Making a series like this because why not.
Godzilla is kind of a big deal here, and in the West is no exception. If you see a dinosaur with big spikes on it, that's Godzilla. He's a cultural phenomenon. And people love him, so why wouldn't others get in on the action?
This list doesn't cover Gamera.
List of films covered in order:
Gogola
Gorgo
Gappa: The Tryphibian Monster
Bulgasari at the End of Songdo
Pulgasari
The Great Monster Yongary
Yonggary
Spoilers are ahead, so if you plan on viewing one of these, I recommend watching them first.
Gogola (1966)
Gogola is an Indian-Hindu kaiju film lost to time, made as India's answer to "every country needs one Godzilla." The film is now considered lost media, with the only things left being the music and a promotional poster.
The whole plot is that Gogola appears, is chased by the military, and Gogola disappears into the ocean. One of the character's fathers creates something to kill Gogola, and this father has a rival who wants to kill him, for some reason. Gogola returns and destroys some landmarks, floods the streets, and is defeated.
The film is believed to be the only Indian giant monster film, which is a real shame. More films released in India under the Kaiju genre could have been amazing, even if cheesy. As said before, what's left of the film are some stills and promotional material, including the soundtrack which includes a song titled "Nacho, Nacho, Gogola". You can find the song on YouTube, and I recommend checking it out if you're interested in this kind of stuff.
Gorgo (1961)
Gorgo is possibly the most popular Godzilla solo ripoff to date, recently getting himself an official figure and plushie made of the her. Yes, Gorgo is a female, or rather the Gorgo we think of. The real Gorgo is the baby. Rather, the mother is named Ogra. The film follows a mystery of 'who's that Pokemon?" Gorgo is captured and sold off to a circus in London. Ogra attacks an island in search of her child, sinks a destroyer, and goes back into the ocean. Once again, Ogra makes landfall, this time in London, and is unaffected by the military's attempts to stop her. Eventually she reunites with her child and they return to the sea.
The film is generally considered mid by critics, one calling it "a sad waste, not of talent, but of opportunity." Others have said that the film was "designed for juvenile adults" and that it was "entirely routine". Game magazine White Wolf Inphobia game it a 3 1/2 out of 5.
Despite being a cheesy film, many remember it fondly. I think the film is definitely a interesting one out there.
Gappa: The Triphibian Monster
Gappa: The Triphian Monster (or Gappa) is a Japanese kaiju film made to capitalize on the success Godzilla had taken throughout the mid-Showa Era.
Gappa follows the story of people who take a baby 'bird-lizard' monster, much to the dismay of the natives who live there. Gappa's parents (yes, PARENTS.) search for their child, destroying cities in the process. As the military try, and fail, to stop the two parents, the characters get the man who held Gappa to let the baby go, which he finally does. Gappa returns to its parents and they go back to the island they came from.
The film takes a lot from Mothra vs. Godzilla, which had released three years prior. Surprisingly, the film was given praise, including the special effects. Despite this, there were criticisms. One man said that it was an unauthorized remake of Gorgo, that the characters were lackluster, and that the special effects were okay but didn't get close to Eiji Tsuburaya's work.
Bulgasari at the End of Songdo (1962)
Another lost film, Bulgasari at the End of Songdo (or simply Bulgasari) is a South Korean Kaiju film. Because it is lost media, not much is known about it.
According to the Korean Film Archive, Bulgasari takes place in Songdo during the late Goryeo Dynasty. Experienced martial artist Nam Hyeong is murdered, his hatred resurrecting himself into the iron-eating monster Bulgasari to seek revenge.
The film was panned by critics and is believed to have vanished shortly after release. This makes it along the likes of kaiju lost media such as Wasei Kingu Kongu, The Great Buddha Arrival, and The King Kong That Appeared in Edo.
Interestingly enough, the screenplay for the film is preserved at the Korean Film Archive, though it isn't available to the public.
The film was the first in South Korea to use special effects, furthering its special status.
Interestingly enough, Bulgasari is inspired by the mythological monster of the same name.
Pulgasari (1985)
Pulgasari is a North Korean kaiju film, the only North Korean kaiju film, and the most infamous, but we'll get to that later.
During the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, a king controls the land with his iron will. Takse, a blacksmith, is imprisoned for defending his people and starved to death. Before Takse dies, he makes a rice figurine of a monster and asks the gods to make it into a living creature to protect the oppresed. Takse's daughter, Ami, is delivered the figure which she brings to life when her blood made contact with it, turning it into what she dubbed Pulgasari, a monster her father used to tell her about.
The peasants become enraged at the king and, with the help of Pulgasari, launch a rebellion. Imperial generals kidnap Ami and threaten to kill her if Pulgasari doesn't surrender himself. Pulgasari traps itself and is set ablaze, only to be unharmed. The king learns of the rebellion and Pulgasari, and sends an army to fight it, only for Pulgasari to eat their weapons.
Eventually, the army buries Pulgasari, seemingly killing him, executes the rebellion's leader, and threatens to kill Ami once again if the rebels don't stop. Ami escapes and drops blood on the burial of Pulgasari, which revives him and makes him stronger. After the king is defeated, Pulgasari continues eating metal, including the tools of the rebels, though they see it as helping out their savior. Ami sees that Pulgasari is inadvertently oppressing the rebels, and so she hides herself inside a bell and lets herself be eaten, which results in Pulgasari roaring out in anguish and turning to stone.
The film was given praise in Japan, saying that it's not perfect but has a charm like that of Godzilla 1998.
According to legend Kenpachiro Satsuma, who played as Pulgasari, he fondly remembered acting in the film, saying it was one of his favorite acting careers and that it was better then Godzilla 1998.
Kim Jong-Il, the previous leader of North Korea, said it was a masterpiece.
People say the film had symbolism for the people of North Korea to rise up against Kim Jong-Il, though the director said it had nothing to do with that.
Now why is this film so infamous?
In 1978, Kim Jong-Il, a huge fan of movies across the world, abducted husband and wife film duo Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee, intending to have them make North Korean film propaganda and make North Korean film big. Shin was imprisoned for trying to flee, but was released and told to make films for North Korea. Pulgasari was Shin's fifth film of 1985 and his last North Korean production before he and Choi escaped.
The film was a collaboration between multiple studios, including Toho themselves. It's said that Kim Jong-Il loved The Return of Godzilla and that's why Pulgasari was made. Kim had reportedly loved Satsuma's portrayal in The Return of Godzilla and demanded he play Pulgasari.
Satsuma and multiple others were deceived into flying over to North Korea under the premise of a Hollywood production.
Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967) (대괴수 용가리/Daekoesu Yonggari)
The Great Monster Yongary, known in the west as Yongary, Monster from the Deep and simply Yongary is a 1967 South Korean kaiju film.
Despite the fact the English Version can be enjoyed (through legal means or not), the South Korean version is partly lost.
A nuclear test in the Middle East awakens a monster, mortally wounding a photographer who shares photos of this monster to authorities, who dub it 'Yongary'. As South Korea is evacuated, the military attempts to stop the monster, which fails. Yongary reaches the city of Seoul. The military decides to use guided missiles, and Yongary makes his way to a oil refinery where he feasts on the oil and gasoline, but he goes back to a rampage when Icho turns off the supply, resulting in Yongary destroying a tank which triggers a chemical reaction causing him to itch.
The characters learn about the military's plan to send guided missiles and try to tell the authorities not to as it would give Yongary energy, but they brush it off. Il-Woo concoct a precipitate involving ammonia to kill Yongary which, with the help of missiles, puts Yongary to sleep. Icho wakes up Yongary, who dances and then goes back to a rampage. Il-Woo, with his finalized formula, dumps the precipitate onto Yongary in the Han River, where the monster dies of blood loss. In the end, Il-Woo is called a hero, but he gives the credit to Icho who says that Yongary was only looking for food.
According to historian Steve Ryfle, the reviews at the time of the films release were rather positive. Many praised the special effects, others saying it was one of the "better Godzilla-rip offs," and one noting its similarities to Gamera, the Giant Monster which had released 2 years earlier.
The film, while obscure, took on it's own life when the 1999 English-language South Korean film 'Yonggary' released, which leads us to the next, and final film of the list.
Yonggary (1999) (용가리) (Reptilian)
If you haven't hear of this film, you may have heard of it under it's American title: Reptilian.
Two archaeologists in Southeast Asia, Dr. Campbell and Dr. Hughes, are separated. Hughes discovers an alien corpse with a diamond inside while Campbell discovers a fossilized dinosaur.
Two years later, an alien mothership arrives near Earth, getting the attention of the "United National Defense Agency" (UNDA).
The alien ship starts reanimating the fossil, killing people at the dig site, not including Campbell and his assistant, Holly. Hughes, who was presumed dead, tells Holly of the mythological story of 'Yonggary', including information about the fossil, hieroglyphics relating to the story, and that he was held hostage by the government for two years- wait what.
Hughes and Holly arrive to stop Campbell, but are too late as the reviving process finishes and Campbell is killed.
Yonggary is dematerialized as Holly and Hughes are taken in for questioning. Yonggary is brought before them and destroys a few helicoptors. The National Space Investigation Agency (NSIA) have a man exposition dump about how these aliens had visited Earth 200 million years ago, and somehow destroyed information needed to defeat them (who wrote that information???) Yonggary is brought to Los Angeles and attacks.
It is learned that Hughes had stolen data from the NSIA, to which the exposition dumper is detained. The President of the US gets involved immediately and tells the UNDA that they have 5 hours to defeat Yonggary before they launch a nuclear missile. Hughes and Holly learn that Yonggary is being controlled by a diamond-shaped object on his forehead after they decoded the hieroglyphs. The President launches a nuclear missile after the UNDA fails to defeat Yonggary.
Yonggary's crystal is destroyed and the aliens send a new monster, Cycor, to fight him. Yonggary defeats Cycor, the aliens flee, and the bombers are stopped. The next day, Yonggary is taken to a desserted island to live in peace.
The film's original release in 1999 is lost, but the 2001 special edition isn't. The film has been given negative response from critics. Chuck Arrington said the dialogue and acting was "painful", StompTokyo.com said the film was cartoonish. The film is a blight on the original Yongary, and definitely rips off on Emmerich's 1998 Godzilla.
And that's all I'm covering today. And of course there are more, who could forget Ape vs Monster? But these are just some films I wanted to cover. Thank you for taking your time to read this if you did.
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