Monster of the Day #775


Reader’s MoD Week, the Rev. Edition. He testifies:

Sadly, these kind of faded images are probably the best look we’ll ever get at this particular kaiju. I know that sometimes a lost movie will be found, like a few years ago with that great print of Metropolis. However, that was a recognized classic that had a fairly good chance of turning up. This one is barely known outside of hardcore kaiju eiga otaku. So, let’s just say I’m not holding my breath for a Miracle in Seoul.”

  • David Fullam

    Supposedly it holds a world record for most extras ever used in one film.

  • Eric Hinkle

    This is, what, the Korean film ‘Pulgasari’?

  • Scopi314

    It’s another Korean film called Wangmagwi. And it’s not lost, merely unreleased on home video for reasons I’ve never been able to ascertain. Back when I was doing my Yongary website I was able to verify that they movie is still occasionally shown at film festivals in Korea, so it’s definitely still around. In fact, I think I just saw some more pics from the non-monster scenes show up on the web, but I don’t remember where.

  • Rock Baker

    That’s encouraging!

  • Eric Hinkle

    Thanks for straightening me out there. I have to admit, Yongary aside I don’t know a lot about Korean movies, be they kaiju flicks or anything else.

  • The Rev.

    As I mentioned on the forum, my recent research led me to believe it was indeed being showing in Korea; this may be why I tend to see it referred to as a “lost” film rather than just lost.

    Granted, until I can afford to fly to Korea for a film festival, or it is finally released on DVD, it’s pretty much lost to me…still, this news has made me glad I didn’t go with my other choices for MotD. (I’d thought about going with the original Pulgasari, but could only find the poster for the film and wanted a better picture than that; I also thought about doing someone from Attack of the Supermonsters, but decided I’d leave that for Ken to do a week of at some point, hint hint.)

    David: That is my understanding as well.

  • Sandy Petersen

    Pulgasari is, gloriously, available from several sources on DVD. Rush out and get it right away if you have not done so. It is plainly the best kaiju movie ever released by a monstrously repressive totalitarian regime.

  • Eric Hinkle

    I’ve heard some folks argue that the film is basically a kaiju version of Sergei Eisenstein’s ‘Ivan the Terrible’; actually a swipe at the North Korean leadership disguised as a monster movie.