James Franco Presents: R.E.M. - "Blue" LA (Lindsay Lohan In 36-D?)

I kinda feel like James Franco could [should] rightfully be labelled as the Über/Anti-Hipster all rolled into one; He's seems to have been secretly mocking that very idea of "celebrity" for the bulk of his career ... Smoothly aligning himself with Mila Kunis, wide-ranging roles, Avante Garde music, Indie films, grad school, writing short stories, General Hospital, Spider-Man (1), Harmony Korine, Doo-Wop, etc. Franco's latest project is "Blue" starring Lindsay Lohan, a music video that he directed for now-defunct Alternative Rock band R.E.M. nearly 2 years ago. It's unclear as to why the footage was temporarily shelved and it may or may not stem from either James Franco & Lindsay Lohan's long-rumored mystery film project or that infamous "nude photo book." Terry Richardson makes a cameo appearance as the sleazy, flannel-wearing photographer... while fuzzy images of Lohan on a stove-top, Franco dressed in drag, and the LA skyline are artfully juxtaposed against Michael Stipe & Patti Smith's spoken word vocals.

Basically, it's a shitty Post-Punk mess that I'd personally like to believe is James Franco's own Hipster-mocking, 21st century version of Spinal Tap ha! "Blue" originally appeared on R.E.M.'s 15th and final album, Collapse Into Now (2011). It was first announced that Franco was hired to direct 2 short films [music videos] as part of the band's track-by-track Collapse Into Now Film Project and obviously, only one ended up materializing. For what it's worth, the droning quasi-guitar solo starting @ around 4-4:30 and the images of James Franco being filmed shooting out of a helicopter are pretty damn cool! Lindsay Lohan is attempting a career re-bound of sorts... due in part to her latest role as notorious paparazzi sex-pot, Elizabeth Taylor in Lifetime's made-for-TV biopic, Liz & Dick, which is set to air on TV next weekend - November 25th. James Franco's upcoming project alongside "witches" Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams, Oz: The Great & Powerful (prequel) is slated for a March 8, 2013 wide release in various 2-3D formats.