Jeffrey Combs Movies
Initially stunning audiences with his wild-eyed portrayal of psychotic Dr. Herbert West in the over-the-top 1985 splatter-comedy Re-Animator, actor Jeffrey Combs made a name for himself in films based on the works of legendary horror author H.P. Lovecraft and such Star Trek spin-offs as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Enterprise. Born in Oxnard, CA, in 1954, Combs was raised in nearby Lompoc. After graduating from high school in 1972, he entered the world of acting by attending numerous theatrical schools and performing in repertory theater. Frequently appearing in such venues as the Mark Taper Forum and South Coast Repertory, Combs made his film debut in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981), which was followed by supporting roles in Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), Frightmare (1983), and The Man With Two Brains (1983). Still performing frequently on-stage during this period, Combs was approached by a young director named Stuart Gordon and asked if he would be interested in appearing in an adaptation of a Lovecraft story. Attracted by the strong script, the actor agreed. Released in 1985, Re-Animator shocked and nauseated audiences into uncontrolled laughter with its outrageous violence and imaginative set pieces. Combs' manic portrayal of a mad doctor who claims to have discovered the key to immortality immediately earned him a place in the lexicon of horror history as one of the great screen psychos.Subsequently re-teaming with Gordon for yet another Lovecraft adaptation, From Beyond (1986) proved to be a disappointment when it was released in a truncated form. Knowing that the excess of Re-Animator would be difficult, if not impossible, to top, Combs and Gordon remained undaunted, collaborating on such efforts as Robot Jox and The Pit and the Pendulum (both 1990). Released that same year and directed by Gordon-cohort Brian Yuzna, Bride of Re-Animator didn't quite live up to fan expectations, although ultimately proved to be an entertaining sequel by remaining loyal to the tone and content to its predecessor. Subsequently working with such horror stylists as Fred Olen Ray (The Phantom Empire [1986] and Cyclone [1987]) and Full Moon's Charles Band (Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth [1991] and the Dr. Strange-influenced Doctor Mordrid [1992]), Combs continued to build a dedicated cult following who remained eager to see what the quirky actor would attempt next. Continuing to appear in Lovecraft-based films, he also branched out with a role as a hitman in Love and a .45 (1994) and as actor Montgomery Clift in the made-for-TV Norma Jean and Marilyn (1996). A seemingly natural teaming with New Zealand splatter-king Peter Jackson also resulted in a hilarious turn as an unstable FBI agent in The Frighteners (1996). Combs' career took an unexpected turn later that year. Having previously lost the role of Commander William Ryker in Star Trek: The Next Generation to Jonathan Frakes, he returned to the Star Trek fold when Frakes (as director) cast him as Weyoun in an episode of Deep Space Nine. Returning in various capacities later, Combs would become the first actor to play three different characters in a single season of any Star Trek series. His popularity in the franchise growing, he was later cast in a recurring role in the subsequent Enterprise series. Simultaneously continuing to appear in such features as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), House on Haunted Hill (1999), and Yuzna's long awaited Faust: Love of the Damned (2001, channeling Bruce Campbell), Combs fans were thrilled to hear that he would be returning to the role of Herbert West in Beyond Re-Animator (again helmed by Yuzna) in late 2003. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2008
In this sinister twist on the Sleeping Beauty legend, an innocent beauty suffering from a rare sleep disorder falls victim to a menacing mesmerist and serial killer who draws his vast arsenal of hypnotic weaponry to take control of her fragile psyche. Art student Danny Sloan (Dylan Purcell) has fallen deeply in love with the Laura Baxter (Cherilyn Rae Wilson), a lovely young woman afflicted with a medical condition brought on by a tragic childhood accident. Laura suffers from Parasomnia, a condition that causes her to literally sleep her life away. She only awakens on rare occasions, and even then, she doesn't stay conscious for long. Unfortunately, murderous psychopath Byron Volpe (Patrick Kilpatrick) has also fallen in love with Laura, and he'll do everything within his power to claim her as his own. Byron may be locked away in a high security hospital, but no restraints in the world are strong enough to keep him from the woman of his dreams. Now, as Byron uses his powers to take possession of unsuspecting hosts in the real world and command a frightening array of ominous creatures in the realm of the unconscious, Danny must face unimaginable horrors to defeat the malevolent killer and save the woman he loves. Dylan Purcell and Cherlyn Wilson star in a dark thriller directed by William Malone, and co-starring Patrick Kilpatrick, Jeffrey Combs, and Timothy Bottoms. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cherilyn Wilson, Dylan Purcell, (more)
You won't want to miss the mystifying fourth and final season of The 4400! When Promicin becomes available to Seattle, the future of the human race will change forever. This four-disc collection includes all 13 Season 4 episodes of the critically acclaimed series, which originally aired during on cable's USA in the summer of 2007. It's packed with such special features as deleted scenes, a gag reel, featurettes, and a director's cut of the finale with unexpected, unforgettable events.
- 2007
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Re-Animator star Jeffrey Combs assumes the guise of the most famous figure in gothic horror literature in director Stuart Gordon's adaptation of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story The Black Cat. It seems that as a literary figure, Poe is a man before his time, and when the dedicated writer fails to gain a following for his dark brand of poetry, his taste for spirits strengthens as his debts continue to mount. While his wife slowly succumbs to the wasting effects of consumption, her deranged pet feline bears witness to every excruciating moment, and Poe is soon driven to commit a grisly act of madness that will rival the darkest depths of even his most morbid prose. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Combs
- 2007
- R
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When the lone survivor of the original excursion to The House on Haunted Hill dies under suspicious circumstances, her sister returns to the foreboding mansion to solve the mystery of her sibling's death in the feature directorial debut of former make-up special effects artist Victor Garcia (Hellboy). Back in 1931, malevolent doctor Richard Vannacut and his entire staff at the hilltop asylum were killed when the patients revolted and set the institution ablaze. Ever since then, rumors have persisted that the spirits of those consumed in the inferno still haunt the hospital. Those rumors seemed to be confirmed when, in 1999, billionaire Steven H. Price and his guests were viciously slaughtered in the refurbished mansion. Though the authorities officially blamed Price himself for the gruesome massacre, survivor Sarah Wolfe insists that there was indeed a supernatural element at play. Now, eight years have passed since that fateful night, and Sarah's sister Ariel - a successful editor at a popular men's fashion magazine - has just received word that Sarah has committed suicide. Immediately sensing foul play, Ariel's suspicions are confirmed when a strange book arrives in the mail shortly thereafter. Sent by Sarah just before she died, the book proves to be Vannacut's personal diary. According to the diary, which Ariel manages to translate with a little help from archeologist Richard Hammer, an ancient Baphomet idol is hidden somewhere deep within the sprawling estate. In her last days, Sarah had become convinced that the idol was the source of the house's evil. Richard, too, shares this belief, and with the help of graduate students Michelle and Kyle he is determined to find the idol. But Ariel isn't about to go on a ghost hunt in the same mansion where so may atrocities have occurred, at least not until she is kidnapped by Desmond Niles and his vicious band of mercenaries. They too seek the Baphomet idol, and they too will soon discover why few people who venture into the former asylum ever come out alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Combs, Amanda Righetti, (more)
A mysterious magician has some very unpleasant secrets in this gory tale of terror. Edmund Bigelow (Kip Pardue) is the publisher of Cacophony Gazette, a journal that covers the cutting edge of art and performance in California. Jaded Bigelow thinks he's seen it all until he and his girlfriend Maggie (Bijou Phillips) take in a show by Montag the Magician (Crispin Glover), who with the help of his sidekick the Geek (Jeffrey Combs) delivers a stomach-turning show in which he brings volunteers on stage and dismembers them, only to have his victims stagger off stage at the end of the show, shaken but still very much alive. Bigelow soon becomes obsessed with Montag's show and wants to know more about him and his illusions, but he suspects that there might be more to the magician's show than he imagined when maimed bodies start appearing all over L.A., and with the help of his pals Jinky (Joshua Miller) and Dr. Chong (Brad Dourif) they discover the bizarre secret behind Montag's hold over his audience. Based on a cult-favorite gore film from Hershel Gordon Lewis, The Wizard of Gore also features several members of the contemporary burlesque troupe the Suicide Girls as Montag's volunteers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kip Pardue, Bijou Phillips, (more)
With 42,000 sightings in 68 countries, the elusive woodland creature known as Sasquatch, Yeti, and Bigfoot is one of the most enduring natural mysteries ever known to man. Hunted by humans for hundreds of years, the formerly reclusive man-like beast strikes out against his would-be captors in a mountain-based tale of survival and horror starring Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen, and Dee Wallace-Stone. Years ago, mountain climber Preston Rogers (Matt McCoy) suffered a terrible injury that left him wheelchair-bound in his remote cabin. Something strange is happening in the woods these days, though, and if Rogers holds out any hope of saving the lives of either his neighbors or the young college girls on a weekend retreat to the California mountains, he's going to have to convince the skeptical Sheriff Halderman (Paul Gleason) that something sinister is happening amidst the thick foliage of the forest and that numerous lives will be lost if they don't act fast. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt McCoy, Hayley Joel, (more)
When a troubled priest is beckoned to an isolated ranch in order to exorcise the demons from a possessed girl, the terror that awaits him threatens to consume his very soul in a chilling tale of supernatural horror starring Cameron Daddo and James Russo. When Father James' old flame calls claiming that her younger sister has fallen into the grip of a diabolical entity, the conflicted priest attempts to muster the faith needed to flush the demonic force back into the pit from which it came. As his feelings for his beloved ex-girlfriend are gradually rekindled, Father James discovers too little too late just how deceptive demons can truly be. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Daddo, Jeffrey Combs, (more)
The powers of darkness converge to claim the soul of a young girl who may have made a deal with the devil in director Dan Golden's frightful tale of infernal fear. After a devastating car crash claims the life of her father, amnesiac Michelle wakes up in a hospital with no recollection of the events leading up to the traumatic tragedy. Subsequently haunted by a fiery series of hellish nightmares and terrified by the Mephistophelean force that commence to take the lives of all who surround her, Michelle desperately attempts to unlock the mystery of her malevolent past before it's too late and the legions of the damned come calling her name. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Combs, Angus Scrimm, (more)
David Mamet wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his play about a man who suddenly stumbles into a new and dangerous life. Edmond Burke (William H. Macy) is on his way home from work one evening when he impulsively stops to have his fortune read by a woman who informs him, "You are not where you belong." When he does arrive home, Edmond soon falls into an argument with his wife (Rebecca Pidgeon), and he storms out into the city, where he stops at a bar for a few drinks. There, Edmond finds himself talking with a man (Joe Mantegna) who freely shares his racist views about the role of African-Americans in society, and suddenly Edmond begins letting go of the sense of self-control that has always governed his actions. After a crawl through the city's underbelly of watering holes, strip clubs, gambling dens, and brothels, Edmond comes face to face with the violence of this world, and unexpectedly finds himself responding in kind. Edmond also stars Julia Stiles, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Bai Ling, and Dylan Walsh; it was directed by Stuart Gordon, who worked often with David Mamet during their early days at Chicago's Organic Theater Company. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William H. Macy, Julia Stiles, (more)
The horror film Hammerhead concerns a scientist who creates a creature with the fused DNA of a man and a killer shark. His fellow scientists send him to a deserted island as punishment, but the creature is on the prowl and looking to get revenge for his creator. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The horror film All Souls Day concerns a man and woman who can't seem to escape from Santa Bonita, Mexico. They would like to leave seeing as the town is filled with ghosts. In order to resolve the situation, the pair must face the feared criminal Vargaz Diaz, who apparently is almost 200 years old. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Combs, Marisa Ramirez, (more)
- 2004
Superman's cousin, Supergirl (aka Kara), has been having weird nightmares in which she appears to be cast in the role of an assassin. When J'onn J'onnz is unable to telepathically decipher these dreams, Green Arrow and The Question try to help Supergirl -- who soon tumbles to the possibility that she might not be dreaming at all. Fans of The Manchurian Candidate will enjoy the plot twists in this episode, which establishes a plot strand that will be explored in further chilling detail in the later episode "Ultimatum." ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholle Tom, Kin Shriner, (more)
Once again tampering with mother nature to disastrous results, Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) continues his research in director Brian Yuzna's second sequel to the 1985 splatter classic Re-Animator. Currently serving time in a maximum security prison for his previous exploits, West's limited prison-cell experiments are suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Howard Phillips (Jason Barry), the new prison doctor and the brother of the girl who suffered from West's experiments 13 years earlier. Knowledgeable of West's previous experiments and eager to assist the mad doctor in continuing his studies, the naive Phillips discovers that West's continued studies have revealed a more effective means of bringing back the dead -- the removal of an individual's Neuroplasm, or soul, and the injection of it into a newly reanimated corpse. An electrical phenomenon discharged at the moment of death, with the discovery of the Neuroplasm West may have finally discovered the missing link to effectively bringing life to death. Or not. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, (more)
Terror is lurking online in this thriller directed by William Malone, who also helmed the 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill. Mike Reilly (Stephen Dorff) is a NYPD detective who has been assigned to look into a string of murders which have taken place in Manhattan, with Terry Houston (Natascha McElhone), a researcher from the city Department of Health, lending her assistance whether Reilly likes it or not. Reilly discovers that all four victims have one thing in common -- they were all men who logged on to the same Internet website exactly 48 hours before they were killed. It seems the website features a sexy woman offering kinky fun to those who enter her domain, but clicking the wrong icon takes users on a journey into fear. Reilly decides the only way to find out the truth is to head into the website and find out what follows for the next two days -- if he can make it out alive. Fear dot com also stars Stephen Rea, Jeffrey Combs, and Udo Kier. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone, (more)
A man goes to hell and back to avenge the death of the woman he loves in this over-the-top horror story. Troubled artist Jaspers (Mark Frost) is depressed and considering suicide after his girlfriend, an illegal alien, is killed by thugs. Before he can go through with it, Jaspers is visited by a mysterious man calling himself M (Andrew Divoff). M, which is short for Mephistopheles, is an earthly emissary of the Devil, and along with sexy Claire (Monica Van Campen) and devious Dr. Yanamoto (Junix Inocian), he leads a Satanic cult called the Hand. M and his companions persuade Jaspers to join the Hand, and soon Jaspers and other members of the Hand wreak vengeance by staging a mass murder against the men responsible for the death of Jaspers' lover. But Jaspers finds he quite likes ritual murder, and his enthusiasm leads to sloppiness that gets him arrested; he also becomes involved with Claire, which makes him very unpopular with M. As police detective Margolies (Jeffrey Combs) and psychiatrist Jade de Camp (Isabel Brook) try to get some answers about Jaspers' strange and deadly behavior, Jaspers begins to transform himself into a demonic beast in a desperate battle to defeat M before M can kill him. Faust, Love of the Damned was the first feature from the production company Fantastic Factory, formed by American filmmaker Brian Yunza and Spanish financier Julio Fernandez; the film was shot in Spain with an English-speaking cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Frost, Isabel Brooke, (more)
A disturbed young man discovers his problems are all in his head, but isn't sure just how they got there in this tale of terror. Trevor (Andras Jones) is a young man who has been sentenced to a long stay in a mental hospital after brutally killing his girlfriend. However, the longer Trevor is in stir, the more he wonders if the murder ever really happened, or if it's all just a horrible fantasy implanted in his brain by Dr. Elk (Jeffrey Combs), the sinister director of the asylum. The first directorial effort from former editor Jeremy Kasten, The Attic Expeditions also features comic actor Seth Green, horror film vet Ted Raimi, and veteran shock-rocker Alice Cooper. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andras Jones, Seth Green, (more)
- 2000
Professional wrestler the Rock guest stars as the Champion, a holographic warrior. While Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) is touring a neighboring solar system, the crew of Voyager takes a shore leave on the Norcadian Homeworld. But Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) is given precious little time for R and R; she is captured by a band of hostile Norcadians, who force her to fight in a deadly competition called Tsunkatse. If she refuses to battle the dreaded Champion to the death (most likely her death), fellow crew member Tuvok (Tim Russ) will be allowed to die of injuries sustained in a crash. "Tsunkatse" was first broadcast on February 9, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
