I just ran across the following on IMDB... thought you might be interested...
Zerophilia | 16 Oct 2006 8:12pm EDT - By Michael Rechtshaffen |  |
Microangelo Entertainment Gender confusion is taken to the next, angst-ridden level in "Zerophilia", a quirky romantic dramedy about a young-adult male who develops a rare biological condition that triggers a highly unusual metamorphosis. Although writer-director
Martin Curland deserves full points for originality -- not to mention avoiding those broadly sophomoric or campy sci-fi pitfalls that could have easily gone with the territory -- the admittedly thought-provoking results fail to make the full-blown transition from curious concept to substantial theatrical proposition. In the end, the film, which opened Friday in New York this weekend and expands to Los Angeles and elsewhere Nov. 3, feels more like an episode of "The O.C". with a chromosomal imbalance. Taylor Handley does thoughtful, committed work as Luke, a sexually inexperienced college student who "catches" the bizarre genetic virus after an anonymous one-night stand in a camper with a British woman (voiced -- talk about your weird science -- by Kelly LeBrock). While other hapless dudes might have run the risk of contracting the usual communicable diseases, poor Luke finds himself stricken with something that no dose of penicillin could cure: The encounter has set off a genetic condition that has begun to transform his body, both anatomically and emotionally, into that of the opposite sex. Understandably concerned, Luke's best buddy Keenan (
Dustin Seavey) tracks down a zerophiliac expert, the decidedly loopy Dr. Sydney Catchadourian (
Gina Bellman, who memorably played the part of the decidedly loopy Jane on the original British version of "Coupling"), who, for personal reasons, pushes him to go all the way and make the final transformation from Luke to Luca (Marieh Delfino). To add to Luke/Luca's confusion, in addition to finding himself attracted to the down-to-earth Michelle (
Rebecca Mozo), his burgeoning female side is also starting to develop a thing for her brooding mechanic brother, Max (Kyle Schmid). Curland's script has some interesting, gender-blending observations to make about love and sexual attraction, but the low-budget production, while effectively cast and nicely shot (by
Graham Futerfas), would have benefited from a more assured directorial hand -- one that might have been willing to venture away from those primetime small-screen confines and find the courage to play out some of the subject matter's inherently darker convictions. Visit
HollywoodReporter.com for more ...
