Curucu, Beast of the Amazon Blu-ray Review
Vinegar Syndrome Exclusive Slipcover in Original Pressing Limited - 4,000 copies
Score: 69
from 3 reviewers
Review Date:
Curucu, Beast of the Amazon fails to deliver on its monster movie promise, offering instead a lackluster jungle adventure with slight visual appeal.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 68
Curucu, Beast of the Amazon's Blu-ray release, sourced from a 2K scan of the 35mm dupe negative, impresses with its refreshed colors and detailed textures despite moderate print damage; the varied Eastmancolor palette ensures vibrant greenery and standout moments like Curucu's feathers, though some scenes are muted.
Audio: 78
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA audio mix offers clear, though occasionally fuzzy dialogue, with noticeable post-dubbing affecting coherence. The soundtrack, predominantly in Mono DTS-HD, features vivid sound effects and a dynamic score that effectively supports the adventure and suspense elements.
Extra: 68
Curucu, Beast of the Amazon's Blu-Ray extras offer an insightful commentary by historians Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman, highlighting the film's shortcomings and comparisons to Creature from the Black Lagoon. The set includes a vintage interview with director Curt Siodmak, an image gallery, and a trailer, enriching the viewer's understanding of its historical context.
Movie: 45
1956's 'Curucu, Beast of the Amazon' is a misguided monster movie attempting to capitalize on genre success with a flimsy creature plot overshadowed by Brazilian travelogue elements, lackluster effects using black & white stock footage in Eastman color, and a narrative that poorly stitches together cultural insensitivity, ultimately offering more drudgery than thrills—an unseen relic of desperate '50s filmmaking.
Video: 68
The Blu-ray presentation of "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" delivers a solid visual experience, capturing the film's vintage charm while offering notable enhancements. Sourced from a 2K scan of a 35mm dupe negative, the AVC encoded image maintains a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.00:1. Despite the moderate wear inherent to the print, the restoration effectively revitalizes colors, particularly in clothing and the lush Amazonian greenery. The hues are vibrant and rich, presenting an impressive aesthetic that will appease those familiar with its past television airings. While facial textures and bodily details are discernible, achieving a satisfactory level of delineation, the overall detail remains modest due to aging and source limitations.
Although Eastmancolor’s natural fading affects some color depth, the palette remains enticingly varied across different scenes. Close-ups, such as those of Curucu’s clawed appearances or the vibrantly multicolored parrots, showcase colors that burst with intensity. Alternatively, some jungle sequences lean towards muted earth and green tones, reflecting the film's atmosphere realistically. The complexions of characters vary with relative authenticity, though make-up choices occasionally suggest artistic liberties with actors' appearances. Stock footage integration, such as depicting wildlife interactions, sometimes contrasts with the clarity of the main narrative due to inherent quality differences and uses of tinted black-and-white clips.
Overall, "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" achieves a surprising visual refreshment through this Blu-ray release. Despite expected deterioration over decades, impressive color restitution ensures jungle greens and skin tones shine compellingly. The film benefits from detailed shots like waterfalls and rainforests enhancing perceived production value. While lighting and contrast show occasional clipping, and minor softening occurs in certain sequences, the presentation is commendably sharp within these parameters, furnishing a nostalgic yet enhanced viewing experience for the audience.
Audio: 78
The audio presentation of the Blu-ray for "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" is delivered through a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that encapsulates the sound design of the film with notable authenticity and some intrinsic limitations. This mono track, primarily in English, maintains clarity and intelligibility in dialogue exchanges despite minor fuzziness and haze identified in a few sequences. The track noticeably suffers from inconsistencies when post-dubbed lines clash with live-recorded audio, manifesting as a slightly gruffer texture that remains nonetheless comprehensible.
The film’s auditory atmosphere benefits from a soundtrack equipped to handle the adventure genre's demands. The musical scoring notably conveys dramatic emphasis, particularly during intense sequences, with a commendable range that captures highs and lows effectively, aligning well with the film's adventurous tone. Additionally, the track offers a suite of distinctive sound effects, such as gunshots, melee impacts, and environmental elements like airplane engines and waterfalls, enhancing the immersive experience. However, there are occasional distractions, such as noticeably overdubbed scenes and an overdramatic scream by Beverly Garland, which may pull viewers slightly out of the narrative.
For purists and enthusiasts seeking a faithful reproduction reflective of its era, this audio mix successfully marries the historical context with necessary dynamism. Optional English SDH subtitles further support comprehension for those who might find the discrepancies in source audio a challenge. Despite its vintage nature and some technical shortcomings, the audio track of "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" offers an engaging listening journey into its rich sonic landscape.
Extras: 68
The Blu-ray extras for "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" offer a robust array of insights and historical context for the film. The expert commentary by film historians Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman delivers a critical analysis, addressing the film's drawbacks, such as weak character development and comparison to "Creature from the Black Lagoon". They discuss unique production aspects, such as the color filming in Brazil, and notable editing connections to "Godzilla". The commentary also touches on the technical and cultural nuances, providing depth to Beverly Garland’s career progression and location filmmaking challenges. An archival interview with director Curt Siodmak further enriches the understanding of the film’s creation, complemented by a visual gallery and trailer that encapsulate its promotional effort.
Extras included in this disc:
- Commentary: Detailed insights by Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman.
- Interview: Archival chat with director Curt Siodmak.
- Image Gallery: Collection of film stills and promotional material.
- Trailer: Original promotional preview.
Movie: 45
"Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" emerges as a quirky entry in the creature feature genre. Released in 1956, the film reflects the era’s appetite for monster-driven narratives but sidelines its titular beast to deliver what feels more akin to a South American travelogue than a horror spectacle. Directed by Curt Siodmak, the film leans heavily on showcasing Brazil’s exotic locales rather than focusing on substantial creature carnage, reminiscent of stimulating but ultimately non-perilous adventures like Disney's Jungle Cruise. The script sets up basic opposites-attract dynamics between adventurer Rock (John Bromfield) and Dr. Andrea (Beverly Garland), but these interactions serve mainly as a platform for indulging in extended stock footage sequences of jungle threats, such as hostile wildlife and uncouth encounters with indigenous inhabitants.
The production frequently resorts to black-and-white stock shots under the pretense of showcasing Eastman color visuals, leading to jarring shifts and a disjointed viewing experience. This lack of cohesion is evident as clumsily stitched together sequences—such as Crocodile skirmishes and buffalo stampedes—fail to deliver convincing thrills or suspense. Instead, these segments underscore Curucu's budgetary constraints and narrative shortcomings, offering more unintentional humor than genuine scares. The film's attempt to address themes of exploitation and colonialism through its plantation subplot remains underdeveloped, inadvertently casting more sympathy on its antagonists than intended.
Ultimately, Curucu is an oddball addition to Universal's canon of monster films. Its bait-and-switch approach with the creature and its plodding pace make it a curious artifact of cinema rather than a standout in the horror genre. Despite its flaws, Curucu holds a certain fascination for classic monster movie aficionados, offering them an unintentionally comedic yet memorable jungle escapade in just 75 minutes that feels much longer.
Total: 69
"Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" on Blu-ray delivers a mixed bag of experiences for genre aficionados and casual viewers alike. While the film is marketed as a monster movie brimming with thrills, the reality is far more subdued. The narrative quickly reveals its secrets, unintentionally downplaying its potential for suspense and intrigue. This approach steers the story away from thrilling horror into the realm of a jungle survival tale, albeit not a particularly compelling one. The resultant experience is punctuated by momentary bursts of interest rather than a sustained tension-filled atmosphere.
From a cinematic perspective, "Curucu" offers a few redeeming qualities. The color cinematography captures the lushness of its Amazon setting, providing some visual appeal amidst an otherwise lackluster plot. Beverly Garland brings energy to her role, offering one of the film’s few engaging performances. Unfortunately, these elements are overshadowed by a weak script and an uninspiring lead performance, which fail to elevate the story's potential or maintain viewer engagement.
In conclusion, this Blu-ray release of "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" may find value as a nostalgic piece for enthusiasts of classic misfires or as a mediocre addition to a “Bad Movie Night.” It is less likely to satisfy those seeking robust narrative thrills or iconic monster movie scares. While the film offers some picturesque visual moments, prospective viewers should temper expectations regarding its depth and suspense.
Blu-ray.com review by Brian OrndorfRead review here
Video: 80
The refreshing of color is impressive, with rich hues throughout, doing very well with clothing and jungle greenery....
Audio: 80
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides an aged understanding of dialogue exchanges, with some slight fuzziness at times, but the track always remains intelligible....
Extras: 70
...
Movie: 50
Unfortunately, the reality of the film isn't quiet as enticing, with the creature feature elements of the screenplay quickly burned through to deal with a greater selling point in South American tourism,...
Total: 80
"Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" is perhaps good enough to enjoy in a Bad Movie Night manner, but those new to the effort should be aware that expectations for unreal carnage will not be met, as Siodmak has...
The Digital Bits review by Dennis SeulingRead review here
Video: 80
Eastmancolor lacks the deep saturation of Technicolor and was used by studios as a less expensive alternative....
Audio: 90
Dialogue is clear throughout but several scenes appear to have been overdubbed, which is quite noticeable and distracting....
Extras: 85
Creature was filmed in black and white on the studio backlot, while Curucu benefitted from filming in color in a foreign locale, but there’s no question which is the better film....
Movie: 55
Two years later, the studio attempted to capitalize on the success of that film with another creature flick set in the Brazilian rain forest, Curucu, Beast of the Amazon....
Total: 78
With a lackluster leading man and a weak script, the only things going for it are a game Beverly Garland, its color cinematography, and picturesque locations....
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 60
Sourced from a dupe negative according to the marketing materials, the print itself shows consistent, moderate damage in varying severity....
Audio: 80
The score, stock or otherwise, sounds fine, with some passable highs and drums catch the lows a little....
Extras: 60
Vinegar Syndrome then digs up a five-minute vintage featurette with director Curt Siodmak for a finale (but also a trailer and stills gallery)....
Movie: 40
changes to, “You will have Curucu in your Curucu story?”Universal pumped out endless monster features in the ‘50s, still riding the studio’s unforgettable creature wave from the ‘30s and ‘40s, each trying...
Total: 60
The slog to end all slogs, Curucu, Beast of the Amazon is among Universal’s worst “monster” misfires no matter the era....
Director: Curt Siodmak
Actors: John Bromfield, Beverly Garland, Tom Payne
PlotIn the heart of the Amazon rainforest, a string of violent deaths and mysterious disappearances trigger local legend whispers about a fearsome beast. Rock Dean, a plantation manager, sets off on an expedition deep into the jungle to uncover the truth behind these unsettling events. Aided by a fearless doctor, Andrea Romar, who is in search of a medicinal plant to aid her research, they travel through treacherous terrain inhabited by dangerous wildlife and wary tribes. The journey exposes cultural clashes and tensions, amplifying the ominous atmosphere surrounding their mission. Dean and Romar's determination drives them farther into the unknown, confronting them with primitive rituals and the ominous sound of jungle drums, heightening their sense of unease.
As they delve deeper, the team’s guide, Tupanico, reveals an elaborate ruse: he masquerades as the fabled beast to incite fear amongst the indigenous people and seize control of the land. His plan unravels amidst betrayal and mounting tension. The jungle itself becomes an insurmountable adversary with its relentless challenges and hidden dangers. The expedition members face a crisis of trust and survival as they confront not just the imagined terror of the beast, but the tangible human greed and ambition that fuel conflict. Their journey tests their resolve, revealing the true nature of courage amid chaos. Through harrowing encounters, the explorers are forced to confront both personal and external demons in their quest for truth and survival within the unforgiving embrace of the Amazon.
Writers: Curt Siodmak
Release Date: 01 Dec 1956
Runtime: 76 min
Rating: Approved
Country: United States
Language: English