th ▁P uch on ▁International ▁Fant astic ▁Film ▁Festival . ▁Post - production ▁on ▁the ▁film ▁had ▁been ▁r ushed ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁have ▁it ▁ready ▁for ▁the ▁festival , ▁and ▁director ▁Ch ang ▁had ▁to ▁apolog ise ▁for ▁the ▁poor ▁state ▁in ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁shown . ▁ ▁Death ▁Bell ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁DVD ▁on ▁ 8 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Asian ▁film ▁special ist , ▁Ter rac otta ▁Distribution , ▁released ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁on ▁DVD ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁ ▁D erek ▁El ley ▁of ▁Vari ety ▁found ▁Death ▁Bell ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁" ne at ▁concept " ▁with ▁" en ough ▁shock s ▁and ▁g ore ▁to ▁keep ▁genre ▁add ict s ▁content ed ", ▁and ▁commented , ▁" After ▁a ▁fairly ▁conventional ▁half - hour ▁setup , ▁the ▁pic ▁keeps ▁the ▁t ension ▁high ▁with ▁tight ▁cutting ▁and ▁a ▁no - fl ab ▁script ▁that ▁ups ▁the ▁student ▁body ▁count ▁in ▁some ▁especially ▁invent ive ▁ways . ▁Solution ▁to ▁the ▁wh od unit ▁is ▁less ▁convin cing ▁than ▁the ▁lead - up , ▁with ▁a ▁finale ▁that ▁doesn ' t ▁deliver ▁on ▁expect ations . ▁But ▁the ▁journey ▁there ▁is ▁fine , ▁with ▁Lee , ▁better ▁known ▁for ▁comedy , ▁interesting ly ▁cast ▁as ▁the ▁students ' ▁t ough ▁prof ." ▁Ky u ▁Hy un ▁Kim ▁of ▁Korean film . org ▁was ▁more ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁saying , ▁" De