Shelter (2007)

When The Rolling Stones recorded “Gimme Shelter” (1970), we think Mick Jagger might have been singing about the gay drama Shelter (2007), not to be confused with the romantic feature Shelter (2014) starring Jennifer Connelly, the short film Shelter (1997), or the horror flick The Shelter (2014). Under the pen and direction of Jonah Markowitz, this indie flick follows two men who fall in love with each other but have a difficult time making their relationship work due to their chaotic lives. Zach (Trevor Wright) is a budding artist who has a lot of family demands to shoulder. His mother is dead, his father is disabled, and his sister Jeannie (Tina Holmes) often unloads her young son Cody (Jackson Wurth) on him. To let off steam, Zach hits the waves and surfs. One day, while hanging out at the beach, he crosses paths with Shaun (Brad Rowe), a struggling writer who recently escaped the clutches of Hollywood and a dysfunctional relationship. The young buds eventually become lovers. As such, we get to watch them kiss while flashing their chests in bed. If that’s not titillating enough, Alan (Matt Bushell) struts his stuff in nothing but a towel. The arousing act is abs-tastic! Although this movie won Outstanding Film (Limited Release) at the GLAAD Media Awards and the People’s Choice Award for Best Feature at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, it was a box office flop. But just because it didn’t make money doesn’t mean it won’t earn interest in your spank bank!