Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Double Down / The Oeuvre of Neil Breen

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Double Down / The Oeuvre of Neil Breen

    This has nil thread written all over it, but has anyone else stumbled across this man's work?

    I've seen some lousy movies in my time, but Mr Breen takes bad film-making to an entire new level. It's not even bad in an entertaining way like The Room. I'll at least give Breen the credit that no one makes movies like Neil Breen.

    #2
    Oh my yes. I'm pretty sure I've sung his, um, praises, on this forum. I was steered in his direction by The Flop House episode on Fateful Findings, which I maintain is far superior to The Room as a so-bad-it's-good film. But I assumed it was a one-off until they did Pass Thru, at which point I realised he'd made an entire series of films with the same lack of technical ability or budget, sociopathic God-complex narratives, and hilarious dialogue. I absolutely adore them. Unfortunately, it seems like you can only get most of them by sending him money directly, which given the aforementioned sociopathic God complex, I'm not very keen on doing.

    Comment


      #3
      Problem is, I'm really struggling to get to the end of Double Down. I'm kind of watching it in 20-minute chunks, because that's all my brain can stand at any one time. It's like listening to Vogon poetry.

      The ingredients of Double Down are essentially:

      60% Basil Exposition voiceover, while Neil fiddles around with cellphones, laptops and TV satellite dishes
      20% stock footage
      20% ludicrous dialogue

      If anyone's interested, here's a compilation of 'highlights'.

      Comment


        #4
        60% Basil Exposition voiceover, while Neil fiddles around with cellphones, laptops and TV satellite dishes
        20% stock footage
        20% ludicrous dialogue
        That's the ingredients for all of his movies. It's great.

        Comment


          #5
          Also you forgot 5% "beefcake" shots of him skinny dipping or rockclimbing.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Ginger Yellow View Post
            Also you forgot 5% "beefcake" shots of him skinny dipping or rockclimbing.
            Unfortunately he climbs rocks like a typical middle-aged man. And we have to bloody watch him from start to finish.

            It does pick up some pace in the final third, but Christ, it's hard work.

            The difference between Breen and other filmmakers of limited talent is intent. I'm sure, in his head, Tommy Wiseau thought he was channelling Tennessee Williams. And Ed Wood was trying to produce the next The Day the Earth Stood Still. But I've really no idea what planet Breen's on.

            Comment


              #7
              Breen makes Wiseau and Wood look like masters of their craft. He has no idea how editing works, what acting is, or that there even is such a thing as sound editing

              Comment


                #8
                So should I track down Fateful Findings? Or is it just exactly the same?
                Last edited by Stumpy Pepys; 28-03-2018, 21:57.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Track it down! I had to get a US DVD from Amazon.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    So I tracked down a copy of Fateful Findings and watched it last night. Like Double Down, the plot makes virtually no sense.

                    Some observations:

                    * Much less of Neil explaining the plot. Unfortunately the exposition is replaced by rotten acting and lousy dialogue
                    * Neil with lots of broken laptops? Check.
                    * There's a mysterious puff of smoke, a book and a dark cube. I've still no idea what they mean
                    * When Neil reconnects with his childhood sweetheart, wouldn't it have made sense to cast a woman who wasn't half his age?
                    * Is no young woman immune to Neil's charms?
                    * I didn't need to see Neil's butt. Again.
                    * The closing scene of the film is worth the entrance money alone

                    This man explains Fateful Findings better than I could: https://youtu.be/QOq6BYZ2ho4

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I'm very excited. Prompted by a recommendation from listening to an old Flop House episode, I tracked down a dodgy internet copy of I Am Here Now, which I am assured has an even crazier ending than Fateful Findings. Assuming it's not just malware, I have new Breen to watch!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Fantastic. The credits are barely over and he's already got stigmata and PCBs stuck to his body.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I've had experience of this film. The baby is my abiding memory, plus the obligatory Breen as the Messiah stuff.

                          He's got a new movie out now called Twisted Pair.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Oh. My. Breen.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              The Fateful Findings episode of How Did This Get Made just dropped. They had the appropriate reaction to it, to the extent that they suggested they might do it every year. Though, funnily enough they didn't quite pick up on the messiah complex stuff, though they came close. Apparently this was their very first exposure to him. Looking forward to them doing other films in future.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Originally posted by Stumpy Pepys View Post
                                He's got a new movie out now called Twisted Pair.
                                https://www.reddit.com/r/hdtgm/comme...e_beenblessed/

                                Not sure I would feel good about putting money in Breen's pockets for this though.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  New Breen incoming.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Ginger Yellow
                                    Did you watch Twisted Pair, out of interest?

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Not yet. Still don't want to pay him money.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        PM for you.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Trailer for the new Breen https://cade-crossing.com/trailer/

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Wow. Why waste time shooting on location or using special effects, when you can use Chromakey? Badly.

                                            The fight scene at the end is particularly memorable.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              Apparently the new one came out.

                                              Comment

                                              Working...
                                              X