At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964)

- À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma
Based on everything I knew about it, I thought this one was destined to be a winner, 13 May 2006

Over the years, I've gotten pretty good at spotting movies I know I'm going to enjoy. While many of these don't turn out to be in my Top 10 or anything, I generally find these movies enjoyable at a minimum. That's not the case with At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul. Given its cult following, subject matter, and recommendations from trusted individuals, I thought this one was destined to be a winner. I couldn't have been more wrong.

At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul is the first of the Brazilian Coffin Joe films. Jose Mojica Marins is Zé do Caixão, the mortician in a small town he holds sway over through physical and psychological threats. He's not above committing murder to get his way. The film has a lot of surreal imagery going for it that is interesting to look at. It's too bad that it's all for naught as the film is so deadly dull. All the interesting set decoration and eye candy in the world can't save it. Zé makes an interesting character, but he hardly looks like the big tough guy, bullying around everyone in town. He's more like a skinny little kid playing dress-up with a cape and top hat who throws tempter tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. I still don't understand why a couple of the husky Brazilian townsfolk didn't get together and beat the snot out of Zé. Finally, there's the ending. After and hour and some odd minutes of At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul, I hoped my experience could be salvaged by a strong finale. Again, I was disappointed. That has to be one of the more unsatisfying endings I've seen recently.

Despite what I've written, I haven't given up on Coffin Joe just yet. I still plan to give This Night I Will Possess Your Corpse a chance. I only hope its better.

4/10