An undead witch doctor takes animal form to protect his Everglades burial ground from partying archaeologists.
DEATH CURSE OF TARTU
They disturbed his grave. Now the whole swamp is hunting them.
A reckless expedition into the Florida Everglades awakens an undead guardian who stalks the trespassers through the swamp in a succession of deadly animal forms.
Quick Answer
Death Curse of Tartu is a 1966 American horror film directed by William Grefé about student archaeologists in the Florida Everglades who awaken an undead Native American witch doctor seeking revenge in the form of deadly animals.
Programmer's Pick
Swamp parties and cursed burial grounds rarely play nice, especially when the local witch doctor can turn into a shark or a snake. Death Curse of Tartu is William Grefé’s low-budget, animal-morphing revenge saga—a cult favorite that puts Florida’s Everglades on the horror map.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Director
- William Grefé
- Writer
- William Grefé
- Release
- 1966
- Runtime
- 1h 27m
- Country
- United States of America
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Horror
- Also Known As
- Curse of Death
Cast & Crew
View all →
Why Cult
Tartu doesn’t just haunt—he morphs into deadly creatures like alligators and snakes to pick off intruders.
The Florida swamps provide a humid, atmospheric backdrop rarely seen in horror, complete with quicksand and lurking threats.
This isn’t your average ghost story—the menace is an ancient Native American medicine man brought back by disrespectful partygoers.
With its psychotronic style and low-budget charm, this film is a time capsule of 1960s exploitation cinema.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Desecration of Tartu's burial ground by student archaeologists
Undead witch doctor who transforms into animals
Attacks and potentially kills intruders in animal form
Florida Everglades
Questions from the Vault
When was Death Curse of Tartu released? +
Death Curse of Tartu was released in 1966.
Who directed Death Curse of Tartu? +
Death Curse of Tartu was directed by William Grefé.
How long is Death Curse of Tartu? +
Death Curse of Tartu has a runtime of 87 minutes.
What genre is Death Curse of Tartu? +
Death Curse of Tartu is a horror film.
Where can I watch Death Curse of Tartu? +
You can watch Death Curse of Tartu on SassyFlix.
How does Tartu take revenge on the students? +
Tartu returns from the dead and transforms into various deadly animals to attack those who desecrated his burial site.
Why is Tartu awakened from his grave? +
Tartu is awakened when student archaeologists throw a dance party on his ancient burial ground, disrespecting the site.
Trailers & Clips
