Pulgasari

[Warren H.]

If you go to StompTokyo, then you've probably heard of Pulgasari.  It's the Korean monster movie that was made by kidnapped filmmakers because the son of North Korea's Communist Regime leader liked monster movies.  Get all that?  Good.

While literally all sources claim the movie isn't good, I rather liked it.  If anything, it was a refreshing change of pace from most monster movies.  It was set during feudal times, for example, and not the modern day or the near future.  There were no truck-mounted lasers, no jets.  There were, however, rocket-propelled spears (don't ask).

The camera work is sometimes shoddy (the director of photography must have really loved that ZOOM button) and the special effects are sometimes on the super-cheesy side.  Alternately, the pagoda smashing scenes are some of the best I've ever witnessed.

What sells the movie for me, is that everyone involved in it obviously cared about the movie.  There's a fierce professionalism generated by everyone you see on screen and you can feel it radiating from those behind the camera as well.  Everyone is trying as hard as they can to make this movie work and I bet, when it was over, they all felt proud of themselves and were happy with what they'd accomplished.  And that means a lot to me after all the carelessley made "big-time" movies I've seen in recent months.

Plus, Korea has some cute women.

[Squishy]

The building miniatures are fantastic, aren't they? Other effects--including animated rocket fire into Pulgy's yap, straight out of the end of "Reptilicus"--are beyond cheap'n'cheesy, but a couple of times I didn't realize I was looking at a miniature until the rubber suit walked in and started wrecking the joint.

...I don't think that horse head was a special effect, though. Ewwwwww.

Yeah, they all give their best, but the funniest parts are the outrageous failures: the executioner's sword leaving a fully-visible shadow on the "sky" the first time the heroic rebel leader is about to be killed (in an indoor set that appears to be a full five feet wide); the rebel ambush-trap (twigs rolling down a pile of dirt, actors desperately "dying" as paper-mache boulders bounce off their shoulders); the embarassingly-bad "King" shrieking like a girl and twirling a curtain around himself as Pulgy approaches to mete out justice. (Is he the director's brother or something? Everyone else in the movie is so much better...)

"Pulgasari" is must-see for all monster-movie lovers: it has both very impressive, serious moments and lots of the good, ol' fashioned cream cheese that keeps me watching "Yongary" and "Gappa" and the old "Gamera" series. Enjoy it with some chewed food! ("Inside" joke.)

[Flangepart]

Ya know, at The magazine G-FAN, the debate is about including non-japanese Kaiju films. I say yes. If i had my druthers, there would be MORE Kaiju films! The things are just fun, and i need all the distratcion from the real world i can get. hummmmm...Heres a idea....What Kaiju film would you most like to see re-made? I vote for GORGO.  Ryan and Slade are gun runners for northern Ireland, and use Gorgo to stick to the (English)Man! ...well...thats one plot. Hows 'bout you?