Monster (1986 film)

Pujet Jaka, known internationally as Monster, is a 1986 Gemurtrakian  directed by Tanko Yazego from a screenplay co-written by Tanko and Retyagi Bunat. The film follows officer Dado and Tenagozi, played by Tanko and Daneka Pago, who visit the old mining town of Pujetswe after reports of foul play and strange sightings. They find the town near abandoned with only a handful of survivors who claim a terrifying beast, potentially from folklore, has been attacking the remaining residents of the town.

Production of the film began in 1983 following frustration from Tanko towards the government owned Imperial Entertainment Industries, who denied him access to studio resources after concerns of the content in the film he was producing with them. Tanko abandoned the project and went on to independently fund and produce Pujet Jaka as an outlet for his anger and disappointment towards the government and its grip on the film industry.

The film had a short screening period, being distributed by New Dream Media, a company one of Tanko’s friends owned, with the movie screening illegally without the consent of the National Media Classification Authority. New Dream was charged and fined, and any available reels the government was able to find were destroyed. Tanko continued to do secret screenings at various small film festivals and cinemas where it became an underground success. The film was rereleased in 1988 after media reforms under the Nezaka government reclassified the film.

The film was later released internationally in 1989 following the movie’s domestic success where it received massive success compared to the budget of Ꝟ80,000 while receiving lukewarm critical reception. The movie would become regarded as one of the best and influential Gemurtrakian films, local and abroad, being cited as a major contributor to the making of films recognized as part of the country’s cinematic golden age. Overall the film grossed a total of Ꝟ8.3 Million and led to the monumental success of Tanko Yazego as a prominent director of the 90’s and 2000’s. Various merchandise has been made relating to the film including a novelized sequel, video game, and comic book series.

Plot
At night in the town of Pujetswe, a local of the town, injured and bleeding, runs terrified, an unseen creature chasing towards them through the darkened streets of the town. They escape the grasp of the creature, hiding in the town hall. Their sigh of relief is cut short as splinters from the door fly into their face, the creature now in the room as the survivor screams in terror.

Elsewhere, in a police car sit officer Dado and Tenagozi on their way to investigate recent strange reports coming from the nearby town. The two discuss various topics to pass the time of the otherwise dark and nondescript scenery, talking of things relating to the case initially, the state of the town and the nearby oil refinery, to topics like the local election.The car breaks down twice on the way, Dado well aware of the decrepit state of the vehicle, blaming it on “budget cuts” and quickly fixes it on both occasions.

The two arrive in the town, parking the car after Tenagozi spots droplets of blood along the road. The pair are called to by a stranger from the window of the community center, begging them to get indoors and away from “it” before retreating. Dago and Tenagozi investigate the interior of the community center, finding four others. They all claim a monstrous creature is prowling and devouring the townsfolk, the four there being the only remaining people. Dago is unconvinced, claiming the isolation and cold has gotten to them. Tenagozi admonishes him, leading to an argument between the two. The argument is cut by the wailing of the police siren, the officers discovering the car mutilated by large gashes all around. Dago asks of a working car nearby, the oldest of the group, Yana, mentions a truck in a storehouse a considerable walk away. Dago decides to go with one of the survivors. He looks out the window concerned of an oncoming blizzard.

Tenagozi attempts to get more information out of the rest of the survivors including Tayno, the only other able bodied adult. The youngest, a girl named Mimi, asks about her brother who left with Dago. Tenagozi reassures her and asks if she’s hungry. Tenagozi goes to the kitchen with Mimi to find what food is left, giving it to Mimi. Something passes by Tenagozi’s vision when the window suddenly blows open bringing snow and cold into the room. She closes the window and realizes Mimi has run out of the room. Tenagozi frantically searches for her and panics when she hears Mimi scream, finding what remains of Tayno, who has been torn to shreds with teeth protruding out of him, at the source. She finds Yana safe but concerned about the scream, saying Tayno was gone for a moment. Tenagozi relays Tayno’s fate as she begins blocking the doors with furniture.

Hours pass and Tenagozi has grown convinced Dago is not returning. Tenagozi considers the prospect of holding out until the end of the blizzard but the breaking of windows and splintering of wood signal the creature attempting to enter. Tenagozi guides the others away from the creature, trapping it in the room and firing her revolver. She runs along the halls but is disorientated and loses track of where she is. Mimi's scream rings out and Tenagozi rushes to it to find Yana bleeding heavily, pointing out to the open doors where Mimi has gone before dying. Tenagozi rushes out into the storm before encountering Dago who almost strikes her with the truck, he too badly injured and without Mimi's brother whom the creature had claimed according to him. They drive desprately through the blizzard as they argue to leave or stay to find Mimi until the truck strikes a tree. Tenagozi limps from the wreckage, Dago killed in the collision. Tenagozi finds herself in a small cabin bleeding out as she hears the creature outside. The door opens as Tenagozi lets off 4 more shots as she screams.

A week later, Detective Mayzozhi arrives to the cordoned off scene of an inexplicable massacre. He visits the town hall to find two people past a door destroyed by an axe in the room, both inflicted with stab wounds by a knife, one seemingly stabbing himself. In the community center, he finds Tayno who had numerous shards of ceramic plates stabbed into him with no real explaination, and Tayno with a bullet wound from behind. His investigation eventually leads to a small cabin, not far from the center, where a small corpse is carried away by police and finds the body of Tenagozi with a bullet fired below the chin. The officers mention the child was shot three times to the chest. Mayzozhi is joined by his assistant who asks his opinion on what happened, he simply remarks "Another attack by the blue shade menace". A pipe from the oil refinery afar is brought to focus, it clearly being recently patched as the gas hisses viciously within.