Ritual of Death

Ritual of Death is one of two horror movies directed by Brazilian hardcore pornographer Fauzi Mansur (the other being Satanic Attraction, which I have yet to see), and as such it should come as little surprise to find that nudity and gore takes precedence over a logical plot. In fact, trying to describe the story for this bizarre supernatural slasher is something of a challenge, the action frequently making very little sense. Essentially, the film involves a theatre troupe who steal a cursed ancient manuscript on which they base their next play, and, in doing so, invoke an ancient spirit that possesses actor Brad (Olair Coan). However, there's more to it than that... stuff that is just plain bonkers, which goes to make this movie almost as abstruse as those other wild Brazilian horror films, the Coffin Joe series.

As the action unfolds, the movie randomly cuts to a mysterious old man in a bowler hat whose purpose is never made clear. Mansur makes the most of a smoke machine, although why there are billowing clouds of smoke inside a theatre isn't explained. Dancing South American indians and frogs make intermittent appearances, but once again, no fathomable reason for their presence is given. And as for the naked couple taking a blood bath with a severed goats head (real or prop? I couldn't tell), I'm still none the wiser.

Although the film remains a head-scratcher right to the end, the second half plays out much like a slasher/body count movie, as possessed Brad bumps off his fellow thespians in very bloody fashion: a man is drowned in a bath, his eyeballs floating to the surface (why?... don't ask me!); a woman is gutted with a claw hammer; a girl is stabbed and run over by a train wheel; a girl gets a knife pushed down her throat; a guy is crushed by the wheel of a wind machine (his innards spilling out onto the floor); and another poor bloke gets acid in his face before being chopped to pieces by the wind machine (which doesn't have a safety guard over the propellor).

Gorehounds will definitely have fun with Ritual of Death, as will those who appreciate a good looking gal: most of the women are attractive (Leticia Vota as Mary gets my vote for her vest and g-string combo, with sexy brunette Lilian Ramos a close second as Liza). Because I found the film so utterly confusing, and a little slow to start with, I'm not going to be overly generous with my rating, but for the splatter alone, it's worth at least a 5.5/10 (rounded up to 6 for IMDb).

Brazilian horror/exploitation films are most famous for the unique visions of director/actor Jose "Coffin Joe" Marin (firstly), and perhaps also the whacked-out 80's soap opera/sexploitation flicks known as "pornochachada" (a very distant second). Well, it turns out the Brazilians also made quite a few cheapo gory horror flicks back in that decade known for cheapo gory horror flicks, the 1980's. This is one of them.

The plot (wait a minute--gotta stop rolling around on the floor laughing hysterically) involves some kind of ritual human sacrifice performed for both Egyptian and South American gods. Some dimwitted theater students steal an ancient book of these rites in order to put them on as a play (they couldn't have just done "The Music Man"?). Naturally,the dark Egyptian/Latin American gods are not pleased, and all breaks loose--in the most confusing and cheap-jack way imaginable.

The only thing that really sets this apart from a ultra-cheap Americam horror film of this era is that it manages to be even more inept and certainly more non-sensical. The incredibly wooden acting is matched by the even more wooden English dubbing. And speaking of wood, the luscious "pornochchada" princess Vanessa Alves shows up in a role that consists entirely of her splashing around naked in a bloody bathtub with a severed goat's head (perhaps a waste of her talents, I'm not sure). Anyway, she's the closest thing to a name actor in this.

None of this is to say, movies like this don't have their low-rent charms. The ones here are just even more low-rent than usual.

Director Fauzi Mansur is one of those Brazilian director's which movies are extremely hard to find. None of them are out on DVD. Fauzi was known for his porn flicks but the last two flicks he directed immediately became cult because he tried to make some kind of horror. Ritual Of Death do pops up sometimes on ex-rental VHS but his Satanic Attraction (1990) is harder to find.

You don't watch this flick for the acting because that's as wooden as it can be. This flick is hunted down for it's gore and secondly for it's nudity. Made in 1990 it more looks like an early eighties flick due the cheap effects used but it's still worth watching. It even reminded me of those old Italian horrors because they also used the lighting to give some scary effects and they also overdubbed the track with sound of the wind or whatsoever. It never is frightening but the killings makes it all worth searching. Green goo is coming from hands and faces but that's what makes it a bit cheesy at times. But the face ripping scene is still one for the gorehounds but the drowning of a man and his eyes coming out of his face is really cheesy. Between the gory parts girls do go naked or having sex in a bath full of blood together with a goat's head chopped off.

If you are a collector surely one to pick up if you can find it. About the actors I can only tell that the main leads, Karina Palatnik did her final appearance in this flick (only did 3 flicks) and Olair Coan died in a car accident in 2007. None of the others made it in the international scene.

Gore 3/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

saw last night and even though it evoked a mood of unknown horror it appeared mudled story wise to keep a continous attention on it for me. i liked the ritual scenes of ancient native brazilians and the semi naked gorgeous brazil women running around trying to escape the murderer but it is not enough to recommend. if anyone knows where to get older movies from FAUZI MANSUR (the director) please let me know.

I always had a feeling that Brazilian horror had more to offer than just the shenanigans of good 'ole Coffin Joe, but only recently did I get to experience this glorious proof of my suspicions. Ritual of Death makes a beeline straight for the most deliriously inspired of territory and more or less sticks there, seekers of sense and coherence can pretty well not bother but for fans of the kookier side of foreign trash horror, its made of win. It charts the grisly craziness that befalls when an amateur theatre group gets a hold of a translation of an Egyptian manuscript detailing sacrificial rites to the god of death, rites that have led to ghastly happenings in the past. Suffice to say, the past awakens and actor Brad starts to come under some pretty bad influence… Now the script may not make a whole lot of sense, but director Fauzi Mansur sets about business with near magical intuitions about how to keeps things awesome. The first half has more of a supernatural vibe, so we get visions, ritual sacrifice as reality, dream and theatre and a whole bunch of stuff that may or may not be real but certainly makes for fun viewing. Colorful costumes, cheap and cheery set designs, score that fixates on powerful drums, alarmed synths and rudimentary eerie tunage (kudos Michael Kelly), a sweetly overwrought atmosphere of compelling unhingement howls bug-eyed at the viewer and it's really something to behold. Mix in boobs, pus oozing decay, jump cuts to a sinister bowler hatted man and a totally off the hook bloody bathtub fornication/severed goats head love scene and you got something close to purest bliss. Unexpected toads and messy eating get in on the action too! Then as things go on, the film works in some plot developments and sidles into slasher mode, so we get some gruesome slaying as things build to the inevitable daftoid finale. Zonked out dubbing provides unintentional humour, as does what sounds suspiciously like a misplaced fart at one point and the sillier effects will surely get some giggles too. Not much to say about the acting, but Sergio Hingst is suitably menacing as the aforementioned bowler hated menace, Olair Coan is a decently distressed leading man and the women are often pretty attractive, so its all good. Its been a while since I was this entertained by a trashy horror film, all bar hardy trash fans will likely find it terrible but I straight up loved it. Obscur-amongous, but dopey and gored up trash lovers would do well to hunt this sucker out I'd say.