Meet the Cast of "Howl"

Young Hollywood Vitamin Water hanging out here at the House of Hype with John Prescott, Todd Rotundi from the movie Howl. So last night was a big premiere, how did that go?

It went really well. Yeah, we had seen it a couple weeks ago, soft premiere in New York, but last night was nice to be in front of 1500 people and they respond seemed to be really good.

1500, that's a lot. your co-star was here earlier, Bob. How what was it like working with Bob?

Uh, I had no idea. I didn't actually work with Bob. Bob's in a different part of the movie. I mean, the movie was shot in three different styles. There was the animation, there was the obscenity trial and then there was the biographical biographical account of how Howl was written and Todd and I were in the biographical account part.

You're totally dressed like you would if you were in LA or something. You're in the leather jacket, the jeans. You're not cold when the snow?

No, because I have another jacket that I wear over it. That's the trick. That's the New York trick.

What about you? You look look it all normal. Probably just so out of place here, right?

No, but yeah, no, I too have. We're the layers, like the long Johns. I got two on right now. This is thermal. You know, I'm keeping it real. I'm from Oregon originally, so I'm a little bit of the cold weather.

Yeah. You got your energy here while you're a little tired, you're you're sluggish here?

Well, we did have a a long after party last night and this saved my life today. You just keep drinking energy all day and it just keeps making you you get through the day. keeps making you go. It's like the energizer bunny.

Yeah, what about you? What's been your secret to stay up today?

Just had a vitamin water this morning.

There you go. Keeping your energy up and going outside for a cold blast of snowy air. You would have named your own drink. What would you call it?

Prescottopia.

I like that. Prescottopia. What would you call yours?

Roman Candleish.

Wow, those are some pretty good names. Hey, what's going on? I'm Chat with Young Hollywood and Vitamin Water. We're standing here with Treat Williams, who's got a new film coming out called Howl. Treat, would you mind telling us about the film?

The film is about Allen Ginsberg, the poet. And what it really does is it documents that period. There was a trial after the poem was written as to whether the poem was pornographic or not. You understand what Angel-headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night means? Sir, you can't translate poetry into pros. That's why it is poetry. It's a combination of the trial, intercut with James Franco, uh, doing the poem as Allen Ginsberg and then it it's also the poem is animated. So it's this real conglomerate of different styles.

Now you're used to it. You live here in Salt Lake.

Park City.

Oh, you live in Park City. Awesome. Corner. I just, uh, I walked. You an avid skier, snowboarder?

I drop my kids off at school and ski every morning. Snowboarding, no. No, I didn't do it yet. I hear you fall on your butt about for three days straight and then finally you sort of get the curve.

I'm standing here with Bob Balaban, the star of Howl. Did you draw on any past experiences, you know, going through the '60s and whatnot to prepare yourself for this film?

No.

Now, good for you.

Yeah, my character in this movie is actually a Republican. I'm the judge of this court trial. Now, if Luther Nichols could answer that, then the good Lord could use a helper and he ought to be up there. How can he tell? I'm asking for his opinion as an expert. I'll ask him. He was a very religious, very morally interested guy, and but he was also very interested in freedom of speech and freedom of expression and was something of an intellectual.

We want to thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it, Bob.