When James Franco first came up with the idea to make a movie about the life of American poet Hart Crane, he had no idea he would wind up writing, directing, producing and starring in it, as he eventually did in "The Broken Tower," which is getting a theatrical release Friday. He thought he'd just want to act. He was fascinated by Crane's legendarily difficult, brilliant poetry, as well as his personal demons, which led him to alcohol and eventually suicide at age 32.
"At that point, I was only an actor; I'd never directed a movie before," Franco told The Huffington Post. "So I thought, 'I sorta look like him and he has such an interesting, dramatic story.' So I'd go around and say, 'I want to play Hart Crane,' hoping that someone would be willing to work with me and do a Crane project. But nobody was interested.
"At that point, I was only an actor; I'd never directed a movie before," Franco told The Huffington Post. "So I thought, 'I sorta look like him and he has such an interesting, dramatic story.' So I'd go around and say, 'I want to play Hart Crane,' hoping that someone would be willing to work with me and do a Crane project. But nobody was interested.
- 4/27/2012
- by Joe Satran
- Huffington Post
The Broken Tower Review
The Broken Tower was one of my most anticipated films of 2012 for a few reasons. Firstly, I am a big fan of producer, writer, director and star James Franco. On top of that, I am big fan of the subject of this film, the poet Hart Crane. Having loved Crane's work, I had also read Paul Mariani's biography of Crane, The Broken Tower, which this film is based off. So to say my expectation were high for this film is a severe understatement.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
The Broken Tower was one of my most anticipated films of 2012 for a few reasons. Firstly, I am a big fan of producer, writer, director and star James Franco. On top of that, I am big fan of the subject of this film, the poet Hart Crane. Having loved Crane's work, I had also read Paul Mariani's biography of Crane, The Broken Tower, which this film is based off. So to say my expectation were high for this film is a severe understatement.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
- 2/29/2012
- by Blake Dew
- We Got This Covered
Updated through 6/27.
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival, running through June 26, opens tonight with the latest from Richard Linklater, and Steven Zeitchik talks with him for the Los Angeles Times: "'It was my most difficult one to get made,' he said flatly. 'It took 12 years to happen, and even then it was tough. People can say shooting in 22 days makes a movie better. It doesn't.' … Bernie is a shaggy, idiosyncratic work, possibly the strangest yet in a career full of strangeness. Set in the small town of Carthage, Texas, it tells of an effeminate, musical-loving mortician named Bernie Tiede [Jack Black] who befriends and then commits a horrible crime against a repressed wealthy matriarch [Shirley MacLaine], leaving him to face the wrath of a local prosecutor [Matthew McConaughey]. The movie is a dramatization of an actual case — the script was based on a 1998 Texas Monthly article about Tiede, and Linklater, who attended Tiede's trial,...
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival, running through June 26, opens tonight with the latest from Richard Linklater, and Steven Zeitchik talks with him for the Los Angeles Times: "'It was my most difficult one to get made,' he said flatly. 'It took 12 years to happen, and even then it was tough. People can say shooting in 22 days makes a movie better. It doesn't.' … Bernie is a shaggy, idiosyncratic work, possibly the strangest yet in a career full of strangeness. Set in the small town of Carthage, Texas, it tells of an effeminate, musical-loving mortician named Bernie Tiede [Jack Black] who befriends and then commits a horrible crime against a repressed wealthy matriarch [Shirley MacLaine], leaving him to face the wrath of a local prosecutor [Matthew McConaughey]. The movie is a dramatization of an actual case — the script was based on a 1998 Texas Monthly article about Tiede, and Linklater, who attended Tiede's trial,...
- 6/27/2011
- MUBI
The 127 Hours actor, currently studying for PhD in English from Yale, reportedly plans to direct adaptation of Steve Erickson's comic novel himself
It looks like James Franco has been reading again, because he has bought the film rights to Zeroville, Steve Erickson's darkly comic novel about Hollywood.
The famously literate actor, who is studying for a PhD in English from Yale University and, according to Pineapple Express producer Judd Apatow, could often be found leafing through heavyweight classics such as The Iliad on set, has plans to direct the film of the book himself, Variety reports.
Erickson's 2007 novel tells the story of a film fanatic's adventures in the movie industry from the late 60s onwards and contains characters called Robert De Niro, Brian De Palma and Margot Kidder.
Although Franco is currently best known for his acting work in films such as 127 Hours and Milk, he appears determined to branch out.
It looks like James Franco has been reading again, because he has bought the film rights to Zeroville, Steve Erickson's darkly comic novel about Hollywood.
The famously literate actor, who is studying for a PhD in English from Yale University and, according to Pineapple Express producer Judd Apatow, could often be found leafing through heavyweight classics such as The Iliad on set, has plans to direct the film of the book himself, Variety reports.
Erickson's 2007 novel tells the story of a film fanatic's adventures in the movie industry from the late 60s onwards and contains characters called Robert De Niro, Brian De Palma and Margot Kidder.
Although Franco is currently best known for his acting work in films such as 127 Hours and Milk, he appears determined to branch out.
- 4/1/2011
- by Ian J Griffiths
- The Guardian - Film News
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