From the early 2000s, Despiser is an action-heavy horror fantasy that very much sits in the so-bad-it category. It blends late 90’s computer graphic backdrops, cheap CGI with lots of explosion/ fire effects, plain bad-to-hamming-it- up acting, corny action hero to plain cringe-inducing dialogue, and general bad film wackiness. Here from Visual Vengeance, those resurrectors of bad, bizarre, or just plain weird low-budget genre films is a Blu-Ray release of the film- taking in two commentary tracks, and a decent selection of other extras.

From 2003 Despiser was directed and written by Philp J Cook. Dating between the late 80’s and the present day he has seven other features to his name. These go between aliens taking over soldiers' sci-fi of Invader (1991),  the ecological-focused supernatural action film Malice: Metamorphosis(2016), and trans-dimensional witch-focused action horror Pungo: A Witch's Tale (2020). Seemingly most of his films sit squarely in the bad film bracket- though I guess you gathered that with the above description.

Despiser's main and hapless hero is middle-aged graphic designer Gordon (Mark Redfield)- when we first meet him his life isn’t going great. He’s just told his boss to stick to his job and when he gets his wife packing up her stuff to leave him.  And as he’s driving over a busy bridge, he swerves to miss two young girls both dressed in red, then slips into a wormhole- landing up in a low-grade CGI and late 90’s PC graphic made purgatory with a selection of other characters from other times and places.

Joining him are a bargain shelf Sam L Jackson who fought in the American Civil War. A Japanese WWII fighter pilot – played by a puff-eyed white guy. A young gunslinger from the old West, and a gun-ho woman who doesn't really get her origin explained.

The group roam around purgatory avoiding a body-shifting shadow man and his blacked sack-headed and baying henchmen- trying to make their way to the castle at the centre of the place where the gruff-voiced/ largely in shadow tentacle lashing snake figure of The Dispire.

Purgatory is a blend of long tarmac roads set with crucified body landscapes, blocky carparks and buildings, fake-looking castles, and rather unimaginative countryside.  The film features lots of car chases, gunplay with loads of OTT digital explosions, corny lines, and bad/ good guys cliches.

The film runs at one hour and forty-four minutes- but it (Largely) remains entertaining/ engaging in its badness. A few memorable moments come in the form of our heroes trying to cross a makeshift bridge between two buildings, a car chase across a river of laver, and the showdown/ boss battle between our heroes and Dispire who keeps snatching them off the ground with its tentacles.

The whole thing is soundtracked by a blend of Gregorian chants, 90’s ethnic ambient beats, and dramatic synth string cues.  You’ll certainly have to have some grounding in/ like bad movies with dated/cheap-looking PC graphics to enjoy Despiser- otherwise, I can just imagine you get in a few minutes, mumbling WTH is this and turning it off.

This region-free disc features a new scan of the film from its original tape master. This looks fine, with good depth/ clarity- though of course, the scan also highlights the dated graphics/ effects even more.

On the extras side, we get a decent enough selection of things- first, on the new side we get two commentary tracks- one is with director/ writer  Philip J. Cook and stars Mark Redfield and Gage Sheridan, and the other is with Sam Panico of B&S About Movies and Bill Van Ryn of Drive-In Asylum.  I played the first of these, and even though it claims it’s with the director & two actors- it’s largely Cook who does the talking, and I’d say it’s an ok director track- though I’m not sure you’ll get more than one play out of it- as he does get a little repetitive in places.  He opens up by let us know that the opening shot of the eye- was not our lead but the director himself. He talks about how he and his friend built most of the films sets, with his wife doing the catering. We find out the early shots of a house are of his own house, and the film was originally going to be called The Road.  He points and discusses certainly shot set-ups, and how real explosions were used in places.  The brief shots in a town were captured in the old part of Alexandria Virgina, and they had a very small crew in the picture.  Later on, he talks about how he created the film's almost constant dusk look, he discusses the shadow man in the film/ his mythos. Gives breakdowns of the plot/ how to understand it all, and more.

Otherwise, on the (semi) new side, we get a 2023 interview with director Philip J. Cook and star Mark Hyde (14.15). On the archive side making of (15.36). Deleted Scenes (10.14). Blooper Reel(4.12). Outtakes (12.43). Storyboard To Animation (2.59). Original DVD Menu Animated Intro (00.17). Behind The Scenes Gallery. Image and Art Gallery. Despiser Trailers. Visual Vengeance Trailer. Outerworld Trailer, and Invader Trailer.

The release comes with a slip sleeve. A folded mini poster. 'Stick your own' VHS sticker sheet, a two-sided Insert, and a reversible sleeve with original VHS Art.

Despiser very much sits in the so bad it’s great bracket- so be aware/ ready for that. But if you enjoy blends of fantasy & corny hero-bound action with lots of explosions this is worthy of your time. And hats off to Visual Vengeance for uncovering another bad film gem.