Franco's own River Phoenix remains private ... for now, at least

[SnarkyOracle!]

I'm not sure how I feel about any of this --- whatever it actually is, and we may never really know.

As flawed and Van Sant's hauntingly strange picture is, this seems like an odd project from an odd guy (i.e., Franco). And could he go to the expense and effort to re-edit this for some kind of documentray without getting New Line's permission -- or is that comment just a "joke" (as is implied at one point) to get around the Joaquin Phoenix issue?

On the other hand, while I can understand the Phoenix family's determination to not exploit their fallen member, steadfastly refusing to even talk about him. It has been nearly two decades. And they sometimes seem to still go overboard.

Some feel this rigidity has more to do with Mama Phoenix and keeping quelled old Children of God sex abuse issues. But then who's to say...?

And it's hard to know about this Franco project, how right or wrongheaded it is, if it's never seen by most of the world.


http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/30177...ho-lincoln.htm



James Franco's 'My Own Private River,' Reworking of Gus Van Sant Classic, Screened at Lincoln Center

By Justine Ashley Costanza | February 21, 2012

In 1991, the film "My Own Private Idaho," starring River Phoenix (who would die two years later) and Keanu Reeves was released. It was one of the first films to feature two mainstream actors engaging in gay sex. The Gus Van Sant-directed drama has since become a cult classic and is considered by some critics to be one of the best American movies of the 90's.

So what does James Franco have to do with the project? The actor/student/soap star/writer/director seems to have something to do with just about everything. In the case of "Idaho," Franco was so enamored with the film that he begged Van Sant to show him any raw footage from the production. This led to his development of "My Own Private River," a reworking of the heartbreaking story.

The most disturbing thing about the film is River Phoenix. It is as though he has risen from the grave for one last performance. Furthermore, his brilliant work in Franco's cut cements just how unbelievably tragic his death was. Phoenix is breathtaking in each scene, even when he isn't saying or doing much.

Franco presented the film, which is too controversial for a mass release, to a packed house at New York's Lincoln Center Sunday evening. The initial version of the story offers a haunting foray into the lives of street hustlers. Mike (Phoenix) is a baby-faced drug addict who longs to be reunited with his mother.

His best friend Scott (Reeves) is merely dabbling in homeless life as he waits for his father to die and leave him an inheritance. Mike is irreversibly in love with Scott and in a painful-to-watch confession, he tells him so. But Scott is only gay for hire and thus Mike is subjected to hopeless longing and jealousy.

All the while, he can be likened to a young child. In one scene, just before he's about to put out for money, he can barely tear himself away from the cartoons that play on TV. His laugh is youthful and innocent as is his demeanor.
In reality, Phoenix and Reeves (who also co-starred in "I Love You to Death") were incredibly close and this is abundantly clear when watching the film. Franco's "My Own Private River" adds a brand new take (literally) on the dynamic between the two.

In a question-and-answer session following the film, Franco revealed that his original cut was 12 hours long. That version is now being kept from the public at the request of Joaquin Phoenix (River's Oscar-nominated brother).

For now, the film has been shelved but for a few exclusive showings. Franco has no plans to distribute the film as he does not want to compete with the original or face legal action from New Line Cinema, which distributed 'Idaho'.




--------------

http://www.indiewire.com/article/jam...lincoln-center

If You Want to See James Franco's "My Own Private River," You'll Need to Hassle New Line Cinema

James Franco says he's been obsessed with “My Own Private Idaho” since he was a teenager, which led to “My Own Private River,” a remix of Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho" that puts a greater emphasis on River Phoenix’s performance and inserts a number of the actor's alternate takes and deleted scenes.

“I never wanted this to be seen as in competition with [‘My Own Private Idaho’] or in any way trying to outdo that film,” said Franco at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which screened the film to a packed house of Francophiles and River Phoenix fans at the Walter Reade Theater Sunday night. “I was able to let the camera sit with River a lot longer in this film because ‘My Own Private Idaho’ had been made. This one can be supported by the prior film.”
Here’s a recap of some of Franco’s anecdotes from the Q&A session with Gavin Smith of Film Comment after the screening.

Origins of the film: While promoting “Milk,” Van Sant gave Franco a tour of the locations in “My Own Private Idaho.” Afterward, they spent two days watching the reels from Van Sant’s original shoot. “That to me was like, ‘I have a treasure chest that’s been sitting in storage for almost 20 years,’” said Franco. “To be able to see all of the raw material and takes of what I consider [River’s] best performance was incredible.” Van Sant stated how he might have edited things differently today, and the idea was sparked to recut the film.

On his first edit: “To me, it was like, 20 years later, my favorite American film, my favorite American filmmaker, my favorite actors, every minute should be seen,” said Franco. “There was 25 hours worth of dailies and I made a 12-hour cut.” However, River’s brother Joaquin was uncomfortable with the idea of screening the 12-hour cut, so Franco’s film has only been released in its current 105-minute version.

"Not only do I not want to compete with the original movie, but New Line also does not want us to compete with their money." - James FrancoRiver’s last scene: Franco revealed that River made for a difficult time shooting the last shot for the film. “River won’t say [his line.] He’s goofing off, doing silly Italian accents, making funny faces and then by take seven, he’s drawing all over the slate,” said Franco. “At first glance it seems like River’s being a brat. Gus told me later he was on the walkie getting really pissed. But finally he said it and that’s a wrap. And they brought out a cake and River went [mimes dropping his face into a cake]. Gus’ interpretation was that River didn’t want filming to end. That was the last take of the best performance of his life. And then he was gone two years later.”

On home video possibilities: Franco said that while he would like more viewers to see “My Own Private River,” a more commercial on-demand or home video release isn't likely at this time. “There is the original movie and not only do I not want to compete with the original movie, but New Line also does not want us to compete with their money,” said Franco.

On the soundtrack: “My Own Private River” features a couple of reworked songs from R.E.M.’s recent album. “After I had the cut, I went to [Michael Stipe] and asked him to do music for it. He never scored a film before,” said Franco. “I went to him because I knew that he and River had been close friends. I wanted as much connection to who River was at that time and I wanted to involve as many people as I could that had known River or were a part of River’s life.”

On his use of close-ups: “In the films that I’ve directed, I use a ton of close-ups,” said Franco. “But when I use a ton of close-ups, I sit on the close-ups. I guess as a filmmaker I figured out that I kind of have an aversion to dialogue. I don’t like a ton of dialogue. […] So by getting in close to the actor and sitting with them, I feel like you allow the audience to be close with them and to understand the character without the character having to talk about how he’s feeling

-------------------

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayli...enixs-approval

James Franco Says 'My Own Private River' Probably Won't Be Released On DVD, But He Did Seek Joaquin Phoenix's Approval

Features by Simon Abrams | February 20, 2012 |

Last night, actor-c*m-director James Franco nervously introduced "My Own Private River" to a full house at the Film Society at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater. The 9pm screening of Franco's film, a companion piece composed of never-before-seen outtakes from Gus Van Sant's milestone drama "My Own Private Idaho" starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves as young, gay street hustlers, was part of the Film Society's annual "Film Comment Selects" program. "Film Comment Selects" highlights films curated by the writers of Film Comment Magazine, a periodical produced by Lincoln Center and edited by Gavin Smith.

"I didn't want to compete with Gus' film," Franco explained during a post-screening Q&A moderated by Smith. Still, the complicated story behind the production of Franco's film rivals Van Sant's own seminal film."My Own Private River" was originally a 12-hour art project called "Endless Idaho." Franco got Gucci to help pay for the cost of digitizing the old film stock Van Sant gifted to him and turned into 'Endless,"' which was screened as an art installation at the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles. According to Franco, Van Sant offered to give him a tour of the Idaho locations where he shot "My Own Private Idaho" provided Franco accompanied him during press junkets for "Milk." Since Franco is such a big fan of the film, he readily assented, calling the opportunity "a dream come true." Soon after that, Van Sant and Franco reviewed unused footage from 'Idaho,' which gave Franco the idea to reassemble the footage with a new focus on the late River Phoenix's character, Mike.

"I edited the film as I imagined Gus might have if he made 'My Own Private Idaho' today," Franco said. He called " Idaho" one of his favorite movies and praised River Phoenix's performance as the late actor's best. Franco then skittishly explained how he used conversations with Van Sant, with whom he had previously collaborated on "Milk," to determine how to edit the footage Van Sant didn't put into the theatrical cut of 'Idaho.' "Since Gus likes longer takes now, I tried to match that style," Franco said, citing newly-retired Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr as a key influence on both Franco's editing of 'River' and Van Sant's own recent films.

But that's not all Franco did to get into Van Sant's head. To get a better idea of what his mentor was thinking, Franco shot 8mm adaptations of two of the three scripts that Van Sant combined to form the one that he eventually used as the basis for "My Own Private Idaho." To do this, Franco enlisted the help of actor Henry Hopper, Dennis Hopper's son and the star of Van Sant's most recent film, "Restless." Hopper played Phoenix's role in an adaptation of a script that was also tentatively titled "My Own Private Idaho." Franco also got character actor Udo Kier, who starred in the original "My Own Private Idaho," to help film his two 8mm test-run adaptations. "It was fascinating to see him play this role that he played 20 years ago," Franco confessed. Unfortunately, Kier could only participate in one of the two practice-run 8mm films Franco shot before making "My Own Private River." "He kept giving us excuses," Franco laughed, saying that Kier was concerned about learning lines his lines for the upcoming "Scooby Doo 3."

Franco additionally enlisted the help of former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe to help score, "My Own Private River." "I had approached Michael to help with the film because I knew he was close with Phoenix," Franco recalled. "This was before I worked with Michael on the two music videos for their most recent album [Collapse Into Now.]" Franco says that the music Stipe provided for the film are actually reworked versions of songs featured on Collapse Into Now.'

Before releasing "Endless Idaho," Franco was sure to seek the approval of River's brother Joaquin, who initially gave his blessing to the 12-hour cut. Later however, Joaquin had second thoughts once the film was apart of the Gagosian's installation. "I assured him that there wasn't anything damaging about the new footage of River, but Joaquin was still uncomfortable." Franco said. Phoenix preferred the 102-minute edit that Walter Reade attendants saw last night. That cut, as Smith pointed out, is also exactly the same length as Van Sant's original 102-minute theatrical cut of "My Own Private Idaho."

When asked about the fate of "My Own Private River," Franco sheepishly suggested that it would probably not be released to own on DVD or Blu-Ray. "['My Own Private Idaho' distributors] New Line [Films] doesn't want us to compete with the original [film] either," he joked. "But I do hope to continue screening it as I hope more people get to see the film."

[minx]

I think I remember River’s mother blaming his death on everything from acid rain to AIDS shortly after he died, as if she couldn't accept her son's flaws or vulnerabilities. Then came the family's refusal to talk about him which, in a strange way, seems disrespectful to his memory. But I guess we all deal with grief in our own way.

I imagine River's fans would love Franco's film. I wonder, though, if Joaquin had a problem with the content of Franco's 12 hour film or the quality of it. Could be, as a fan, Franco simply turned all that extra footage into an epic, fawning mess.

I last saw MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO years ago when it came out on video. I remember very little about it, but the scene by the fire in which River's character curls forward, making himself as small as possible as he tells his best friend that he loves him, stayed with me. I doubt that Franco found footage that was any better than River was at that moment.

[SnarkyOracle!]

I think I remember River’s mother blaming his death on everything from acid rain to AIDS shortly after he died, as if she couldn't accept her son's flaws or vulnerabilities. Then came the family's refusal to talk about him which, in a strange way, seems disrespectful to his memory. But I guess we all deal with grief in our own way.

Statistics overwhelmingly show that victims of child molestation (and certainly chronic molestation) are profoundly more likely to turn to hard drug and alcohol abuse -- raging addiction -- in late adolescence and early adulthood than the non-molested portion of the public.

Silence for a long time is understandable, but the permanency of their silence may have more to do with the gossip.

I may not blame them but I might possibly blame her.

[alexis]

Due to reading this thread I just watched MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO for the first time. I really enjoyed the film, I had heard about it before but was put off by Keanu Reeves. I wouldn't say Im a fan of his. But he was actually pretty good in the film. River was facinating to watch. It was a strange film it made me laugh in parts and also feel very sad in others. I really felt River's emptiness and that camp fire scene is so real. Honest. I read online that River wrote that scene. Is that true?

Im buying MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO tomorrow. I know a lot of friends that will like it.

[minx]

I may not blame them but I might possibly blame her.

I wonder how responsible she feels for River's addiction and death considering all she put him through as a child. And whether the other children keep their silence not so much because of the gossip, but rather because they do not want to add to her pain/guilt if, indeed, she feels any.

[SnarkyOracle!]

Due to reading this thread I just watched MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO for the first time. I really enjoyed the film, I had heard about it before but was put off by Keanu Reeves. I wouldn't say Im a fan of his. But he was actually pretty good in the film. River was facinating to watch. It was a strange film it made me laugh in parts and also feel very sad in others. I really felt River's emptiness and that camp fire scene is so real. Honest. I read online that River wrote that scene. Is that true?

He apparently wrote the scene. It's supposedly the first commercial film in which a man says "I love you" to another man in a romantic context.

The semi-Shakespearean stuff might have been okay if all of it didn't have to be delivered by Keanu. Reeves makes "Good morning!" sound posing. Although he is comparatively relaxed in the rest of it, given that it's Keanu.

It's a strange picture, as we've said. It's terribly flawed, with some scenes working beautifully and others falling flat. But after a couple of viewings, the flaws kind of melt away and it is just what it is.

Another thing... I've mentioned before that a sign of a good (or potentially good) film is when it captures the exact zeitgeist of the moment in which it was filmed. Which is a hard concept to explain, because, obviously, any movie which takes place in the present is going to reflect hair/clothes/cars, etc... But that's not enough --- most movies never give you a taste of the air of its own time, never act as a portal to its era when viewed years later... But IDAHO is one of those movies that does, for some reason. It organically feels exactly like the cusp of the '80s/'90s (it was filmed in autumn 1990). I don't know why it achieves this when most competent pictures really don't, especially given how hit-and-miss the movie is.

And then there are the prescient moments of River collapsing on a sidewalk in spasms.

But who knows about this Franco project...?

I wonder how responsible she feels for River's addiction and death considering all she put him through as a child. And whether the other children keep their silence not so much because of the gossip, but rather because they do not want to add to her pain/guilt if, indeed, she feels any.

Oh, who knows what she thinks or how anybody processes anything. But their wagon-circling has, over the years, come to seem more a little creepy than anything. But then, I'm obviously at a distance.

I did used to know a girl years ago who'd known River and Leaf/Joaquin down in Gainsville, Florida, socialized with them, and called River "one of the nicest people I ever met." That was a mark against him, as she was a cutie-pie bitch who had shitty judgment as a rule.

[alexis]

When watching last night I did actually think that the begining of the 90s seemed like a pretty hopeless time. I was only about 8 years old when MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO was filmed, and about 10 when it came out in 93. Obviously a childs memory of that time is going to be so different from an adults. I was actually on a 6 week trip to West Chester Pennsilvania over my 10th birthday. And life seemed pretty great, but was there that feeling of hopelessness around that time? Or was it just what I got from River Pheonix?

The film is hit and miss and it seems to be a little all over the place. I liked though due to both River and Keanu's performances. Sitting through a 12 hour version as originally intended by Franco would I imagine be a little too much. 12 hours of fawning over one actors various out takes and retakes in a film that was not very well made in the first place? 12 hours. I dont think so..

[RedBeetEggs]

6 weeks in West Chester? Yikes.

[SnarkyOracle!]

When watching last night I did actually think that the begining of the 90s seemed like a pretty hopeless time. I was only about 8 years old when MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO was filmed, and about 10 when it came out in 93. Obviously a childs memory of that time is going to be so different from an adults. I was actually on a 6 week trip to West Chester Pennsilvania over my 10th birthday. And life seemed pretty great, but was there that feeling of hopelessness around that time? Or was it just what I got from River Pheonix?

Well, hopelessness can be a pretty subjective thing. And it would likely depend on what was going on in one part of the world versus another.

I guess living in Bosnia or Rwanda was a bummer in the early-'90s.

I was just happy the delusional '80s was wearing away, and you could feel the insufferably smug strangehold of the Reagan/Thatcher era mercifully loosening up by, say, 1988. But that's just me.

Anyway, it's the overall mood of IDAHO which seems so precise to its period. And there are a lot of era-specific flavors in the picture that aren't just about hopelessness. I guess those were what I was really talking about.

But then, how does one effectively describe the "taste of the air" from a single point in time? It's kind of one of those things one gets or doesn't.

[alexis]

6 weeks in West Chester? Yikes.

Im from Northern Ireland. To me it was AMERICA! It was a whole different bowl of cherries.

[minx]

The semi-Shakespearean stuff might have been okay if all of it didn't have to be delivered by Keanu. Reeves makes "Good morning!" sound posing. Although he is comparatively relaxed in the rest of it, given that it's Keanu.

I watched some old clips of the film on YouTube last night and I would agree. He seems more human in IDAHO than any of the other films I've seen him in, including SPEED and the romantic clunker he did with Sandra Bullock.

I did used to know a girl years ago who'd known River and Leaf/Joaquin down in Gainsville, Florida, socialized with them, and called River "one of the nicest people I ever met." That was a mark against him, as she was a cutie-pie bitch who had shitty judgment as a rule.

A cutie-pie girl will praise anyone who tells her she's a cutie-pie.

I was just happy the delusional '80s was wearing away, and you could feel the insufferably smug strangehold of the Reagan/Thatcher era mercifully loosening up by, say, 1988. But that's just me.

Anyway, it's the overall mood of IDAHO which seems so precise to its period. And there are a lot of era-specific flavors in the picture that aren't just about hopelessness. I guess those were what I was really talking about.

PARIS, TEXAS feels like a 1990s film to me. I think that's why I loved it so much when I saw it in the early 80s. It didn't feel like it belonged in 1984. It's got the same tone as IDAHO. That 'all is lost and you can't get it back' feeling that I enjoyed in later films like LEAVING LAS VEGAS and MONSTER'S BALL.

[alexis]

Well, hopelessness can be a pretty subjective thing. And it would likely depend on what was going on in one part of the world versus another.

I guess living in Bosnia or Rwanda was a bummer in the early-'90s.

I was just happy the delusional '80s was wearing away, and you could feel the insufferably smug strangehold of the Reagan/Thatcher era mercifully loosening up by, say, 1988. But that's just me.

Anyway, it's the overall mood of IDAHO which seems so precise to its period. And there are a lot of era-specific flavors in the picture that aren't just about hopelessness. I guess those were what I was really talking about.

But then, how does one effectively describe the "taste of the air" from a single point in time? It's kind of one of those things one gets or doesn't.

I guess so. To me though the film just seemed to have a lot of coldness and hopelessness which I put down to being of its time I guess. Maybe the early 90s were not as I imagined them. Maybe they were more optimistic.

[alexis]

Well, hopelessness can be a pretty subjective thing. And it would likely depend on what was going on in one part of the world versus another.

I guess living in Bosnia or Rwanda was a bummer in the early-'90s.

I was just happy the delusional '80s was wearing away, and you could feel the insufferably smug strangehold of the Reagan/Thatcher era mercifully loosening up by, say, 1988. But that's just me.

Anyway, it's the overall mood of IDAHO which seems so precise to its period. And there are a lot of era-specific flavors in the picture that aren't just about hopelessness. I guess those were what I was really talking about.

But then, how does one effectively describe the "taste of the air" from a single point in time? It's kind of one of those things one gets or doesn't.

I guess so. To me though the film just seemed to have a lot of coldness and hopelessness which I put down to being of its time I guess. Maybe the early 90s were not as I imagined them. Maybe they were more optimistic.

[alexis]

That 'all is lost and you can't get it back' feeling.

Thats it. I couldn't find a way to explain that feeling. Duh! But thats the feeling I had when watching. And its why I liked it I guess, I like films like that with no happy ever after. Because life rarely gives a happy ever after.

[SnarkyOracle!]

I guess so. To me though the film just seemed to have a lot of coldness and hopelessness which I put down to being of its time I guess. Maybe the early 90s were not as I imagined them. Maybe they were more optimistic.

That's really not what I was talking about. But that's okay. As I said, the capturing-the-zeitgeist/tasting-the-air issue is kind of a difficult thing to delineate.

[alexis]

I understand what you mean now though. Its just that it was a time I never really experienced, so I have no taste of it. But I get you.

[SnarkyOracle!]

PARIS, TEXAS feels like a 1990s film to me.

Oh, it does kind of! (Although I haven't seen it in eons).

I understand what you mean now though. Its just that it was a time I never really experienced, so I have no taste of it. But I get you.

Well, it's hard to know, really. When I say, for example, that the library scene between Blake and Steven in the DYNASTY pilot feels exactly like September 1980 when it was filmed, or that the snow angels/ice skating scene in LOVE STORY feels exactly like winter of 1970, how precisely is someone supposed to get that unless they "just do"?

It's not the obvious styles or hair or clothes or cars. It's something else... And it's likely a strange amalgem of total subjectivity and total objectivity.

How does one describe the way a color smells?

And speaking of smells, I like River with a big bird on his face:

[James from London]

Reeves makes "Good morning!" sound posing. Although he is comparatively relaxed in the rest of it, given that it's Keanu.

Ah, Keanu and his own private I dunno.

PARIS, TEXAS feels like a 1990s film to me. I think that's why I loved it so much when I saw it in the early 80s. It didn't feel like it belonged in 1984. It's got the same tone as IDAHO.

IDAHO and TEXAS share a similarly pared down, somewhat muted quality, if I recall. BROKEDOWN MOUNTAIN had it too, but that film felt kind of early 70s to me.

That 'all is lost and you can't get it back' feeling that I enjoyed in later films like LEAVING LAS VEGAS and MONSTER'S BALL.

I remember hating MONSTER'S BALL at the time. It seemed like such a patronisingly liberal white man's view of black people and I was really surprised to learn that the writer and/or director was black. But you mentioning it in the same breath as LEAVING LAS VEGAS, which I loved, has me intrigued. Maybe I got it wrong and should give BALL another go. Heck, maybe I should revisit VEGAS as well. That has an emotionally stark, pared down vibe too. I met the director Mike Figgis recently. That has nothing to do with anything, but it was a bit of a personal thrill.

[MargaretKrebbs]

You're absolutely right about Monster's Ball, James.

For a decidedly 1970's vibe, check out anything directed by Monte Helleman (The Cockfighter, Two Lane Blacktop, Ride the Whirlwind).

I kinda like films that mine found footage or someone else's footage to create something new. (Bruce Conner's Marilyn x5, Joseph Cornell's Rose Hobart, Bill Morrison's Decasia, Ken Jacob's Star Spangled to Death, Leslie Thornton's Another Wordly). Franco has an ego, sure, but at least he is interesting enough, I think, to warrant a serious viewing.

I wonder who owns the rights to the unused Idaho film? New Line, the filmmaker? Also I can't imagine that Franco's version (12 or 2 hours) would cut into the profits of the original theatrical release, I think it would make the original even MORE popular. Hell, New Line could even distribute it! There's something that doesn't quite smell right about not releasing Franco's version.

[MargaretKrebbs]

The full interview from Lincoln Center.