dir. Neil Breen
After so many disasters – Double Down, I Am Here… Now, Fateful Findings, Twisted Pair – it would be reasonable to assume that writer-director Neil Breen is aware of his reputation. Like lots of bad movie makers before him, it’s expected for him to fall into a bit of nudge-nudge, wink-wink, self-deprecating self-awareness. But if that’s true, then his Breenius goes beyond anything we could imagine, because Cade: The Tortured Crossing seems to have been made with just the same lack of resources, the same baffling approach to storytelling, and the same downright madness as his other movies – and all with the same sincerity. A sequel to Twisted Pair, Cade: The Tortured Crossing is almost impossible to describe. There’s a psychiatric hospital, and an evil corporation, and a castle. Street children are played by adult actors. So many scenes are repeated over and over, from Breen gathering empty syringes to various people writhing about on the floor while someone tries to drag them up. There’s a woman who doesn’t do much, but can turn into a white tiger, so there’s that. In one bizarre motif, a man jabs at an electronic keyboard, culminating in a short group dance which is never explained and never mentioned again. All of this, of course, is accompanied Breen’s trademark stock photo backgrounds, Clip Art special effects, stilted acting, and awful writing. Most bad movie makers become parodies of themselves over time, but Neil Breen’s authentic strangeness is as strong as ever.
BMDb 