At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964) À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma (original title)

Director:

José Mojica Marins

Writers:

José Mojica Marins (story)
José Mojica Marins (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 November 1964 (Brazil)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A gravedigger prowls the city in search of a female to bear him a son.

Plot Keywords:

Son | Death | Rape | Suicide | Gypsy

Cast

José Mojica Marins	...	Zé do Caixão
Magda Mei	...	Terezinha
Nivaldo Lima	...	Antônio
Valéria Vasquez	...	Lenita (as Valeria Vasquez)
Ilídio Martins Simões	...	Dr. Rodolfo (as Ilídio Martins)
Arildo Iruam
Genésio de Carvalho		(as Genê Carvalho)
Vânia Rangel
Graveto
Robinson Aielo
Avelino Morais
Luana
Leandro Vieira
Antônio Marins	...	S. Francisco
Mário Lima
Eurípedes da Silva		(as Eurípides Silva)
Luiz Gonçalves
Carmen Marins	...	D. Joana (as Carmem Marins)
Cícero Paulino
Waldomiro França
Cardoso
Jonny Grégio
José Vilar
Suzy Barros
Tomás Sebastião
Iko Galdine
Laura Duarte
Claudiana
Renato Melo
Almir Barbosa
Raul Malentaqui
Eucaris Moraes	...	Velha Bruxa (as Eucaris de Morais)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Geraldo Bueno	...	(uncredited)
Laurindo Luarelli	...	Zé do Caixão (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
José Mojica Marins

Writing credits
José Mojica Marins		(story)
José Mojica Marins		(screenplay)
Magda Mei

Produced by
Arildo Iruam	....	producer
Geraldo Martins Simões	....	producer (as Geraldo Martins)
Ilídio Martins Simões	....	producer (as Ilídio Martins)

Original Music by
Salatiel Coelho
Hermínio Gimenez

Cinematography by
Giorgio Attili

Film Editing by
Luiz Elias

Production Design by
José Vedovato

Makeup Department
Gilberto Marques	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Nelson Gaspari	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ozualdo Ribeiro Candeias	....	assistant director

Art Department
Genésio de Carvalho	....	assistant production designer (as Genê Carvalho)
Luiz Gonçalves	....	assistant production designer
Giovanni Lozanis	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Antonio Smith Gomes	....	sound
José Lopes	....	foley artist (as Índio)

Camera and Electrical Department
Oswaldo de Oliveira	....	assistant camera (as Osvaldo de Oliveira)
Antônio de Souza	....	gaffer
Waldomiro Reis	....	electrician
José Saverie	....	grip

Other crew
Waldomiro França	....	script supervisor
Magda Mei	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Indústria Cinematográfica Apolo

Distributors

• Something Weird Video (SWV) (1993) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Fantoma (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinemagia (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2010) (Finland) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Mundial Filmes (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (video) (VOD)

Special Effects

• Produções Cinematográficas Indrikis Kruskops

Other Companies

• Odil Fono Brasil S.A.  sound re-recording and mixing

Also Known As:

"À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma" - Brazil (original title)

Runtime:

Brazil:84 min

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Company:

Indústria Cinematográfica Apolo

Trivia:

With the exception of two exterior scenes, the entire movie was shot inside a 600 square foot studio in São Paulo.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Zé do Caixão:What is life? It is the beginning of death. What is death? It is the end of life! What is existence? It is the continuity of blood. What is blood? It is the reason to exist!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Coffin Joe (#3.15)" (2009)

Great Cult Horror Movie

In a small town, the creepy and violent gravedigger Zé do Caixão (José Mojica Marins) is feared by the locals. Zé do Caixão lives with Lenita (Valeria Vasquez), who can not deliver a son to him. Obsessed to have a son, Zé do Caixão harasses Terezinha de Oliveira (Magda Mei), who is the fiancée of his friend Antônio de Andrade (Nivaldo Lima) and kills Lenita with a spider simulating an accident. Then he drowns Antônio and rapes Terezinha expecting to have a baby with her. Terezinha commits suicide but does not accuse Zé do Caixão in his letter. When Dr. Rodolfo (Ilídio Martins) decides to request another autopsy of Antônio, Zé do Caixão burns him to death. The inspector Barretos can not prove that Zé do Caixão is the killer, but on the Day of the Dead, the local gypsy warns him that the dead will take his soul to hell.

"À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma" is a great cult horror movie from the also cult-director José Mojica Marins, a.k.a. Zé do Caixão in Brazil and Coffin Joe overseas. This is a low-budget rough film supported by a good story and performances with passion, dialogs with blasphemy and lots of gore. Further, this film is ahead of time with a very disturbing story for 1964, but recommended only to very specific audience. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma" ("At Midnight I Will Take Your Soul")