Embodiment of Evil

Time gap between films

In April 1967, announcements regarding the coming production of Embodiment of Evil through Mojica Marins' production company Produções Cinematográficas Ibéria run out of an abandoned synagogue in Brás^[26] resulted in approximately 100 "poor young women" arriving to audition.^[27]: 179 Initial rounds of tests administered by Mojica Marins included participating in a simulated wake and being subjected to spiders, rats, frogs, and owls, but eventually evolved to kissing a real human skull, walking through a cemetery after midnight,^[26] eating a live cockroach, and hitting Mojica Marins in the face with an armadillo tail whip.^[27]: 180 Afterward, the Public Entertainment Division (DPP) claimed that Mojica Marins didn't have a permit for the auditions, claiming that they were instead rehearsed performances.^[27]: 182 In response to a second notice regarding the need for a license, Mojica Marins announced a second round of auditions for August 11, 1967.^[27]: 184 More than 150 people turned out, including John Herbert, who left the debacle, furious, when a dentist was expected to extract one person's teeth using pliers without administering anesthesia.^[27]: 184 The DPP inspectors arrived shortly afterward to shut everything down.^[27]: 184 On August 14, Mojica Marins and his attorneys were informed that he could not continue testing nor begin filming until he obtained additional permits.^[28] Nine days later, Mojica Marins recorded a television interview in which he stated he was then filming Embodiment of Evil.^[29]

A. P. Galante [pt], in October 1967, went to Mojica Marins to discuss another film for the franchise, but the project owner, Augusto Pereira, refused, leaving Mojica Marins and Galante to work together on Trilogy of Terror and shelving Embodiment of Evil.^[27]: 204 In 1979, Mojica Marins stated that he intended to run advertisements in São Paulo once again to start casting for Embodiment of Evil.^[30]: 101

When asked about the length of time between films, Mojica Marins stated that he had been able to return to making movies as a result of receiving R$500,000 from Governor Geraldo Alckmin in 2003.^[16] This was not, however, sufficient to fund the film, and Mojica Marins secured another R$1,000,000 from President Lula.^[16] More specifically, the Brazilian dictatorship had imprisoned Mojica Marins.^[31] When he was eventually released, the original producer died.^[31] The next producer to sign on to the project died of throat cancer before investing any funds.^[31] A budget of R$1,500,000 procured through Ivan Novais, producer of Occult City, fell through when he died on the first day of filming in 1998.^[31]

In addition to financial considerations, Mojica Marins faced the censorship of the dictatorship^[32] which had required changes to the ending of This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse.^[33]: 260 Mojica Marins' work in pornography over the interim decades resulted in critics expressing scorn for his work, and the censors' continued to disapprove of his films as a result of his focus on pushing social taboos.^[33]: 264

To canonically explain the more than four decade gap between films two and three of the trilogy, Conrad Editora published a graphic novel titled Prontuário 666 by Samuel Casal [pt]^[34] and Adriana Brunstein [pt],^[35] and boasting eight illustrators.^[34] Released in September 2008, it revealed Coffin Joe's real name as well as providing details on the experiments conducted on other inmates while he was imprisoned.^[36]

Previous incarnations

Mojica Marins had already partially conceived the script in 1965, which he intended to end with an announcement of a fourth installment, The Lament of the Wandering Spirits (Portuguese: O Lamento dos Espíritos Errantes).^[27]: 427 A 1988 incomplete script already had a producer on board (Augusto de Cervantes), as well as an additional screenwriter (Aldenoura de Sá Porto), under the working title Lucifer's Incarnations (Portuguese: Encarnaçãoes de Lúcifer).^[27]: 429 The project went unproduced after de Cervantes' death, and the plot with minor name changes became Demonic Trinity (Portuguese: Trindade Demoníaca) in 1991, which was also unreleased.^[27]: 429

In a 1994 interview, Mojica Marins revealed that the original intention had been to have five parts, where the last three had him traversing Purgatory (Embodiment of Evil), Limbo (The Lament of the Wandering Spirits), and Paradise (The Devil's Tomb), the last of which would have Coffin Joe's permanent death.^{[37]: 43–44}

Brazil theater premier

Kiki Black of the Jornal do Brasil expressed regret for having seen the film, stating that it could be summarized as a hundred-fold replication of the scene in Elite Squad where blood splatters on the screen. Black also stated that the fact R$1,000,000 had been spent "to see a woman emerging naked from a pig" was incomprehensible.^[75] Nelson Gobbi, also of the Jornal, however, gave the film 3/3 stars in a brief blurb, stating that the violence may be difficult for viewers to watch while also describing it as a masterclass in creating popular theater.^[76]

Mario Abbade of the Tribuna da Imprensa rated it 4/4 stars. Abbade was impressed with the technical aspects of the film, noting specifically that Eliezar's cinematography and Amarante's art direction created an impression of 1970s cinema and managed to transform modern-day São Paulo into a parallel fantasy world. Regarding the violence in the film, Abbade stated that every instance fit Coffin Joe's "psychology and obsession". To this end, Abbade praised Kapel's special effects, stating they enhanced the "terror and eroticism" of the film. Abbade also praised the use of tension-breaking humor employed throughout.^[77]

Globo 's Débora Miranda noted that the audience must shed some expectations if they intend to enjoy Embodiment of Evil. Miranda commented about the lack of modern special effects, but this adds to the experience as the viewer knows the terror on screen is real. Miranda stated that the script has plot holes and isn't always coherent, but this "humanizes" Coffin Joe. Miranda added that audiences shouldn't expect every actor to deliver an excellent performance yet noted there are several well-known Brazilian actors in the film who deliver.^[78]

Robledo Milani of Papo de Cinema [pt] gave the film an 8/10. Milani noted that the Coffin Joe character in the film is decidedly different from the one depicted to the majority of the Brazilian public through television,whom Milani described as "cartoonish". Milani admitted that the ilm has scenes which are difficult to watch but claimed that this had been intended,as it effectively brought Coffin Joe into the 21st century without "abandoning the charm that made him famous". Milani praised the technical aspects of the film, especially the special effects, and stated that it isn't something all audiences could enjoy, but dedicated fans would. The average rating from the site's critics was 7.1/10.^[79]

Other festivals and releases

After the screening at the Venice International Film Festival, Embodiment of Evil was reportedly well-received by the audience.^[80] Derek Elley from Variety disagreed, however, stating that it was a questionable entry even for a non-competition slot, and that the "[g]rungy-looking, distasteful gorefest" would only appeal to diehard fans of horror films. The technical aspects of the film also failed to impress Variety 's reviewer, who found the entire plot to simply be an excuse for "torture, mutilation and cannibalism scenes".^[42]

Dread Central 's Debi Moore gave the film a 5/5 justifying the rating by saying that the usual critique standards don't apply to Coffin Joe films. Moore praised the visuals, calling them "mind-blowing", but admitted that Coffin Joe's dialogue isn't always coherent. About the acting overall, Moore acknowledged that it is "uneven and over-the-top" while claiming that this is what givs the film its "charm".^[81]

Sakari Määttä of Elitisti [fi] rated the film 3.5 out of 5, commenting that it seemed more "politically correct" than the previous two films, with Coffin Joe showing opposition to corruption. Määttä also noted that the use of some elements in the film seem to be overdone in modern torture films, such as the use of hooks, insects, and arachnids. Määttä stated the film had too many characters and that scenes involving law enforcement as well as those with Father Eugênio created "boring" stretches. Elitisti 's overall weighted rating from six of their reviewers was a 3.0.^[82]

When the film released in London theaters in July 2009, critics were, overall, unimpressed. Robert Hanks of The Independent called it "peculiar" and lamented Mojica Marins in the lead as physically unthreatening due to his age.^[83] Nigel Andrews of the Financial Times afforded the film only one sentence, calling it "torture porn" that should be forgotten.^[84] Matt Glasby of Total Film called it "bonkers", saying it fluctuated between sadism and the ridiculous.^[57] Elliott Noble of Sky Entertainment gave it a 1/5, calling the script "pure gibberish" and stating the film "might be construed as an excuse for a dirty old filmmaker to indulge his misogynistic fantasies while getting his hands on as much nubile young flesh as possible".^[85]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it a 3/5, calling it imaginative and noting "the surreal scenes of damnation have real chutzpah".^[86] Kevin Maher of The Times found it exploitative and unable to adequately convey the subtext it tried to portray at times, concluding his review by calling it "hateful misogyny".^[87] David Jenkins of Time Out called it in turns schlock, grotesque, rancid and sadistic, stating that a "hardened horror connoisseur" might enjoy it but it would leave most feeling unclean for having watched it.^[88] Like Nigel Andrews, Derek Malcolm of The Standard afforded it a single sentence, calling it "outré horror".^[a][89]

Following the 2009 Fantasia International Film Festival, Offscreen 's Randolph Jordan praised the pacing, lighting and photography, commending the filmmakers for their use of reconstructed scenes from the first two films in expressing Coffin Joe's inner torment. Jordan noted how this results in modern scenes "answering" the memories and stated that this technique enables viewers to clearly see the evolution of the character as well as demonstrating the monetary difference backing this film as compared to the earlier two.^[12]

Bill Gibron of PopMatters expressed satisfaction in seeing that Coffin Joe had not changed much ideoloically in the years since This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse. Gibron was impressed by the philosophical message in the film, though still called the brutality scenes "shocking", noting that Embodiment of Evil "relishes the repulsive nature of post-modern gore". Gibron rated it an 8/10.^[90]

DVD/Blu-ray release

Rue Morgue 's Dave Alexander found the technique of showing Coffin Joe's prior victims in black and white an effective method of tying the reconstructed scenes for flashbacks into the story. Alexander noted that Ramalho's impact on the story can be seen in the plethora of "surreal, blasphemous imagery". Regarding the film overall, Alexander called it "stylish" while also labeling it "mysoginistic" and "cruel".^[91]

Sean Axmaker of Parallax View noted that Embodiment of Evil didn't have the same energy or "crazed style" as Awakening of the Beast. Axmaker stated that Mojica Marins age worked against him as he no longer had the same magnetism of his youth, that he wasn't "a force of pure id in carny clothes". Axmaker said that the use of black and white to depict the phantoms haunting Coffin Joe was the "most creative idea" in the film and noted that it created deeper implications about the character's psyche. Axmaker was pleased with the clear picture on Blu-ray.^[92]

Reviewing the Blu-ray release, Adam Tyner of DVD Talk stated that despite being unfamiliar with the trilogy, Rumalho and Mojica Marins made it easy to follow the story. Tyner noted that it takes over 33 minutes before the audience is directly shown Coffin Joe's brutality, but that once that begins, the film continually attempts to outdo itself with a new "demented" horror. Tyner praised the classic elements of the film, contrasting the long shots used with the quick cuts utilized in more modern film editing as well as the practical effects used for the blood splatter rather than employing CGI. Tyner acknowledged that Coffin Joe seems to be "neutered" for a portion of the film so that character can change directions from earlier works. Noting that the film would be better appreciated by those familiar with the series, Tyner nonetheless recommended it, stating that viewers would have "an intense reaction" regardless of whether they personally enjoyed the film. With respect to the color used, Tyner noted that though the palette is "subdued" for the most part, it makes the color when it appears far more vibrant. Tyner enjoyed the 5.1 Dolby that provides a sense of atmosphere in viewing the film.^[68]

By contrast, InsidePulse 's Branden Chowen, also reviewing the Blu-ray, found the story incoherent and deplored the visual effects used in rendering the images of the previous victims who haunt Coffin Joe, stating that they were rendered with "mostly terrible CGI". Chowen also stated there was no acting worth accolades and noted that several sex scenes were difficult to sit through because of the age difference between Mojica Marins and the actresses involved. Chowen did praise Eliezer's cinematography, but ultimately stated that watching Rob Zombie would be a better use of time for fans of torture porn.^[69]

Later reviews

Marcelo Milici of the Portuguese horror critique site Boca do Inferno (site) [pt] rated the film 5/5, adding that it is "the best national production of the last 20 to 30 years." With praise for the cinematography, editing, special effects and the script, Milici expressed appreciation for the fact that Mojica Marins did not allow a larger budget and crew to compromise the tenor of his films, adding that this is the most sadistic in the trilogy.^[93]

Bloody Disgusting 's Luiz H.C. called Embodiment of Evil a "triumph", noting that Coffin Joe's bloodthirstiness comes across as secondary to the portrayal of the Brazilian police force as "authoritarian".^[94] Plume Noire 's Fred Thom also mentioned the more gruesome scenes and acknowledged that Embodiment of Evil is certainly no masterpiece. Thom added that the film is representative of "Brazilian cinema's subgenre" and recommended it overall.^[95]