Coffin Joe, or as I like to refer to him, the greatest horror icon you never knew. My assessment of Coffin Joe may differ a bit from someone of actual Brazilian decent (hi Sergio!). I'm not going to explore the political subtext and the alleged mistreatment of materials and selected participants as much as I am going to explore the man, his films and their presentation on DVD. Fantoma's recently released Coffin Joe trilogy is just their 3 previous DVD releases repackaged in a nifty coffin shaped box. The first film I'm going to explore from the set also happens to be José Mojica Marins first turn as the creepy Coffin Joe in the deliriously named and executed film At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul.
From the creepy opening montage to the evil gypsy who dares us to even watch the film telling us we'd better go home before it's too late, It's evident that this film is like no other we have ever laid eyes on. Marins stars as Zé (Coffin Joe) an undertaker who is feared about as much as he would like to be respected in his small Brazilian village. Unhappy that his wife is unable to bear him a child he kills her in a frightening yet unassuming manner. With his wife out of the picture, Zé is free to roam the village searching for a suitable woman to bear his child and carry on his gruesome name as well as exorcising his own personal demons along the way. Well, it should come as no surprise to hear that most of the women Zé encounters (and their male counterparts) are less than willing to cooperate and Zé simply won't take no for an answer from anyone (including himself).
Groundbreaking in just about every sense of the word At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul is the epitome of everything that is or ever has been true horror in film. You've got your incredibly charismatic (and frightening) villain in his trademark all black outfit complete with cape, top hat and menacingly long (as well as razor sharp) fingernails. Take into consideration the incredible sets (which are all said to be the same room dressed up!) and inventive yet subdued cinematography. Without trying too hard Coffin Joe was able to achieve what so many have been striving for over the yearsÉtrue style, and he accomplished it (near flawlessly) way back in 1963! Proof positive that Coffin Joe is a horror icon to be reckoned with is how beloved his image is in his native Brazil. Movies, books, comics, radio and television programmingÉyou name it and Coffin Joe was there.
One of the most startling aspects of the film is its brutal and outspoken honesty. Whether it's his blasphemous attitude toward religion (eating meat on Holy Friday and flaunting it in front of a priest) or his graphic depiction of violence and his viscous brutality, Coffin Joe broke all the rules and kept a smirk on his cheeky face all the while. At Midnight is certainly remarkable if for nothing else than for its large amount of horrific onscreen violence and extremely promiscuous shenanigans for the time.
Marins was obviously way ahead of his time in the creation of the Coffin Joe character and the shaky ground on which the character was built upon wouldn't help Marins in seeing the green that would eventually accompany the films inevitable successes. It's hard to tell at this point but I would suspect that Marins (still alive and kicking) has yet to be given his ultimate due from the films most unexpected and continued successes (why else would he have to release a Brazilian Box Set immediately after the Fantoma releases?). It's true that I'm just speculating at this point but since the man currently spends his time taking bit parts in adult films (not actually partaking in the adult activities of the films mind you), I'd be willing to wager that the checks with Marins name on them haven't been rolling in from the good ol' U S of A.
Fantoma presents At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul Away on DVD in a slightly letterboxed transfer (approx 1.66:1) and the result is certainly not going to blow the cinephiles away. The film has a continually soft focus look to it and there is plenty of print damage (specs, film dirt and the occasional scratch) present. However, all nit-picking aside, the film looks much better here than it has ever looked on video in the US (this disc blows those Something Weird tapes out of the water). Blacks are continually solid with nice definition especially in darker scenes. While there is a heavy dose of print damage, there are some scenes that are nice and clean with little to no evidence of the nasties. It's a hit or miss affair here folks, but like I said don't be discouraged. All things considered the film looks fairly outstanding considering its history and age, we couldn't have asked for much more.
Audio, much like the video quality hits and misses the mark as well. At Midnight is presented in a mono Portuguese with nice readable and removable English subs. In many scenes the dialogue is accompanied with an annoying background hiss and other assorted noises. Then there are the scenes with nice and clear audio and barely even a hint of background noise detected. I can't help but wonder if the audio couldn't have been cleaned up if just a bit in some of the more questionable scenes. It would have been nice to have a more consistent audio track, but alas I'd have to say that the good does outweigh the bad in this scenario and it's definitely doable.
Extras include a trailer for each film in the set (3 in all) and an interview with Marins himself (still sporting those funky nails!). Unfortunately the interview (also subtitled) is only 10 minutes long. Marins is truly an outspoken genius and I could have listened to the man talk for hours. Also included is a nifty reprint of a 37-page comic book (in English).
Horror fans that have yet to discover the delirious world of Coffin Joe are in for a real treat. Truly atmospheric and way ahead of its time, At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul is essential viewing for the true horror film buff. The film and the disc come highly recommended by yours truly. Coffin Joe is without a doubt one of the greats of cinematic horror and everyone in the US should without a doubt know the name José Mojica Marins.
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Trance Forum » » Forum Movies - A Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma a.k.a At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964) José Mojica Marin
