The Amazing Monster Showdown - Final Bout - POLL

[raycastile]

The Coffin Joe seen in Black Exorcism and Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind has all the powers of his Awakening of the Beast incarnation, plus the ability to exist in the "real" world.  Like a character from The Purple Rose of Cairo or The Last Action Hero, the 1970s Coffin Joe is a movie character that steps out of the screen and comes to life in the real world.

I also consider Prof. Oaxiac Odez from The Strange World of Coffin Joe to be a legitimate incarnation of the Coffin Joe character.  Maybe he is the Zé of the first two films who somehow survived the swamp, went into hiding, then emerged under a new identity.  Maybe (as Mojica's son, Cro, believes) he is an "alternate universe" version of Zé.  I think the viewer is expected to make up his own mind, just as audiences can decide for themselves whether Count Alucard is Dracula or his son.

So there are several versions of Coffin Joe. 

1. The Cryptkeeper-style omniprescient overseer that appears in the comic books, television and every Coffin Joe film, including the first two.
2. The human megalomaniac from the first two films and the new film.
3. The alternate universe version of the human maniac, seen only in The Strange World of Coffin Joe.
4. The omnipotent Coffin Joe that exists in the human psyche, really a manifestation of the Cryptkeeper version, seen in Awakening of the Beast.
5. The materialization of the omnipotent Coffin Joe in the real world, seen in Black Exorcism and Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind.

There are also variants of Coffin Joe #5 in other films not directed by Mojica, including Strange Hostel of Pleasures.

Could any of these defeat Dracula?  Well, if Dracula can be defeated by old professors, monks and naive young lovers, surely he can be defeated by Coffin Joe.

[Tom Smith Monsternut]

Maybe,, But Dracula always returns !

[Nicole]

Thanks for listing all those different incarnations for us, Ray. Even I had not considered some of those variants. You definitely know your stuff! I'm curious, would other Mojica characters such as Vitorio Palestrina and George Medeiros also be considered Coffin Joe variants, akin to #3? I know, Vitorio especially, exhibited a lot of Coffin Joe-esque perversions.

[SpankRamen]

Thanks for listing all those different incarnations for us, Ray. Even I had not considered some of those variants. You definitely know your stuff! I'm curious, would other Mojica characters such as Vitorio Palestrini and George Medeiros also be considered Coffin Joe variants, akin to #3? I know, Victorio especially, exhibited a lot of Coffin Joe-esque perversions.

Vitorio Palestrina did indeed have a lot of Zé-esque qualities. He's rich, womanizing, & has gotten away with some horrible crimes. I'm amazed that Zé never bit a nipple or two, but tarantulas & snakes are more than enough. However, there is one MAJOR thing that separates the two. Vitorio has the ability to fall in love ('cause Veronica drove his ass up a wall ). Zé sees love as a weakness (which is why Marcia couldn't be his baby-mama ).

I'm not sure if George has much in common with Zé. Nicole, could you tell us what Zé-like traits George possesses? I didn't notice any, but if you did, that would be cool.

[Nicole]

Yeah, Spank, you're absolutely right. I think it was that whole thing with George being obsessed with his "experiments" and using acid to disfigure faces that reminded me of that scene out of "This Night..." Other than that, I guess they really don't have anything in common.

And I realize that Vitorio broke the "love is weak" rule, but if Oaxiac Odez can be a cannibal, then why not? The cool thing about the alternate universe characters, is that they exhibit some, but not necessarily all of the traits of the original character.

[SpankRamen]

You mean the part where Zé poured that stuff on the girl's face & it became all gross? I never thought about that!

True about Vitorio & the whole love thing. I guess is an alternate or parallel universe, one of Zé's incarnations could exhibit love.

[raycastile]

I don't think the Perversion or Hellish Flesh characters are variants of Zé do Caixão.  They are clearly "normal" humans with garden-variety psychological problems, inhabiting the normal world.  They have careers, friends, spouses, business associates.  They do not dress in black.  They do not spout Zé's twisted philosophy.  They have normal names.  When the character is actually called Zé do Caixão, backwards or forwards, then there is not much doubt who that character is.  When the character is deliberately unnamed (I don't remember the Hostel manager having a name), then it is safe to assume the director wanted to leave open the possibility that it is Zé do Caixão.

So here are tips to determine whether a character played by Jose Mojica Marins is supposed to be Zé do Caixão:

1.  The character says, "My name is Zé do Caixão."
2.  The character says, "My name is Oaxiac Odez," or never says his name.
3.  The character dresses in black, has long nails and spouts Zé's evil philosophy.

[Nicole]

You're right. Now I realize, that was a very silly question for me to ask. You have to overlook me sometimes.

[raycastile]

It is just a little bump on your journey toward perfection, a destination I have already reached.  But with your superior intellect, you will achieve it eventually.

[drgangrene]

13 voters so far, and IT is still in the lead. We'll leave this up for a bit lobger, see if we get a few more folks casting votes!

[SpankRamen]

It is just a little bump on your journey toward perfection, a destination I have already reached.  But with your superior intellect, you will achieve it eventually.

Oh, it will take me a bit longer.

[drgangrene]

An unlucky 13 votes may be it! Oh well!
We'll leave it up for another week, see if anyone else votes.

[SpankRamen]

An unlucky 13 votes may be it! Oh well!
We'll leave it up for another week, see if anyone else votes.

Why bother? I say we just call it as is.

[Nicole]

Yep, I say give it a FIM.

[SpankRamen]

We might as well. I mean, honestly, It The Terror won.