In the sexy new film, On_Line, a melting pot of very different people—straight, gay, bisexual, Black, white, etc.—are connected by a
couple of things. First off, horniness. Secondly, a modem or DSL line.
A very modern sex comedy/romance, On_Line revolves around a sordid pay Web site, Intercon-X, and its users and founders.
One of the main subplots involves Ed (Eric Millegan) a very cute, very lonely gay teen at a small-town college, and Al (John Fleck), an
equally lonely although experienced older gay man in NYC. At first serving up a sleazy Nazi act for Ed's turgid masturbatory pleasure,
Al and the kid eventually form a more down-to-earth bond ... love! It's very sweet, and very sexy—almost every cast member savors
self-love during the film's course. Harold Perrineau (of Oz and Matrix Reloaded), Josh Hamilton, and Isabel Gillies co-star.
On_Line was written and directed by Jed Weintrob, a certifiable techno-nerd. 'I was a PC junkie from when I was a kid, addicted to
chatrooms from 14 years old,' he admits. 'Before there was an internet, when you had to dial up these little sex services and put cups
over the phone and your parents would be like 'what are you doing on your computer?''
Although heterosexual, Weintrob turned to a gay friend when researching the world of sex sites and those who frequent them. To
discuss the film, online sex life, and off-line, I spoke with out actor Millegan (who appeared in B'way's revival of Godspell) and
Weintrob.
LF: Tell me about this gay friend who helped you 'research' On-Line's characters and situations.
Jed Weintrob: This guy had really gotten into the warped side of it. He would have these sessions where he would videotape his
computer screen, and some of the guys' [he would do things with] had names that were way out there, like 'Shiteater.' 'Shiteater'
would type 'I just messed myself' and then he would be covered with his own poo and start eating it. My friend would show me these
things while I was developing the script, and he would always put a piece of paper over the half of the screen he was on. Eventually
he developed a relationship [with someone online]. They started jerking-off online, then would talk on the phone and, finally, he
invited this guy over to his house.
LF: How did you research your role, Eric? And was your portrayal of Ed based on anyone in particular?
Eric Millegan: Jed gave me a webcam. Some of these sites ... a lot of it is is people with cameras pointed at their dicks and you
have to get them to lift it so you can see their faces. There's a community in Broadway of fans who want to make the official Web site
of whomever, and this one kid wanted to make mine. I based Ed on him ... the way Ed tends to give up and get upset about
everything, everything is always ruined. He was gay but lonely. And now he's like Ed five years later! He moved in with this guy in
Boston.
LF: Did anyone actually get wet or hard during filming?
JW: That's a good question. I think you probably have to ask the actors, but I do know people took it to a certain level. All the
actors at one point told me 'if the cameras weren't in the room we'd go all the way with it.'
LF: Do you feel the characters in On-Line, and internet addicts in general, are losers?
JW: No. I think these characters were a little damaged at one point in their lives, took a step back into their apartments, and
constructed this stronger, more powerful, more interesting internet self and sort of got stuck in that world.
EM: It can fuck up your head, too. I'm online every day, and when I go a day without it it changes you.
JW: We explored the sex world not only because it's such a prevalent phenomenon on the Web but because I sort of see the sex
sites as the cockroaches of the Web. The only things that are left standing after the whole dotcom apocalypse.
