Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Awakening of the Beast Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 17, 2024

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of the Inside the Mind of Coffin Joe collection from Arrow Video.

Note 2: Arrow has announced a disc replacement program due to a subtitle error on the first pressing. Arrow is asking those with defective discs to contact them via social media or their Arrow account if they have one.

If you know about Coffin Joe, no introduction is necessary, and if you don't, no introduction could probably ever suffice. That said, for those who aren't aware of this weirdly iconic Brasilian character, he (it?) sprang from the febrile imagination of one José Mojica Marins, a writer and director who in addition to those tasks in fact played Coffin Joe in several films aggregated in this gonzo new collection from Arrow Video. Rather interestingly, and perhaps saliently, one supplement in this immense set has the redoubtable Stephen Thrower refusing to call Marins "insane", despite the fact that other pundits have described Marins as meeting that clinical definition, while another supplement is devoted to Marins as a "neuro divergent" and at least possibly ADHD afflicted filmmaker. That rather wide gamut of reactions will probably be matched by the general public, though if Marins was "crazy", he was crazy like a fox, as they say, and his films, while intentionally provocative and rather frequently horrifyingly graphic in terms of bodily immolations and the like, generally have rather impressive production values, which suggests a certain competency at least. One way or the other, virtually all of Marins' films are suffused with mood, even if narrative structures can be on the wobbly side. This is another impressive effort from Arrow Video that is obviously designed to cater to a cult audience, but that particular demographic should find themselves very well served by this release.

One of the perhaps inherent problems to a collection like Arrow's Coffin Joe aggregation is that watching these films in rapid succession probably only highlights their similarities and reuse of material, which in this case is actually literal, since this daffy enterprise rests on the premise that people given a dose of LSD instantly go to the acid equivalent of the insanity seen in old anti drug propaganda films like Reefer Madness, albeit with even more libertine results than occur in that thirties "spectacular". Later, these same subjects are supposedly given more of the drug and forced to look at a poster for The Strange World of Coffin Joe, resulting in some more very "bad trips". Somewhat hilariously, at least in a "meta" sense, José Mojica Marins is on hand here not just in his "regular" alter ego guise, but also as one of a panel of supposed experts on sexual perversity, which may be a salient example of truth in advertising, so to speak.

It probably shouldn't come as any surprise to those conversant with the Coffin Joe oeuvre that there's at least perceived misogyny on display, but what probably hobbles this effort more than anything is simply how many times it repeats ideas and presentational aspects (including a full color sequence in hell) of previous Coffin Joe Outings.

Awakening of the Beast Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Awakening of the Beast is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. Arrow's insert booklet offers some general information about all of the transfers, followed by more individualized information about this particular film, as follows:

The Coffin Joe films by José Mojica Marins have been exclusively restored by Cinecolor, in cooperation with One Eyed Films and Arrow Films. All restoration work was overseen by producer Paulo Sacramento in collaboration with Arrow Films.

The original film elements sourced for this project represent the best existing film elements available, and while every effort has been made to present these films in the highest quality possible, some instances of damage remain, in keeping with the condition and age of these materials. Likewise, the audio soundtracks which at times have a slightly rough quality of are in keeping with their production origins. In places audio synch will appear loose as very little audio was ever recorded live and the mixes were generally recorded and created in post-production.

The Awakening of the Beast / O Despertar da Besta / O Ritual dos Sádicos is presented in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with mono Brazilian Portuguese audio.

The film was scanned and restored in 4K resolution from an original 35mm Interpositive and an original 35mm theatrical print.

The audio was remastered from an original 35mm print.

Additionally, a prefatory text card offers the following further information:

2023 4K restoration executed at Cinecolor Brazil Lab with the support of Arrow Films and under the supervision of Mojica's last producer, Paulo Sacramento.

Digital restoration done from the original 35mm image interpositives (printed in 2008) supplied by Cinemateca Brasileira and the 1969 35mm censured 35mm print (when the film was still named Ritual of the Sadists), supplied by Arquivo Nacional (BR).

The audio files were restored from the preexisting telecine of a 35mm print.

The newer interpositive(s) utilized for this transfer may result in some marginally improved fine detail, though that said, there is probably more of a heterogeneous look to at least sections of this presentation when it uses the censored sections. The overall look here is very much in line with the previous films, though the black and white sections may not have quite the same luster in terms of solid as a rock contrast, deeper than deep blacks and well modulated gray scale, but these deficits are frankly marginal at worst. The color section has the same slightly yellow skewing that I mentioned in the This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse Blu-ray review, here with perhaps just a bit more of an orange appearance. Once again some opticals and old school composited effects can materially affect clarity and grain structure.

Awakening of the Beast Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Awakening of the Beast features LPCM Mono in the original Portuguese. The film kind of hilariously begins with a choral rendition of Ave Maria which quickly cuts to a horrifying scream and more demonic voices, something that perhaps tends to point out a rather bright high end to this track. A number of bizarre sound effects are utilized in this opening vignette, some of which can sound pretty thin, but once Marins' remarkable voice begins yet another quasi-philosophical rant, things sound relatively fine, though still just a bit thin and slightly problematic on the high end. When the track sticks to the midrange, which is where almost all of the dialogue is positioned, things sound fine. Optional English subtitles are available.

Awakening of the Beast Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Arrow has packaged The Awakening of the Beast and The End of Man together on one disc, with the following supplements:

• Audio Commentary on The Awakening of the Beast is an archival piece featuring writer, director and star José Mojica Marins with filmmaker and writer Paula Duarte and film scholar Carlos Primati. In Portuguese with English subtitles. This is accessible under Special Features once the film has been chosen.


• Audio Commentary of The End of Man is an archival piece featuring writer, director and star José Mojica Marins with filmmaker and writer Paula Duarte and film scholar Carlos Primati. In Portuguese with English subtitles. This is accessible under Special Features once the film has been chosen.


• The Strange Mind of Coffin Joe (HD; 18:25) offers Guy Adams suggesting Marins was "neuro divergent" with ADHD qualities.


• The Woman for Joe: The Gender Politics of Coffin Joe (HD; 17:40) is another interesting piece by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas focusing on what are called "complex" gender politics in Marins' films, in what will be an almost hilarious understatement to some.


• Alternate Opening Titles for The Awakening of the Beast (HD; 4:04) features the original title O Ritual dos Sadicos.


• Trailers

  Awakening of the Beast (HD; 3:16)

  
  

  The End of Man (HD; 4:02)

Awakening of the Beast Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's kind of interesting, and maybe just a little bit funny in an ironic sense, that Marins, whose filmography is so full of provocative elements like rampant sexuality, bodily immolation and cannibalism, should also evidently be a crusader in the Nancy Reagan "just say no" category. That said, the film offers the requisite gonzo qualities that will probably recommend it to Coffin Joe aficionados, even if this isn't a "real" Coffin Joe outing. Technical merits are generally solid for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.