; --
Carmen! Bestirring hope and lipping eyes; --
Carmen whirls, and music swirls and dips.
"Carmen!," comes awed from wine-hot lips. 

Finale leaves in silence to replume
Bent wings, and Carmen with her flaunts through the gloom
Of whispering tapestry, brown with old fringe: --
The winers leave too, and the small lamps twinge. 

Morning: and through the foggy city gate
A gypsy wagon wiggles, striving straight.
And some dream still of Carmen's mystic face, --
Yellow, pallid, like ancient lace.
Hart Crane

Check out the Video Wall for a vid of James Franco at Boston College talking about The Broken Tower

I also kept my eyes open for 127 Hours

127 Hours-starring James Franco, directed by Danny Boyle, at cinemas in Ireland now.

Im claiming a t-shirt off Grandma Franco, (the I Kept My Eyes Open For 127 Hours one) because I have to report I too sat through 127 Hours and not once hid behind my wooly winter scarf, closed my eyes or put my hands over my eyes. To my surprise, I might add.

I have to admit I was far from certain at the beginning if I would survive it, as I got a bit claustrophobic at the opening scenes, but from then on I was fine. The amputation scene (everyone knows the story) where Franco/Ralston cuts off his arm is kind of slipped into the story and it helps that by the time they get to it you feel so bad for the guy that watching him break and cut off the arm is a welcome relief (for him & the tension-filled cinema audience)

James Franco is tremendous, open-hearted & dedicated- the music is great (Bill Withers, Plastic Bertrand, an Edith Piaf song) & it’s a life-affirming piece of film-making, well worth the wait for European cinema-goers and a good start to the New Year!

Grandma Franco (with James Franco) in an Xmas message on Funny Or Die,  tells viewers who are afraid to see 127 Hours they are pussies.

James Franco-Is Very Happy To Host The Oscars.

The negative reaction in the American press to the news that hot actor James Franco and hot actress Anne Hathaway will be hosting the Oscars in 2011 makes me wonder? Why the negativity? Complaints centre around the pair’s  lack of comedic talents and that the show wont pull in the viewers.

I cant speak about Hathaway, but Franco is well-known for his comedic chops. (funnyordie skits and Pineapple Express) Also, somehow overlooked are the probable nominations of both Hathaway and Franco for Academy Awards for their latest roles (Love and other Drugs and 127 Hours respectively) which is sure to create a huge buzz.

Ali Naderzad of cinema blog Screen Comment spoke to James Franco about the Oscars. He writes:

“Bah humbug to all the negativity I say… Team Franco-Hathaway’s jokes will be talked about all year and ABC will get its highest ratings ever. When I asked Franco how he would prepare for the telecast, he simply responded “just relax.” As I mentioned the indignant press articles and asked if this was making him nervous he added, “I don’t feel any pressure. I am just happy to be a part of the show.”

When I asked him about his decision to host the Oscars he commented, “I hesitated for a second, but then I realized that of course I should do it. Who knows how long people are still going to care about the Oscars? I thought it would be nice to take part while people still love movies.”

127 Hours opens in Ireland on January 5th. Thanks to Ali for permission to repost the interview.

James Franco Mania-I’m Not Gay and I Don’t Smoke Pot

Man, that James Franco! He has three major movies coming out soon and is deep into film-making, writing, making art, studying and recently appeared on American soap General Hospital as an artist cum serial killer called Franco.

His beautiful face, extreme magnetism and gentle, intelligent manner, are set off by the best smile that most people have ever seen. The fact that he is hilariously funny (check out his funnyordie.com videos) only adds to his overall appeal, and is one of his real strengths, something which elevates him above the rest.

Is James Franco ready for the ride? Seeing as he’s well overdue leading man status, probably yes.

Franco Facts (Beginners’ Guide)

James Franco can be seen in Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts, Howl as Allen Ginsberg, and in 127 Hours as Aron Ralston, the rock climber who hacked off his own arm when he got trapped in a ravine.

James Franco is the face of Gucci by Gucci For Men. The first classic ad had the soundtrack of Rosin Murphy with her version of  Roxy Music’s Slave To Love.

Franco’s best roles have been as Daniel Desario in Freaks and Geeks, James Dean in the TV drama James Dean (2001), as Robert De Niro‘s son Joey in The City by The Sea (2002), as The Green Goblin in the Spider Man series. He’s played a stoner/dealer Saul Silver in Pineapple Express (2008) and Harvey Milk‘s lover in Gus Vant Sant’s movie Milk starring Sean Penn. He’s also better than he thinks in Tristan and Isolde (2006).

James Franco was born in 1978 in Palo Alto, California and is of Portugese, Swedish and Russian Jewish origins. His artistic family include his younger brothers Tom and Dave Franco, the actor.

Aside from studying  4 Masters degrees in creative writing, film-making and what-ever you’re having yourself at a range of colleges in New York like Columbia and NYU, he  also got his B.A. in literature at UCLA & the word is that he will be going to Yale for a PhD in creative writing. He is known to be a fan of James Joyce and Finnegan’s Wake is cited as being one of his favourite books.

Franco has a first book of short stories called Palo Alto (Simon and Schuster) out October 19th and exhibited The Dangerous Book Four Boys at the Clocktower gallery in New York. He dates Ahna O’Reilly (Irish?) who also comes from Palo Alto.

Unfortunately after all James’ massive effort to be an artist, actor, and student extraordinaire, he may actually be more famous now as a self pleasurer! dublinzine is a real fan of James Franco, however, and applauds his efforts to follow his dreams.

On the cover of The Advocate: “I’m Not Gay and I don’t Smoke Pot”
Interview with Franco from nytimes.com