Two Movies

[lsanderson]

Out on the Waves
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
Published: March 28, 2008

A confused young artist is torn between his family and his future in “Shelter,” a sensitive romantic drama from the writer and director Jonah Markowitz.

Set in the working-class San Pedro area of Los Angeles, the movie centers on Zach (Trevor Wright), a short-order cook. Between shifts Zach pursues a desultory relationship with his girlfriend, Tori (Katie Walder), and acts as surrogate father to his 5-year-old nephew, Cody (Jackson Wurth). His real passion, however, is painting, expressed in the stenciled graffiti he sprays on neighborhood buildings and in the art-school dreams that his selfish sister (Tina Holmes) is determined to sabotage. More



Good-Natured Raunchiness
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
Published: March 28, 2008

With its breezy shots of male genitalia and characters nicknamed Long John and Tripod, “A Four Letter Word” is a surprisingly endearing romantic comedy that explores gay relationships with low-budget verve.

The film’s swishy centerpiece is Luke (Jesse Archer), a promiscuous “gay cliché” who works in a Chelsea sex shop along with his friend Zeke (Cory Grant). While Luke chases sexual oblivion, Zeke engages in social activism and a running commentary on Luke’s moral shortcomings. But when Luke falls for a less flamboyant lover named Stephen (Charlie David, clearly cast primarily for looks) and decides to cut back on the sparkles, he soon discovers that his new boyfriend is even more old-fashioned than he thought. More

Comments

[rvrjoe775.livejournal.com]

We tried getting in to see Shelter last year in San Francisco's GLBT Film Festival, even waiting in line after it was officially sold out to see if there were no-shows. Hopefully Good-Natured Raunchiness is an improvement over Slutty Summer - although nekkid boys may help one overlook weak story and characters.