The films of Jose Mojica Marins (aka Ze Do Caixao for Portuguese speaking fans and "Coffin Joe" for the rest of us) have been a worldwide cult phenomenon for decades. One of the most original and daring filmmakers who ever lived (I'm not exaggerating), Mojica defied the censorship of his country by creating surreal, erotic and violent and unique movies for more than four decades.

His most famous creation is, indeed, the character of Coffin Joe, a demented undertaker who's in perpetual search for the perfect woman to bear his child. His diabolic misadventures in films like THIS NIGHT I'LL POSESS YOUR CORPSE or AT MIDNIGH I WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL have not been matched to this day. With his amazingly long nails and eerie eyes, Coffin Joe is Brazil's answer to Freddy Krueger, and then some.

EMBODIMENT OF EVIL (ENCARNACAO DO DEMONIO) tells the story of Coffin Joe's return after 40(!) years of incarceration in an insane asylum. Written by Mojica and longtime fan Dennison Ramalho (writer and director of the award winning short film LOVE FOR MOTHER ONLY, showcased a few years ago in Fantasia), this is a big budget, color (the old ones are black and white) version of Coffin Joe, and a welcome one at that.

Marins is one more time behind the camera, and we can tell his style has only not aged, but also improved over the years. The film looks beautiful, there are amazing set pieces and it's great to finally see blood in color in a Coffin Joe movie. Other groovy and psychedelic scenes feature a woman covered in cockroaches, torrents of hemoglobin filling the screen and one guy getting literally "hooked."

Since Marins is now in his early 70's, Ramalho and the director hired Coffin Joe impersonator Ray Castile to play the undertaker in various flashbacks, and here lays another one of the film?s achievements: not only does Castile bear an amazing resemblance to the young Mojica, but he also has the same screen presence.

The late Jece Valdao - playing Coffin's nemesis in the film - also gives a really good performance, even if he didn't get to finish the film (Marins and the producers had to figure out how to make it work without recasting the part, but I won't spoil it for you). The production values are also on the level, so much that EMBODIMENT OF EVIL was picked up by none other than 20th Century Fox for distribution in its homeland.

While we wait for it to get a theatrical run in other countries - I'm dying to see it in a theater - EMBODIMENT OF EVIL will be screened in genre festivals around the world. So, wherever you live, keep your eyes open.

Yes, Coffin Joe is really back with a vengeance. And it's a bloody and surprising one. Meanwhile, Mojica and Ramalho are already working on a new collaboration, which won't be a Coffin Joe movie - even if it will be directed and will star Mojica himself once again - and will be titled EYE GOUGER.

For more info on EMBODIMENT OF EVIL, and to watch the bloody as hell and non work safe trailer, you can visit the film's official site .