Cobra warrior

Original title: Death Curse of Tartu

1966
Unrated
1h 28m

IMDb RATING

3.6/10

914

YOUR RATING

Four students on an archaeology assignment in the Everglades decide to throw a dance party on the burial site of an ancient Indian medicine man named Tartu. He returns from the dead, in the form of various animals, to take his revenge on those who desecrated his grave site.

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A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

3.6/10

914

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Ed Tison
(as Fred Piñero)

Babette Sherrill

Julie Tison
(as Babbette Sherrill)

Bill Marcus

Billy

Mayra Gómez Kemp

Cindy
(as Mayra Gomez)

Sherman Hayes

Johnny

Gary Holtz

Tommy

Maurice Stewart

Joann

Doug Hobart

Tartu
(as Douglas Hobart)

Frank Weed

Sam Gunter

Brad F. Grinter

Explorer
(uncredited)

Director
- William Grefé
Writer
- William Grefé
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews46

3.6914

Featured reviews

5boris-26

Film-Making in the Sunshine State!

One of my favorite drive-in classics has to be a 1966 gem made in Florida, DEATH CURSE OF TARTU. Something Weird Video, the wonderful distribution company that revived such great LBJ-era thrills as SCREAM OF THE BUTTERFLY and THE CURIOUS DR. HUMPP for videocassette, has continued their grand tradition on DVD. They took the trouble to grab hold of an original 35mm negative and give it the best possible Digital transfer.

DEATH CURSE OF TARTU concerns a group of young, under-equipped archeologists venturing deep into the Florida everglades in search of Tartu's tomb. Tartu is a long dead Indian who protects his tomb by allowing his spirit to take the form of dangerous animals. It's sort of like a cross between THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and ANIMAL PLANET. Whenever Tartu's murderous spirit is nearby, the soundtrack is filled with chanting, yipping Indians. On the same disc is another Sunshine State shocker by the same director, William Grefe - STING OF DEATH

rufasff

Grefe, you @#*&)#!

The "Something Weird" DVD edition of "Death Curse Of Tartu" is almost impossible to over recommend. Along with the second feature(Sting of Death) you get some truly hilarious commentary between director William Grefe and Frank Hendenlotter. Plus some great extras. The best "Something Weird" has to offer.

Cujo108

Curse of the shape-shifting Indian

An archaeologist and his students go looking for Indian artifacts at a burial mound in the Florida Everglades. Unfortunately for them, this mound belongs to Tartu, a long-dead medicine man who has the power to shape-shift into various animals from beyond the grave.

Inventive and quite entertaining film with convincing animal attacks and an appealingly unique setting in the weedy depths of the Everglades. There's also some unintentional humor to be had, such as one of the idiotic students dancing with a wooden branch as if it were a cane. Naturally, he looks like a total moron in the process. The film sports a solid ending involving quicksand, and a scene of Tartu rising out of his tomb makes for a particularly striking image.

Worth a look, though it's far from great.

3recluse2

So Bad It Is Not Good

It is boring. I felt un-entertained by this movie. The climactic scenes are a laugh. There is one decent attack scene by a large snake. Some extremely annoying female screaming. People who like junk movies won't even like this (I'm one of them).

Maciste_Brother

Long lost Gilligan's Island episode?

A real B-movie, with its intentions being that much bigger than its miniscule budget, DEATH CURSE OF TARTU is a fun flick to watch. It's not inept enough to be considered a PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE kind of movie but there are so many moments when it almost reaches the point of PLAN 9 that those who love really bad movies will like watching this one. For instance, the crocodile (or is it an alligator?) running after the screaming bimbo, who runs for several miles, only to have the croc right behind her. I didn't know crocs could run that fast. The living Tartu walking around with skin colored tights has to be seen to be believed. And the acting is uniformly bad. Hearing the drums every time Tartu started his killings reminded me of Gilligan's Island, which, in an odd way, sorta befits this unintentional comedy.

DEATH CURSE OF TARTU is available on Something Weird DVD and makes a great double feature with STING OF DEATH.

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Trivia
In some scenes the dialogue is repeated or dubbed. When the second airboat arrives the same lines are repeated, even though the actors are laughing and pointing, the dialogue doesn't match any of them.

Goofs
At about the 30 minute mark, Tommy calls Ed Tison, "Mr. Gunter," a different character who is not in this part of the movie, having died in a previous scene.

Quotes
Sam Gunter: We'll set up over there, on the high ground.
Billy: I'm sorry, Mr. Gunter but as I told you before, I can't go beyond this point.
Sam Gunter: Don't tell me you believe those ridiculous stories about evil spirits and witch doctors that turn themselves into giant alligators and all that rubbish.
Billy: I'm sorry but I'm afraid I do.
Sam Gunter: Billy, I'd believe this of your grandfather, perhaps even your father, but you?
Billy: You forget; I am a Seminole.
Sam Gunter: You're an intelligent, educated man, you surely don't believe in ghosts?
Billy: I only know one thing, Mr. Gunter; that ever since I was a little boy, I have seen my people bring back the bodies of dead men who have invaded the sacred burial ground. I, myself, have heard the drums. And the voices of the ancient Indians that lie buried here.
Sam Gunter: This is hard to believe. It's hard to believe that...
Billy: Just listen. Look around you. Have you ever seen a hammock this quiet? You've been in the Everglades long enough to know that hammocks like this one are filled with birds and the countless sounds of living things that are native to these mounds.
Sam Gunter: What are you trying to say?
Billy: Look around. Can you explain why everything has left?