James Franco Discusses Lana in V Magazine

[Sitar 22,172]

There was a story on the Huffington Post about a Twitter backlash against a new signer who ostensibly bombed on Saturday Night Live. I watched the clip, it wasn't great. She wasn't transitioning between the high and low registers of "Video Games" very smoothly, and she didn't know what to do with her free hand; it awkwardly fluttered between her face and her side and she periodically touched her hair or made a deuce sign while singing, "They say the world was meant for two."

 

Juliette Lewis tweeted, "Wow watching this 'singer' on SNL is like watching a 12-year-old [sic] in their bedroom when theyre pretending to sing and perform #signofourtimes"

 

The following week, SNL cast member Kristen Wiig did a spot-on impersonation of Lana on Weekend Update as a response -- she caught the body carriage, the voice, and even the lip curl:

 

"I thought [i sang two songs] but based on the public's response to [my performance], I must have clubbed a baby seal while singing the Taliban national anthem.

 

"I think people thought I was stiff, distant, and weird, but there's a perfectly good explanation for that: I am stiff, distant, and weird. It's my thing."

 

It is Lana's thing. She's weird. But she never wanted to be a live performer anyway. If she could have, she would have made her music, and her videos, in her room forever.

 

This is a poem about Lana Del Rey.

 

This is an essay about Lana Del Rey.

 

Lana has become my friend. She is a musician who is a poet and a video artist.

 

She grew up on the East Coast but she is an artist of the West Coast.

 

When I watch her stuff, when I listen to her stuff, I am reminded of everything I love about Los Angeles. I am sucked into a long gallery of Los Angeles cult figurines, and cult people, up all night like vampires and bikers.

 

The only difference between Lana and me is her haunting voice. That carries everything. The voice is the central axle around which the spokes of everything else extend.

 

My axle, like her voice for her, is my acting. Out of it, I do everything else.

 

I don't like vampires and bikers in my life, but I like them in my art.

 

Lana lives in her art, and when she comes down to earth for interviews, it gets messy, because she isn't made for this earth. She is made to live in the world she creates. She is one who has been so disappointed by life, she had to create her own world. Just let her live in it.

 

I am a performer and she is a performer.

 

The thing about singers, especially the ones who write their own lyrics, is that everyone reads the person into the songs. An actor is sometimes aligned with his roles, but a singer is asked about her lyrics as if they were direct statements of her true thoughts and feelings.

 

Sometimes Lana doesn't know what to say in interviews, so she plays into the idea that her songs are her, and not her creations.

 

Lana spends a lot of time alone because everyone wants in.

 

She has this idea for a film. I want to do it because it's a little like Sunset Boulevard. A woman is alone in a big house in L.A. She doesn't want to go out. She starts to go crazy, and becomes paranoid because she feels like people are watching her. Even in her own house. It's like an awesome B-movie that lives in Lana's head. It's about her, and it's not about her. Just like her music.

 

I wanted to interview Lana for a book and she said, "Just write around me, it's better if it's not in my own words. It's almost better if you don't get me exactly, but try."

 

 

Some photos:

 

 

[Rem 2,392]

King and Queen tbh

[plush 655]

"I watched the clip, it wasn't great"

Honesty tho

:eartha:

[MermaidTrailerHeaven 454]

awww, no you guys, I loved it. What he said about Lana being so disappointed by life that she had to create her own little world to live in... Thats how I've always read her. All the "K" and "daddies" and "diamonds and pearls" and "motorcycles", its something she's dreamed up. imo

[PARADIXO 31,605]

<3

[Elle 113,941]

The film he described that she's created sounds amazing.. I would love to see Lana in something like that. She's so dramatic and was adoreable in Poolside, she would do great in something as such.

[Divisive Princess 3,488]

This is obnoxious in a way that only a piece written by James Franco could be (no shade, I love him), but I think it's really sweet. He seems to really get her.

[Viva 3,168]

This is obnoxious in a way that only a piece written by James Franco could be (no shade, I love him), but I think it's really sweet. He seems to really get her.

 

Yes! It's obnoxious, almost ridiculous, cute, amazing. I want to fuck James Franco, I want to fuck his words and his brain while listening to American. James gets her because only someone as loudly obnoxious as JF can understand someone as quietly obnoxious as Lana. I love them both 

[VelvetNight 180]

It's so personal and deep. I love this poem/essay.

[strange weather 1,950]

this is perfect, honestly, & pretty much confirms what i've felt about the questions of who the "authentic" lana is. the lyrics she writes are about her & they aren't. they are completely her emotionally--but maybe not 100% factually. that's okay. i love the world she has created for herself (& for us). she wrote herself into existence, into notoriety, for better & for worse. it's kinda incredible/completely lucky.

[Trinity 1,219]

I think James is very good for her. I feel like Lana needs to have someone who understands her on a personal and creative level. He is the exact kind of person I imagine Lana surrounding herself with. 

[LolitaE 143]

This is why I was fascinated by and related to Lana, because just like James said, 'it's about her and it's not about her. Just like her music.'... That's what Lana's music is for me. She spoke to me through her music more than any other artist has before, especially through 'ride' and its hard to do that to me... She's incredible <3333

[ruined peaches 119]

This is a nice read, hope the movie will happen. I really want her to play this woman, I'm curious about her acting. But even the idea is carried out the way she wants it and not her playing just writing etc. that would be still great.

 

On another note, am I the only one who thinks her SNL performance wasn't bad at all? Yeah it had some flaws but look at Iggy... She didn't have half of the backlash Lana received for months if not more than a year, yet everyone's forgotten Iggy's 'performance'.

[HEARTCORE 18,833]

 

 

She is one who has been so disappointed by life, she had to create her own world. Just let her live in it.

 

this makes me so sad and feel so so so sorry for Lana....just imagine having such a crap life that you have to make up stories about your life (and put on very cherry balm)  to make things seem more interesting/better...

 

kinda makes it seem like k & jim and all the others just seem like fantasies that Lana created...it's so sad.

[Greenwich 1,050]

They would be the perfect Hollywood couple, honestly. He seems to understand her so well, and she really deserves someone that does.    Carrozzini watch out...

[CarcrashBandicoot 759]

This fits Lana so fucking perfectly, it's kind of scary. Have they been friends for like 10 years? Holy fuck. The way he understands her... God, I wish they'd get together... ugh.

[Coney Island King 25,022]

Hope they fuck

[Ziad 188]

 

Thanks for posting this, though. I've been reading lots of articles about this but wasn't able to find it anywhere.

[brooklynbaby91 1,357]

I fucking hate James Franco. 

[Wilde_child 490]

The impression I get from this article:"I know the real Lana behind the persona, and you pathetic fans don't... ooh I am better than you all coz I am an artiste and get things you don't".

Pretentious man...

He knows squat about Lana.