OnVideo Guide to Home Video Releases: Howl DVD

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New Release: Howl

Due January 4

photo James Franco stars as Allen Ginsberg in the story of how the young poet's seminal work broke down societal barriers in the face of an infamous public obscenity trial. In his famously confessional style, Ginsberg -- poet, counter-culture icon, and chronicler of the Beat Generation -- recounts the road trips, love affairs and search for personal liberation that led to "Howl," the most timeless work of his career. The film interweaves three stories: the unfolding of the landmark 1957 obscenity trial; an imaginative animated ride through the prophetic masterpiece; and a unique portrait of a man who found new ways to express himself and, in doing so, changed his own life and galvanized a generation. Vitals: Director: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Stars: James Franco, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams, Bob Balaban. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 84 min., BioDrama, Box office gross: $.540 million, Oscilloscope Laboratories. 3 stars

Bonus features: Commentary by directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and James Franco; "Holy! Holy! Holy! The Making of Howl"; "Director's Research Tapes" original interviews with some of Ginsberg's friends and acquaintances including Eric Drooker, Peter Orlovsky, Tuli Kupferberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Steven Taylor; Allen Ginsberg reads "Howl" at the Knitting Factory in New York in 1995; James Franco Reads "Howl." Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds Allen Ginsberg reads "Sunflower Sutra" and "Pull My Daisy" at the Knitting Factory in New York in 1995; Q&A with directors Rob Epstein and Jeffery Friedman conducted by John Cameron Mitchell.



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