Just when you think you might have had enough of James Franco, along comes Francophrenia to either whet your appetite for more of the actor-director's avant-garde pursuits — or officially turn you off to them forever.
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The film: The Broken Tower (2011), available on DVD via Focus World
Why it's an Inessential Essential: Straight out of New York University's Tisch School for the Arts, actor-turned-aspiring filmmaker James Franco helmed, starred in and adapted The Broken Tower: The Life of Hart Crane, Paul Mariani's biography of the titular turn-of-the-century poet. Franco's moving film — his first feature as a director to be commercially released — depicts Crane (played by Franco, of course) as a frustrated artist striving for an avant-garde artistic ideal that he would never fully realize.
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James Franco, Selena Gomez, and Harmony Korine are down in Florida filming Spring Breakers, a movie about four coeds (including Disney tween queen Gomez) indebted to a rapping dealer named Alien (Franco) after they rob a bank to finance their spring break trip and he bails them out. All of this sounded innocent enough, at least as much as a Korine film can seem, until images of Franco emerged from the set. Some called his look Kevin Federline-esque; rapper Riff Raff stepped forth to actually claim, proudly, that Franco's cornrowed, blinged-out drug dealer persona was based on him. In any case, get a look at your 2011 Oscar nominee James Franco as... I don't even know what to call this. Movieliners, caption away!
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James Franco, Selena Gomez, and Harmony Korine are down in Florida filming Spring Breakers, a movie about four coeds (including Disney tween queen Gomez) indebted to a rapping dealer named Alien (Franco) after they rob a bank to finance their spring break trip and he bails them out. All of this sounded innocent enough, at least as much as a Korine film can seem, until images of Franco emerged from the set. Some called his look Kevin Federline-esque; rapper Riff Raff stepped forth to actually claim, proudly, that Franco's cornrowed, blinged-out drug dealer persona was based on him. In any case, get a look at your 2011 Oscar nominee James Franco as... I don't even know what to call this. Movieliners, caption away!
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Tribeca time already? Believe it: The 11th edition of the Manhattan-based film festival has announced the first half of its 2012 program, led in part by James Franco's General Hospital behind-the-scenes psychodrama (!), the loooonnnng-gestating lesbian-werewolf romance Jack and Diane (!!), a hipster-crisis apocalypse thriller (!!!) and a fairly awesome-sounding Val Kilmer/Harmony Korine collaboration (swoon... faint... thud) — all joined by nearly four dozen other dramatic and documentary selections in three categories. They will follow the April 18 opening-night world premiere of The Five-Year Engagement. Read on for the full Competition and Viewpoints selections, and keep an eye on Movieline for more about Tribeca 2012 as events warrant.
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Some folks out there may have enjoyed Billy Crystal's ninth outing as host of the Academy Awards last night, but his turn was as tepid as James Franco's 2011 "performance" was bizarre. Crystal's Oscars-themed song and dance routine? Dated. The weak banter and soft barbs at Hollywood's gathered illuminati? Snoozeville. Given that the previously and frequently great Crystal was upstaged by the night's random moments (Angelina Jolie's leg, J. Lo's boob, those Cirque du Soleil acrobats) and young, actually funny presenters (the Bridesmaids crew and Emma Stone) it's time to start anew and refresh what's already known as the fussiest night in the film calendar. In other words: Who would make the ultimate, charismatic, hilarious, non-sucky Oscar host?
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You know this movie, and chances are that you loved this movie -- except for that one role that almost ruined it all. Miscast Roles is where Movieline and its readers swap out those roles to make it right.
One of last year’s surprise critical and commercial darlings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, wowed audiences, stoked many an awards-season debate and revitalized an important science fiction franchise — all while still managing to appeal to moviegoers unfamiliar with the original 1968 film (or that film's 1963 source novel). As chief chimp Caesar, Andy Serkis’s performative collaboration with the motion capture geniuses from WETA was a great spectacle, presenting viewers with a gorgeously rendered CGI-animated character.
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Chances are at least a few of your casual conversations about Bridesmaids have revolved around the scene in which Melissa McCarthy is forced to use a bridal shop sink as a toilet. The true beauty of that scene was Kristen Wiig’s Annie, sweat-drenched, trying to stay composed while she was berated over choosing a restaurant that caused some serious gastrointestinal horrors for the ladies. Not to suggest that McCarthy doesn’t deserve the praise; she’s a terrific actress (Sookie forever!).
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When James Franco took to the blogosphere to pledge his awards season support for Rise of the Planet of the Apes co-star Andy Serkis and his performance-captured turn in the film, Serkis was the one person who probably appreciated the gesture most, precisely because it did what he couldn’t do himself: Provide an argument in favor the art of performance capture as a mode of legitimate acting, from an outsider’s perspective. Serkis rang Movieline to chat and expressed appreciation for Franco’s open letter.
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Happy Friday! As if heading into the weekend wasn't already wonderful enough, here comes a casting move that oughta keep you tickled for days: According to The Hollywood Reporter, James Franco is in talks to star in Brian Koppelman and David Levien's The Game, adapted from Neil Strauss's dating how-to bestseller, in the role of famed, instantly unforgettable pick-up master Mystery. Hollywood can pretty much drop the mic as Friday closes out, because no other casting move this week can possibly top this.
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I can kind of see a resemblance between Demi Moore and feminist activist/journalist Gloria Steinem, whom the former Mrs. Kutcher has been tapped to play in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's Lovelace. But at this point the porn biopic -- the one starring Amanda Seyfried as Deep Throat star Linda Lovelace, to feature a cameo by James Franco as Hugh Hefner -- feels like it's turning into a bizarrely distracting hit parade-sideshow of stars/names playing real life Lovelace acquaintances. (Further evidence, just announced over the wires: Eric Roberts as... lie detector test administrator Nat Laurendi! For reals.)
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Here's one way to deflect attention from NYU GradeGate: Variety reports that James Franco is in talks to play Playboy impresario Hugh Hefner in Lovelace, the porn biopic starring Amanda Seyfried as the titular XXX actress Linda Lovelace, of Deep Throat fame. Unfortunately -- or fortunately? -- Franco's role would be limited to a one-day cameo, which sounds like something along the lines of his blink-and-you'll-miss-it Green Hornet appearance. The film is currently shooting in Los Angeles. [Variety]
If there's one thing we still need to discuss, it's the 2011 Oscars and how co-host James Franco bungled them up. (If you believe that, I have bunch of leftover Sarah Palin jokes I'd like to fly for you.) Fellow Freaks and Geeks alum Seth Rogen responded to a question regarding Mr. Franco, and he finally weighed in on the Oscars' decision to hire young hosts. Specifically, he thinks the Academy screwed James Franco over.
It's been roughly 13 minutes since Eddie Murphy departed as Oscar host, and already we have a strong frontrunner to replace Brett Ratner's comeback kid: The Muppets. Supporters rallied on Twitter for their consideration, and now an official "The Muppets Should Host the 2012 Oscars" campaign has been launched on Facebook. We offered up the idea of a Muppet-emceed Oscars in our possible host roundup yesterday, but would the reality of Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo at the dais be as enchanting as we want?
James Franco loves his little stunts, and this one's an Evel Knievel-grade spectacle: On the new issue of L.A.'s Flaunt magazine, Franco graces two different covers -- one where he's staring innocently from a school desk (boring), and another where his naked ass crowds the lens, boasts a tramp stamp, and looks like it's about to speak. Need I say more? Click through for the cover.
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