Howl

Director: Robert Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman Robert Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman,

Overview

James Franco stars as Allen Ginsberg in Robert Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's biopic that blends traditional narrative storytelling with documentary-style footage and vivid animation to paint a compelling portrait of the famed Beat poet. For many historians, the counterculture was conceived the moment Ginsberg's landmark poem "Howl" was put on trial. On October 7, 1955, the charismatic young poet stunned audiences at San Francisco's Six Gallery with the first-ever public reading of "Howl." Two years later, Ginsberg was standing before fierce prosecutor Ralph McIntosh (David Strathairn) and ultra-conservative judge Clayton Horn (Bob Balaban) to defend his most famous work against accusations of obscenity. In addition to offering a detailed reenactment of that historical trial, Howl also recounts the early life events that molded Ginsberg into one of the most vital and outspoken voices of his generation, and features an animated visualization of the poem created by former Ginsberg collaborator Eric Drooker, and a score by Carter Burwell. Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker, and Alessandro Nivola co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/04/2011
UPC:	0896602002951
Original Release:	2010
Rating:	R
Source:	Oscilloscope
Region Code:	0
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound]
Time:	1:24:00
Sales rank:	33,629

Special Features

James Franco in conversation with directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman - an all new feature length audio commentary; Holy! Holy! Holy! The Making of Howl - featuring directors Epstein and Friedman and stars James Franco, Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Treat Williams, Bob Balaban, poet Anne Waldman, and others; Directors' research tapes - original interviews with Ginsberg's friends and collaborator Eric Drooker, Peter Orlovsky, Tuli Kupferberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Steven Taylor; Allen Ginsberg reads Howl - never before seen footage from a performance in 1995 at the Knitting Factory in New York; Allen Ginsberg reads Sunflower Sutra and Pull My Daisy - never before seen footage from a performance in 1995 at the Knitting Factory in New York; Q&a with directors Epstein and Friedman moderated by John Cameron Mitchell at the Provincetown Film Festival

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Franco	Allen Ginsberg
David Strathairn	Ralph McIntosh
Jon Hamm	Jake Ehrlich
Bob Balaban	Judge Clayton Horn
Jeff Daniels	Professor David Kirk
Mary-Louise Parker	Gail Potter
Treat Williams	Mark Schorer
Alessandro Nivola	Luther Nichols
Todd Rotondi	Jack Kerouac
Jon Prescott	Neal Cassady
Aaron Tveit	Peter Orlovsky

Technical Credits

Robert Epstein

Jeffrey Friedman

Robert Epstein	Director,Cinematographer,Producer,Screenwriter
Jeffrey Friedman	Director,Cinematographer,Producer,Screenwriter
Ken Bailey	Associate Producer
Russell Barnes	Art Director
Brian Benson	Co-producer
Carter Burwell	Score Composer
James Q. Chan	Associate Producer
Therese DePrez	Production Designer
Eric Drooker	Animator
Kelly Gilpatrick	Associate Producer
Peter Hale	Associate Producer
Kurt & Bart	Costumes/Costume Designer
Edward Lachman	Cinematographer
Jawal Nga	Executive Producer
Andrew Peterson	Co-producer
Jake Pushinsky	Editor
Elizabeth Redleaf	Producer
Bob Rosenthal	Associate Producer
Mark Steele	Co-producer
Bernie Telsey	Casting
Gus Van Sant	Executive Producer
Christine Kunewa Walker	Producer
Hal Willner	Musical Direction/Supervision

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Howl
1. 1955 San Francisco [4:00]
2. Howl [6:49]
3. Jack Kerouac [5:45]
4. Your Muse [6:35]
5. Institutions [5:01]
6. Neak Cassady [4:48]
7. "A Howl of Pain" [6:21]
8. Prophecy [5:43]
9. Meeting Peter [3:09]
10. Moloch [4:42]
11. "Dadaist Persuasion" [8:27]
12. Closing Arguments [3:19]
13. Obscene? [3:57]
14. "Holy, Holy, Holy" [5:22]
15. Epilogue [2:58]
16. End Credits [2:08]
1. Howl and Allen Ginsberg [:47]
2. Origins of the Movie [4:55]
3. On Location of Howl [3:45]
4. Cinematography [10:41]
5. The Obscenity Trial [1:59]
6. The Directors [4:50]
7. Behind the Animation [4:20]
8. Epilogue [6:41]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Howl
   Play Film
   Chapters
   Set Up
      Audio Options
         Stereo
         5.1
         Audio Commentary
      Subtitles
         English: On/Off
         French: On/Off
   Extra Features
      Audio Commentary With James Franco in Conversation With Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
      Holy! Holy! Holy! The Making of Howl
         Play
         Chapters
      Directors' Research Tapes - Interviews With Close Friends and Collaborators
         Play All
         Eric Drooker - Play
         Peter Orlovsky - Play
         Tuli Kupferberg - Play
         Howl On Trial - Play
         Steven Taylor - Play
      Allen Ginsberg Reads Howl At the Knitting Factory
         Play All
         Part I
         Part II
         Part III
         Footnote to Howl
      James Franco Reads Howl (Audio Only)
         Play All
         Part I
         Part II
         Part III
         Footnote to Howl
   Oscilloscope Releases
      Howl
      Tell Them Anything You Want
      William S. Borrough: A Man Within