Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Embodiment of Evil Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 17, 2024

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

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.

Embodiment of Evil is the one film in this set that has had a prior Region A release on Blu-ray, and those interested in a plot summary are encouraged to read Martin Liebman's Embodiment of Evil Blu-ray review. I'll simply add that this third "official" entry in a presumed Coffin Joe trilogy would appear to have had an extended gestational period, but what may actually be kind of weirdly even more problematic is Marins' choice to shoot this in color and widescreen, something that seems to remove it from the almost mythic oracular aspects of the first two Coffin Joe outings. That said, the film is still a lot of fun and it has some of the most interesting visual flourishes of the Coffin Joe trilogy, including a flashback in nicely articulated black and white (featuring Raymond Castile from A Blind Date for Coffin Joe, offered as a supplement on another disc in the set), as well as monochromatic "visionary" (hallucinatory?) elements that invade otherwise colorful frames.

Embodiment of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Embodiment of Evil is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. 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.

Embodiment of Evil / Encarnação do Demônio is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby 5.1 & 2.0 Brazilian Portuguese audio. This master was sourced from the film's 2K Digital Intermediate.

This is the only film in the set to not come with a prefatory text card giving more transfer information, but even the above information has some errors, beginning with the aspect ratio, but then continuing on to the audio codecs, which are actually DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. The aspect ratio is kind of confounding given that the Synapse release reviewed by Marty was more or less correctly framed at 1.84:1. That said, the biggest difference here may be the relative darkness of this version. For just one example of how different the two versions look, compare screenshot 3 of this review with screenshot 8 of Marty's review. I actually kind of like the look of this version, in that it emphasizes the gritty, downtrodden world of Coffin Joe, but that said, there are some pretty noticeable deficits in shadow definition, at least when compared to what some may feel is the artificially brightened Synapse release. Detail levels are quite commendable throughout, especially in some of the outdoor material, moments where fine detail on everything from Joe's scruffy beard to textures on outfits is precisely rendered.

Embodiment of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Embodiment of Evil features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options in the original Portuguese, as noted above. The surround track is quite immersive, especially for those who may have binge watched all of the preceding mono presentations. Even the cloistered confines of the prison or Coffin Joe's diabolical cellar provide opportunities for well placed ambient environmental sounds, and some of the outdoor material has a goodly supply of either urban clamor or more sylvan attributes like breezes rustling through leaves. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Embodiment of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary is an archival piece featuring screenwriter Dennison Ramalho and producer Paulo Sacramento. In Portuguese with English subtitles.


• Apprenticeship of Evil (HD; 1:24:36) is a Zoom-like conversation between Dennison Ramalho and Fantasia Fest's Mitch Davis.


• Learning from the Master (HD; 37:40) features Dennis Ramalho discussing the film.


• Official Making Of (HD; 31:46)


• Experimental Making Of (HD; 13:25)


• Fantasia Film Festival Premiere Footage (HD; 14:22)


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 12:11)


• Visual Effects - Purgatory (HD; 2:16)


• Storyboards (HD; 2:07)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:41)

Embodiment of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm evidently a bit more of a fan of this film than Marty, but even I find it as "weird" as Marty did. What I find really weird, though, is Marin's choice to shoot widescreen and in color, which almost seems antithetical to the first two Coffin Joe outings. The aspect ratio here is a little weird as well, especially if this was culled from a DI, and the presentation is noticeably brighter than the older Synapse Blu-ray. Audio is great and the supplements very enjoyable. With caveats noted, Recommended.