Doctor Mordrid

Stars: Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, From Beyond), Yvette Nipar, Jay Acovone, Brian Thompson. The latest Full Moon production offers the always-engaging Jeffrey Combs (star of the cult favorite Re-Animator) as Dr. Anton Mordrid, a mild-mannered researcher/lecturer/landlord who is actually an undercover sorcerer. When the good doctor notices that precious metals are being swiped in huge quantities around the world, he guesses, correctly, that his old nemesis Kabal (Brian Thompson) has escaped from deep space jail and is preparing to mix up some alchemical brew that will threaten Earth. Aided by NYPD consultant Samantha Hunt (Yvette Nipar), Mordrid tracks and confronts the diabolical Kabal in a light and smoke showdown which features some nice stop-motion animation of dinosaur bones. With the exception of a brief scene of nudity and mild dalliance (preparatory to a major bloodsucking), Doctor Mordrid remains fairly close to its simple good vs. evil cartoon plot. The relatively low budget and 72-minute run time are somewhat outweighed by Combs' performance and the film's quick pacing. The VideoZone magazine episode appended to the film is reasonably entertaining, even if it is basically a half-hour ad for Full Moon productions and tie-ins. Audience: Sci-fi/Fantasy fans looking for a mild divertissement in between major epics will enjoy this characteristically solid Full Moon production.