TANLINES (2006)
HERE’S THE 411: For wiry surf twink Midget Hollow, there’s little else to do in his small Australian beach town but sink some suds, smoke some weed, catch some waves, and suck some dick. That is, until his best friend’s brother Cass returns from his European travels all hunky and gay. But Cass has got some secrets and his return to their dead-end hometown doesn’t bode well for Midget’s own hopes to leave.
WHY’S IT SO GAY, BRO?: Midget is a locker room troll, a bit of a toilet tramp, and might even be turning tricks at the mysterious McQuillan mansion. He sucks his way through the film’s first act and eventually falls in love with Cass. Though the film looks like a softcore, it’s one of the few gay indie films that features the excitement and fear of being a hyper-sexual but closeted teen. And things certainly don’t get any easier once Midget and Cass hook up. Homophobia, hot sex, and self-loathing all keep this from just being a surf version of
A Beautiful Thing.
WORTH CATCHING?: <a href="
“>Sure, brah. “At first glance this might look like one of those unwatchable surfing and skateboarding movies where the characters are drunk or high or both and mumble indecipherable monosyllables in poorly lit rooms. It isn’t. It’s gripping, poignant and stylish. It manages to make its points concisely and clearly, but is never too obvious. I was constantly surprised by the turn of events in the plot. It manages to capture all the elements of its genre, without losing itself into a cryptic, meaningless and messy mystery, but be assured, this is no tale of Adam meets Steve and they live happily ever after.”
[
Official Site]
This week marks the debut of GaySurfers.net, the first social networking site where homo hot doggers can share their favorite spots and cruise the wave for other like-minded buds. It’s a cool development for a sport steeped in competitive cliques and “eXtreme” machismo. So to celebrate, we dug into our Netflix cache to find three recent gay surfer flicks that feature killer surf and bodacious bods. Of course, they all feature the classic trope of, “How will I ever get out of this town and find the ultimate wave?,” but they also offer some surprises like toilet tramps and bisexual babes—cowabunga! 
drewbrown
Shelter is amaaaaaazing, love that movie so much.
EdWoody
Odd how every one of these films involves somebody’s brother.
Ggeekboy
Shelter is one of my favorite gay films.
Hilarious
Shelter is my favorite movie ever. After getting it on Netflix I loved it so much I bought the DVD.
Jerr Bear
I too was urged by a friend to get in on Netflix, I did, and then I bought the DVD later. Amazing.
I pliss
Yes Shelter was a great movie! I love it so much that I bought it. I reminds me of how I met my first love! it’s a must see peeps.
D'oh, The Magnificent
Ditto on shelter.
j craig
Did anyone else recognize Alex O’Laughlin in the shower ?
Pip
tan lines is wicked hot. the guys in it are amazing looking. needed more cock nudity though.
D'oh, The Magnificent
Never understood seeing movies just because someone is eye candy. Why not just get porn if you want to get off? What’s the point of seeing a movie for that?
So Yo
i was very surprised with shelter. so many of the low budget gay coming out films bore me to death, but there was just something about shelter that was really special. i need to watch it again to put my finger on it, but i loved it.
D'oh, The Magnificent
@So Yo: part of the reason I think is that the character was going through stuff other than being gay including taking care of his brother, class differences, etc. The reason why a lot of gay movies don’t work is that they are two self absorbed with being GAY rather than being a good story about a character going through life’s journey. Very few gay men get be just gay all the time. We are many things. Here this kid was so this artist who gave up his art to be there for his little brother. All of these other layers made a big difference. Think of brokeback mountain or my beautiful laundrette or beautiful thing or other good gay movies. They always had a greater story going on than Look this is about GAY. I guess I am a big advocate of telling a story with complex characters rather than one who has only one dimension to them.
jeffree
Shelter had the double whammo of being both sexy & smart. Eye candy, heck yeah, but a good story 2. Something for the brain, the heart & the bits further South!
Will flixnet (only a fellow dyslexic will figure that out :-D) the other films so I can compare & contrast.
Rob Moore
@D’oh, The Magnificent: You are right about everything but the little brother. It is his nephew he is raising with minimal help from his sister, the little boy’s mum.
I enjoyed the movie because the characters are multi-dimensional.
anonymouse
Shelter is my favorite movie ever.
GaySurfers
Hey Guys
See you on Gaysurfers.net !!!
Thomas
mikeandrewsdantescove
I dated someone connected with the surfering scene and it was a surprise to me they are not all that cool with gays. I figured their were laid back and didn’t care about someone’s sexuality.
JJ
Tatum Becker
http://jjadams928.blogspot.com/
hephaestion
“Psycho Beach Party” with Charles Busch is my favorite gay surfer movie… after “Muscle Beach Party,” of course.
So Yo
@D’oh, The Magnificent: Ah, now that you say that it does remind me why I liked it so much! Thanks!
and @ Hephaestion: Yes, LOVE ‘Psycho Beach Party!’
Brian
I totally thought “Shelter” was just an American remake of “Tan Lines”
Loved it much more though =)
D'oh, The Magnificent
@hephaestion: I like Psycho Beach party a lot as well, but not sure if it counts a gay beach movie?
Marcus
Shelter is such a good movie–I live in SoCal, so this reminds me of my friends.
musicj48
I dont see Shelter as a gay movie. Its a movie that happens to have a gay central character. I see it as more of a movie about self-discovery and following the path you believe in. Even though Zach is gay, the movie is not centrally themed around it (at least in my mind).
musicj48
Just to clear up something, Shelter is probably one of my favorite movies and i have seen it more times than i can count.
D'oh, The Magnificent
@musicj48: I find comments like yours destructive. I would love to know what is a “gay” movie.
I say this as a writer who hears this a lot. I am told “Oh, that’s not something that Outfest would want” or “that isn’t really a gay movie.”
So what is?
And when did we develop this straight jacket (pardon the pun) of what constitutes a gay movie? Did I not get the memo that we are supposed to be limited?
I wish someone would pass on the list to me of how many cliches we are suppose to be stuck with in order for gay men to consider a movie gay related. In my book , just for the record, if the main character is gay, and that’s a part of the storyline in anyway , then its a gay movie.
We need to get out of this ghetto mentality. Maybe in your world gay means certain things, but I can assure you straights don’t see it that way.
Mo
*SPOILER ALERT*
Tan Lines was awful! Old people sex. Incest. Magical talking religious paintings. More guys calling each other “fag” than in any other “gay” film I have seen. Truly bizarre.
Midget is the only “hot” actor in this as well. Cass looks like “Hoggle” from “Labyrinth” from the neck up. He has a nice body, but the face is horrid! His brother isn’t much better looking, and isn’t gay. Midget, while exploring his sexuality in the film, doesn’t “come out” or anything and ends up just as confused as the beginning.
Skip this mess and just watch “Shelter” again!!!
ossurworld
Oh, those Aussie surfers…koo-koo.
Doughosier
Surfs Up is a classic porn from the 80’s. Wonder what became of the star, Jim North?
martinbakman
Shelter is a great movie and the shooting location is fine. I luv San Pedro.