WHITE: THE MELODY OF THE CURSE (2011) review

White: The Melody of the Curse (2011) (1st viewing) d. Kim, Sun /Kim, Gok (South Korea)

Within the Korean pop music world (known as K-Pop), groups are manufactured and manicured to fit the mold of mainstream appeal; such is the case with the Pink Dolls, a squabbling girl-group quartet who fail to ignite public interest. But when a mysterious videotape (REALLY???) is discovered in a discarded storage unit containing an infectious pop melody, the Dolls decide to appropriate the tune, leading to inexplicable overnight success. Of course, a price must be paid for this plagiary; the kitty catty bitches, already at each other’s throats to land the vaunted “main girl” spot, begin falling victim to rashes, fainting spells and terrifying visions. Yep, it’s standard K-horror spook stuff – right down to the huge eyeballs filling the screen, fuzzy videotape images and long-haired specters performing menacing spider-walks – within the bubblegum milieu. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, none of it feels new and/or interesting…though some of the overproduced ditties are an amusing send-up of the industry.