À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma (At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul) poster & wallpaper
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José Mojica Marins, Magda Mei, Nivaldo de Lima, Eucaris de Moraes

Brazilian horror auteur Jose Mojica Marins both directs and stars in this hallucinogenic chiller (aka A Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma), playing a sadistic village undertaker named "Coffin Joe" who strik... read more read more...es fear into the hearts of pious townspeople through rape, mutilation and murder. Obsessed with continuing his bloodline by siring a child with his "ideal" woman, Joe first takes steps to eliminate his wife (with the help of a venomous tarantula), then sets his lecherous sights on his friend's gypsy fiancee. The horrid crimes that follow bring down the wrath of a gypsy curse, which comes to pass during a village celebration on November 2 -- the Day of the Dead. This is widely regarded to be the first horror film produced in Brazil. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Flixster Users

69% liked it

1,114 ratings

Critics

60% liked it

5 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 21 min.

Directed by: José Mojica Marins

Release Date: November 9, 1964

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DVD Release Date: April 3, 2001

Stats: 114 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (114)

  • rubystevens
    November 4, 2011
    rubystevens
    i watched this on dia de los muertos, which is appropriate as anyone who has seen the film can attest. i have to admit it's quite a lot of fun despite being relentlessly cheesy. the director himself stars as 'coffin joe', the town undertaker, who enjoys mocking good catholics a... read morend terrorizing the local women. the 'special' effects are not that special altho i did enjoy the ghost who appeared as if outlined with glitter and paste by kindergarteners. also tarantulas don't actually kill people. good for some laughs tho :)
  • vierasesine
    June 30, 2010
    vierasesine
    A brilliant ending, I'll give you that.
  • webalina
    July 13, 2009
    webalina
    Oh my. What to say about this? I'm tempted to give it higher marks just for the sheer craziness of it. But it's ultimiately on a level of quality with Al Adamson, Ray Dennis Steckler and their peers. Yep, it's THAT good.

    Coffin Joe (the star of the film and the alter ego of di... read morerector Jose Mojica Marins) is an undertaker in a Brazilian town and his dream is to find the the perfect woman to bear him a son. The problem is that he is a pretty evil dude and all the women in the town are scared to death of him. So he has to main or kill their BFs and husbands and then kidnap and torture the women. During all this Marins does a voice-over with a lot of philosophising about the wheel of life and so forth, all with a sinister bent, about how cool it is to be evil.

    The film looks like it was made in Marin's backyard. The sound effects (screaming, crazy laughter, etc.) remind me of the spook houses you used to see at county fairs. The visual effects are drama class bad, and the acting, editing and pretty much anything else you can name are very poorly done It's gory but in a cheap stock footage kinda way.

    But you know what? This film is FUN. I would love to get together with a bunch of friends who haven't seen it and drop it in the DVD player. Hilarity will ensue. Oh, and the fingernails are real...
  • DrBenway
    July 12, 2009
    DrBenway
    Ahead of its' time 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.

    One of the most startling aspects of the film is its' outspoken honesty along with the graphic depiction of v... read moreiolence. It's not perfect, but real horror fans should enjoy this direct act of blasphemy.

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  • patrickdol
    March 9, 2008
    patrickdol
    Being a genre fan I have heard of Jose Mojica Marins, and especially his character, Coffin Joe.
    From what it seems Coffin Joe is the equal to Dracula in Brazil, yet I have nothing to prove this statement.
    Essentially this film is a curio and really a must for big horror fans, I... read more feel. Seeing Horror icons of other countries is important, especially when they are as strange as Coffin Joe. Basically there's nothing super natural about him, he is just a morbid shit disturber who is much disliked by the town.
    It seems, through an interview on the DVD, that Marins, really believes in his character, yet acknowledges that people find it ridiculous. Ridiculous it is, in many parts, as there is enough unintentional laughs that this film could benefit from a commentary by the likes of Joe Bob Briggs or Joel Hodgson.
  • cacutshaw
    May 30, 2007
    cacutshaw
    Awesome! Coffin Joe is weird, anarchic, extremely talented and well ahead of his time. This is like if Bunel directed a horror film. Really wonderful.
  • kcddck
    February 21, 2011
    kcddck
    A pretty intense piece of work and as good as it was, it could have been a complete disaster with all the bad circumstances that happened while making this movie. I really enjoyed the monologues and the tesnsity was built up very well. Didn't think I was going to enjoy this movie... read more that much, but I'm glad I took the chance on it.
  • engrymfilm
    October 9, 2008
    engrymfilm
    I like the whole Ze Do Caixao character altogether. Such a fleshed out personality. And he loves to eat lamb
  • isaac471
    March 10, 2008
    isaac471
    Somewhere between 'so bad it's good' and genuinely creepy, At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul, is a lot of fun. And Coffin Joe is a legendary villain.
  • girlybat
    October 29, 2007
    girlybat
    Notably Brazil's first horror film, this temptingly-titled flick grabbed my attention but sadly yielded few thrills. The hammy acting of Coffin Joe ruined many promising scenes though the level of violence did surprise me a bit. Hopefully the others in the series are better, but ... read moreI'm not holding my breath.

View All À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma (At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce
October 10, 2009
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

The birth of Brazilian horror as a direct act of blasphemy Full Review

Ken Hanke
February 3, 2005
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Well, midnight's as good a time as any.

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
August 18, 2002
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

The film has a few scary moments, but is enjoyable mostly because of its value as a historical artifact and as a somewhat campy scarefest. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
November 9, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Alan Simpson
October 24, 2004
Alan Simpson, Sex Gore Mutants

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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