Space Monster Wangmagwi!

Space Monster Wangmagwi is a hoot! This 1967 Korean Kaiju flick was believed to be lost for many years, and then a copy turned up. It was screened a few times, but the rights owner never allowed for any type of distribution anywhere until just last year. This is the first Kaiju movie made in Korea and is glorious black and white. But if you think you can predict what's going to happen in this movie, I doubt it. 

Aliens drop Wangmagwi onto the planet Earth as part of their scheme to invade and take over the planet. He grows to mammoth proportions and proceeds to plod through Seoul. Given that this movie was in part a King Kong inspired effort it's not much of a surprise when he takes time to stop and literally pick up a chick. This lady was a bride who is bereft that his arrival has stopped the wedding, and he hangs onto her for most of the movie. Later a young boy named "Squirrel" gets onto and later into the Space Monster and begins to use his knife to bother it by cutting its eardrums and poking its nasal passages. It will come as no surprise that the boy and the woman are ultimately saved by a jet pilot (who just happens to be the girl's intended) as the monster is at last dispatched. While the monster is rampaging through the city, we meet other folks such as two fools who insist on gambling over the monster's behavior and a few rich folks who cannot seem to leave their good fortunes behind. A woman gives birth, and another guy literally takes a dump at the same, while the rampage is underway,

I first learned of this movie only a few weeks ago. The article said it was unavailable but then I discovered things had changed and it wasn't that expensive, so I took a tumble. The first time watching it was I was overly impressed by its strangeness, slow pace, and relative cheapness. 

Yongary, Monster from the Deep was made around this same time and is much smoother for all its oddness. But a second viewing an informative commentary helped me to appreciate better what I was seeing. I cannot recommend this one for everyone by any means. King Kong fans might be interested and diehard Kaiju fans for sure. But if you're not one of those, this one might be great to see online but not maybe buy. You can watch Space Monster Wangmagwi here. 

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