Director: Emilio Vieyra
Script: Emilio Vieyra
Cast: Richard Bauleo, Gloria Prat, Aldo Barbero, Susan Boltra, Justin Matin, Michel Angel, Mary Albano, Alex Klapp
Running time: 87 minutes
Year: 1967
Certificate: 18
Beginning with an amorous couple being kidnapped by two masked assailants and then being manhandled into a waiting hearse, this scenario is quickly repeated in different locations again and again before we start to learn the truth to such seemingly random abductions.
We soon get to meet our ‘curious Dr Humpp’, and he is indeed a curiosity, a very dangerous and seemingly very rich one too. For the crazy medical deviant, Dr Humpp (Aldo Barbero), plans on controlling the world through being able to ‘amp-up’ people’s sex drives. In fact, he seems to derive his own energy and longevity through absorbing his experimental subject’s sexual energies as he forces them into all manner of acts of a sexual nature. He also communicates with a brain in a jar, but that’s another story!
Assisting him with his nefarious exploits are an army of mutations that he’s created over the years through his former experiments and his pretty blonde-haired, high heels wearing nurse/girlfriend, who he treats with contempt, meaning that later on she’s only too happy to help rescue a journalist/hero who comes snooping around looking for the missing youngsters.
To say that The Curious Dr Humpp is a strange film is the understatement of the decade. Imagine a sci-fi horror film crossed with a porno, crossed with a drug-filled nightmare and you’re only just starting to describe the ‘wonders’ of Dr Humpp!
Filled with hilarious dialogue – for example: Dr Humpp: “It was I who first discovered how to make a man impotent by hiding his hat. I was the first one to explain the connection between excessive masturbation and entering politics” (No surprise there then since most politicians are wankers!) – alongside some of the least sexy sexual tableaus imaginable, Humpp is a one-of-a-kind sort of film.
And, when the plot seems to be going nowhere fast one still has copious nudity to look at, which isn’t so bad, particularly since all the people featured seem to be quite natural – no silicone implants and whatnot here. Although, I think that perhaps some of the ladies needed to shave a little more, cough, downstairs!
Dr Humpp’s ultimate goal is to be able to control libido and turn humans into “veritable screwing machines”, which doesn’t sound too bad for an evil megalomaniac, but it comes at a high cost since as he drains his subject’s energies it frequently ends with their deaths, if they’re lucky and don’t get turned into one of his mutant soldiers first.
The film is shot in a rather ‘TV movie’ kind of way, but it still looks nice here since 101 Films have done a nice 2K restoration job from high grade 35mm elements. The music by Victor Buchino ranges from being atmospheric to annoyingly experimental, while the sound mix, overall, is generally okay, but there are moments where the music intrudes too much so some dialogue is hard to hear.
The Curious Dr Humpp is certainly worth a look for trash cinema enthusiasts or even for movie lovers who just want to watch something weird and off-kilter.
I’ll leave Dr Humpp with the last word though, namely: “Sex dominates the world and now I dominate sex!”
The Curious Dr Humpp is being distributed by 101 Films in conjunction with AGFA on Blu-ray. There are a number of extras on the disc including:
Audio Commentary with director Frank Henenlotter – This is great stuff with Frank on top form, being both knowledgeable and very funny. For example, he talks about the sex scene inserts from another film (La Vengarza de Sexo) that was shot in New York, and about the other films the director shot, including five horrors that were shot back-to-back, e.g. Stay Tuned for Terror. Frank also reveals that the film was originally called The Deadly Organ; Ooo, err, miss!
Brain damaged shorts and trailers from Dr Humpp’s lab – 1) World of the depraved trailer 2) Strange Compulsion trailer; 3) The Curious Dr Humpp trailer – described by the voice-over as ‘the most curious picture of them all’ – not wrong there; 4) The Deadly Organ trailer 5) The Love Cult trailer; 6) A short film called Tomb itmay concern, which is a pretty unfunny, and mildly racist comedy about tomb raiders, where a mummy princess comes to life and does a sexy dance for them; well, sort of.
Bonus film – La Vengarza de Sexo (83 mins) – This is very similar to Dr Humpp except that it starts with a groovy animated title sequence, replete with jazzy theme music and that it has less sex in it. The film is in Spanish with no English subtitles, unfortunately.
