The most popular film in the career of José Mojica Marins is back again, completely restored. For the first time in almost twenty years, the famous scene of the descent of Zé do Caixão to hell - inspired by the nightmare that led Mojica to create the character Zé do Caixão - may be seen in its entirety. Esta Noite Encarnarei no Teu Cadáver begins exactly where À Meia-Noite Levarei Tua Alma leaves off. Having survived the supernatural attack at the end of À Meia-Noite, Zé do Caixão continues his obsessive search for the ideal woman, able to bear a perfect son.

     With the assistance of his faithful servant Bruno, he kidnaps six beautiful girls and submits them to the most horrible of tortures. Only the most courageous will survive the test and become the mother of his child. However, Zé commits an unpardonable crime when he murders a pregnant girl. Tormented by guilt at having assassinated an innocent child, he has a nightmare where he is borne to a frozen hell, where he once again meets his victims - in a spectacular sequence in color, lasting approximately twelve minutes.

     Esta Noite was filmed complete in an abandoned synagogue in the district of Brás, in São Paulo, that Mojica transformed into a studio. Filming was marred by tragedy, including the death of a camera assistant after a night out drinking. In some of the scenes, Mojica used dozens of tarantulas and snakes and barely escaped arrest, accused of "ill treating" the actresses.

     Like all of the films of Zé do Caixão, Esta Noite offended the censors who then demanded cuts in at least a dozen scenes (the present version is complete, without cuts). The scene that most infuriated the censors was the death of Zé do Caixão, where the character is shot several times over, falls into a lake, and, before dying, confirms his disbelief in God. A priest implores Zé do Caixão to ask to be pardoned for his sins, but Zé screams out: "I do not believe! I do not believe!", all the while sinking deeper into the pestilent waters of the lake.

     Censor Augusto da Costa - ex-fullback of the Vasco football team and captain of the Brazilian 1950 World Cup Team - demanded a change to something "more positive". Mojica was obliged to dub the scene over again, and make Zé do Caixão into a believer: "God, God... Yes, God is truth! I believe in Thy power! Save me! The cross, the cross, Father! The cross, the symbol of the son..."
(André Barcinski)