James Franco
Turning Music into Poems into Music into Art
This week, VICE premiered "This Charming Man," a meta music video from James Franco's band, Daddy, which is based off of a poem cycle inspired by the Smiths. Here are a few words about the project from James, as well as a few original poems.
James Franco Loves Jake Gyllenhaal's Performance in 'Nightcrawler'
He thinks Gyllenhaal's role as a creepy Los Angeles crime videographer signals a career revival.
James Franco Loves the Whiplash of 'Whiplash'
Damien Chazelle’s film about a young jazz drummer and his teacher is the most tension-packed movie of the season.
James Franco's Favorite Books That Defy the White Straight Male Tradition
It includes everyone from Flannery O'Connor to Tony Kushner to Lorrie Moore.
Here's What James Franco Has Been Reading
Every free moment of his last year has been filled with books.
James Franco on Stephen King, J. J. Abrams, and Being a 'Pop Culture Hog'
"I’ve been accused of being ubiquitous, of occupying too much cultural ground."
Jimi Hendrix, Behind the Music
The new Jimi Hendrix biopic starring André 3000 in the lead role succeeds despite the potentially fatal flaw of failing to secure the rights to the rock legend's music.
James Franco on Famed Serial Killer Richard Ramirez
An essay and four stories explore the infamous "Night Stalker" killings.
Watch James Franco's Short Film, 'Goat Boy'
Goat Boy is the cobbled-together remains of a student film I made based on Frank Bidart's poem, “Herbert White.” These are the bits of backstory provided by Frank to fill out the title character. We cut out this backstory in our film, but later...
Watch James Franco's Test for a Short Film Based on Faulkner's 'Red Leaves'
In honor of the premiere of his film The Sound and the Fury at Venice and Toronto, here's a test Franco shot for a short film that was to be based on a Faulkner story. It's set during the early days of Faulkner's fictional county, Yoknapatawpha...
The Origin of JANE, the Hollywood Cowboy
James Franco wrote us a short story inspired by his upcoming film with Gia Coppola that explores the genesis of JANE, the Hollywood Cowboy—a Ziggy Stardust–style rock 'n' roll Jesus who embodies the best and the worst of us.
James Franco's Take on 'Romeo and Juliet'
Here’s a little video based on Romeo and Juliet that I directed. It was shot by my main man, Bruce Thierry Cheung, who is still at NYU after six years—someone tell that boy to graduate.