By Tania Ketenjian

Actor, director, artist, and writer James Franco portrays a young Allen Ginsberg in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s new film, Howl. Franco, who first garnered attention in the television show Freaks and Geeks and has gone on to roles in the Spiderman films, Pineapple Express, and Milk, now takes a turn at portraying poet Allen Ginsberg through his creative process in writing his epic poem "Howl" and the obscenity trial that it provoked. Written in the summer of 1955, "Howl" gave voice to young, restless generation and marked a change in style that was burgeoning in the arts. City Light Books, headed by colleague Lawrence Ferlinghetti, published the poem which ended up with Ginsberg facing obscenity charges and a trial where the charges were ultimately dropped. James Franco discusses getting into the character of the famous poet and how he was able to identify with the role in many ways.