Encarnação do Demônio

I have to admit that to this day I haven’t heard anything about the cult horror film director from Brazil J.M. Marins, nor have I heard anything about his cult horror character Coffin Joe. That I don’t know the name of a director is not that surprising (and judging by this film, I wouldn’t say he’s such a master), but his gravedigger with long nails does deserve some of that fame, even in our neck of the woods. To begin with, I must say that rating this film wasn’t easy at all, it’s terribly inconsistent, with some scenes that are easily above par and others that are almost rubbish. The film’s biggest strengths are undoubtedly the gore (sometimes almost physically unpleasant) and the cool protagonist, while its biggest weakness are the actors, who either don’t act at all or overact like crazy. With all this, Embodiment of Evil reminded me of 1970s Italy, which was exactly the same in all the good and bad. The film includes some scenes from previous episodes of the series, which, in terms of dreadful horror atmosphere, were more effective than all the new scenes put together. I don’t know if I can recommend this film with a clean conscience, but I’m sure there will be several five-star ratings. For me, however, it’s no more than 50%. (2009.01.25)