7 Examples That Prove North Korea Takes Movies Way Too Seriously

1. Kim Jong-il Kidnapped A South Korean Director So He Could Make Movies For Him

Nothing about North Korea's obsession with cinema is more absurd than when Kim Jong-il ordered the kidnapping of a South Korean filmmaker and his actress ex-wife in order to have them make movies that would prove to the world the righteousness of North Korean ideals. Filmmaker Shin Sang-ok was known as the "Prince of Korean Cinema" for his films, including 1958's A Flower In Hell and 1960's To The Last Day. In 1978, his ex-wife Choi Eun-hee disappeared while she was in Hong Kong. Shin also disappeared shortly afterward when he visited Hong Kong to find out what happened to her. It turned out that the pair had been kidnapped by the orders of Kim Jong-il for the purpose of making films. After a period of imprisonment for trying to escape, Shin made seven films for Kim from 1983 to 1986. The best known film is 1985's Pulgasari, a ripoff of Godzilla that was saturated in communist propaganda and actually featured Kenpachiro Satsuma, the then-current Godzilla actor, as Pulgasari. Shin and Choi escaped North Korean custody while on a business meeting in Vienna. He would return to filmmaking in South Korea and also directed and produced sequels in the 3 Ninjas series. Where do you think North Korea€™s response to The Interview ranks on this list? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.