|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
José Mojica Marins and his Movies
Fernando Leal has been kind enough to translate an interview with Mojica for us! The original is availible at Jornal da Tarde."Bizarre and cult, Coffin Joe gets a biography" By Marcos Filippi Translated by Fernando Leal Brazilians tend to appreciate everything that comes from abroad and not to give proper attention to their national “product”. 62-year-old filmmaker José Mojica Marins knows this very well. After conquering the USA and Europe as Coffin Joe, our Zé do Caixão became a TV star [as host of a daily horror film show called ‘Cine Trash’] and his films became ‘cult’ films. Now, his life and career are told in the book ‘Maldito: A Vida e o Cinema de José Mojica Marins, o Zé do Caixão’ (Editora 34, 448 pages). The authors are the journalists André Barcinski and Ivan Finotti. Interviewed by JT, the filmmaker talks about the book, his plans, and how he resents Brazil. Jornal da Tarde: What did you think about the book ‘Maldito’? José Mojica Marins: This is my first biography and it’s very well made, with a lot of research and never-before-seen photos. It shows two sides: people who admire my work and those who hate me. When did you realize you were meant to be a filmmaker? I lived in Vila Anastácio, in the back of Cine Santo Estevão. When I was nine, my father was going to give me a bike for my birthday. I asked for an 8mm camera, instead. I was already fascinated with the supernatural. My first film was very funny. The friends who could bring me a bag full of maggots would get a free ticket to the theater. I made ‘Juízo Final’ (‘Final Judgement’), a story where the good ones would be taken to Heaven on a flying coffin and the bad ones would become maggots on Earth. And how did your family react? My parents were always supportive. The day I showed the film, my father was proud and invited his friends, and my mother, who was very catholic, invited the priest. After the screening, my father’s friends told him I had some kind of a problem and he should seek a good psychologist. The priest wanted to exorcise me and kicked me out of the church drama classes. When did you really begin to have problems with the Church? In 1957, when I made ‘A Sina do Aventureiro’ (‘The Adventurer’s Fate’). There was a scene where the hero swam in a waterfall with two nude women. The priests thought that was an attack to morality and they kind of prohibited the countryside theaters to exhibit it. The solution was to make a deal. I made the feature-length ‘Meu Destino em Suas Mãos’ (‘My Destiny in Your Hands’, 1961). The story was about children who practiced small larcenies and were reeducated by priests. The film was a failure. What were the dictatorship times like, for you? ‘Awakening of the Beast’ was censored for 20 years and ‘This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse’ and ‘At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul’ had several scenes cut. They threatened to arrest me if I ever showed ‘Awakening of the Beast’. I even got arrested in 1970. I was jailed for one day and beaten up. They wanted me to confess I’d had sex with a minor. Did you ever make money with your movies? I made approximately 150 movies and I never made money in Brazil. 13 works of mine were released in the USA and I always get a little money. It would be demagogy if I said I don’t resent Brazil. I get upset when people give interviews now saying they started their careers with me. When I didn’t have international prestige, they never mentioned me. You’re better known in Brazil because of the folkloric character Coffin Joe. How did you come up with the character? It was in 1963. I dreamt I was being pushed into a cave by a man in black, where there was my coffin with my birth date and my death date. When I woke up, I began the screenplay of ‘At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul’. The day the shooting was scheduled to start, I didn’t have the main character. The studio door-keeper dealt with black magic and had forgotten an Exu cape there. I “borrowed” the cape, rented a top-hat and bought a coffin. What are your plans for ’98? I started the medium-length film ‘Rock no Terceiro Milênio’ (‘Rock in the Third Millenium’) in April, when I cut my left hand’s nails. It’s a 200 thousand dollar budget, it will be the most expensive film I’ve ever made. I’ve also started shooting ‘Adolescência em Transe’ (‘Adolescence in a Trance’), about drug dealing in schools. In live theater, I’m auditioning girls for ‘A Guilhotina da Morte’ (‘The Guillotine of Death’). I’m gonna have a show on Sindical Interativa TV, which will be broadcast through the internet. In May, 89 FM will air my stories. I’m also gonna release the CD ‘As Malditas do Zé do Caixão’ (‘Coffin Joe’s Damned Ones’) with Brazilian and foreign bands. But the main project will be a museum, with costumes of the movies, articles, photos and comic books. |
Send all e-mail to DiRT!