Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures 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.

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.

It's quite possible that some reading my reviews of this set have found my references to Black Orpheus puzzling, but this is another film in this collection which frankly evoked memories of that classic for me, if admittedly tangentially. One of the beautiful things about Black Orpheus was how it wove layers of myth and folklore together, while also addressing at least allusively the fascinating combo platter of Catholicism and Candomblé-Yoruba influences in at least a certain demographic of Brasil's population, and there's that same quasi-religious ritual feeling on hand here in the very opening moments, where another music and dance "spectacular" plays out, albeit in a decidedly more gonzo fashion than in the Camus film.

As mentioned in the review of The Strange World of Coffin Joe, Marins had a long side career as a horror host on television, and this film offers him as a veritable Rod Serling in Night Gallery, albeit as the proprietor of a mysterious hotel rather than an art emporium. What's actually going on vis a vis the "guests" at this establishment won't be spoiled here, other than to say among the many other filmmakers Marins is compared to in any number of the supplements included in this set is Luis Buñuel, and in that regard some may find this entry might make an interesting double feature with The Exterminating Angel.

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures 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 Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures / Estranha Hospedaria dos Prazeres 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 the original 35mm camera negative.

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 negatives scanned by Cinemateca Brasileira.

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

This is another very appealing looking transfer, if by "appealing" you can include some pretty graphic moments that may send more squeamish types running for the exit doors. This color outing offers some interesting choices, including moments that almost look more like tinting or toning than "traditional" color cinematography. That said, the palette is quite lurid at times, but is very healthy throughout, and is especially vivid in its presentation of primaries. There are a number of psychedelic effects scattered throughout the story (see screenshot 3) where things are understandably hazy, but on the whole, detail levels are quite commendable. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures features LPCM Mono audio in the original Portuguese. While there's some background hiss and just a hint of distortion in higher amplitudes, this is probably one of the more consistent sounding tracks in the collection, something that's perhaps a little funny given the weird, hyperbolic combo platter of sound effects and Carnaval-esque music that is part of the sound design. Certain sound effects like thunder can be on the thin side, and there is some of the same passing brashness on the high end I've noted in some of the other reviews of films in this set. Dialogue is rendered without any major issues. Optional English subtitles are available. My score is 3.75.

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Arrow has packaged When the Gods Fall Asleep and The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures together on one disc, with the following supplements:

• The Demonic Surrealism of Coffin Joe (HD; 25:42) offers Virginie Selavy discussing parallels between Marins' films and various surrealist movements.


• Delirium, Surrealism, and Vision (HD; 13:33) features Jack Sargeant discussing Marins' filmography.
,br>
• Apostle of Evil (HD; 10:46) offers Dennison Ramahlo talking about his connection to Marins and Coffin Joe.


• Mojica in the Snow: Tonight I Incarnate at Sundance! (HD; 15:11) was a lot of fun for this native born Utahn to watch, but even non- Utahns should get a kick out of Marins traveling to the Sundance Film Festival in 2001.


• A Blind Date for Coffin Joe (HD; 9:42) is a comedic short starring Raymond Castile ("Young" Coffin Joe in Embodiment of Evil), built around the premise of Coffin Joe trying to find his perfect female courtesy of something like internet dating. This is probably not quite as funny as the premise might suggest, but it's still kind of goofily enjoyable.


• Trailer The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures (HD; 4:03)

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This may or may not be perceived as a "true" Coffin Joe entry, but it actually has a kind of interesting if predictable premise, and the color cinematography is often gobsmacking, despite Marins' typically miniscule budget. Technical merits are generally solid, and as with most of the discs in this set, the supplements are outstanding, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.