Despiser

Ham acting, cheesy computer-game graphics, and some of the worst dialog since "Titanic" combine to yield a surprisingly entertaining movie -- provided you're willing to suspend your good taste for a while. You can tell this movie was, well, if not exactly a labor of love, then a collaboration that was a lot of fun for the filmmakers -- most of whom take on two or three jobs, according to the credits.

Despite its super-low-budget production values and garbled symbolism, and despite the fact that the filmmakers never really seem to decide whether their film is serious or farcical, a lot of imagination went into the making of "Despiser" -- enough to make it worth watching if you get the chance.

Yes, there are more CGI scenes than life action scenes. Yes, the CGI isn't up to the "Final Fantasy The Movie" level. Still, the plot and acting here are VERY good, and I for one didn't find the CGI all that distracting. I guess that since I see a LOT of truly bad movies, with godawful effects, this one being a CGI vehicle didn't ruin it for me. Its a low budget flick, what do you expect, Jurassic Park? Its better than "Conversation with An Alien".

If this film were mediocre, it would be boring. Thank god it's really, really bad! It's the kind of bad movie where every detail invites you to wonder how the decisions that resulted in what you're watching got made. Who thought it was a good idea to set most of the movie in virtual sets that look like PS1 cutscenes? Who thought we were going to root for a protagonist who doesn't do his job, doesn't provide for his wife, and doesn't see anything wrong with driving drunk? Who thought we wouldn't notice or care about the glaring inconsistencies between where he dies and where he resurrects? This movie fails spectacularly to meet its own ambitions, but those ambitions are just so bizarre that they're mesmerizing. You won't walk away thinking you just watched a great movie, but you'll be glued to the screen while it's on!

Despiser gets a bad rap on this board for being so low budget, but if you watch the 'making of 'stuff on the DVD you realize that this is made by a guy who isn't connected to Hollywood geographically or otherwise ( Phillip Cook). The actors are mostly friends and obviously aren't Hollywood types- I find that refreshing. While people complain about the extensive use of low-end CGI effects, I find the effects to be one of the elements that makes Despiser such a charming experience. The effects don't try to fool you, they serve the overall look and ingenuity of the production. Hollywood effects often cost millions of dollars and are created on extremely expensive workstations but usually don't fool you either so this makes the effects in Despiser feel more honest and artistic. .This film is a very large and ambitious vision pulled off for very VERY little money, with a decent video camera, home computers, and sets built from stuff purchased at the home depot. In spite of it's home-made feel I don't consider this to be amateur or naiive cinema because it actually consists of a well thought out story and production. I totally admire this films gusto and ingenuity. 9 out of 10 stars.

Despiser definitely has a few logic flaws (where did the canned food in Purgatory come from, a crashed grocery truck?), but there are some very unique and clever moments, especially in the dialogue. I believe, unlike one reviewer, that the subtle humor is quite intentional and wry (the troll had us rolling in our seats). The special effects were a pleasure to watch-- very vivid and surreal, appropriately dream like. Good Job, Philip Cook.