Howl [2 Discs] [Blu-ray/DVD]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

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. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: All
• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio
• Subtitle: Eng/Fre
• 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

AWARDS

• Berlin International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2010

• London Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2011

• National Board of Review

•     Won Freedom of Expression Award - 2010

• San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2010

• Seattle International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2010

• Sundance Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2010

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       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

• Director:

  Jeffrey Friedman, Robert Epstein

• Producer:

  Christine Kunewa Walker, Elizabeth Redleaf, Jeffrey Friedman, Robert Epstein

• Screenwriter:

  Jeffrey Friedman, Robert Epstein

• Cinematographer:

  Edward Lachman

• Composer (Music Score):

  Carter Burwell

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Hal Willner

• Editor:

  Jake Pushinsky

• Production Designer:

  Therese DePrez

• Co-producer:

  Andrew Peterson, Brian Benson, Mark Steele

• Associate Producer:

  Bob Rosenthal, James Q. Chan, Kelly Gilpatrick, Ken Bailey, Peter Hale

• Executive Producer:

  Gus Van Sant, Jawal Nga

• Costume Designer:

  Kurt & Bart

• Animator:

  Eric Drooker

• Casting:

  Bernie Telsey

• Animation Producer:

  John Hays

• Line Producer:

  Lynn Appelle