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Despiser
Key East // R // April 15, 2003
List Price: $26.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Psalm 23."
"We're on a highway to Hell. AC/DC. 1980."
Gordon (Mark Redfield) has had better days. In the space of a few hours, the aspiring artist was fired, dumped by his wife, and evicted. As he drives towards an uncertain future, Gordon swerves out of the way to avoid careening into a pair of kids, plunging off a bridge and into Purgatory. Surrounded by a small army of trigger-happy hostiles, Gordon is rescued by a ragtag band of fighters whose heroic sacrifices stranded them in this netherworld. Among them are the devoutly religious soldier Nimbus, fighter pilot Tomasawa, British fire fighter Charlie Roadtrap, and gunslinger Jake. The four of them have spent decades attempting to escape from the ever-changing landscape, as well as to avoid the sinister clutches of the Despiser, an evil being whose legions of Ragmen and Shadowmen have been collecting a massive array of missiles from some unknown purpose. The Despiser and his adversaries share a common interest, and both find a glimmer of hope when Gordon inadvertently disappears from their realm. Determined to learn Gordon's secret, the Despiser dispatches his minions in reality to capture Maggie, Gordon's wife, and drag her screaming to Purgatory. Gordon takes the bait, reteaming with the freedom fighters to launch an assault on the Despiser's fortress.
Despiser is extremely ambitious visually, moreso than most effects-driven blockbusters with countless millions more at their disposal. Virtually every shot in the movie features some sort of digital manipulation, ranging from subtle layer and color tweaks in Adobe After Effects to rendering fifty-foot tall alien creatures. As Despiser is an independent film with limited resources and not a $100 million Matrix sequel, it's no great surprise that the CGI is comparatively unpolished. Still, its effects have garnered extensive praise from the handful of reviewers that have tackled the film to date, and it even took home the "Best Special Effects Feature" award at Shriekfest. Given that the immense task of creating this virtual world was performed primarily by just two people, this makes Despiser sound all the more impressive.
It's one thing to sound great conceptually and quite another to translate well to the screen. The intermingling of live-action footage with these sorts of computer-generated characters and backgrounds made me feel more as if I were watching a cutscene on a mid-'90s CD-ROM game like "Return to Zork" than a feature-length film. The bulk of the Purgatory sets are virtual, and these disparate elements aren't blended well enough to avoid an overall disjointed look. The cast is separated from the backgrounds to such a great extent that the rare scenes shot on physical sets feel jarring. Philip Cook has likened his vision of Purgatory to Oz, and the unique visuals do play better outside of reality. Still, effects like a high-rise suicide and Gordon's initial car wreck are more likely to elicit a snicker than the shudder that's probably intended. Most of the computer generated imagery is too bright and smooth to seem realistic, and the movie's human character models are stiff and blocky.
Though the effects in and of themselves aren't likely to consistently floor jaded viewers, the way in which they're used to string together shots is genuinely impressive by any reasonable standard. The camera is dynamic and fluid, providing shots that are virtually impossible to accomplish outside the digital realm. At the same time, the camerawork doesn't come across as forced or gimmicky, and its constant motion isn't to the point of distraction. The editing, directing, and particularly the cinematography are all first-rate.
I couldn't really get a feel for the intended tone of the movie. Though it had some obviously comedic moments, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to view Despiser as a light but straightforward action movie or if it was a stab at camp. At one point, a Shadowman is frustrated with his battered human form, annoyed with a right foot that's dangling by a thread. He shoots himself, rips off his foot, then grabs a grenade and blows himself into a bagful of bloodied bite-size chunks. Troll dolls spring to life, ominously muttering "You're gonna die!", and one even dances around as Gordon unloads a pistol at it. Probably the single funniest moment in the movie is when a Shadowman is distributing firearms to a legion of dim-witted Ragmen, one of whom inadvertently starts firing wildly and has to be put down. These are clearly intended to get a laugh and do succeed, but I'm not sure if I'm meant to look at the rest of the less-blatantly comedic movie in a similar light. Regardless of the intent, there are a couple of lengthy sequences that didn't really work for me, such as a scene where the characters have to one-by-one cross the span of two buildings, similar to Judgment Night or any one of a number of other movies. The performances and dialogue are sometimes clumsy, particularly with a couple of unconvincing accents and cartoonishly over-the-top villains. One sample exchange:
I never really felt drawn to the characters, and this lack of emotional interest effectively dulled any tension or suspense. Maggie and Gordon also spend so little time together on-screen that I didn't find myself sucked into their romance either.
I like the concept. I respect the ambition. I didn't, however, find myself taken with Despiser, and considering how passionate the talent involved is about the finished product, I have to admit to feeling the slight tinge of guilt about panning it. Despiser is the sort of movie that sounds interesting when reading or hearing about it, but it doesn't translate well to a 105 minute film.
Video: Despiser is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. I've never been particularly fond of the shot-on-video look, but given the extraordinarily high number of effects shots and the limited resources at hand, that was obviously the most sensible route to take. Given Despiser's video origins, many of the flaws associated with film-based transfers are noticeable absent. However, sharpness is somewhat variable, with much of the movie appearing somewhat soft, and video noise is scattered throughout. My baseless guess is that an attempt was made in post-production to have Despiser look less like video and more like film, and if that's the case, it managed to capture the weaker aspects of both worlds. Despiser's presentation is somewhat of a mixed bag as a result, but judging from the trailer and the stills on Eagle Films' site, this DVD appears to be representative of the intended look of the movie.
Audio: Despiser features a Dolby Digital 5.0 soundtrack, mislabeled as 5.1 in the audio setup menu, and the lack of a dedicated LFE channel is apparent. The low-end is mostly thin and insubstantial, despite the innumerable gunshots and monstrous explosions scattered throughout. Dialogue is rendered inconsistently, often coming across as lightly distorted and overly bassy. Dialogue is also present in all five speakers, most heavily in the three front channels and to a lesser extent in the surrounds. Due in part to the murmur of dialogue in the rears, there was constantly activity roaring from that direction, but hearing conversations from behind as well as in front of me was so distracting that I wound up disabling the surround speakers early on. There is also a persistent underlying hiss, as well as a brief audio dropout around the 1:20:17 mark. I would have preferred a two-channel mix or even mono to a soundtrack with such artificial use of the surrounds, and viewers may want to stick with the provided Dolby Digital 2.0 audio instead. Despiser also includes Spanish subtitles, and closed captions have not been provided.
Supplements: Despiser is overflowing with extras, beginning with an audio commentary with filmmaker Philip Cook, interspersed with separately recorded comments by actors Mark Redfield and Gage Sheridan. Cook speaks at length about the technical aspects of movie, delving into the specific pieces of software and hardware that were utilized, which elements on-screen were real, digital, or miniatures, and the source of atmospheric effects. He also points out some of the subtle things hidden in Despiser, such as a skull that appears as Gordon crashes and how Cook had inserted himself into the movie as a stand-in, complete with a virtual toupee. Also touched on are the difficulties coordinating the production of such a low-budget effort, accomodating actors' other projects and piecing together separately taped footage to give the illusion of the cast interacting and reacting with one another. Despite the number of technical notes, the commentary never struck me as dry or boring. There are a steady flow of comments throughout, with little in the way of notable pauses.
The seven deleted scenes run just over ten minutes in length, revolving around dialogue and character development. Though the footage was presumably cut for pacing concerns, none of the scenes come across as superfluous, and they actually would all have fit very well into the final version of the film. First up is "Ad Agents and Rednecks", which takes a longer look at the clash between Gordon and his unappreciative boss Scribner. Norman is featured in a pair of scenes, first in "After Maggie Leaves" where he tries to console Gordon and tells of his heroism on a nuclear sub. He pops up again in "Norman to the Rescue", a brief shot as he follows Gordon on his quest to return to Purgatory. Both campfire scenes are extended, beginning with the aptly-titled "Introductions All Around" and continuing with the gang's toasting of their former leader in "Salute to Charlie". Nimbus is given more screen time in a pair of scenes from "Blue Top Hill", speaking about his lack of a plan to escape as well as the hopelessness and despair that bring people to Purgatory. "Bloopers and Mistakes" (4:09) features the cast hamming it up, flubbed lines, and screw-ups with props.
The "Making of Featurette" (15:35) is actually the best of its kind I've seen in a rather long time, steering clear of the fluffy, insubstantial promotional pieces that litter most DVDs. The featurette follows the progress of the project from concept to completion, and pretty much everyone that was in front of or behind the camera is given a chance to speak about the experience. Much of the discussion revolves around the digital elements of the film, from the difficulty of taping so much in front of a blue screen with little to interact with directly to the creation of the computer-generated character models. The featurette includes quite a bit of behind-the-scenes footage, including portions of Tara Bilkins' audition tape.
The "Storyboard to Film Comparison" (2:57) pairs the finished assault on the church to its CG virtual storyboard. The disc's photo gallery includes just under forty images, ranging from production stills, behind the scenes photos, and conceptual art. Rounding out the extras is a full-frame trailer (1:58). Despiser features nicely designed 4x3 animated menus, and the movie has been divided into twenty-four chapters.
Conclusion: Philip Cook says in the disc's featurette that "either you buy into it or you don't", and as much as I appreciate the scope of what he set out to accomplish with Despiser, I appear to fall in the latter category. The DVD features some nice supplemental material that makes a purchase more palatable, but the quality of the video and audio failed to impress, and I just couldn't really get into the movie itself. Viewers who find the concept intriguing should consider giving Despiser a rental, but it's tough to recommend as a purchase sight-unseen. Rent It.
Related Links: Eagle Films' Despiser site features more about the movie and its cast, including a trailer and an offer for an autographed photo print.
"We're on a highway to Hell. AC/DC. 1980."
Gordon (Mark Redfield) has had better days. In the space of a few hours, the aspiring artist was fired, dumped by his wife, and evicted. As he drives towards an uncertain future, Gordon swerves out of the way to avoid careening into a pair of kids, plunging off a bridge and into Purgatory. Surrounded by a small army of trigger-happy hostiles, Gordon is rescued by a ragtag band of fighters whose heroic sacrifices stranded them in this netherworld. Among them are the devoutly religious soldier Nimbus, fighter pilot Tomasawa, British fire fighter Charlie Roadtrap, and gunslinger Jake. The four of them have spent decades attempting to escape from the ever-changing landscape, as well as to avoid the sinister clutches of the Despiser, an evil being whose legions of Ragmen and Shadowmen have been collecting a massive array of missiles from some unknown purpose. The Despiser and his adversaries share a common interest, and both find a glimmer of hope when Gordon inadvertently disappears from their realm. Determined to learn Gordon's secret, the Despiser dispatches his minions in reality to capture Maggie, Gordon's wife, and drag her screaming to Purgatory. Gordon takes the bait, reteaming with the freedom fighters to launch an assault on the Despiser's fortress.
Despiser is extremely ambitious visually, moreso than most effects-driven blockbusters with countless millions more at their disposal. Virtually every shot in the movie features some sort of digital manipulation, ranging from subtle layer and color tweaks in Adobe After Effects to rendering fifty-foot tall alien creatures. As Despiser is an independent film with limited resources and not a $100 million Matrix sequel, it's no great surprise that the CGI is comparatively unpolished. Still, its effects have garnered extensive praise from the handful of reviewers that have tackled the film to date, and it even took home the "Best Special Effects Feature" award at Shriekfest. Given that the immense task of creating this virtual world was performed primarily by just two people, this makes Despiser sound all the more impressive.
It's one thing to sound great conceptually and quite another to translate well to the screen. The intermingling of live-action footage with these sorts of computer-generated characters and backgrounds made me feel more as if I were watching a cutscene on a mid-'90s CD-ROM game like "Return to Zork" than a feature-length film. The bulk of the Purgatory sets are virtual, and these disparate elements aren't blended well enough to avoid an overall disjointed look. The cast is separated from the backgrounds to such a great extent that the rare scenes shot on physical sets feel jarring. Philip Cook has likened his vision of Purgatory to Oz, and the unique visuals do play better outside of reality. Still, effects like a high-rise suicide and Gordon's initial car wreck are more likely to elicit a snicker than the shudder that's probably intended. Most of the computer generated imagery is too bright and smooth to seem realistic, and the movie's human character models are stiff and blocky.
Though the effects in and of themselves aren't likely to consistently floor jaded viewers, the way in which they're used to string together shots is genuinely impressive by any reasonable standard. The camera is dynamic and fluid, providing shots that are virtually impossible to accomplish outside the digital realm. At the same time, the camerawork doesn't come across as forced or gimmicky, and its constant motion isn't to the point of distraction. The editing, directing, and particularly the cinematography are all first-rate.
I couldn't really get a feel for the intended tone of the movie. Though it had some obviously comedic moments, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to view Despiser as a light but straightforward action movie or if it was a stab at camp. At one point, a Shadowman is frustrated with his battered human form, annoyed with a right foot that's dangling by a thread. He shoots himself, rips off his foot, then grabs a grenade and blows himself into a bagful of bloodied bite-size chunks. Troll dolls spring to life, ominously muttering "You're gonna die!", and one even dances around as Gordon unloads a pistol at it. Probably the single funniest moment in the movie is when a Shadowman is distributing firearms to a legion of dim-witted Ragmen, one of whom inadvertently starts firing wildly and has to be put down. These are clearly intended to get a laugh and do succeed, but I'm not sure if I'm meant to look at the rest of the less-blatantly comedic movie in a similar light. Regardless of the intent, there are a couple of lengthy sequences that didn't really work for me, such as a scene where the characters have to one-by-one cross the span of two buildings, similar to Judgment Night or any one of a number of other movies. The performances and dialogue are sometimes clumsy, particularly with a couple of unconvincing accents and cartoonishly over-the-top villains. One sample exchange:
"Can't always wait for good water to fish."
"Now what's that supposed to mean?"
"Let's kick ass."
I never really felt drawn to the characters, and this lack of emotional interest effectively dulled any tension or suspense. Maggie and Gordon also spend so little time together on-screen that I didn't find myself sucked into their romance either.
I like the concept. I respect the ambition. I didn't, however, find myself taken with Despiser, and considering how passionate the talent involved is about the finished product, I have to admit to feeling the slight tinge of guilt about panning it. Despiser is the sort of movie that sounds interesting when reading or hearing about it, but it doesn't translate well to a 105 minute film.
Video: Despiser is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. I've never been particularly fond of the shot-on-video look, but given the extraordinarily high number of effects shots and the limited resources at hand, that was obviously the most sensible route to take. Given Despiser's video origins, many of the flaws associated with film-based transfers are noticeable absent. However, sharpness is somewhat variable, with much of the movie appearing somewhat soft, and video noise is scattered throughout. My baseless guess is that an attempt was made in post-production to have Despiser look less like video and more like film, and if that's the case, it managed to capture the weaker aspects of both worlds. Despiser's presentation is somewhat of a mixed bag as a result, but judging from the trailer and the stills on Eagle Films' site, this DVD appears to be representative of the intended look of the movie.
Audio: Despiser features a Dolby Digital 5.0 soundtrack, mislabeled as 5.1 in the audio setup menu, and the lack of a dedicated LFE channel is apparent. The low-end is mostly thin and insubstantial, despite the innumerable gunshots and monstrous explosions scattered throughout. Dialogue is rendered inconsistently, often coming across as lightly distorted and overly bassy. Dialogue is also present in all five speakers, most heavily in the three front channels and to a lesser extent in the surrounds. Due in part to the murmur of dialogue in the rears, there was constantly activity roaring from that direction, but hearing conversations from behind as well as in front of me was so distracting that I wound up disabling the surround speakers early on. There is also a persistent underlying hiss, as well as a brief audio dropout around the 1:20:17 mark. I would have preferred a two-channel mix or even mono to a soundtrack with such artificial use of the surrounds, and viewers may want to stick with the provided Dolby Digital 2.0 audio instead. Despiser also includes Spanish subtitles, and closed captions have not been provided.
Supplements: Despiser is overflowing with extras, beginning with an audio commentary with filmmaker Philip Cook, interspersed with separately recorded comments by actors Mark Redfield and Gage Sheridan. Cook speaks at length about the technical aspects of movie, delving into the specific pieces of software and hardware that were utilized, which elements on-screen were real, digital, or miniatures, and the source of atmospheric effects. He also points out some of the subtle things hidden in Despiser, such as a skull that appears as Gordon crashes and how Cook had inserted himself into the movie as a stand-in, complete with a virtual toupee. Also touched on are the difficulties coordinating the production of such a low-budget effort, accomodating actors' other projects and piecing together separately taped footage to give the illusion of the cast interacting and reacting with one another. Despite the number of technical notes, the commentary never struck me as dry or boring. There are a steady flow of comments throughout, with little in the way of notable pauses.
The seven deleted scenes run just over ten minutes in length, revolving around dialogue and character development. Though the footage was presumably cut for pacing concerns, none of the scenes come across as superfluous, and they actually would all have fit very well into the final version of the film. First up is "Ad Agents and Rednecks", which takes a longer look at the clash between Gordon and his unappreciative boss Scribner. Norman is featured in a pair of scenes, first in "After Maggie Leaves" where he tries to console Gordon and tells of his heroism on a nuclear sub. He pops up again in "Norman to the Rescue", a brief shot as he follows Gordon on his quest to return to Purgatory. Both campfire scenes are extended, beginning with the aptly-titled "Introductions All Around" and continuing with the gang's toasting of their former leader in "Salute to Charlie". Nimbus is given more screen time in a pair of scenes from "Blue Top Hill", speaking about his lack of a plan to escape as well as the hopelessness and despair that bring people to Purgatory. "Bloopers and Mistakes" (4:09) features the cast hamming it up, flubbed lines, and screw-ups with props.
The "Making of Featurette" (15:35) is actually the best of its kind I've seen in a rather long time, steering clear of the fluffy, insubstantial promotional pieces that litter most DVDs. The featurette follows the progress of the project from concept to completion, and pretty much everyone that was in front of or behind the camera is given a chance to speak about the experience. Much of the discussion revolves around the digital elements of the film, from the difficulty of taping so much in front of a blue screen with little to interact with directly to the creation of the computer-generated character models. The featurette includes quite a bit of behind-the-scenes footage, including portions of Tara Bilkins' audition tape.
The "Storyboard to Film Comparison" (2:57) pairs the finished assault on the church to its CG virtual storyboard. The disc's photo gallery includes just under forty images, ranging from production stills, behind the scenes photos, and conceptual art. Rounding out the extras is a full-frame trailer (1:58). Despiser features nicely designed 4x3 animated menus, and the movie has been divided into twenty-four chapters.
Conclusion: Philip Cook says in the disc's featurette that "either you buy into it or you don't", and as much as I appreciate the scope of what he set out to accomplish with Despiser, I appear to fall in the latter category. The DVD features some nice supplemental material that makes a purchase more palatable, but the quality of the video and audio failed to impress, and I just couldn't really get into the movie itself. Viewers who find the concept intriguing should consider giving Despiser a rental, but it's tough to recommend as a purchase sight-unseen. Rent It.
Related Links: Eagle Films' Despiser site features more about the movie and its cast, including a trailer and an offer for an autographed photo print.
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