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A selection at the recent Dances With Films: Festival of the Unknowns at Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex, "To Hell With Love" is a lightweight ensemble comedy that may have honorable intentions but can't overcome its lack of originality or wit.

The directorial debut of former sports magazine editor Karl Kozak, who co-wrote the script with lead actor David Coburn, this low-budget production from San Diego-based FilmQuest Partners is by the numbers and instantly forgettable.

Scatterbrained writer Alan (David Coburn) loses his job, car, girlfriend, computer hard drive, manuscript and privacy in one day. Always running late and distracted by his creative struggles, he's ill-suited for regular work and gets canned from a sales position with barely a whimper of protest. Always leaving keys in the ignition, he's an easy mark for thieves.

Alan's girlfriend Julie (Natalie Williams) complains about his staying up late working on the computer, but she's not entirely candid about why she up and moves out. Moving in with no thought about the consequences is cousin Nick Corey Michael Blake) from New York, a walking cliche of Italian lugs who like to cook and scam the girls.

Andrew (Michael McCafferty), Alan's successful brother, is more frustrated in his marriage than he admits and gets an opportunity to have an affair on a business trip. Andrew's wife of seven years, Elizabeth D. Candis Paule), is vaguely aware of the tension in their relationship but learns she's pregnant just as a major crisis unfolds.

As luck and too-precious screenwriting would have it, Alan's unpublished book is rescued by a single, up-and-coming editor (Kate Parselle) who chats him up over dinner and goes to bat for him with her bosses. Cousin Nick, who's never had a girlfriend but talks the talk, meets his dream woman (Julie McKee) at his new job as a chef and then promptly loses her. More paper-thin conflicts and bogus resolutions ensue.

With a largely unknown cast, blandly filmed and filled with such lame and mildly offensive jokes as a bubbly gay bootleg cabbie in San Francisco and giant bird turds falling on hapless Andrew, "To Hell With Love" is a waste of a good title.

TO HELL WITH LOVE

FilmQuest Partners

In association with Moon Entertainment

Director: Karl Kozak

Screenwriters: Karl Kozak, David Coburn

Producers: Victor Lou, Karl Kozak

Executive producer: Gary Dubie, Michael Gonzales

Director of photography: Victor Lou

Editor: Robert Pergament

Music: Scott Harper

Color/stereo

Cast:

Alan: David Coburn

Nick: Corey Michael Blake

Sarah: Kate Parselle

Andrew: Michael McCafferty

Maria: Julie McKee

Julie: Natalie Williams

Elizabeth: D. Candis Paule

Dad: Michael Moerman

Running time -- 97 minutes

No MPAA rating...