History Film / Pulgasari

* EatTheDog: When General Fuan orders the rebel stronghold in the mountains surrounded to starve them out, the rebels make do with eating their horses.

* PublicDomain: While Pulgasari never had an official international release outside of South Korea and Japan, North Korea's enemies like the US will often treat the movie as this [[TakeThat out of spite for them.]] The fact North Korea is not officially a part of any International Copyright agreements is the only reason that this is technically legal.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY: ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' meets ''Film/{{Daimajin}}''.

* PeopleInRubberSuits: Low-budget moviemaking at its finest, with the guy in the Pulgasari suit.

The movie was released within Korea in 1985, and eventually shown to international audiences in 1998. You can watch the full movie [[https://youtu.be/eCKSR0JArUQ here]].

* ForeignRemake: In 1996, Shin Sang-ok wrote an Americanized remake called ''Galgameth'', directed by Sean [=McNamara=].

''Pulgasari'' is an odd {{Kaiju}} film that came out of UsefulNotes/NorthKorea. It was produced and directed by Shin Sang-ok, a South Korean director who was kidnapped and taken into North Korea, and features special effects by the Franchise/{{Godzilla}} effects team at Creator/{{Toho}}. It's complicated.

[[caption-width-right:292:Godzilla... as envisioned by Kim Jong-Il]]

* PublicDomain: While Pulgasari never had an official international release outside of South Korea and Japan, North Korea's enemies like the US will often treat the movie as this [[TakeThat out of spite for them.]] The fact North Korea is not officially apart of any International Copyright agreements is the only reason that this technically legal.

%%* EvilLaugh: There's tons of it throughout the movie.

* PublicDomain: While Pulgasari never had an official international release outside of South Korea and Japan, North Korea's enemies like the US will often treat the movie as this out of spite for them.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Focus often shifts between characters other than the blacksmith and his family, routinely showcasing combat from the rebels -- last stands included. There are also large war scenes with thousands of extras.

''Pulgasari'' is an odd {{Kaiju}} film that came out of UsefulNotes/NorthKorea. It was produced and directed by Shin Sang-ok, a South Korean director who was supposedly kidnapped and taken into North Korea and features special effects by the Franchise/{{Godzilla}} effects team at Creator/{{Toho}}. It's complicated.

''Pulgasari'' is an odd {{Kaiju}} film that came out of UsefulNotes/NorthKorea. It was produced and directed by Shin Sang-ok, a South Korean director who had been kidnapped and taken into North Korea and features special effects by the Franchise/{{Godzilla}} effects team at Creator/{{Toho}}. It's complicated.

* ALoadOfBull: Pulgasari is basically a huge-sized scaly minotaur.

In the film, in feudal Korea, the evil King becomes aware that there is a peasant rebellion being planned in the country. He steals all the iron farming tools and cooking pots from the people so that he may make weapons to fend off the peasant army. After he returns the property to the people, an old blacksmith is imprisoned and starved to death. His last creation is a tiny figurine of a monster- Pulgasari, a Godzilla-like creature that eats iron. The blood of his daughter Ami brings the creature to life. Pulgasari fights with the poor, starving peasants to overthrow the corrupt monarchy--but eventually he turns on them.

Released within Korea in 1985, and eventually shown to international audiences in 1998. You can watch the full movie [[https://youtu.be/eCKSR0JArUQ here]].

* AlwaysWithYou: Visualized after Pulgasari dies -- the blacksmith's spirit emerges from the rubble as an [[EnergyBeings energy being]] and enters his daughter's unconscious body.

* BittersweetEnding: The Governor and the King are defeated, but Pulgasari has become dangerous for the farmers and the blacksmith's daughter has to sacrifice herself to stop him.
** Plus; [[spoiler: Almost all the main heroic characters don't physically survive the film; There's the old blacksmith, of course. Ami's lover, Inde fails to rescue his family. Inde himself gets captured and executed (Like [[Series/GameOfThrones Ned]] [[Literature/SongOfIceAndFire Stark]], There is no last-minute escape or rescue here). Ami, sacrifices herself to stop Pulgasari.]]
* BizarreAndImprobableBallistics: Pulgasari managed to do an improbable perfect ricochet of an explosive cannonball...with his mouth.

* EvilLaugh: There's tons of it throughout the movie.

Released within Korea in 1985, and eventually shown to international audiences in 1998. You can watch the full movie [https://youtu.be/eCKSR0JArUQ here].

Released within Korea in 1985, and eventually shown to international audiences in 1998.

** Plus; [[spoiler: Almost all the main heroic characters don't physically survive the film; There's the old blacksmith, of course. Ami's lover, Inde fails to rescue his family. Inde himself gets captured and executed (Like [[Series/GameOfThrones Ned]] [[Literature/SongOfIceAndFire Stark]], There is no last-minute escape or rescue here). Ami, sacrifices herself (likely) dying to stop Pulgasari.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: The blacksmith's daughter sacrifices herself by allowing Pulgasari to eat her (without him knowing) in order to prevent him from becoming both a burden and a threat to the farmers he helped rebel against.

Released in 1985, it was never shown out of Korea for well over a decade, when it was finally released to international audiences in 1998.

* PublicDomainFeatureFilms: Pulgasari never had an official international release (with the exceptions being Japan and South Korea), but due to numerous countries still ''technically'' being at war with North Korea, the film's copyright would considered void in those areas.

* ALoadOfBull: Pulgasari is basically a huge-sized scaly minotaur.

* PitTrap: The king tries this trick to defeat Pulgasari, digging a huge pit and luring Pulgasari into it.

** Plus; [[spoiler: Almost all the main heroic characters don't physically survive the film; There's the old blacksmith, of course. Ami's lover, Inde fails to rescue his family. Inde himself gets captured and executed [[note]]no last-minute escape or rescue here, very 'Edward Stark'[[/note]]. Ami, sacrifices herself (likely) dying to stop Pulgasari.]]

** Plus; [[spoiler: Almost all the main heroic characters don't physically survive the film; There's the old blacksmith, of course. Ami's lover, Inde fails to rescue his family. Inde himself gets captured and executed (no last-minute escape or rescue here, very 'Ned Stark'). Ami, herself, sacrifices herself (likely) dying to stop Pulgasari.]]

** Plus; [[spoiler: All the main heroic characters end the movie dead, Inde fails to rescue his family, Inde himself gets executed (no last-minute escape or rescue here, very 'Ned Stark') and his beloved, the plucky hero, Ami, sacrifices herself (likely dying to stop Pulgasari.]]
* BizarreAndImprobableBallistics: Pulgasari managed to do an improbable perfect richochet of an explosive cannonball...with his mouth.