Tiger Orange (2014) User Reviews

Original and entertaining gay indie

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 7 April 2016]

Set in a small town in rural California we meet Chet played by Mark Strano of 'Out to kill' fame. He has just organised his father's funeral and taken over the reins to run a small hardware store. He lives in what some would call a rural idyll and others would call 'the sticks'.

His brother is Todd played by Franki Valenti (aka Jonny Hazzard of 'Lair' fame and also the intriguingly named 'Hole Patrol' – which I am sure is about an annoying rabbit problem) who is more free spirited and has gone out and immersed himself in the World. Both brothers are gay but have chosen different paths, Chet of service and self denial and Todd of getting his rocks off and taking all the gay world has to offer. He is though a drifter and ends up home where they start to reconnect and explore their past.

Now this is actually a really good little indie effort. Valenti is very believable and plays the likable rogue perfectly. The direction is spot on from Wade Gasque and the camera work is mostly very good but the scenes that are beautifully framed and shot are let down by wobbly camera action in some of the dialogue scenes – seriously if it looks good and works then stick with it. It is an original story line too and deals with many issues – this is not 'porn fest' though so if that is your thing then best look elsewhere; if you like well acted and thoughtful gay based drama then there is a great film here waiting to be seen.

Oil and water

[Suradit · 7/10 · 6 July 2015]

A well done and, as far as I know, a unique story concept. Not sure how rare it is for two brothers to be gay, but the situation was quite believable.

"Johnny Hazzard," the former porn star, turned in an exceptionally good performance. He is obviously multi-talented.

Two gay sons of a small town hardware store owner turn out to be totally different personalities.

Todd, the younger brother left home for LA. He is brash, angry, confrontational. Chet, the old brother stays at home, looks after his father during his final illness and death,continues to run the father's hardware store. He is an introvert, lacks self-confidence and has become resigned to a solitary life. He is openly gay and is accepted within the small community because he isn't in anyone's face about his orientation.

When Todd leaves LA and returns to the small town because he is unemployed and without money, he definitely stirs up the town and unsettles Chet as they try to reconcile and reconnect.

The acting was great. Todd/Johnny Hazzard makes the movie come alive. The young man who plays the local police officer also did an excellent job.

Well developed plot and some thought-provoking issue resolutions. Definitely a worthwhile movie to see.

two gay brothers re-connect after many years

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 18 February 2016]

Two gay brothers reconnect after the death of their dad. Mark Strano is Chet, who stayed in the family home, and even runs the family hardware store. (Strano was also in Out to Kill). Frankie Valenti is brother Todd, who has left LA to return home, after a bad breakup. (Valenti also has a thriving career in the "alternative film industry"... which explains why we keep seeing him get undressed and dance around naked. In the adult films, he's known as Johnny Hazzard). Chet and Todd are two completely different people. Chet is quiet, conservative, and keeps a low profile. Todd is the loud, rowdie one, and they butt heads right off. And Todd likes to start fights, so we can tell its going to be a huge problem. It's a great story. Good script. MOST of the actors do a great job, but there are a couple weak apples in the crowd. or am I mixing my metaphors? All kinds of cussing and adult gay guy talk in this one, so its definitely NOT for the kiddies.

Directed by Wade Gasque, who had only directed short films before this. I was looking for a production company name on IMDb, but i see at the end of the film, this was funded by kickstarter. That's the website where people donate to the fund to get it made, and they have their name listed at the end of the credits. Glad to see it succeed. Quite entertaining.

Worth Watching But Runs A Bit Long

[meaninglessbark · 6/10 · 20 May 2016]

Tiger Orange is a generally quiet, small town queer drama, much like the film Pit Stop. The film looks good and is adequately acted.

The story feels believable even with a sort of gimmick of two gay brothers, one an I'll-do-what-I-want rebel and the other a do-what-needs-done good son.

The character of the good son nails the small town gay man who is single and avoids drawing attention to himself. The rebel son is something of a shallow character and though he definitely seems realistic there's little to like about him, the only reason to even care about the character is he's important to the good son.

Tiger Orange's greatest shortcoming is it runs a bit long. two thirds into the film I was losing interest and when the film ended I realized I'd only half paid attention to the final scenes. Still, I'd rather have quite believably than melodrama that feels tacked on for the sake of spicing things up.

It's worth watching if you're a fan of queer film and it's definitely than a lot of queer film options.

Two polar opposite gay brothers....

[ohlabtechguy · 7/10 · 7 February 2021]

Here we see an interesting concept....a gay themed movie about two gay brothers, one a bad boy, who's lived in the LA gay scene, and the other, a discreet, conservative shop owner in a rural area. The bad boy actor did an amazing job. He was a bit over the top, but was convincing. When bad boy faces homelessness in LA, he goes back home to his brother. This is when we get to see some underlying resentments resolved and perhaps some anti-social behavior modification? Ending left me a little confused....but overall a good production with a good pace and script.

considering the low budget, a solid effort

[dawangyoushu · 8/10 · 13 January 2017]

Maybe the pacing is a little off, maybe a little script doctoring is in order, but for a low budget indie gay film, this is pretty good. Gay men will appreciate Frankie Valenti's butt (which many of us have seen in other filmic contexts), and may be surprised, as I was, at his solid acting chops. A few little things stood out: Tood (Frankie V.) wears cowboy boots with shorts, a bandanna on his head, while plinking at nothing in particular with his bb gun. Beats the hell out of the stereotypical costuming usually reserved for the-city-boy-come-home-to-the-small-town meme. That bit felt real to me. The flashback scenes of Todd and his brother Chet also have moments that work--good casting, here, too, as these young actors work well together. Marc Strano at the helm of a film he costars in has done good work with Tiger Orange. Far better than the usual gay indie work, well edited, well shot, well done. Those of us who grew up gay and closeted will see familiar situations, here.

Very disappointed in this story

[billy_dana · 4/10 · 4 December 2015]

Ugh. There are elements I appreciate in this story, but in general it fails to get airborne. The black sheep brother needed an actor with strong chops - as much as I wanted this role to work for this movie it never comes to life, gains much dimension.

In fact none of the acting in the story is very strong. I like the lead character very much and he's fighting to rise to the occasion, but his work feels uneven and never fully engaged. Ugh again! Great story idea, great setting, like the premise of the brothers who have parted ways - but it ultimately doesn't work.

(It is almost certainly unfair to push this all off on the actors! The directing seems uneven and unfocused as well.) This is a story I'd love someone to try and do again - with a much stronger cast and better direction.

Frankie Valenti shines.

[paulcreeden · 8/10 · 8 November 2016]

I was thrilled to see a famous gay male porn star break through to a mainstream gay film. Frankie Valenti/Johnny Hazzard brought more than his killer looks and ink to this film. I think he saved it. His masculine and unshakable character rang truer than most portrayals of sexual gay men in small gay films. He was hot and natural.

The other lead character, Chet, played by writer Mark Strano, was well written. I think Strano did his best to translate his script but the character came across as clinically depressed rather than likable and conflicted. Nothing that a little anti-depressant might have cured probably. Not to say that the character was unrepresentative of closeted gay men in the hinterlands. Just that depression isn't that interesting to watch.

A good Netflix addition. Not too badly gay-genre typical. Still not "A Single Man" or "Stranger by the Lake".

Lost before it began

[Coralknight · 2/10 · 26 May 2020]

The synopsis of this is what drew me to watch, which was in itself pretty intelligent. But shortly in when the adult characters started to reveal themselves, I became aware of just how miscast and horrible the acting was, which compelled me to look them up on IMDB at about minute 11. Well, surprise, surprise! One of the leads who very soon begins to get a lot of naked/butt-shots turns out to be a gay porn star in real life. I have seen other films wherein a lead "actor" turns out to be a gay male porn star (Judas Kiss, starring Sean Lockhart/Brent Corrigan) and they always strike me with more questions about the actors than about the film in question. Specifically, a) why were they cast in these roles as opposed to legitimate actors? b) who thought they could actually carry a non-pornographic role? c) did the producers think they would be enough of a "draw" to sacrifice the film's quality? I still don't know the answers here, but these bad casting choices and worse script made this movie fail before I could even get vested in caring about any outcome. Definitely not worth watching...unless maybe Johnny Hazard is your particular "dream" in which you want to see him with his clothes ON (at least some of the time).

Finally, A Decent One

[tommy5677 · 8/10 · 9 July 2019]

Some writing movie reviews are obvious wannabes that have a need to trash everything, even when it's good. I'm not Siskel or Ebert and I'm not Rex Reed but I know solid gay themed movies when I see them.

Perhaps we don't want to give Frankie Valenti, AKA Johnny Hazzard of gay porn fame, the credit he deserves because guess what. The guy can actually act. Ok, so he's no Sean Penn but he's very capable and turns in a fine convincing performance here. I've not seen any of his other mainstream work but I will seek to do that now.

When you compare this to other attempts at gay themed cinema, you begin to realize just how good it is. Good production values, lighting sound, acting ability, direction, camera direction, etc., it's all here.

It's difficult not to feel sorry for both brothers, each revealing to us the pathetic paths they've chosen. One a responsible albeit reclusive loner, the other a worldly whore with nothing to show for it but empty pockets and failure at every level - work, relationships, and a general inability to navigate life. Bringing the two together after the death of their father, himself angry and cruel, certainly makes for good conflict.

Anytime someone tells you there's a good gay themed movie out there and you happen to be in search of that, put this one on the list of must sees. You won't be disappointed unless you're a real critic with a bone to pick.

Terribly over acted

[cekadah · 5/10 · 3 August 2016]

Much ado about nothing! Not one character is believable! The plot is easy to go with but the characterizations are just over the top.

The separation and differences between the brothers just comes across a trying and contrived. I'm trying to find something positive to write about this flick! Yet nothing comes to mind.

The audience for this story is very limited to just the gay community because of it's plot. Two gay brothers finally communicating after years of separation and a vast difference in life style. Good luck watching it start to finish!

Blah!

Small-Town Drama

[SwollenThumb · 9/10 · 12 May 2018]

Indie gem (crowd-funded). Taut small-town drama in which the unfavoured son/brother returns and disturbs the tranquility his older brother has established in his life. Finely acted by all. Perfectly paced and totally successful in what it aims to achieve. (viewed 9/16)

A Pre-view Re-view

[robtaday · 3/10 · 9 August 2016]

No one seems to mention this is a play on the Biblical Prodigal Son. As such, it is interesting that the leads are homosexual. Imagine if, in the Bible, that is why the younger son left!

I have only seen about 20 minutes and I could already tell, from the body ink of the lost son, that he was a porn star, amateur or otherwise since that is how they look nowadays. It is also interesting that, as in the Bible, the younger son goes off to live a life of total debauchery and comes home because regardless of his "charm and talent", no one wants him for anything but his body either and they get tired of that too - been there, done that, see ya, it's been fun, etc.

I can also tell that the Elder Brother is a bit envious of the daring do of his little brother although I do not think he would like it for long.

The setup had the father, who by all accounts was a good one, simply admonishing his young sons against sodomy. What is so bad about that? Nowadays, I guess it is child abuse. Sigh.

So the younger son resented Daddy; he stole Barbie Dolls from his school friends and of course this was cool because he had already seen Big Brother's Blue Boy mag. Did they fool around ever?

And then he went off to seek his fortune or to get out of that stinkin small town where nobody can be gay, yadda yadda yadda. And of course he has that "look" that gets you picked up in 10 seconds because well, you have that "look." Are we supposed to blame all his problems on daddy?

I am on a gay film fest this week just to see what the world is propagandizing in that area. Next, some flick about gay boys who like "bears." It's a comedy so should be hilarious, huh?

Frankie Valenti is Johnny Hazzard.

[lavendertraveler · 10/10 · 16 April 2019]

Porno star Johnny Hazzard goes mainstream in Tiger Orange. I expected him to fall flat on his handsome face, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Hazzard is a delight to watch throughout. Tiger Orange is not a porno, that is of course the first thought that will cross your mind, and understandably so. It is extremely rare for an erotic entertainer to cross over into clothed features.

There is plenty of skin, but no more sex than any other mainstream feature, less sex than one episode of many foreign televisions shows.

Tiger Orange is the story of two battling gay brothers, Hazzard plays the naughty, slutty, irresponsible, destitute, boyfriend stealing, sexier younger brother. So Hazzard is not playing against type, it might have been better to cast him as the sexually repressed older brother.

I don't know how much of Tiger Orange is improvisation, but it seems like Hazzard's real personality shines through. And he's a winner, the kind of kid brother, or next door neighbor we all fantasize about. A partner who's fun to be around all the time.

And that's the root of the problem in Tiger Orange. Younger brother always outshines dull, responsible, hard working, small town, respectful, plain, stable elder brother. It's a good script, and an engrossing story.

Sure, there's room for improvement, but Tiger Orange holds your attention from start to finish. At the emotional fraternal conclusion you yearn for just a little more. You don't want the ride to be over.

Bad

[joenoremitunes · 1/10 · 30 November 2023]

Wow. This was not just bad, this was "oh my god" bad, lol. I wish I could make the same pursed up face that the main character of this movie makes throughout the film, as a review for the movie.

First of all, the older brother who runs the hardware store, who is supposed by all his customers to be "straight", but is secretly gay, would not have fooled anyone even in that small backwards town. The faces he makes are about the gayest thing I have ever seen in my life, and I've seen some very gay things.

And as for the other brother....he's obviously supposed to be the prodigal son ne'er do well, and I guess he fits that. But his "acting" couldn't even convince someone who was favorably disposed to this rubbish, and I only say that because I'm feeling generous today.

Brotherhood between love and devotion

[lucaraciti74 · 10/10 · 4 June 2015]

The movie is great. Strano and Valenti give life to two brothers who really seem to be real. Two different characters together in struggle to be themselves. In conflict with their inner being and apparently between them, they give life to the sense of brotherhood which should be between two brothers and also friends. One who tries to be as much free as he can, the other one close to the sense of family. Both will get to the same goal eventually being in a brotherhood of love and free. Director manages to express the loneliness of both different characters, the tireness of life till they find themselves in the end. I recomnend everyone to watch this movie because it has a powerful message for everyone.

Better than expected...but

[steeleronaldr · 8/10 · 21 November 2020]

I admit that when I first heard of "Tiger Orange" I wanted to see if. I love the concept of it, was something never explored before so it was a good start. It's budget was a tad under $100.000 so getting decent actor's was perhaps not in the budget they had. The story is well written and the script is tight which is good. The acting was a bit off by a couple of the actors.

Mark Strano who played (Chet) I thought was too stiff and unconvincing. Though he is the writer of the story I can say his acting is very shallow. Frankie Valenti who played (Todd) was impressive, a former gay porn star who's known as (Johnny Hazzard). Then there is Vincent Duvall who played the father a seasoned TV actor. Together they play a family living in a small homophobic town.

Chet and Todd are estranged brothers who reconnect after the recent passing of their father. Chet who is more grounded, responsible, laid back and straight acting runs his father's hardware store and lives in the house he shared with his dad. The town excepts him as he is as he doesn't rib it in there faces just goes about his business. Todd who left home for L.A. takes full advantage of the gay scene and all it has to offer. He's a partier who has several sexual encounter (a gay whore) who's unemployed and broke. He goes home and he and his brother soon struggle to reconnect.

Some of the issues I had was what happened to the mother, was Todd kicked out of the house or leave voluntarily, what illness was it that would claim their fathers life and finally how in a homophobic town are there so many gay guys that are open. With all that the story leaves the plot holes for one to figure it out themselves. Yet the story was still strong enough to gain and keep your attention throughout.

I will add this to my collection soon as I'm a sucker for a good drama and this movie is nothing short on that. It still managed to get the point across and provide a good movie. Keeping the budget in mind this movie definitely does not come off as a cheaply made movie. I do say that a bigger budget on this movie would do it justice with of course bigger names in it. Still I recommend this small gem for it's entertaining value of it. It also doesn't sale itself for something it's not. I'll say I was impressed with the quality of this movie and I think the standout performance by Frankie Valenti/Johnny Hazzard. He proved to me that he can carry a movie and carry his own weight I hope to see him in other movies to see a more in-depth look at his acting chops.