The Gene Generation Premieres in San Francisco

Last January I took a look at The Gene Generation, a science fiction-action movie starring Bai Ling. In case you've forgotten, here's a synopsis of the plot:

“Hayden Technologies, birthplace of what was supposed to be our greatest scientific breakthrough…Led by doctor Josephine Hayden [Faye Dunaway], my team created a device capable of instantly reconfiguring human DNA. By manipulating genetic code we learned to heal wounds and cure disease all in a matter of seconds. Our miracle device was known as the trans-coder… but even miracles have their cost…” What could cure could just as easily kill.

“The ‘accident’ destroyed the atmosphere of Olympia forcing the citizens to flee to the unfinished walls surrounding our city. To gain admission to the walls you had to pass a genetics test. Thus, the emergence of “DNA Hacking” vis a vis “cheap cloning” to qualify them for admission. Private assassins were hired by the government to take out the hackers. In this glowing neon world there are floating plasma monitors mounted along the sides of a flying Chinese junk, roaming the skies of this deadly brave new world... Visuals reminiscent of both Phillip K. Dick and William Burroughs are layered in every scene. Olympia seems to exist somewhere between Bangkok, Blade Runner and Shanghai… With an explosion of rock, howling and a thumping beat from the speakers of the night club we meet Jackie [Parry Shen], the gambling addicted brother of the smolderingly hot hacker assassin, Michelle (Bai Ling). Bad debt to the local loan sharks has him in seriously troubled waters.

The surviving scientist from Hayden Technologies needs the trans-coder back. Jackie needs it to pay off his loans. The almost destroyed original inventor, Josephine, would like it back as well… Keep your eyes on the trans-coder glove. As it moves from hand to hand we take a tour of spectacular visuals. This is a film of amazing heart thumping intensity that offers images of film within film. Sounds and sights that delve into future, with glowing neon, seen through clouds of Shinjuku at night. Dreaming of a dangerous future, The Gene Generation takes us along for the ride where we are suspended in glowing plasma. The trans-coder lives in a world that is mechanical and organic… “It’s a uni-directional, biological encoder…” according to the surviving scientist. “It reconfigures a persons DNA in various sequences without the need for a tissue sample… this device could end disease as we know it.” Ying and Yang, the light within the dark, it can heal and can destroy…

The movie premieres tomorrow night (Thursday, June 5) at the "Another Hole in the Head" horror, science fiction and fantasy film festival in San Francisco. Tomorrow's showing is at 7:15 at the Roxie Cinema. There will be a second showing at 5PM on Wednesday, June 11.

For more clips, images and wallpapers head to the Official The Gene Generation Web Site.

(via underwire)
Tags:Gene Generation, genetic engineering