Should we dismiss Kim Jong Il as we did Hitler?

Have you noticed how Kim is called a goofy looking little madman? He may very well be just that. But we tried to laugh Hitler off the world stage throughout the 1930's while that goofy looking little madman was preparing to kill millions.

So, is Kim a looney film buff with unlimited power or is he a calculating totalitarian who takes that whole total thingee very seriously? The following story makes me wonder.

From BijouCafe.com comes the disturbing tale of Dictator Kim's foray into the monster movie genre.

Pulgasari (View Cover)

Starring Chamg Sun Hwi, Jong Guk & Satsisu Kembachiro. Directed by Shin Sang-ok & Chong Gon Jo.

The great appeal of many cult flix lies in the life stories not of the onscreen characters , per se, but the folks behind the scenes who were guiding them...

PULGASARI (1985) is just such a flick. The story line, production and characters are as bad as they come , not unlike an Ed Wood effort in its own respective genre in that regard.

So why set PULGASARI apart? The life stories behind the flick are more interesting than what's onscreen, which -- perversely -- makes subsequent viewings of PULGASARI actually much "deeper" with political sub-text (if you're willing to wade beyond the obvious monster vs. society surface; not advised, by the way, in most giant monster flix).

The twisted, sinister tale of PULGASARI's origins begin with the kidnapping of South Korean director Shin Sang-ok by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il (left). According to Mr. Shin, he was gassed, bagged and delivered into North Korea one night, only to find himself at the personal behest of his 'host' Kim Jong, a self-admitted movie fanatic with one of the world's largest private flix collections. In fact, his Daddy let a younger Kim Jong Il actually write the film production primer that all North Korean flixmakers must 'adhere' to... or else. In North Korea, you see, all film production is state funded so therefore state controlled; flixmakers are routinely paid 'unexpected' visits by government goon squads checking up on them and the content.

Turns out that the now middle-aged dictator not only grooves on kaiju flix, but now wanted to make one that was equal parts GORGO and MAJIN himself. Jong's vision: a towering, iron-eatin' behemoth intent on overthrowing the capitalist exploiters who've been subduing the beloved home land. Despite his intent only to return to South Korea, Shin was now under 'contract' on terms he literally could not refuse: make PULGASARI or die trying, 'comrade' (and you thought Hollywood contracts were Machiavellian!)

The production process went on for years. Kenpachiro Satsuma -- the famed actor who has played Godzilla for many years now (though not the original actor) -- was brought in to play Pulgasari. Obviously, Kim Jong knew his kaiju. Alas, while the effects are occasionally good, most of the time they are distinctly on par and sometimes sub. This has as much to do with the mish mash of production as any intent or lack thereof on Shin's part.

For you see, Shin was actually plotting (along with his wife who had also been kidnapped) to defect to America and soon the grateful couple did so. But though infuriated at the loss, the North Korean dictator decided the show must go on (kind of like his discredited state philosophy), rest/west of the world be damned. So he appointed a new stooge director named Chong Gon Jo to complete his epic.

That 'rest/west be damned' bit sounds eerily familiar as of late coming out of North Korea, eh? But what else do you expect from a post-Stalinist monster save hard love and fast rockets? That's the weirdest irony of all about this giant monster who devours iron and then every bit of metal before it: hidden in the subtext is a clear perversion and rejection of the peasants (I think that was supposed to be "by the peasants". - F.G.) of not only capitalism but also later the liberating communist monster Pulgasari itself.

Wow, no wonder Mr. Shin was ready to risk life and limb to escape...