El genio del mal

Although limited in its power due to budget constraints, "Doctor Mordrid" is still a solid and appealing fantasy feature, conceived by Charles Band. Band also co-directed with his father, veteran filmmaker Albert Band. The movie is slight, but very hard to resist, with sparing use of visual effects, a striking design, and a very brief and painless running time (75 minutes).

Jeffrey Combs is enormously sincere and engaging as a likable sorcerer named Mordrid, who lives in human form in NYC, pretending to work as a landlord and lecturer. He makes the acquaintance of his neighbour, Samantha Hunt (super sexy Yvette Nipar), who herself is employed as a research consultant to the police department. Soon Mordrid must reveal the nature of his existence on Earth: to save the planet and its people from the machinations of his evil counterpart, Kabal (Brian Thompson).

The supporting cast is fine - Jay Acovone as Tony Gaudio, a grunting pig detective and associate of Samantha's, Keith Coulouris and Julie Michaels as a young couple eager to assist Kabal, and Ritch Brinkley as a sentinel named Gunner. Ms. Nipar does a likable and credible job as the young woman taken with her new acquaintance, and doesn't have too hard a time dealing with elements that are utterly fantastic. Thompson, a distinctive actor who's specialized in villain roles, is good fun as the evildoer. But "Doctor Mordrid" belongs to the excellent Combs, who plays a hero with lots of rooting interest. You have to love this guy, who keeps a pet raven named Edgar Allan and who keeps an eye on various news stories throughout the world.

The highlight is over too quickly, but worth the wait, as David Allen and his company bring to life dinosaur and mastodon skeletons inside a museum.

Overall, a pretty good production from Band and his people at Full Moon.

Seven out of 10.

Doctor Mordrid is one of those rare films that is completely under the radar, but is totally worthwhile. It really reminds me of the old serials from the 30s and 40s. Which is why I'd have loved to see follow-up movies... but judging by the rest of Full Moon's output there simply weren't enough tits to satisfy the typical audience. Unfortunately, thanks to a completely superfluous sacrifice scene there two too many for a family audience - which is unfortunate, because without em' this could have been a Harry Potter-style magicfest that kids would have eaten up. Both Jeffrey Combs and Yvette Nipar are great - I wasn't sure if Ms. Nipar hadn't wandered off an A-list picture onto this film, she was very believable. No, seriously! Anyway - it's a shame they didn't have the bucks to license Dr. Strange, because I think this could have been a total kiddie phenom.

Back in the early Nineties, direct-to-video specialists Full Moon Entertainment unsuccessfully tried to secure the movie rights for Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange, but having been thwarted, they just shrugged their shoulders, tweaked the script and made DOCTOR MORDRID instead. And I'm glad they did. Despite being low budget, it's clear that a respectable amount of money was spent - there are impressive sets, props and some delightful stop motion animation courtesy of David Allen and Randall Cook. Jeffery Combs plays the title character, and it's great to see him in a heroic leading role. Brian Thompson provides some reliable villainy, and there's fine support from Yvette Nipar (a talented and extremely pretty actress who sadly never had the career she deserved) as the police consultant and neighbour who become Mordrid's sidekick and romantic interest. Considering the numerous and seemingly never-ending PUPPET MASTER, TRANCERS, EVIL BONG, GINGERDEAD MAN and KILLJOY movies that Full Moon has relentlessly churned out, it's a crying shame they never made a single sequel to this.

It follows the story of the talented Doctor Mordrid (Jeffrey Combs), a suspect inhabitant at a block of apartments. An unspeakable evil has come into our dimension and wants to rule over Earth, and only a mysterious sorcerer known as Doctor Mordrid can stop him. Mordrid must put ego aside and develop the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Doctor Mordrid, helped by his neighbour Samantha Hunt (Yvette Nipar), must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilising a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect Earth and the universe against his nemesis Kabal (Brian Thompson). Open your mind !. Change your reality !. Question reality !. Change your destiny !. The impossibilities are endless!. Expand your mind !.

A trilling and fantastic film in which a battle of wits takes place between two immensely powerful sorcerers from the 4th dimension, both of whom cross over into present time with two very different missions -one wants to destry Earth, one wants to save it. Fantasy and science fiction come together in this imitation of 'Marvel's Doctor Strange' with well-known actors from the best B-series: Jeffery Combs (Re-animator) and Brian Thompson (Cobra). Jeffrey Combs and Brian Thompson are popular in the Star Trek universe, guest starring in multiple episodes and both acted in a same episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. Jeffrey Combs plays the powerful sorcerer Doctor Mordrid, whose mission on Earth, for more than a century, is to be prepared for the lethal attack of the Lord of Death and the first signs of his arrival have just occurred. The film produced by 'Full Moon', the distributor and producer of low-budget horror and fantasy films created by Charles Band, who here also serves as writer and co-director along with his father Albert Band.

It contains traditional special effects by means of stop-motion, in the wake of Ray Harryhausen; in fact, there's a spectacular fight between a bony Tiranosaurius Rex and a skeletal Mamouth. In addition, a rousing and spectacular musical score by Richard Band, 'Full Moon' and 'Empire' regular composer. The motion picture was mediocrely but professionally directed by veteran filmmaker, Albert Band; he was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors who started his career in the early 50s and continuing the legacy, his son, the equally prolific producer/director Charles Band. Albert Band began financing a number of motion pictures through the sixties, seventies, and eighties decades and helped his son, Charles, to bring together his own production company, 'Empire Pictures', in the early eighties. Upon the collapse of Empire Pictures in the early nineties, Band continued to work with his son and help bring a number of low-budget and medium budget films to the Hollywood screen or direct to video releases. Albert Band directed some Westerns, such as : ¨She came to the Valley¨, ¨Massacre at Grand Canyon¨, ¨The Young Guns¨ and ¨The Tramplers ¨ at his best . Furthermore, he made terror and Sci-fi , such as : ¨Aliens Gone Wild , Prehisteria , Prehisteria 2 , Robot War , Ghoulies II , Satán's Dog¨ and all kind of genres. While his son Charles Band has written/produced/directed a lot of films, such as: ¨The Creeps, Hideous, Dollman vs demonic toys, Puppet master, Crash and burn, Trancers , Trancers II: the return of Jack Deth, Dungeonmaster, Metalstorm: the destruction of Jared Syn, Parasite, The alchemist¨. Rating : 5.5/10, acceptable and passable . The flick will appeal to Jeffrey Combs fans, worthwhile watching for his followers, that's why he's an actor that has a 'cult status'.

New York City houses one man above all others, the possibly immortal Dr. Anton Mordrid. Mordrid is the sworn protector of humanity, using his magical powers to keep his brother and rival, Kabal, chained up so that he may not enslave the human race. Well, wouldn't you know it? A prophesy comes true and Kabal breaks free, and begins collecting elements (including platinum and uranium) for his alchemy experiments. With the help of a police woman named Sam, can Mordrid defeat his evil brother? "Dr. Mordrid" comes to me courtesy of Charles Band in the Full Moon Archive Collection. I had not heard of it, which is a bit odd given that I'm a big fan of Jeffrey Combs (Mordrid) and the film isn't that old. But now it's mine and I can enjoy it again and again. The film certainly is fun in the classic Full Moon style. Richard Band provides the music (which doesn't differ much from all his other scores) and Brian Thompson plays the evil Kabal. We even have animated dinosaur bones! What more do you want? Of course, the cheese factor is high. I felt much of the film was a rip-off of the Dr. Strange comics. And the blue pantsuit was silly. And plot holes are everywhere (I could list at least five, but why bother). And why does the ancient symbol of Mordrid and Kabal look suspiciously like a hammer and sickle? Combs has never been a strong actor, so he fits right in with the cheese. These aren't complaints. Full Moon fans have come to expect these things and devour them like crack-laced Grape Nuts. I'm guilty... I loved this film.

If you're not a Full Moon fan, or a Jeffrey Combs fan... you may want to look elsewhere. But if you like the early 1990s style of movie-making and haircuts, you'll eat this up. Stallone and Schwarzenegger fans might like seeing Brian Thompson as a villain, looking as goony as ever and not being able to enunciate English beyond a third grade level. I did. I wish there was a "Mordrid II", but the company that makes a sequel to practically everything (is "Gingerdead Man 3" really necessary?) passed on this one.