Meta-celebrity James Franco stars as beat poet Allen Ginsberg in a new pseudo-documentary about his famed poem Howl, officially hitting big screens in the Bay Area and select theaters nationwide September 24.
Jon Hamm in ‘Howl’ 
Written and directed by Rob Epstein (The Times of Harvey Milk) and Jeffrey Friedman (The Celluloid Closet) Howl is an utter paean to the canonical piece of beat literature, which was put on trial for obscenity in 1957. The 2010 film reminds audiences that the celebrated American poet was — point in fact — a gay tea-smoker who just wanted to be left alone to live his life. And as Prop 8 wends its way to the Supreme Court and Californians consider legalizing marijuana via Prop 19, the period piece shows how far we have and have not come.
Howl Trailer
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