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FIRST LOOK

More New Photos of James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in Howl

by Alex Billington
December 4, 2009
Source: FilmSchoolRejects

Back in June we featured the first photo from Howl, the film about the 1957 obscenity trial Allen Ginsberg faced after the publication of his poem of the same name. Thanks to FilmSchoolRejects though, we've got three more photos to add to that first one from June. Howl stars James Franco as the poet Allen Ginsberg alongside of Mary-Louise Parker as Gail Potter, Jeff Daniels as Professor David Kirk, and David Strathairn as Ralph McIntosh. Additionally, Aaron Tveit stars as Ginsberg's friend Peter Orlovsky, which is who you see with Franco above. We also just found out that this would be premiering at Sundance next January.

James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in Howl

Howl is written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and was executive producer by Gus Van Sant. Franco explained previously that he plays Ginsberg as "an unsure young man who's trying to find his way." The film surrounds the 1957 obscenity trial that resulted from the publication of Ginsberg's three-part poem, which teemed with drug use and sexuality (both hetero and homo). It will also include an "animated re-imagining" of the poem. However controversial, the work is considered one of the most influential pieces of the Beat Generation. I'm already looking forward to seeing this at Sundance, so stay tuned for my review!

Explore tags: First Look, Indies, Photos

Black Jesus

Text of the poem here: http://sprayberry.tripod.com/poems/howl.txt
Scott McHenry

never heard of this trial. seems kinda stupid to have one since this is a 'FREE' country.
Xerxex

Glad to see Franco moving up in his career, thanks be to Pineapple Express. And perhaps the James Dean TV movie?
Black Jesus

#3: don't forget Milk
twispious

its crazy how franco propels himself from shit like pineapple express (yes,i hated it) into character roles for milk and howl-he's apparently quite serious about this ac-tor thing
Xerxex

#4, thanks man.
samuel j

i always thought franco had more talent than he let on
beavis

#2 - i guess you never heard of "McCarthyism" either? you ought to read more history. i think this is a good topic for a movie.
captain subtext

great cast.
Corran Horn

Definitely looking forward to this. MILK showed that Franco can do drama, and from looking at photos of a young Allan Ginsburg, Franco seems to have nailed it appearance-wise. If I'm not mistaken, though, the photos at the very top and bottom were the same one that appeared here last summer.
captain subtext

You are probably not familiar with his great work in "Freaks & Geeks" if you waited til "Milk" to apreciate Franco's talent. Dude is great.
BK

Freaks and Geeks was great, but Franco's character wasn't exactly a stretch for him like Milk or, apparently, Howl. And how are they going to release photos without any of Mary-Louise Parker? Hottest 40 year old around.
Dr. Larry Myers

james franco has a charisma akin to allen ginsberg......soul mates of the astral plane don t really need such drastic stretches..franco is a real arist---not just a thespian ginsberg had multiple subpersonaliies forces and energies ofthe ginsberg variety never die they re appear incarnate elsewhere the fools who say franco is a good looking movie star are just misguided franco is a guy who chooses vehicles corresponding to different facets of his essence I direct The Jack Kerouac Literary Group in Manhattan as Jack's brother in law & executor reminded me 'there d be no ginsberg without kerouac"without ginsberg eventual salesmanship promoter tactics the beats might be lost