James Franco's Gay S&M Jockstrap Epic

.

I can't remember if I'd posted about it when the news first broke or if my Franco-fatigue had set in by that point, but several weeks ago word broke that James Franco was teaming up with gay film-maker Travis Mathews on a project. 

I specify that Mathews is "gay" because his projects so far have been explicitly so - pornographic, that is. He's made some hipster porn type stuff, you can check out some of it at his website. Mathews latest project is a Shortbus-esque movie called I Want Your Love about hipster gays in San Francisco being hipstery and having gay sex - I caught it when it played at the Film Society a few weeks ago but never reviewed it... it was okay. I liked Shortbus more.

Anyway The Playlist now has word on what Franco and Mathews are specifically up to. Says them:

"Apparently, the project began with Franco wanting to remake the Friedkin film [Cruising], (which involves Pacino as a cop delving into the gay S&M underground scene to track down a serial killer), but was unable to get the rights. As such, he sought out Mathews, whose earlier films like "I Want Your Love" have featured explicit sexual scenes, to co-direct a film that would focus on a recreation of the 40 minutes that were cut out of the original film (and have since been destroyed), as well as being "an examination of people trying to make sense of Franco as star figure"...

... Partly reconstructing the content of the scenes by interviewing extras from the original film, the project came together at lightning speed; it's only two months since their first conversations, and yet Mathews recently delivered a cut to Franco, and is likely to debut it at a gallery show next month, before prepping a longer cut for the festival circuit in early 2013. "He knew he wanted real gay sex in it. His people went looking for a filmmaker who had filmed real gay sex, and I suspect someone who would complement his vision."

According to Indiewire both Mathews and Franco directed and play themselves in the film, so I suppose we will see what Jimbo's part on-screen will be. He's already sucked a (fake) dick on-screen - keep taking those baby steps, Jim! We'll be patient.
.