Hello, Joe!: This Night, I'll Possess Your Corpse!

Viva Brazil!  Today's Film is This Night, I'll Possess Your Corpse, the oft-forgotten Film between At Midnight, I'll Take Your Soul and Embodiment of Evil, even though the latter is less than a Decade old.  So I haven't talked about him in years, but, well, who is Coffin Joe?  In a nutshell, he's a dick.  In a cracked nutshell, he's a dick who hates Religion, people he thinks are stupid and wants to procreate.  Insert Message Board User Joke Here.  Joe did a bunch of bad things in the last Film and freaked out, seemingly dying.  Since I'm now covering the Sequel, you know it is not true.  In this Film, he's back for more craziness.  Jose Mojica Marins has had a nice, long career and stuff like this makes it clear why.  To find out more, read on...

For some reason, this Film really needs you to know that it is a Sequel.  Were Brazilians not aware of things like this in 1967?

After seemingly being maimed and dying, Joe is alright.  Just like that.  Alright then...

He's now loose again with his weird Igor guy and...already monologuing like Bray Wyatt.

For reasons not addressed clearly in this Film, Joe has a Harem of women.  Okay.

He harasses and messes with them, since he apparently only wants a strong one.  The casual death of one lady dressed like she's right out of Manos sure seems random.

He picks one and locks the rest in a room with snakes...while they watch him have sex with the 'winner' above.  Ouch.

The rest all die, which will surely not be a Plot Point later.

After a filler part with Joe messing with some guard, stealing some money and framing said guard for murder, he finds out that one of his now-dead-ladies was pregnant!

This leads to the most notable bit in the Film- the suddenly-in-color Hell bit.  It is nice and freaky.

Back on Earth, he finds out that the lady he picked is pregnant.  Hurray!

She's dead now.

Coffin Joe kills some guys, monologues, runs, monologues, runs some more, monologues and finally falls into some mud.  He gets better (in 41 years).  The End.

A lot of good stuff, but also a lot of hot air.  Coffin Joe is an interesting Character.  That said, he talks ALOT about nonsense.  He really reminds me of Bray Wyatt in WWE, just minus the accent.  He even has a hat, albeit a different one.  His Monologues are not boring or anything, but they sure are pretentious!  I'm not clear on how I'm supposed to view the Character here as well.  He's flat-out evil and all sorts of an asshole.  However, I'm then supposed to care when his casual murder had consequences that he didn't like.  I'm also supposed to root for him when he's attacked...right?  He's portrayed as the 'underdog' in that bit, while also being the smartest person there.  I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel.  I do have to ask about his plans too.  He happens upon a guy who tries to pay him off from hitting on his Sister and quickly plans something silly.  He proceeds to kill the guy and frame the Bodyguard guy...by instantly knocking him out (with a blow to the shoulder) and dumping the body next to him.  Within 2 Scenes, the guy is out of Jail, so...what was the point?  On the plus side, that bit in Hell is freaky.  All in all, This Night is a pretty good Film that is a bit self-obsessed and silly at times.  It also gives you Marins' confusing logic one more time...

Next up, an Olympic-themed Slasher Film (sort of).  Will it go for the Gold or not even place?  Stay tuned...

*VERY* Delayed Sequels: Embodiment of Evil

It took forty-one years to get made and another 6 years for me to see it!  

Today's film is Embodiment of Evil/The Devil, depending on whether you translate titles literally or not.  There are probably alot of you who are very confused, so let me explain.  

While Central America is not known for its Horror (as a 1st Generation Venezuelan I once knew can speak to), there is one name there that's big: Coffin Joe.  

He's been a big deal there for half a Century, starting with At Midnight, I'll Take Your Soul in 1963.  It was followed by Tonight, I'll Possess Your Corpse in 1967 and today's film...from 2008.  

The man behind the hat and cape- Jose Mojica Morins- hosted a Horror-themed show for the next 20 years or so, which partially explains the time gap.  

Even so, it was odd that he completed the Trilogy so long after the second film.  

Here's the gist of it: Joe is a dirtbag and an Atheist, which stands out in a very-Catholic-leaning land like his home.  He also likes to abuse and torture people, leading to him being locked up.  

The film picks up in real time with him being released back into a society that hates him (and vice versa).  

Can he fulfill his dream and sire an heir?  

To find out why this is the longest-delayed-sequel in history (to my knowledge), read on...

In a dark, dreary prison, Coffin Joe awaits his release.  Due to overflow in the system, he is set free in the Present (of 2008) after a few decades locked up.  

He's not bitter.

Fortunately, his creepy Igor-style Butler is waiting for him and shows him how the World outside has changed.  

Insert Social Commentary here.

Joe sets up a small cabal with like-minded people, but is tortured by some weird visions and...

...flashbacks to the original two films.  You thought that people might not remember your films made before most of the audience (like me) were even born?  

Get out!

To muddy the waters, the people that run the Town are kind of terrible.  Coffin Joe isn't exactly a decent person either, so...I'm rooting for the two Witches, I guess.

Never mind- he just killed them.

So Joe partakes upon a very important quest: knocking up some ladies so that he will have heirs.  

You know, he could have donated sperm in the last forty years and made this MUCH easier (but I guess less fun)

Joe has a freaky vision- a la his trip to Purgatory in I'll Possess Your Corpse- and ramps up his goal, leading his men to kidnap a bunch of people to torture.  

Poor Bastards of Cinema, maybe?

You got your Jodorowsky in my Morins movie!

The Police push forward on their goal of catching Joe, but the real victor turns out to be the crazy guy with the combination Crucifix-knife.  

Joe dies, so...happy ending?

Yes, but maybe for him.  

All of the surviving victims of kidnapping/torture turn out to be pregnant, so he has achieved his goal.  

Sorry, Brazil- at least you have Soccer.  The End.

Was it worth the wait?  

Good or bad, Morins has a clear vision for what he wants to do.  Given that he has made a couple dozen films in the last fifty-years, this is no surprise.  

The tricky part was the delay.  Before Evil/The Devil, his previous film was a Documentary about his work made in 1987.  That's a long delay!  

The film has a unique look and feel.  Unfortunately for me, that feel was dark, bleak and freaky.  I don't hate films for being weird, disturbing or gross-out imagery.  I can accept that a film is not necessarily 'my kind of thing'- as long as its good.  

The film has some seriously-gross imagery like ladies with cockroaches dumped on them, a lady getting her rump cut off & a bit involving some hot cheese, a lady and a rat.  Getting past those parts, it is clear that Morins has a vision.  

I may not necessarily like it, but is clearly more than just 'throw gross things out there to be shocking.'  

The bit where he goes to the Purgatory-style place is gross and inspired, with the portal being a pool of blood and then a hallway that looks like the insides of a person guts.  Gross, but neat.  

You do have to accept that Morins is still a scary and dangerous villain at around age 73, which is aided by a liberal use of henchman.  It is still a conceit that you may or may not accept.  Evil/The Devil does feel like a solid ending for the Coffin Joe series, so I can't complain about that.  

I will leave you with a look at the nice, liberal policies in Brazil...

Up next, I cover a film about some nice Devils.  If nothing else, the 1970s are good for some freaky stuff.  Stay tuned...