Author Topic: Shelter: The "gay surfer movie" (it's so much more!). See it now and discuss it!  (Read 323978 times)

injest

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I agree with your take on it.  Also, guys in their late teens, early twenties (or any age really,) tend to reduce everything down to sex.  Don't we?  ;D

I know cattle raisers in their 40s do!  >:( >:(

he dont' cool off soon I am locking him outta the house!

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Wow, had no idea it's been out that long.



Some where in all these pages you will read it was shot in like 18 days in December of 2005 for like $400,000!
"It was only you in my life, and it will always be only you, Jack, I swear."

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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I know cattle raisers in their 40s do!  >:( >:(

he dont' cool off soon I am locking him outta the house!

 :laugh: :laugh: ;D ;)
"It was only you in my life, and it will always be only you, Jack, I swear."

Offline oilgun

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I know cattle raisers in their 40s do!  >:( >:(

he dont' cool off soon I am locking him outta the house!

Or better yet, send him over to my place!  :laugh:

Offline Lumière

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Here is my take on Gabe....he was trying so hard to put Zach at ease...Trying to show he was ok with the situation. They have been friends for years remember? So I am sure they are used to talking about sex...probably pretty graphically, so he was striving to put things into their regular conversation. (just my thoughts)

Good point, J.  He was probably trying to make his friend more relaxed about the whole situation (although it clearly had the opposite effect).  Still, he was coming from a good place, right?  ;)


I agree with your take on it.  Also, guys in their late teens, early twenties (or any age really,) tend to reduce everything down to sex.  Don't we?  ;D

Point taken.  8)


injest

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Or better yet, send him over to my place!  :laugh:

you would get tired of him soon enough and want to send him back!

 :laugh: :laugh:

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Okay I had to revive this because you all are so used to Treavor Wright now.

Look at this clip from the first episode of "I Dream of Jeanie". Maybe it is the beach and the waves and all, but man wouldn't Treavor be perfect to play Tony Nelson if they ever made a movie of this?

And, they could dye Amy Winehouse's hair blonde and if she could stay sober long enough she could be Jeanie.



[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxY3XxCWiwk[/youtube]



"It was only you in my life, and it will always be only you, Jack, I swear."

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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Look at this clip from the first episode of "I Dream of Jeanie". Maybe it is the beach and the waves and all, but man wouldn't Treavor be perfect to play Tony Nelson if they ever made a movie of this?


Very clever!

(Look how young--and cute!--Larry Hagman was. Sigh. Supposedly a very, very nice guy, but complicated. As complicated as Amy Winehouse!)
"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline piano71

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Just spent hours reading all 55 pages of this thread. So my first post will be a random jumble of thoughts in response to past posts.

MPAA rating and censorship issues: I think the "R" rating was more for language than for the sex scene or gay content. There are a couple dozen f-bombs in the dialogue, and the MPAA usually only permits about 1-3 in a PG-13 movie. If you watch the trailer, which was approved for all audiences (meaning the MPAA considered it to have G-rated content!), it is carefully edited to convey that this is a gay-themed movie. Several Zach-Shaun kisses (cut just before their lips meet), as well as scenes of them in bed together, are shown in the preview ... but no one says the word "gay."

It appears to me that here! has targeted the marketing and distribution of this film to gay audiences. I think many straight folk will quickly put this movie back on the shelf after seeing the cover art, which shows two men lying in bed together giving each other loving looks. If this film had been promoted differently, with wider distribution, different posters, etc., it could have had mainstream cross-over appeal (like "Brokeback Mountain"). This marketing approach also may explain why the big-box chain stores didn't pick up this title.

I seldom see independent gay cinema titles in big-box stores like Circuit City or Best Buy. Chain stores will carry some gay-themed major studio productions (such as "Wilde," "Capote," "Brokeback Mountain," and "The Birdcage"), but not the indie stuff. I've had the best luck finding independent gay-themed titles through mail-order, or in gay bookstores. I prefer not to think of this as a shameful / closeted thing, so much as a specialized thing. It's also good for the community to patronize independent businesses. If the chain stores don't see profit$ from selling independent gay movies, there are independent businesses who believe in the value of this genre and will gladly sell us the movies we want!

My favorite scene: When Zach returns to Shaun at the end, Shaun notices someone is trying to contact him on the walkie-talkie. He picks it up, a little surprised at first, and quickly figures out Zach must be close by. Though still hurting from their argument and break-up, he gets a little smile on his face, recognizing that Zach has come back to him. He's ready and willing to forgive.

One thing I'm not sure of: Did Shaun keep that walkie-talkie close at hand, awaiting a call from Zach? Or did Zach sneak into the house (he still had codes / keys) and plant it there?

Gay parenting issue: This film takes a radical stance in favor of gay parenting / gay adoption. Religious conservatives oppose the idea of allowing gay couples (especially two men) to adopt children. Jeanne trots out their usual specious arguments ("Cody needs a positive man in his life," as if to say Shaun is a bad influence just because he's gay). This film shows us otherwise, setting up a scenario in which a heterosexual couple (Jeanne and Allen) would make for lousy parents, while a gay couple (Shaun and Zach) would provide Cody with a good upbringing. Jeanne is forced to realize this (though she resists all the way to the end).

Zach's portfolio / CalArts application: The last time we see Zach's portfolio is the scene where Gabe bursts in the house. During the mad scramble to put on clothes, Zach's portfolio is among all the piles of clothes, towels, etc. in Shaun's bedroom. Zach sneaks out (wearing one of Shaun's shirts) while Shaun distracts Gabe. He leaves the portfolio behind. (Another thing Gabe might notice that clues him in to what's going on...)

After the argument / break-up in the car, there's a scene where Zach is looking for the portfolio back at home but can't find it. Shaun tries to call Zach on his cell phone, but Zach doesn't take the call. Was Shaun just trying to call so they could work through their argument? I think something more was going on...

Zach seems surprised in a later scene when he picks up the voice mail from the CalArts admissions office, saying they got his application, reviewed it, then sent his portfolio back to "the Ocean Beach" address it had been sent from. At that moment, Zach realizes Shaun had snagged the portfolio and sent it to CalArts, along with an application - *after* their argument/breakup. I don't think Zach ever filled out that application - he resisted the idea when Shaun gave him the paperwork. Shaun couldn't just give up on Zach - he did Zach's application for him, so Zach would get that "push" he needed to get his life back on track. Shaun's unconditional love was powerful - how many people would do this for someone who just dumped them for the wrong reasons?

One more thing about Gabe: The ending would have been even more powerful if Gabe had been there with Zach, Shaun, and Cody in the closing scene (which was supposed to take place months later, perhaps after Zach's first semester of art school). Surely by then, Gabe would have come back home and learned that Zach and Shaun had worked things out, moved in together, and unofficially taken custody of Cody ... big changes while he was out traveling and partying. From the conversation in the diner, we learn Gabe still valued Zach's friendship. They would certainly run into each other again in the future, given the close-knit circle of family/friends they had.


Offline belbbmfan

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Hey piano!

Nice to see you here. Welcome to bettermost. Pull up a log and stick a boot in the fire!

I agree about the marketing of this film. And it's sad to think that a movie like this will go unnoticed by so many people because of it. For instance, on the dvd disc itself, one of the extras is shown. Someone who isn't even in the movie in any significant way. It's just 'a hot guy in a wetsuit'. I don't get that. Why no picture of Shaun and Zach? Or of them with Cody?  ???

And, yeah, the make up scene at the end! One of my favorites too. I thought the acting of both of them was really really good, very sensitive and subtle. I loved Zach's voice breaking just as he was saying 'I'm so sorry'. And I loved how Zach threw away the walkie talkie as he was hugging Shaun. Great symbolism.

I'm glad I discovered this movie. I just wish I could have seen it in the cinema (I live in europe).


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