Death Bell

Death Bell
Theatrical poster
Hangul
고사: 피의 중간고사
Revised RomanizationGosa: Piui junggangosa
McCune–ReischauerKosa: P'iŭi chunggan'gosa
Directed byChang
Written by
Produced by
  • Hong Jung-pyo
  • Im Seong-been
Starring
CinematographyHeo Seong-ryong
Edited byYu Yeong-ju
Music byKim Jun-seong
Production
company
Distributed bySK Telecom
Release date
  • August 6, 2008 (2008-08-06)
Running time
88 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Budget₩1.3 billion
Box officeUS$9.2 million[1]

Death Bell (Korean: 고死: 피의 중간고사; RR: Gosa: Piui junggangosa) is a 2008 South Korean slasher film. The only Korean horror film released over the summer of 2008, it is the first feature by former music video director Chang, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Death Bell stars Lee Beom-soo in his first horror film role, and K-pop singer Nam Gyu-ri in her acting debut. Set in a Korean high school, the film's native title refers to gosa, the important midterm exams that all students are required to sit.[2] It is later followed by a stand-alone sequel Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp.

Plot

A group of 20 high school students partake in an elite class to prepare for a college exam. Among them are the rebellious Kang I-na, her best friend Yoon Myong-heo, and the class clown Kang Hyun, who harbors an affection for I-na. A few days after incidents involving a student, Beom sees a ghost haunt his paper, and class teacher Hwang Chang-wook discovers scars on his hand. The class is interrupted by a TV showing the top-ranking student, Min Hye-yeong, being trapped in a glass being slowly filled with water. A voice over the PA system announces they are part of a death game with questions that will be posed to the class; failure to answer them in time will lead to the student's death. It also warns them and their two teachers, Hwang Chang-wook and Choi So-yeong, against leaving the school. The class fails to solve the first question to save Hye-yeong.

Despite the warning, the class tries to leave, only to find that a teacher and hall monitor, Mr. Lee, was beaten to death, leaving only security Mr. Kim to guard them. The students split up and tried to answer the questions while also attempting to find a way out. Several students die in brutal death games set up by a mysterious woman as the class solves all the puzzles late, though they later notice that each puzzle contains clue pertaining to a student, Kim Ji-won who died earlier that year under mysterious circumstances. I-na discovers students are dying according to their ranking on the last test. Beom, who earlier tried to strangle I-na and was put in a mental facility, escapes and attempts to kill I-na, but Hyun shields her from the attack and dies. Chang-wook then kills Beom. I-na discovers to her horror that Myong-heo has also been kidnapped by the woman. They succeed in solving the trap, but the killer still kills her by dropping her from the roof, and Chang-wook climbs the roof and strangles the woman to death.

A memorial is held for the students killed, and then I-na is kidnapped unnoticed. One final question is posed: whoever killed his daughter step forward and confess. The person in question, a now-demented Chang-wook, reveals himself and is killed by the mastermind, who turns out to be Kim. I-na is then freed by So-yeong.

Flashbacks reveal that Kim's daughter, Kim Ji-won, worked hard to enter the elite class. However, the parents of the killed students bribed Chang-wook for the entrance test answers, giving them an unfair advantage. After being disqualified and finding out about the plot, Ji-won confronted Chang-wook, and he kills her to cover up his misconduct. Since Ji-won's death, the life of her parents fell apart as the family home was seized by loan sharks. Out of rage, he murdered the loan sharks and, along with his wife, planned their revenge. The sole witness to the incident, Beom, slowly became mad as he felt that Ji-won had been haunting him ever since. Kim and his wife (the woman who hung Myong-heo) find this from the cellphone of their daughters, who had been recording while being strangled, and decide to kill Chang-wook and all the students whose parents they deem responsible for their daughter's death.

The film closes with I-na seeing that she topped the class ranking, and it is implied that Beom's attacks were due to her being possessed by Ji-won since the beginning.

Cast

Production

Shot on HD video with a budget of ₩1.3 billion,[3][4] Death Bell is the feature film directorial debut of Chang, a former music video director,[5] who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Eun-kyeong. The film also marks the acting debut of Nam Gyu-ri,[5] a former singer with K-pop trio SeeYa, and stars veteran comic actor Lee Beom-soo in his first horror film role.[6]

Release

The only Korean horror film to be released in the summer of 2008,[6] Death Bell made its premiere in July 2008 at the 12th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.[3] Post-production on the film had been rushed in order to have it ready for the festival,[7] and director Chang had to apologise for the poor state in which it was shown.[8]

Death Bell was released on DVD on 8 November 2008.[9] Asian film specialist, Terracotta Distribution, released the film in the UK on DVD in October 2011.[10]

Reception

Critical response

Derek Elley of Variety found Death Bell to have a "neat concept" with "enough shocks and gore to keep genre addicts contented", and commented, "After a fairly conventional half-hour setup, the pic keeps the tension high with tight cutting and a no-flab script that ups the student body count in some especially inventive ways. Solution to the whodunit is less convincing than the lead-up, with a finale that doesn't deliver on expectations. But the journey there is fine, with Lee, better known for comedy, interestingly cast as the students' tough prof."[7] Kyu Hyun Kim of Koreanfilm.org was more critical of the film, saying, "Death Bell annoyingly combines prettified, slick visual filmmaking (but with no real depth) and gag-inducing torture porn excesses: it's simultaneously tepid and lackluster on the one hand and gross and offensive on the other"; he also regarded the screenplay as a "fetid mess" with an unconvincing central premise, but gave credit to the performance of Lee Beom-soo.[11] A review for Twitch also labelled the film's premise as "ridiculous", going on to say, "Lee Beom-Soo certainly tries, and the tempo keeps building decently until the end, but there's really no vibe to it. It's just a succession of tortures and murders, with no sense of surprise, no interest... [and] no thematic consciousness whatsoever".[4]

Box office

Released on 6 August 2008 in 366 theatres nationwide, the film grossed $2,370,785 and received 575,231 admissions on its opening weekend, placing it third at the local box office.[12][13] By its third week, Death Bell had climbed to second at the box office,[14] and as of 14 September 2008 had grossed a total of $9,274,859.[15]

Death Bell had looked set to become the second most popular Korean horror film after A Tale of Two Sisters, which attracted more than 3 million viewers in 2003; however, admissions of 1,636,149 (as of 14 September 2008) were less than those recorded by R-Point and Wishing Stairs.[5][13][16] Nevertheless, the film attracted more than twice the number of viewers required to break even at the box office.[17]

Accolades

Awards & Nominations

Year Award Category recipient Result Ref
2008 The 12th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival Bucheon Choice Death Bell Nominated [18]
17th Buil Film Awards Best New Actress Nam Gyu-ri Nominated [19]
Best Lighting Park Soon-hong Nominated
2009 27th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival Thriller Competition Death Bell Nominated [20]
26th Beaune International Thriller Film Festival Nominated
45th Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actress - Movie Yoon Jung-hee Nominated [21]
Popularity Award - Movie Lee Beom-soo Nominated
Nam Gyu-ri Nominated
Yoon Jung Hee Nominated
20th Málaga International University Film Festival Feature Film In Competition Death Bell Nominated [20]
11th Seoul International Youth Film Festival Feature Film - Korea Nominated [22]
4th Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival Nominee Film Nominated [20]
3rd Indonesian International Fantastic Film Festival Nominated
The 7th Firenze Korean Film Festival Nominated [23]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Death Bell (2008)". Archived from the original on 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  2. ^ "Korean Slasher GOSA (DEATH BELL) Coming To DVD! Archived 2009-07-21 at the Wayback Machine". Twitch, 3 November 2008. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  3. ^ a b D'sa, Nigel. "Korean Films at the 12th PiFan". Korean Film Council, 18 July 2008. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  4. ^ a b "[K-FILM REVIEWS] 고死 (Death Bell) Archived 2008-10-21 at the Wayback Machine". Twitch, 4 September 2008. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  5. ^ a b c Yi Ch'ang-ho. "Gosa is unafraid of big-budget competitors". Korean Film Council, 22 August 2008. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  6. ^ a b "He's one of the most recognized comical actors in Korea - Lee Beom-soo! Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine". Arirang. Retrieved on 5 November 2005.
  7. ^ a b Elley, Derek. ""Death Bell"". Variety, 2 September 2008. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  8. ^ Kim, Kyu Hyun. "2008 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  9. ^ "Korean horror DEATH BELL aka Gosa on DVD Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine". 24framespersecond. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  10. ^ "[1]". Terracotta Distribution. Retrieved on 20 November 2019.
  11. ^ Kim, Kyu Hyun. "Death Bell". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  12. ^ "South Korea Box Office August 8–10, 2008". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  13. ^ a b South Korean Box Office for Death Bell. "Death Bell (2008) - 고死: 피의 중간고사". HanCinema. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  14. ^ "South Korea Box Office August 22–24, 2008". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  15. ^ "South Korea Box Office September 12–14, 2008". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  16. ^ R-Point received 1,689,000 admissions in 2004. "Ranked Box-Office Results" (2004). Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  17. ^ Jang Jiyun. "Low Budget Films Gaining Popularity With Good Storylines Archived 2008-09-28 at the Wayback Machine". Arirang, 24 September 2008. Retrieved on 5 November 2008.
  18. ^ 부천국제판타스틱영화제 : 네이버 영화. movie.naver.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  19. ^ 부일영화상 : 네이버 영화. movie.naver.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  20. ^ a b c "Death Bell (2008)". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  21. ^ 백상예술대상 : 네이버 영화. movie.naver.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  22. ^ 서울국제청소년영화제 : 네이버 영화. movie.naver.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  23. ^ 피렌체 한국영화제 : 네이버 영화. movie.naver.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.

Read other articles:

Jasmine V

Jasmine VillegasInformasi latar belakangNama lahirJasmine Marie VillegasNama lainJasmine VLahir7 Desember 1993 (umur 29)AsalSan Jose, California, A.S.GenreR&B, pop, soulPekerjaanPenyanyi, aktris, modelInstrumenVokalTahun aktif2003–sekarangLabelInterscope RecordsSitus webwww.jasminevmusic.com Jasmine Marie Villegas (lahir 7 Desember 1993), lebih dikenal sebagai Jasmine V, adalah penyanyi R&B dan pop Amerika Serikat. Setelah bertahun-tahun mengejar karier di musik, ia menandatang...

 

Kenton Duty

Kenton DutyDuty pada Agustus 2010Lahir12 Mei 1995 (umur 28)Plano, Texas, A.S.Tempat tinggalPlano, Texas, A.S.KebangsaanAmerikaPekerjaanAktor, penyanyi, penariTahun aktif2006–sekarangTinggi185 m (606 ft 11 in)TelevisiLost, Shake It Up Jeffrey Kenton Duty (lahir 12 Mei 1995) adalah aktor, penari dan penyanyi Amerika. Dia terkenal karena peran berulang sebagai Young Jacob pada musim akhir dari drama primetime ABC, Lost, dan untuk perannya sebagai pertukaran pelajar fla...

 

Van Lynden van Sandenburg cabinet

Van Lynden van Sandenburg cabinet18th Cabinet of the NetherlandsDate formed20 August 1879 (1879-08-20)Date dissolved23 April 1883 (1883-04-23) (Demissionary from 1 March 1883 (1883-03-01))People and organisationsHead of stateKing William IIIHead of governmentTheo van Lynden van SandenburgNo. of ministers8Ministers removed4Total no. of members11Member partyIndependent Conservatives (Ind. Con.) Independent Liberals (Ind. Lib.) Independent Catholics (...

كولن ماكي

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (يونيو 2019) كولن ماكي معلومات شخصية الميلاد 22 أغسطس 1973 (50 سنة)  غلاسكو  الطول 5 قدم 10 بوصة (1.78 م) مركز اللعب مهاجم الجنسية المملكة المتحدة  مسيرة الشباب سنوا...

 

Liste des impératrices du Brésil

La liste des impératrices du Brésil comprend les épouses des différents empereurs du Brésil : Portrait Nom (dates) Époux Titres Éléments biographiques Armoiries Marie-Léopoldine d'Autriche (1797-1826) Pierre Ier du Brésil (mariage en 1817) Princesse royale de Portugal et duchesse de Bragance (1817-1826) Impératrice du Brésil (1822-1826) Régente du Brésil (1822)[1] Reine de Portugal (1826) Princesse de la Maison de Habsbourg-Lorraine. Fille de François Ier d'Autriche et de ...

 

Rishengchang

Bagian depan Bank Rishengchang di Pingyao, Shanxi. Uang kertas dinasti Qing senilai 100 tael perak, dikeluarkan oleh Rishengchang Piaohao cabang Beijing pada tahun Xuantong 3 (tahun 1911 M). Rishengchang Piaohao (Hanzi sederhana: 日升昌票号; Hanzi tradisional: 日升昌票號; Pinyin: Rì shēng chāng piào hào), adalah konsep bank pertama di Tiongkok. Rishengchang terletak di kota tua Pingyao, yang sekarang menjadi situs Warisan Dunia UNESCO, di provinsi Shanxi, Tiongkok. ...

Yaser Bagharab

Yaser BagharabBagharab pada Pesta Olahraga Asia 2018Informasi pribadiLahirTanggal tidak terbaca. Angka tahun harus memiliki 4 digit (gunakan awalan nol untuk tahun < 1000). (usia Kesalahan ekspresi: Operator < tak terduga)YamanTinggi170 cm (5 ft 7 in)Berat70 kg (154 pon) OlahragaOlahragaAtletikLombaLari halang rintang 3000 m, 1500–10000 mDilatih olehPedro Luiz de Oliveira[1]Prestasi dan gelarPeringkat pribadi terbaik3000 mS – 8:28.21 (2018)1500 m –...

 

Albo d'oro del Torneo di Viareggio

Voce principale: Torneo di Viareggio. In questa voce si riporta l'albo d'oro del Torneo di Viareggio. Indice 1 Albo d'oro 2 Statistiche 2.1 Edizioni vinte per club 2.2 Edizioni vinte per Paese 3 Note 4 Collegamenti esterni Albo d'oro Anno Finale Finale terzo e quarto posto Vincitore Risultato 2º posto 3º posto Risultato 4º posto 1949Dettagli Milan 5 - 1 Lazio Sampdoria 5 - 1 Bellinzona 1950Dettagli Sampdoria 2 - 1 Roma Modena 1 - 1 (dts)[1] Fiorentina 1951Dettagli Partizan Belgrado...

 

خاصية حرجة للجودة

شجرة سمات الجودة خصائص حرجة للجودة (بالإنجليزية: Critical To Quality)‏ واختصاراً CTQ هي عبارة عن مواصفات الجودة الأكثر أهمية للعميل، ويترجمها الكثيرون ب «سمات الجودة». وكثيراً ما يستخدم هذا المصطلح في مشاريع ومنهجية ستة سيجما. وهي خاصية لعملية أو مكون ما لها تأثير مباشر على ما إذا كو...

Emmanuel Baptist Church (Brooklyn)

Church in New York, USAEmmanuel Baptist Church40°41′18″N 73°57′54″W / 40.6884°N 73.9651°W / 40.6884; -73.9651LocationBrooklyn, New YorkCountryUSADenominationAmerican Baptist Churches USAWebsiteebcconnects.comHistoryFounded1881ArchitectureArchitect(s)Francis H. KimballStyleGothic RevivalYears built1887ClergySenior pastor(s)Anthony L. Trufant Emmanuel Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, on the northwe...

 

Лафресгімон-Сен-Мартен

Лафресгімон-Сен-МартенLafresguimont-Saint-Martin Країна  Франція Регіон О-де-Франс  Департамент Сомма  Округ Ам'єн Кантон Орнуа-ле-Бур Код INSEE 80456 Поштові індекси 80430 Координати 49°48′58″ пн. ш. 1°48′35″ сх. д.H G O Висота 100 - 210 м.н.р.м. Площа 26,54 км² Населення 555 (01-2020[1]) Гу...

 

Шотландский палаш

Шотландский палаш без ножен Шотлáндский палáш (гóрский палáш) (англ. Highland broadsword — «широкий горский меч», гэльск. claidheamh leathann — «широкий меч», Highland backsword — «горский палаш», claidheamh cùil — «меч с обухом», то есть, с однолезвийным клинком, палаш), также шотлáндский ко...

Venus figurines of Gagarino

Venus figurines of GagarinoVenus figurine No. 1 of Gagarino; height: 5.8 cmMaterialMammoth ivoryCreated21,000 to 20,000 yearsDiscoveredRussia The Venus figurines of Gagarino are eight Palaeolithic Venus figurines made from ivory. The statuettes belong to the Gravettian industry and are about 21,000–20,000 years old. They were discovered near to the village of Gagarino in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, and are now held in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.[1][2] Another Venus...

 

Otaku Elf

Japanese manga series Otaku ElfFirst tankōbon volume cover, featuring Koito Koganei (left) and Elda (right)江戸前エルフ(Edomae Erufu)GenreFantasy comedy[1] MangaWritten byAkihiko HiguchiPublished byKodanshaEnglish publisherNA: Seven Seas EntertainmentImprintMagazine Edge KCMagazineShōnen Magazine Edge (2019–2023)Comic Days (2023–present)DemographicShōnenOriginal runJune 17, 2019 – presentVolumes8 Anime television seriesDirected byTakebumi AnzaiWritten...

 

Mitsume ga Tōru

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Mitsume ga Tōru – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Manga series by Osamu Tezuka This article is about the manga and anime. For video game, see Mitsume ga Tōru (video game). Mitsume ga...

Macne series

Voice banks for Reason and GarageBand The Macne series (Mac音シリーズ) is a series of voice banks designed for Reason and GarageBand, music sequencer software for the Macintosh operating system, developed by MI7 Japan and distributed by Act2. They are sold under an Open-source license. Following the release of the Vocaloid Neo version for the Mac, several hints were left on Macne Nana's Twitter that an official Vocaloid voicebank was in progress. It was confirmed and announced later in O...

 

Drawsko Landscape Park

Drawsko Landscape ParkDrawski Park KrajobrazowyIUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)Jetty on Drawsko Lake at UrazLocationWest Pomeranian VoivodeshipCoordinates53°40′N 16°10′E / 53.667°N 16.167°E / 53.667; 16.167Area414.3 km²Established1979 Drawsko Landscape Park (Drawski Park Krajobrazowy) is a protected area (Landscape Park) in north-western Poland, established in 1979,[1] covering an area of 414.3 square kilometres (160.0 sq mi).&#...

 

FEIT

This article may have been created or edited in return for undisclosed payments, a violation of Wikipedia's terms of use. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. (September 2017) A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (July 2017) (Learn h...

List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovakia

Map of Slovakia This is a list of municipalities in Slovakia which have standing links to local communities in other countries known as town twinning (usually in Europe) or sister cities (usually in the rest of the world). A Andovce[1] Nagykovácsi, Hungary Szákszend, Hungary B Bánovce nad Bebravou[2] Kopřivnice, Czech Republic Lubliniec, Poland Banská Bystrica[3] Alba, Italy Ascoli Piceno, Italy Budva, Montenegro Charleston, United States Dabas, Hungary Durham, En...

 

Ambrosio Spínola

Ambrosio Spínola Marqués Ambrosio Spínola, Rubens (h. 1630)Información personalNombre en español Ambrogio Spinola Nacimiento 1569Génova (República de Génova)Fallecimiento 25 de septiembre de 1630Castelnuovo Scrivia (Ducado de Mantua)Sepultura Castelnuovo Scrivia Nacionalidad EspañolaFamiliaFamilia Casa de Spínola Padre Filippo Spinola Cónyuge Giovanetta Bacciadonne Hijos Felipe SpínolaAgustín de Spínola Basadone Información profesionalOcupación Gobernador del Milanesado (1629-...

 

Strategi Solo vs Squad di Free Fire: Cara Menang Mudah!