Viewed from a certain angle, James Franco is like the arthouse Adam Sandler. When it’s time to make a movie, he calls up a bunch of his friends, and off they go. Thankfully, the results are always interesting, even if they don’t always work. And while Franco will be unveiling his John Steinbeck adaptation “In Dubious Battle” on the festival circuit this fall, he’s got another picture coming right in behind it: “Zeroville.”
Directed by and starring Franco, based on Steve Erickson‘s book, and featuring Seth Rogen, Jacki Weaver, Megan Fox, Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Dave Franco, Craig Robinson, Joey King and Horatio Sanz, the story follows a film-obsessed architecture student who slides into the weird, wild world of late ’60s Los Angeles. Here’s the synopsis:
Join VIKAR (James Franco), a wide-eyed innocent in love with the movies, on one wicked trip to the heart of a pulsating, kaleidoscopic Hollywood. Naïve newcomer to the City of Angels, carrying nothing but his “outsider” past and a huge tattoo of Montgomery Clift & Elizabeth Taylor inked on his shaved skull; driven by the allure of cinema to the glittering temptations of Zeroville; a town where anything goes.
Encounter the parasites, the punks, the wannabes, the power-brokers and the crazies: meet VIKING MAN (Seth Rogen) – gatekeeper to all the right parties, a cigar-chomping surf hippie; Vikar’s eccentric Hollywood guide.
You’ll encounter: foul-mouthed industry veteran DOTTY (Jacki Weaver); the sinister FINANCIER (Danny McBride); sexy femme fatale SOLEDAD (Megan Fox) – a haunted “dame”, the electric charge to trigger Vikar’s breath-taking dive into the captivating world where movies are made.
Profoundly magical, funny, unsettling, and gorgeous – a love letter to Los Angeles and provocative satire of America’s fascination with itself, its cult of celebrity; a vision of the death of Old Hollywood.
I’m going to take a wild guess that we’ll see “Zeroville” at Sundance. Check out the trailer/sizzle reel and let us know what you think. [We Got This Covered]