Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s drama centered on the obscenity trial Allen Ginsberg faced after the publication of his controversial poem, “Howl” (also the name of the movie), didn’t exactly receive good notices at Sundance 2010 earlier this year and maybe this is why: the trailer (via the AVClub) is an absolute dyslectic and annoying mess.
During his mixed, but positive review of the film, the AV Club’s Nathan Rabin wrote, “It’s…doggedly schizophrenic. It puts on a suit and tie for the courtroom sequences, then lets its freak flag fly during loopy animated sequences that illustrate Ginsberg’s poems in a manner at once literal and abstract.”
And that sums up this trailer rather well. Starring James Franco as Ginsberg, Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Mary Louise Parker and Jeff Daniels, Oscilloscope Pictures is set to release the picture on September 24. We’re not counting it out just yet; frankly, we do like films that push boundaries, but let’s be honest, this trailer is a little grating. We like Franco a lot in general too, but we’re not sure we buy him completely here.
