Arrow Video

A collection of the horror movies featuring Brazil’s boogeyman.

There’s every possibility that (like me) you’ve been a lifelong horror fan but never seen a Coffin Joe film – they’ve not been available as mainstream releases – but never fear, Arrow’s ten-movie set will fill that gap in your movie knowledge in one fell swoop.

Brand new 4K restorations from the best available elements, the movies follow  Coffin Joe (his character is actually called Zé do Caixão), a ghoulish character created and played by Brazilian writer, director, and actor Jose Mojica Marins, who is looking to have a son with the perfect woman, by any means.

Full disclosure – not all 10 movies are about Coffin Joe, though Marins has his hand in all of them, and we start with At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul (1964) and This Night I Will Possess Your Corpse (1967), which set up the mythology. The Strange World of Coffin Joe (1968) is an anthology, with Joe as a horror host, while Awakening of the Beast (1970) is about a psychiatrist who experiments with mind-bending drugs to discover Joe’s influence on his victims.

The End of Man (1971) is Joe-free, about a messianic figure influencing the inhabitants of a small town, followed by its sequel When the Gods Fall Asleep (1972). In Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures (1976) some hotel guests encounter a Joe-like figure who reveals a terrible secret. Hellish Flesh (1977) is a non-Joe revenge horror flick, while Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind (1978) is a clip movie, primarily featuring scenes that were omitted or censored from earlier Joe films. Finally, Embodiment of Evil (2008) marks the 21st Century return of Joe, and marks the end of the official Coffin Joe trilogy.

This collector’s edition includes an illustrated book of new writing, double-sided fold-out poster and 12 art cards, as well as documentaries, audio commentaries, video essays and interviews with genre experts.

Verdict: The definitive boxset of Coffin Joe movies, packed with features. Fans will lap this up, though the uninitiated may be cautious about whether this is ‘their thing’ before coffin up their cash. 8/10

Nick Joy