North Korea's "Godzilla"

Watch North Korea's monster movie "Pulgasari" here: http://sweetandtastytv.com/2013/10/09/watch-pulgasari-north-koreas-godzilla/ Read Kim Jong-Il's "Theory of Cinematic Art": http://www.korea-dpr.com/lib/209.pdf FUN READINGS: A Conversation with Shin Sang-Ok: http://www.koreanfilm.org/shinsangokk.html Shin Sang Ok, 80, Is Dead http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/13/arts/13shin.html?_r=0 The Producer from Hell http://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/apr/04/artsfeatures1 Pleasure and Pain http://www.villagevoice.com/2002-02-26/film/pleasure-and-pain/ *** KWOW FACEBOOK! http://www.facebook.com/sweetandtastyTV TWITTER!

As discussed in KWOW episode 106 (above), former leader Kim Jong-Il once kidnapped the famous director Shin Sang-Ok. When Shin was told to direct a propaganda film, he said no and tried to escape North Korea. He was put in jail for the following five years and was fed grass and cornmeal. When released, director Shin was given some creative freedom and ended up making North Korea's cult classic monster film "Pulgasari" (불가사리). Which was similar to the original "Godzilla," a favorite flick of Kim Jong-Il's.

Watch "Pulgasari" below!

Pulgasari is a North Korean feature film produced in 1985, a giant-monster film similar to the Japanese Godzilla series. It was produced by South Korean director Shin Sang-ok, who had been kidnapped in 1978 by North Korean intelligence on the orders of Kim Jong-il, son of the then-ruling Kim Il-sung.

Still shots from "Pulgasari":

Before his kidnapping, director Shin made "A Flower from Hell" (1958) and other lesser censored films. Considering how uncensored media today is, Shin's classics may not be considered highly erotic through the eyes of the modern individual.

지옥화 The Flower in Hell (1958) 영식(김학) 일당은 양공주 촌에서 살면서 미군부대의 창고를 털어 시장에 내다파는 일을 한다. 동생 동식(조해원)은 형 영식을 찾아 서울에 왔다가 시장통에서 형을 발견하고 양공주 촌으로 들어간다. 동식은 영식에게 어머니가 있는 시골로 내려가자고 하지만 영식은 동생에게 먼저 내려가 있으라고 말하고, 소냐(최은희)에게 큰 건을 하면 시골로 같이 내려가 결혼하자고 한다.

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