4 Clips from "Howl" (2009)

[phoney98]

what are angel headed hipsters?

[UncleFizzmo]

@DIEaHEROdotNET He's "wiggling his head like a fool" because he's mimicking Ginsberg's mannerisms when he would read his poems. Franco says Ginsberg is his idol. He teaches poetry classes that focus on his works. I can assure you he had Ginsberg in mind, not an Oscar.

[datruthseeka]

this movie watcherus thing is gettin annoying and ive only seen 2 so far but it sounds like scammers

[stargate121]

I'd never thought I'd say this, but Allen Ginsburg was no James Franco.

[cdphatty]

idk i dont like the idea of cross playing ginsberg. cross is pure cynicism, while ginsberg gave everything he had into loving life.

[sukuheart]

i have those glasses xD

[danger0usknowledge]

The eternal war...the USA climbing out of WW II and Korea. The right wing controlled the political and social narrative. All the religious moral hypocrites held this country under their boot laying low since the Scopes Trial. It became so bad that ppl like Ginsberg had to react to the Bircher (KKK with bow-ties)insanity. You had creatures like Marcial Maciel Lawrence King, Oral Roberts & Jerry Falwell lurking in the background, waiting.

[YOUROCK80S]

More than any other film I've seen which elects to tell stories about gay men, "Howl" very clearly articulates the isolation and stigmatization felt by a group of human beings who, even today, are told that they are something just short of being real, equal men. True, things have gotten better: in the time the poem .

[nanarosemay]

'i am with u in rockland, where u killed your 12 secretaries' <3 god i love howl! Thank u Carl Solomon, for inspiring this poem, and allen ginsberg for writting it down (schmo).

[mgnssss]

david cross played ginsberg in "im not there" -- and rather well i might add, even tho, like here, some people also hated it

just fyi for those who wonder why he's mentioned

[danielrdrown]

Aside from the animation, I loved this movie.James Franco gives a very human and giving performance. Thanks Ann Arbor and the Michigan Theatre for giving me this great movie experience.

[danielrdrown]

I'm driving with a friend for over an hour to Ann Arbor to see this film tomarrow. Can't wait to see this movie.

[madmax2o2]

In this movie, James Franco demonstrated that he is one of the most brilliant actors of all time. An unforgetable performance.

[da1976stone]

i got to see this movie it has two of my favorite actors.

james franco and david strathairn

[SpringtimeRosePetals]

also, Perry Smith would have been a great kerouac

[Airgirl]

I am so freaking stoked for two hours of Aaron Tveit in glasses. <3

[GGXOXOEleni]

I LOOOOOVE JAMES FRANCO <3

[higtea]

james franco is the only person who could make me care about beatniks lol

[walrus88011]

@higtea and therefore, reminding all of us of the insubstantial, consumerist trend-followers that the beatniks themselves loathed....good job.

[higtea]

@walrus88011 "consumerist trend-follower"? maybe you should take your pretentious, supercilious attitude over to the imdb forums haha.

[misfitsfiend69]

@walrus88011 beatnik? Kerouac loathed that term

[avalanchealonso]

Davis Cross or Paul Giamatti would have made a perfect Allen Ginsberg, not James Franco since he looks nowhere near him or even convinces people that he's cut out to be Ginsberg.

James Franco should just stick to playing James Dean again.

[schizoidali]

@avalanchealonso If the film were about Ginsberg in his later years, then yeah, Cross or Giamatti would've done well. But this is about his early career and I think Franco has Ginsberg nailed. He's got a glimmer of Ginsberg's eventual rambunctious quirks within a more reserved personality: a head-on imitation of Ginsberg.

[xtrmsprts]

I think this is going to be an amazing movie. He's almost managed ginsberg's excited tremorous accent and mannerisms. However, this isn't a movie for everyone though, just like ginsberg himself. But to those you can appreciate his cosmic musings... i expect this movie deserves investigation

[TheMadShrew]

Don't spill your fair trade coffee over your chinstrap beard just yet, you oversensitive guinea hipster. I didn't say it would be bad, but face it, this movie only got greenlit to milk the disposable income from every dreg who ever say a Ginsberg quote on a Starbucks cup, on a book in Urban Outfitters. Granted it's not as bad as the "On the Road" movie starring Kristen Stewart, but still.

[Blaugrana92]

James Franco is kewl!

[printscreen000]

Don Draper as lawyer.

[Manhattanite1]

I dont know why anonymous postings attracts so many pompous, know-nothing arm chair critics, but I saw HOWL last night at NEWFEST, and the trailer clips did not prepare me for Franco's powerful, meaty performance which anchors the film and sends it to heights a film about Ginsberg merits--which is pretty damn high. He'll definitely be up for best actor and I hope the film gets nominated too. Its takes a really difficult topic like radical poetry and makes it accessible even to Americans: Bravo

[GloriaC333]

would have preferred daniel day lewis or some on of that caliber

[SpringtimeRosePetals]

@GloriaC333 That would have been interestingly awesome, although Daniel Day-Lewis would've been a great casting for Kerouac, perhaps.

[mynameisgolden]

@SpringtimeRosePetals I agree with you, but I see Daniel Day-Lewis as more of a Neal Cassady.

[schizoidali]

@SpringtimeRosePetals I think Day-Lewis would've been a great Burroughs!

[RascalXmas]

everyone's a critic. you all should shut the fuck up

[tuckyWHMB]

Goldblum or David Cross would have been better. Franco seems like an OK dude, but he does not match this role at all.

[creech444]

I'm really looking forward to this movie, though it's either going to be fabulous or a big mess. It looks like a great cast (check out the court scenes) you gotta love James Franco for taking on this role. As much as I love the beats, I've never found Ginsberg to be that likeable a character, so should be interesting.

[Jakes1185]

I really think Jeff Goldblum is the only actor who could play Allen Ginsberg. This movie seems pretty trite. Too bad.

[OhHeyItsJessicaLynn]

I am SO excited for this movie.

[radicalricky]

one word: DAVID CROSS

[mainestategopcensor]

No kidding. Not only does he possess the physical attributes over Franco, he also possesses the cynical attitude that could match Ginsberg.

[SpringtimeRosePetals]

@radicalricky EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING, MAN

[welwise]

@radicalricky two words

[minoriteee]

@radicalricky TOBIAS, YOU BLOWHARD!

[percymate]

@radicalricky What about David Cross?

[Jarona]

@radicalricky that's two words

[schangoDoobie]

I was so excited about this film. I have did my MA thesis on the beat generation and I love Ginsberg. Franco is a great actor, but obviously did not research enough. The voice is all wrong, it sound more like Kerouac. He needs more cynicism in his tone.

If an actor pans on portraying a beat poet, they must get the voice and tone down. Beat poetry is meant to be heard and voice is everything.

[syeve6712]

@schangoDoobie

exactly, he keeps the rhythm wrong, like Ginsberg would fix his breathing and read the line, pausing only to inhale basically, and the lines fit perfectly. Franco sounds so cliche like he's just any poet.

[mccuesharon]

Oh I thought this was going to be good. I'm so disappointed, the actor is too cleaned cut, too cleaned spoken. I always looked at this as a poem starting out about heroin, and the chase.

[schangoDoobie]

@mccuesharon

Ginsberg was clean cut in the 50's not until the 60's did start growing his hair and beard.

I agree with the voice, the tone is not right.

[PallaAurinkoon]

Besides, Jeff Goldblum looks more like young ginsberg.

[bestoddisee]

Interesting...but contrived

[johnozed]

I think it looks great, if not very interesting.

[mingk1d]

try harder buddy

[backto1960]

Does not look good; I like Franco but he lacks the expertise to carry a movie like this. The first clip looks like a joke, I mean can you take it seriously? he didn't even bother to change his voice. I love you franco but no! just no! enroll in some more acting classes if you want to dabble in this type of acting.

[tomelifeisjustonebig]

@backto1960 I'm with you on this. The role needs more than someone in thick black glasses.

[indopop]

@backto1960

the mannerisms looked a little weird in the first clip but dude he sounds a lot like ginsberg, either way i look forward to this

[ingirl13]

hmm.. have you watched or seen the video where Ginsberg is reading this poem? (related videos).. Franco sounds a lot like him! i think he did a pretty good job.. and the reviews for Franco´s performance are great I bealive he delivers a brilliant and touching performance and he is prepared for this kind of roles.. not only midly humurous sketches on SNL