6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
This movie is about a doctor who kidnaps people, couples who are having sex. He takes them to his mansion where they are being kept as prisoners. He injects his subjects with a substance to 'enhance' their sexual abilities. The curious doctor then forces the abducted people to have sex. While they are making love he drains a fluid from them. He needs this to prevent himself from being transformed into a monster. He gets his instructions from a talking brain.
Starring: Ricardo Bauleo, Gloria Prat, Aldo Barbero, Susana Beltrán, Justin Martin (I)Horror | 100% |
Foreign | 52% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
It might just be another example of the universe's sense of humor that this review is being published on what is generally known as "hump day", though that said, the humping in The Curious Dr. Humpp might be considered more play than work, if you catch my drift. This kind of almost oddly endearing Argentinian film is the latest release from the cultists at the American Genre Film Archive and as with many of the AGFA releases, there's not just humor in the films themselves, it's also on more than copious display in both the menu choice descriptions (see screenshot 20), as well as the back cover, which includes these bons mots about The Curious Dr. Humpp in a descriptive paragraph:
Directed by the prolific Emilio Vieyra in Argentina, this movie combines artful gothic horror with unhinged sex, comic book pulp, and a talking brain in a jar. Plus a monster who plays the guitar. Basically, this is what might have happened if Mario Bava collaborated with Doris Wishman after an acid binge.If that is enough to pique the interest of any "discerning cineaste", I might refer you to a number of other plot summaries and/or descriptions that can be found online, including our synopsis right here on this very site.
The Curious Dr. Humpp is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of AGFA and Something Weird with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.38:1. There's some maybe just slightly confusing verbiage on the back cover of this release, which first states this is a "2K restoration from the 35mm internegative", but which somewhat down the cover then states "2K restoration of the original cut of The Curious Dr. Humpp from a 35mm fine grain print", though I'm assuming maybe that comment is meant to be about the Spanish language version, which is actually called La Venganza del Sexo. Adding to the mystery of it all is Frank Henenlotter's commentary, where he explicitly states that the American version was sourced from the original camera negative. All of this aside, this is really one of the nicest looking releases AGFA has offered, with a really rather commendable transfer that, yes, has a few age related wear and tear issues, but which for the most part features really solid contrast, good to excellent detail levels and a healthy, organic appearance. There are occasional blemishes like some blanching on the right side of the frame during the opening credits scene, and a few little nicks and scratches along the way, but on the whole, this is an enjoyable, largely problem free, presentation. I noticed no huge quality variances in the footage shared between the two versions, no matter what the source elements may have been.
The Curious Dr. Humpp features a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that suffices perfectly well for a film that doesn't have huge sonic ambitions. There are some patently goofy "sci fi" sound effects in the American version (Henenlotter even mentions them) which accrue when various folks are getting aroused, but as Henenlotter also mentions, this is a rather curiously "quiet" film for something that at least dabbles in horror. Dialogue, while more than obviously dubbed, sounds fine and there are no issues with egregious damage or dropouts. There are optional English subtitles available for the Spanish language version.
Without sounding too churlish about it, a lot of AGFA releases may generate another acronym from some viewers, namely WTF, but The Curious Dr. Humpp is one of those films where the WTF aspect is actually kind of bizarrely enjoyable rather than distressing or maybe even objectionable. It is great having both versions of the film to be able to contrast and compare (the two are really radically different beasts, so to speak), and the Henenlotter commentary is one of the best I've heard recently. For certain "discerning cineastes", this should be of some interest, and for those who are considering a purchase, the good news is this release sports really quite admirable technical merits for such a little known cult item.
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