Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Curucu, Beast of the Amazon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 28, 2023

1956’s “Curucu, Beast of the Amazon” is generally considered a monster movie, produced during an era in Hollywood when such entertainment was happily devoured by young audiences. 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, as the endeavor was shot in Brazil, even reminding viewers of such a creative get with an opening card. “Curucu” is more of a travelogue than a horror experience, and one that often plays like a slightly more aggressive version of the “Jungle Cruise” attraction at Disney Parks. Writer/director Curt Siodmak isn’t going for hospital corners with the effort, basically trying to make a weird adventure with exotic locations, adding as much excitement as a limited budget allows.

“Curucu” follows Rock (John Bromfield) to the Amazon River, with the man of action in pursuit of the Curucu monster, which has been scaring his plantation employees. Joining him for the adventure is Dr. Andrea (Beverly Garland), who’s looking for special tribal magic used for shrinking heads. What the writing comes up with is a basic opposites attract tale of peril for the characters, who are forced to deal with the violence of the jungle, which the production sells with copious amounts of stock footage (some of it in black and white). There are troubles with piranha and water buffalo, and the indigenous population isn’t very hospitable either, making sure Andrea is really a woman by fondling her breasts.

“Curucu” isn’t a joyride, but the general oddity of the endeavor is enough to entertain at times, especially with leering cinematography and a huge emphasis on smoking (Rock sucks down a heater while getting a physical at a medical facility!), keeping up with the times. Perhaps the real star of “Curucu” is Brazil, as the movie takes a substantial amount of screen time to show off the area, providing a travelogue-like sense of exploration, with Siodmak hoping to get as much bang for the buck when it comes to enjoying South American access.

Curucu, Beast of the Amazon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Apparently, "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon" has never been released on home video, with Vinegar Syndrome in an unusual position of offering a movie that made its last home presentation stop on television. The AVC encoded image (2.00:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K scan of the 35mm dupe negative, and the results will surely please those who haven't seen the feature in some time. The refreshing of color is impressive, with rich hues throughout, doing very well with clothing and jungle greenery. Skin tones are appreciable, along with more vivid additions, such as makeup. Detail goes about as far as possible, providing some sense of bodily textures. Jungle tours are reasonably dimensional. Costuming is fibrous. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in decent condition, with some mild wear and tear.

Curucu, Beast of the Amazon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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. Scoring handles with a bit more authority, selling big adventure and suspense sequences.

Curucu, Beast of the Amazon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman.

• Interview (5:02, SD) is an archival chat with director Curt Siodmak.

• Image Gallery (:26) collects film stills, publicity shots, and poster art.

• And a Trailer (1:56, SD) is included.

Curucu, Beast of the Amazon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One likely comes to "Curucu" for scares, and that's not happening here. While the eponymous threat is exposed in the opening sequence, answers to multiple questions about the invader aren't satisfying, with the writing trying make more of a jungle survival film than a monster show. There's obviously disappointment when this reality sinks in, and there's not much to replace what's been lost, with the feature only offering excitement in small bits of Amazon luridness, not a steady understanding of an unreal threat. "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 something less remarkable planned for the audience instead.