#TIL #Monsterdon edition
#KimJongIl (then heir apparent of #NorthKorea) loves #Kaiju movies so much that he had one made by kidnapped filmmakers from #SouthKorea
1985's #Pulgasari
He even tricked #Toho studios into helping with the effects! Details on the abduction and more in the link below. It's pretty wild.
It's not on any #USA streaming services, but it looks like it's available on at least #YouTube channel in full.
Yo, the #YouTube channel #EnhancedCinema has #Pulgasari 4K, with English captions. I think I have time to watch it before I have to shower & such!
Update - 5 minutes into the film
I've taken shits more 4K than this film. We've met the main 3 characters: Old Blacksmith, Blacksmith Daughter, Blacksmith Apprentice/Bandit Leader.
I don't think we're getting a #BechdelPass here, I suspect she's only gal in the film.
Update - 9 min.
The full village up the road has more gals; bet it still fails.
3/? - #Pulgasari thread
#MonsterdonForOne
15 min - #HungerStrike in a #NorthKorean prison. This movie teaches the people of #NorthKorea about #NonviolentResistance and solidarity!
18 min - ... and conjuring #kaiju to save the people from the 1%. I hope that someday I, too, can use my dying breath to help destroy the #kleptocracy
22 min - and with a little bit of accidently blood magic, a rubber suit, and giant props we have an adorable little #monster awwww
4/? - #Pulgasari thread
#MonsterdonForOne
25 min - yes, lets lock the metal-eating baby #Kaiju into a room with a metal lock. That'll keep it out of the blacksmith's supplies
28 min - #LPT - if it can eat your sword, it can eat your face. Go, tiny knock-off Godzilla, go!
30 min - brb, running to #NorthKorea quick to get some cool rocks for my garden path.
We're now about 1/3 way through the movie, and I'm invested in it it; a bold anti-NK film disguised as NK propaganda.
5/? - #Pulgasari thread
#MonsterdonForOne
38 min - if I had a fidget hat like the king's, I'd never stop batting at it like a cat. #ADHD or #Furry trigger warning, I guess.
40 min - ACTUAL #TriggerWarning - animal butchery by starving farmers after a battle. It's a horse.
45 min - Ami (blacksmith daughter) be giving that #ScaleSuit her bedroom eyes. I kinda get it.
49 min - Traditional #Puppetry 🥰🥰🥰
6/? - #Pulgasari thread
#MonsterdonForOne
51 min - ok, I'm feeling legit anxious from the tension. This is a genuinely good movie.
54 min - 💔😢😭
56 min - 🤯😁😊
60 min - brutal, I hope North Korean stunt actors had decent fire suits in the 80s. Meanwhile, LOOK OUT BAD GUYS, the giant rear-screen projection is coming for you!
1h 5m - no, a group of priestess chanting an exorcism together does not count as a #Bechdal pass, kids.
1h 9m - bad ass last words.
7/? - #Pulgasari thread
#MonsterdonForOne
We're just over an hour in; we may not get a #Bechdel pass, but these ladies are highly competent. Ami is brave AF
1h 14m - billowing cape alert!
1h 15m - something something allegory for #NorthKorea nuclear weapons program.
1h 19m - like, I know dude didn't just say #huzzah but it sounded like dude said #huzzah. There is #meme potential here.
1h 20 min - 🤣 good job Pulgasari
1h 24 min - ...11 minutes to go...
8/? - #Pulgasari thread
#MonsterdonForOne
And we're back with 11 mins to go in the film. We're all celebrating, and nothing can go wrong! Hooray for our Great Ally, Pulgasari!
In the last 10 minutes:
"oh shit, our Great Ally is now eating our resources that the OG Bad Guys were trying to steal. Fuckin A."
Does 2 women talking about a #Kaiju count as a #BechdalPass?
I like Ami; she's the smartest & bravest person in this film.
Fucking off into ... the stones? The End ... or is it?
RamenCatholic 🐢🌈