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| At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1963) |
| DIRECTED BY, AND STARRING JOS'E MOJICA MARINS. |
| This is possibly the most definitive example of a cult film ever. It was made in Brazil in 1963 by Jos'e Mojica Marins. Inspired by a nightmare that Marins had about a wild eyed man in black, who tormented him in his dreams.Marins plays Ze, who is the local undertaker in a small town in Sao Paolo. Ze controls everybody in the town through intimidation, and his disdain for their beleifs. All Ze wants is a son to continue his bloodline, but his wife can't |
| concieve. He tells her that if she can't give him a son, then she is good for nothing, and kills her with a venemous spider. The woman he wants is the wife of his best ( and only ) freind Antonio. Ze believes that she can give him the son he wants, and decides to kill his best freind to get his hands on her. |
| This movie is remarkably horrifying, gore filled, and surprisingly sacreligeous, when you consider that it was made close to 40 years ago, at a time when Hollywood was very innocent, and non-confronting ( as a matter of fact, it still is). If a film were made today where the protaginist denied the existance of a God, and mutilated a man using a statue of Christ on the cross, there would be public outrage.....yet somehow Marins was able to do it in the very Christian Brazil in the sixties without being killed ! This movie is a timeless classic, and incredibly original. It is probably so original because the horror genre didn't exist in Brazil prior to At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul. He had nothing at all to draw on besides E.C. comics such as Tales from the Crypt, and Vault of Horror. This would explain why he chose the very E.C. style themes of adultery, and punishment. This movie also has an introduction by an Old Witch.... another E.C. homage. The scenes of murder are particularly graphic, and convincing. The most unsettling is an eyegouging where the victims pupils become huge, as if they are extremely irritated. It really makes your eyes itch just watching it. |
| Unlike most screen villains, Ze is anything but one dimensional. He has a number of admirable traits. After he gets into an altercation with a guy in a bar and chops his fingers off with a broken bottle, he tells him "I like brave men....send for the doctor. I'll pay the bill". He also has hopes and fears, and even rescues a child from an abusive father. This humanisation of the films villain really adds a hell of a lot of depth to the story. Despite its meagre budget, this film has high production values, and really has a classic look to it. Some of the visual effects, like the procession of the dead also look pretty amazing. This movie really reminded me a lot of David Lynch's Eraserhead, only a lot more character driven, and impressive. It's just a pity that At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul is so rarely seen. |
| Entertainment : 4 out of 4 |
| Watchability : 3 out of 4 |
| Overall : 3.5 out of 4 |
| Reviewed by Blake. |
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