James Franco: Man, Is that Guy Everywhere or What? PART 1

The man of the hour, an artist, a creative mind, a mad genius, an old soul, a nut bag, and oh yeah...one fine piece of  
ACE!

My moment with Mr. Franco was not about Spider-man, or Pineapple Express, The Roast of, or even Whatever It Takes, where he channeled a "mimbo" Italian guy better than Travolta ever could...

YAY!

NAY!

It was about ART.

James Franco seeks a constant fix for acquiring more knowledge and not just floating around hollywood. He chases education with the same gusto that a drunk girl searches for hope. He is always proving his passions to us as the public questions his choices. Truth be told, the man has a need to develop/advance in all aspects of art in order to quench this thirst of his. 

He apparently only has 127 Hrs to do so which is why he is everywhere right now! 
Fans of his know he is more than just a perfectly structured face, an adorable smile, laugh, and sense of humor that weakens my knees...He is inspiring because he is always looking to be inspired! Hence...

Allow me to backtrack...

The year was 1999, or as I nostalgically look upon it as the moment puberty struck, when I first laid eyes on this stone fox...
Daniel Desario, a freak not a geek. Here I was just 13 years old, at a crossroads of life, struggling with peer pressures and my own rebellion against adolescence, and there he was preparing me for my years to come. 

He has this unmarked quality which few actors possess. It is a mix of normalcy sprinkled with a touch of unyielding vulnerability and weirdness. A complete oxymoron, which only underlines the enigma existing inside him. It somehow leads you to believe if you two were to ever meet, there is a chance you would actually hit it off. I cannot quite put my finger on it but as a francoholic it makes you jealous when you see him on screen with other women. 
(*Remember Matt Damon marrying a bartender is the exception, not the rule.*) 

YOU MUST FORCE YOURSELF TO BE LOGICAL AND SHAKE THIS FEELING OFF. It displays no sense of reality and I recommend you 
Get Out of this Dark Place NOW!

Moving forward, I buried those unbalanced feelings deep down, and continued to grow in my devotion as he matured and developed as the renaissance artist that he is. 

You know how they say everything happens in three's?????

Well....just bare with/and appease me for a moment. 

First Thing:

A recent life dream of mine came true when I was able to finally visit my motherland of ITALY! 

Arrivederci Ya'll! 

Veni, Vidi, Vici!

Bellissimo!

Pasta Fazool! 

And all that junk! 

In Italy, I met a dude. Nothing serious, a true gentlemen to the core, and a wonderful experience, I can say I have been romanced and an "Eat, Pray, Love" type fantasy had been fulfilled. 
(A movie with James Franco mind you...) 
I know what you are thinking, keep the cliche's coming...
And I say to you, Not A Problem. 
His name was Gianfranco.

Now take a good guess what an American chick from Jersey affectionately decided to refer to him as...Exactly! 

James Franco. 

Frolicking around Florence, I showed him off to the tour group, and collectively had officially re-named him the obvious. It was just too difficult for us as Americans to comprehend and see past the easy humor behind the delivery. (Besides I knew the name had to stick after the first intro with my peers when one individual from Queens proclaimed, 
" DAM, Gianfranco...That's an Italian-ass name! " 

Confused, his instinctive reaction as it was thought to be an insult, he shot back, "ASS-name!?"
Mad TV much? Evvvoynnne, Can I get your number???

Probably the most organically funny thing I ever witnessed.

Second Thing:

I was in Italy for about 3 weeks. I decided to have no connection to what was relative back home, no communication what-so-ever, email, phone, social media, nada, etc. 
I really wanted to immerse myself in the culture with no distractions. I was unaware of any current events or what awaited back home. 

After I returned from the trip, my jet-lag sent me into a coma for approx. 2-3 days. When I awoke and was ready to catch up to "real life" again, I turned my TV back on only to find out about 
the Comedy Central: Roast of James Franco. 

Bob Saget, 

Flavor Flav, 

William Shatner, 

Charlie Sheen, 

Donald Trump, 

Rosanne Barr, 

Joan Rivers, 

Pamela Anderson????

I mean, how does Franco shine in with this motley crew?? 

It was a very unexpected, yet a genius choice.  

And..., interestingly enough, it was not the typical roasters, but his actual friends and inner circle. Jonah Hill, Seth Rogan, Aziz Ansari, were just a few of the roasters that top my personal list of friends that exist in my head.
 I love these Roasts so I couldn't wait to watch! 
Up until this point, this can only be labelled as a random coincidence but exciting for any fan!

As rough as it may have been for some of the dais, poor Jonah seems like he doesn't have a mean bone in his body...it was somewhat refreshing and not as crude/vulgar...oh do not get me wrong: it certainly had it's cringe worthy/unavoidably inappropriate moments but it was not as much for the roasters to showcase themselves as shock comics but to genuinely insult each other in good fun the way true friends do. You can tell it was so effortless to rip on each other. 

Third Thingy:

First week back to work from Italy, I sifted through all my emails and began to bounce back to the schedule in my calendar. 
(I worked very close with/and for media outlets which allowed me to freelance opportunities at Red Carpet events, engage in celebrity interviews, and promote special projects.) 

And there it was, in the midst of dozens of unread emails; ATTN: PACE GALLERY INVITES YOU...

Unknowing what exactly I was invited to or what I was about to click on, curiosity probed me to open that first.

The most beautiful Press Release ever written:

James Franco presented by Douglas Gordon

Psycho Nacirema

It was James Franco's latest art exhibition featuring multi-media installations.
Seriously, 3 Franco related scenarios in 3 weeks? 
Meant.
To.
Be.

" Film is the medium that employs all art forms, but it is contained within the screen. We take this multi-form idea and pull it through the screen, so that the different forms are once again fully dimensional and a new nexus of interaction and significance in created. In this show, we go back to the original locations and images of Psycho and alter them so that once again viewer's relationship with the material changes. One becomes an actor when interacting with his work. Film becomes raw material and is sculpted into new work." - James Franco

Ugh, he is so deep, and I'm not saying that to be an a-hole, he just really revs my engine.

Anyway, this was my chance;
 3 stars have aligned with one another within only a few weeks time. 
The universe was trying to tell me something. 
I made all the arrangements to cover the event.
( Special Thank you to Pace Gallery: Info will be below) 

I refuse to harp on the details about the actual occurrence, but I will share photos, brief clips, etc. 
I also will mention I did make him laugh! Shut the front door, right? 
He had those eyes that when he looks at you he makes you feel like Rihanna (the only girl in the world in case you weren't picking up on 
what I was putting down).

 A look that penetrated through me, he managed to make me, the gal that never shuts up, go back into her turtle shell and turn into a female 
Michael Cera. 
At one point in mid convo, I may or may not have actually asked him to not look directly me so I can tell him a joke. And when I say may or may not have, that means I did. It is to hard for me to relive as I felt so short changed in the amount of time I had with him. 
Understandably so of course, I am one of millions of Franco-addicts...

Problem lies in the fact that now I know what blue balls feels like. 

Other than that, I was so lit up with joy they could have stuck me in the middle of Rockefeller Center for tourists to see. I'll never forget it.

I came home somewhat saddened though. Only because I was experiencing that feeling you have when you are looking forward to something and are so excited about something and then it's over. Even though it may have been everything I could have hoped for, when it is was over I felt like it never happened! Like it was just a dream and my alarm just went off.  

Only a few days later I saw a commercial for The Mindy Project Premiere. Who do you think was guest starring???? UMMM YUP...

Then, a few days after that I was flipping through channels and what was premiering on the STARZ Network?????

OZ The Great and Powerful.... Ummm HELLO? Is this a sick joke?

Like James Franco, get off my ass, are you a stalker? 
Just Kidding - I should be so lucky.
I just couldn't figure out why he was popping up in every direction of my life.
I felt like the universe was rubbing it in.

I need one more thing for a second chance to be with him. I was beginning to feel encouraged again. 

The pep in my step was once more.

That is ...

until my brother rented This is the End on DEMAND one day when he was at the house and blew it for me!!!! UGH I WAS SO MAD!

"This "F***ers gotz to go!!! Gotzzz to GOOO!" - James Franco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=b07sactDEKU

So I am back to square one. 
Convincing myself the reality of the situation may just be...
I am not meant to be with Mr. Franco, but just admire him from a distance where he can remain safe behind his written words, big screens, and artistic expressions. WOMP, WOMP.

These were not signs at all but the result of a hard-working, creative,  individual that just happened to be in a lot of well publicized roles in 2013.
YUP.

A special Thank you to Pace Gallery for showing support and taking care of all the arrangements.

Pace
Pace is a leading contemporary art gallery representing many of the most significant international artists and estates of the 20th and 21st centuries. Founded by Arne Glimcher in Boston in 1960 and led by Marc Glimcher, Pace has been a constant, vital force in the art world and has introduced many renowned artists' work to the public for the first time. Pace has more than 700 exhibitions, including scholarly exhibitions that have subsequently traveled to museums, and published nearly 400 exhibition catalogues. Today Pace has seven locations worldwide: four in New York; two in London; and one in Bejing.
Press Inquiries:
New York- (212) 421-8987