Hwa-i-teu: Jeo-woo-eui mel-lo-di

We all know the band or group that's been kicking round for a while than suddenly has that one song that throws them into the limelight, the one song that everyone buys, the radio always plays and the video views on youtube are already in the millions, well what if that song was haunted.

K-pop girl group "Pink Dolls" are a pretty second rate bunch in a very competitive field and really need an edge it doesn't matter the song, dance routine or audience they just can't seem to make a breakthrough. Then, one day, one member of the group Eun-Ju discovers a song that could turn everything around "White". The group learn the song, get some dance moves down and suddenly their fortunes change for the better and they are thrust into the spotlight that they've desired for so long. Of course as it's a horror movie they won't be living happy ever after and soon the group begins to unravel as the curse begins to take them out one by one.

the scars are sometimes pretty effective and the acting is a cut above some other Asian horror that is out there, the cinematography and editing are well crafted and the soundtrack only adds to the atmosphere.

"White" or "White: The Melody of Curse" has a fairly familiar premise: a failing pop idol group finds an old, uncredited song, and use it to rise to the top. However this tale of fame and fortune becomes mixed in with the paranormal: the song is cursed, fueled by the wrath of a vengeful ghost.

The comparisons with Ringu/The Ring are obvious, from the ghost itself down to the fact the song is discovered on a videotape. The movie does give a respectable effort in ratcheting up suspense, and to be fair there are a couple of effective scares.

However the real strength of this film lies in two areas. First, the story is pretty well done. While the paranormal stuff is prominent, there's also a strong focus on the characters, who are as much affected by their shifting fortunes as they are any bumps in the night. You would think once the ghostly stuff showed up, it would take center stage. Instead it runs parallel to the sudden pressures, ego trips, and bouts of jealousy of their new found fame, meshing together very well and creating a greater emotional and psychological depth than one might expect from such a premise. The film is even fairly touching and somewhat sad at points, aided by pretty good performances.

The second main area is the visuals. There is a certain flare here. It's not Argento or Fulci by any stretch, but the film does look really good. Whether it's a dark room/hallway or the flashiness of the dance stage, the cinematography and imagery are strong. Even without caring for the plot and characters, one could sit back and appreciate the look.

Is the movie a masterpiece? No, I wouldn't go that far, but it is very enjoyable, and if you're a horror movie fan with nothing to do on some afternoon, you could do a lot worse than this.

This movie follows the trend of long-haired Asian ghost in a quest for revenge, but manages to spice things up by coming up with a story that is both refreshing and fun to watch. I thoroughly enjoyed this at first peculiar blend of music and horror.

Having an idol group as target for the spooky surroundings makes for an interesting insight into the conflicts and problems that arise between members. We get to see the characters cracking up under pressure and fighting with each other, giving the movie a realistic feel. The horror element is present throughout the movie, going from mild to full-on ghostly tension as the story progresses. The movie does a good job at developing the characters and building up the menacing atmosphere.

The actors all did a fine job, especially the lead actress, with some over-the-top acting from the other members of the group, albeit not very distracting. Although it was marketed as a horror, the movie takes a turn towards the mystery genre towards the end and tends to drag a bit in the unveiling of the final twist. The truly scary scenes are quite rare, but pretty effective and well-made, albeit not very original if you've seen your fair share of Asian horror. The cinematography is beautiful to look at and it even dabbles a bit into experimental territory towards the end.

While this isn't anything groundbreaking or original in terms of horror, the music aspect and the commentary directed at the life of idols gives an interesting spin. Overall, the movie does a good job at entertaining you, being a nice addition to the genre.

I found this to be a decent horror movie about K-pop. The story is interesting with a struggling K-pop gain success when they sing a song that is cursed. It's a pretty creative idea for a song to be cursed for a current reason. The movie builds up pretty well, with one of them discovering the tape with the song and them performing it. It also shows the struggles of being a member of a K-pop of the challenges and stressful it can be. I like the psychological horrors with current members seeing hallucinations and them getting injured by it. There's also a standard mystery story on two of the characters trying to figure out where this song came from and who created it. The backstory of it is interesting and pretty disturbing on where it came from. I found the creepiness factor to be really weak with standard creepy stuff you see in any horror movie and isn't that effective. And I didn't like the climax of the movie on how it executed and the flashing lights of it. The characters themselves aren't really that bad, but aren't that interesting or developed.

White: Melody of Death is a decent Korean movie that has an interesting premise and is pretty creative, but it isn't the most memorable movie that I have seen.

Many Asian horror films actually trying to depict a horrifying situation from different perspectives. This one, White, based on issues regarding harsh nature of Kpop idols. It's quite original, although I have to conclude both the plot and execution are mediocre at best.

The premise of the movie revolves on a struggling girl group, Pink Dolls who garnered attention when they sang a song titled 'White' from unknown performance that found in their new renovated studio after fire incident 15 years ago. When the management decides to promote the song with center (lead singer), the chosen member become terrorized by unknown force.

It's interesting, in fact that the movie told us many information behind what's actually happening off camera. I don't know if the movie is exaggerating, but many issues like center choice, performance and MR in music shows (it's hella debatable by Kpop fans), and surge of popularity, are quite staple in Kpop and to know that for a bit, is fun.

Unfortunately, those are trivial things because we mainly have to face the acting that is confusing. Probably it's not how the act, but how inconsistent the character is. While it's understandable that being Kpop idol is stressful, I recognized these characters changing their attitude heavily, that makes me wonder how the reading process ever finished? The characters seem to be at the pole of bully and Cinderella continuum quickly. It ruins the flow of the plot, since it makes me have to understand many things.

In terms of production design, the movie also seems to know that this movie ain't A-class movie. It's understandable, but I can't stand how the movie like to give trippy shots when the ghost is around. I guess it's a trend back then. Honestly, it cheapens the movie, because I feel that the executed horror scenes aren't good enough compared to the other scenes.

I also note some plot holes, but I let it slide. This movie seems like B-class horror that fun enough to watch without high expectation. It has original and creative story (also direction) that makes you stay through the movie, but it lacks execution to many details that I'd like to observe when watching a horror movie. To conclude, if you want a horror from unusual setting just for fun, it is a great movie.