Lou Cypher
The Tokin' White Guy
You may recall, dear reader, that in the years preceding “The Disaster Artist” James Franco was writing and directing films at a breakneck pace — “As I Lay Dying,” “Child of God,” “The Sound and the Fury,” and “In Dubious Battle” all premiered within a three-year span. So did “Zeroville,” a comedy based on Steve Erickson’s novel of the same name, but because it was acquired by Alchemy — the ill-fated distributor that went out of business mere months after picking up the film — it has yet to receive a theatrical release.
Until now, that is, as myCinema appears to have saved “Zeroville” from limbo. The company is based online but partners with some 500 theaters that have the option of licensing its films — like “The Chaperone,” written by “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes — for traditional brick-and-mortar releases.
Here’s the (rather lengthy) synopsis:
Join Vikar (James Franco), a wide-eyed innocent in love with the movies, on one wicked trip to the heart of a pulsating, kaleidoscopic Hollywood. Naïve newcomer to the City of Angels, carrying nothing but his ‘outsider’ past and a huge tattoo of Montgomery Clift & Elizabeth Taylor inked on his shaved skull; driven by the allure of cinema to the glittering temptations of Zeroville; a town where anything goes. Encounter the parasites, the punks, the wannabes, the power-brokers and the crazies: meet Viking Man (Seth Rogen) — gatekeeper to all the right parties, a cigar-chomping surf hippie; Vikar’s eccentric Hollywood guide. You’ll encounter: foul-mouthed industry veteran Dotty (Jacki Weaver); the sinister Financier (Danny McBride); sexy femme fatale Soledad (Megan Fox) — a haunted ‘dame,’ the electric charge to trigger Vikar’s breathtaking dive into the captivating world where movies are made.”
Franco, Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, Jacki Weaver, Megan Fox, Danny McBride, and Dave Franco star in “Zeroville,” which is now slated for a September release.
https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/zeroville-james-franco-release-date-mycinema-alchemy-1202055080/
