Awakening of the Beast
Encyclopedia
Awakening of the Beast is a 1970 Brazil
ian horror/exploitation film
by filmmaker and actor
José Mojica Marins. Marins is also known by his alter ego
Coffin Joe (Zé do Caixão). Marins appears as himself and as the Coffin Joe character in the fictional film which is in the form of a pseudodocumentary.
, Dr. Sergio, a psychiatrist
, appears on a television program on a panel with three other contemporary psychiatrists after he claims to have conducted experiments on four volunteer drug addicts with LSD
in order to investigate his claim that sexual perversion
is caused by use of illegal drugs. As evidence, he presents a series documented accounts of drug use leading to lewd and bizarre sexual acts. Marins appears (as himself) on the panel with the psychiatrists as some type of expert on the subject of depravity. During the program, Dr. Sergio recounts the experiment to his colleagues on the panel, who argue with his claims.
Dr. Sergio gathers the four volunteers, and after receiving an injection, the volunteers (four drug users seen in the previous segments) are instructed to stare at a movie poster
of Marins' The Strange World of Coffin Joe
. The film changes to color and each patient's experience is vividly portrayed in a series of surreal scenes.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian horror/exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
by filmmaker and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
José Mojica Marins. Marins is also known by his alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
Coffin Joe (Zé do Caixão). Marins appears as himself and as the Coffin Joe character in the fictional film which is in the form of a pseudodocumentary.
Synopsis
In the film's first portion, filmed in B&WBlack-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
, Dr. Sergio, a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, appears on a television program on a panel with three other contemporary psychiatrists after he claims to have conducted experiments on four volunteer drug addicts with LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
in order to investigate his claim that sexual perversion
Perversion
Perversion is a concept describing those types of human behavior that are a serious deviation from what is considered to be orthodox or normal. Although it can refer to varying forms of deviation, it is most often used to describe sexual behaviors that are seen by an individual as abnormal,...
is caused by use of illegal drugs. As evidence, he presents a series documented accounts of drug use leading to lewd and bizarre sexual acts. Marins appears (as himself) on the panel with the psychiatrists as some type of expert on the subject of depravity. During the program, Dr. Sergio recounts the experiment to his colleagues on the panel, who argue with his claims.
Dr. Sergio gathers the four volunteers, and after receiving an injection, the volunteers (four drug users seen in the previous segments) are instructed to stare at a movie poster
Movie poster
A movie poster is a poster used to advertise a film. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. They normally contain an image with text. Today's posters often feature photographs of the main actors. Prior to the 1990s,...
of Marins' The Strange World of Coffin Joe
The Strange World of Coffin Joe
The Strange World of Coffin Joe is a 1968 Brazilian horror film by Brazilian filmmaker José Mojica Marins, who is known by his alter ego Zé do Caixão...
. The film changes to color and each patient's experience is vividly portrayed in a series of surreal scenes.
Cast
- Andréa Bryan
- Annik Malvil
- Graveto
- Ítala NandiÍtala NandiÍtala Nandi is a Brazilian actress. She has appeared in 33 films and television shows since 1964. She starred in the 1974 film Sagarana: The Duel, which was entered into the 24th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
- José Mojica Marins as Coffin Joe
- Lurdes Vanucchi Ribas
- Mário LimaMário LimaMário Lima is a Brazilian actor and film and television producer. He produced and acted in many films by Brazilian filmmaker José Mojica Marins.-Filmography:*My Destiny in Your Hands as Actor*Adventurer's Fate as Actor...
as Volunteer - Ozualdo Candeias as Volunteer
- Roney Wanderney
The television panel
- Carlos ReichenbachCarlos ReichenbachCarlos Oscar Reichenbach Son is a Brazilian filmmaker.With one year of age came live in São Paulo. He has studied in the School of Cinema São Luiz, where he was a student of Luis Sérgio Person...
- Jairo Ferreira
- João CallegaroJoão CallegaroJoão Callegaro is a Brazilian filmmaker born on September 21, 1945 in Joaçaba . He is part of the generation of directors of Cinema Marginal , which also includes Carlos Reichenbach, Rogerio Sganzerla, Ozualdo Candeias , Glauber Rocha, Julio Bressane, Neville D'Almeida, Walter Lima Jr.,...
- José Mojica Marins as himself
- Maurice Capovilla
- Sérgio Hingst as Dr Sérgio
- Walter C. Portella