Here he is reading it out:
http://observer.com/2013/01/future-poet-laureate-james-francos-ode-to-obama/
I tried to listen to it, but then I decided not to.
I'm almost tempted to write one myself.
I've read a couple of his short stories in Esquire. Typically vapid MFA-style stories, not without talent.
I was going to buy his book once because I like him as an actor, but Ren, you're right. I wasn't at all impressed. Actually, I was disappointed. To me, they read like the poor man's Bret Ellis.
I only liked him in Freaks & Geeks.
Really? I thought he was great in Pineapple Express. Although, I wasn't crazy about the movie.
I should also clarify...I've only seen him in like 3 things. Never saw Pineapple Express.
It was okay. Seth Rogen is in it. So is that guy from Easbound and Down(?). He's good in it, too.
127 Hours! (because I read the book - yes I did).
Is that about the mountain climber who cut off his arm, or some part of his body?
That's the one.
That's some messed up shit to have to do.
It was a really well done movie. I mean, making 127 hours trapped in a canyon interesting and exciting is no easy task.
I thought the same thing about The Chase with Charlie Sheen. Damn near the whole movie takes place inside of a car. And, Henry Rollins, Anthony Keidis and Flea are in it. Fucking Henry Rollins! Need I say more?!
Fucking Henry Rollins! Need I say more?!
Yes.
I liked 127 hours alot the first time I watched. I bought the Blue-Ray, then when I was writing Bloodhound, I put it back in again to see how to make a single setting story with a trapped character interesting, but I got extremely bored half an hour in. I did use some of James Franco's manerisms on Presley though.
Never seen The Chase, but it sounds interesting. Might have to Netflix it. I loved 127 hours. I like goin' hiking and all that so that helped, and I ordinarily like the roles Franco plays, except in spiderman... Is it weird that 127 hours made me want to go hiking in Utah more?
As for James Franco's writing, haven't read it. I'm not a big poetry guy, so I wouldn't know good from bad. I was interested in borrowing (not buying) his book to see what all the hooplah was about.
There is no difference between good and bad poetry.
I believe the main thing here is: do not look at the video, then, if you can get past the monotone, just listen. I don't think it's bad necessarily, but not only is it a poem written by a celebrity and read by a celebrity (recounting random moments in the life of such a celebrity, like shaking hands with Obama), pretty much half the word count consists of name-dropping other celebrities. I realize this was probably intentional, but it's still cheap, in my opinion.
127 Hours wasn't bad, but as far as single setting stories, Phone Booth is my favorite.
Forgot about Phone Booth. Fucking great movie.
I liked knowing that the real guy (Aron Ralston) was on set with James Franco the whole time. I'm not sure what I liked about that, but it was good to know.
By the way, the inauguration poem SUCKED!
The Chase was good, it had Buffy in it and she was super hot in the 90s. Whenever I think of trapped-in stories I think of that one Mark Twain short story, The Cars or something? That one's good. Kind of precursory to Stephen Graham Jones' Father, Son, Holy Rabbit.
The only thing I didn't like James Franco in was him doing his Allen Ginsberg impression in Howl. I think he'll be a good director, though. And I bet, like the people do that get MFAs, he'll write a decent novel in a decade or so when he gets a good enough idea.
Agreed Liana, that was pretty cool about Aeon Ralston's involvement with the making of the film.
I actually saw a movie a couple years ago called "Burried" I wasn't sure what to think going into it, but for another single setting movie it was actually pretty suspensful and not bad. The whole movie takes place inside a coffin burried underground.
I'll have to check out Phone Booth again. It's been years and I don't remember being particularly impressed nor bored when I watched it the first time, so it's worth another look.
Isn't Buried the one with Ryan Reynolds? That guy's fucking hilarious. Van Wilder is still in my top 5 favorite movies. Can't get enough of that shit.
Kristy Swanson is the name of Buffy. And yea, in the 90's she was smoking hot.
And I meant the poem by Richard Blanco for the inauguration really sucked. As I was listening, I was thinking it was about as good as roses are red, violets are blue. Then I thought, why are violets blue? Why aren't they violet? WHY???
Thats not a poetic.
And shouldn't the title of the thread be President Obama? Mr. Obama sounds like it was written for his uncle or something.
Frankly, I would've titled it 'James Franco writes a poem for that guy who's going to ruin our country.' But, you know, that's just me.
I can't believe I'm about to say this, but that isn't exactly fair.
To be perfectly honest, I'd say that about any president or our government. They're all crooked. They know it and get away with it. We've been fucked since day one. But, again, that's just me...
Yep, we've been fucked for about 237 years, every fucking day. But we're still fucking here. I'll fucking take the fucking USA over most other places on fucking Earth.
It's too fucking easy to wallow in cynicism. To do so degrades all of us. Go fucking live in the Sudan for a week and then come back with the same fucking opinion, that we're fucked. I fucking dare you.
We're not fucked. We're goddamn blessed whether we're left, right or somewhere fucking in between.
(I'm not nearly as fucking mad as this fucking post sounds.)
Fuck.
نعم، لقد مارس الجنس لمدة حوالي 237 سنة، كل يوم سخيف. لكننا لا تزال هنا سخيف. أنا سخيف سخيف اتخاذ USA على معظم أماكن أخرى على الأرض سخيف.
انها سخيف جدا سهلة لتخبط في السخرية. للقيام بذلك يحط لنا جميعا. انتقل سخيف يعيشون في السودان لمدة أسبوع ثم أعود مع رأي سخيف نفسها، التي كنت مارس الجنس نحن. I سخيف اتحداكم.
لسنا نحن مارس الجنس. نحن ملعون ما إذا كنت المباركة تركنا، أو الحق سخيف في مكان ما بين.
(أنا لا يكاد سخيف جنون وهذا يبدو سخيف آخر.)
اللعنة.
Wow, tell me how you really feel...
So how's the weather? Some of you were hit pretty hard with the snow thing, right?
We didn't get hit with snow, but half my neighborhood did lose power due to the freezing temps. Luckily, I wasn't one of them. But, I was saddened that I missed the hottest Pittsburgh news reporter in my neighborhood today.
Here's a street in my neighborhood:
And here is Heather Abraham:
Cold, but no snow.
Hey, I just wanted to read about James Franco.
I'm a fan.
Make no mistake, I'm a fan of Franco, too. He made Pineapple Express. But, I do have to say I was disappointed of his collection of short stories.
I never read JF's stuff, but I am mildly curious. I heard his college classmates were jealous that he got to not come to class (becuase he had to go get his awards or something) and still pass. But he was reading (for class) everywhere while filming 127, apparently, so I thought that was cute.
That's a nice street, Moon.
It's short sleeves for me here.
And when talk of politics gets too heated, I'm very inspired to talk about the weather.
Me? When talk of politics rears its head, heated or otherwise, I'm hopeful it's raised in the appropriate thread. I look to the OP for that bit of guidance.
Certainly not great art, but I enjoyed the poem and the reading. I'm sure there must be a reason to start the poem with Fitzgerald, I just haven't figured it out yet. :)
I appreciated being able to find the form online, as well. I'm one who finds the sight of the poem more important than the author's oration of it. Franco has an integrity about his polymathical (my word!) pursuits. I like his fearlessness, his successes and failures. He is an intriguing person.
Haven't paid enough attention to Blanco's poem to have an opinion yet.
You'll soon learn that there is no appropriate thread here. Every thread veers off topic, which I don't think this one necessarily did.
Well, that's a lack of respect (and appropriate moderation) I can do without. Future discussion should be handled through private message, but only if you feel it necessary. I'm ok with ending it here, R.Moon.
Rather than continue derailing this thread, I sent a PM in response to your post below.
Okay. But I'm confused what 'discussion' this is that you speak of... Either way, I've seemed to have struck a nerve with you. My opinion is just that, my opinion. No need to flip out with a post containing countless 'fucks'.
Michael E Snyder- you must appreciate haikus in the original japanese characters as well.
The form/structure of the poem can be represented verbally, i think that ties a poem together nicely. I just wonder why Franco dropped so many names, and what sort of poetic devices (if any) are actually present. If anything it sounds like a stream of consciousness.
I'm listening to the poem (finally) and it sounds more like creative non-fiction to me.
Michael E Snyder this is more of a go off topic, argue, and hash it out in front of God & everybody kind of site.
Frank, yes. I'm just not a great listener. I need to see to believe, as it were. I agree with your assessent of the piece. I probably should have said that being able to read it is more beneficial to me, my learning style(rather than important).
Liana, yes, it sounds that way and it (borderline) reads that way on the page. Not a lot of imagery in the piece, which doesn't help a reading, and it hardly resonates with the inspiration needed for a great inaugural poem. So I think it fails there. There is an imagery to it, though, built through the subtle cadences in the piece and the collection of facts that begin to resonate more as the poem progresses and move toward the final sections. It resonates, but just not in an inaugural kind of way. At least, that's my take after reading it.
Dwayne, R.Moon and I continued the discussion through private messages. It was a good conversation! First of many, I hope.
Not the norm.
Goddamnit, I came in here to say that I despise James Franco, and now I don't even know what's happening.
I tried to watch his movie on Hart Crane earlier, because I like Hart Crane, but a couple minutes in I didn't think it would work out for me.
