Five men break out of a mental hospital in Kowloon. They are insane, in the way that people in films are often insane, i.e. they want to kill people. You, me. Everybody.
It is Chinese New Year.
The five insane men find their first victims in a warehouse– a group of parade performers, preparing to dress up as a Chinese dragon. The victims’ corpses are hidden in barrels. Blood trickling out from the bottom of the barrels. A dead eye staring out from a knot-hole.
Chilling music. The five insane men are now collectively wearing the dragon costume. It is green, with fierce leering eyes and a wide toothy mouth that snaps open and shut.
Out on the street, the celebrations are now in full swing. Clanging cymbals, exploding fireworks. Happy families. The green dragon, comprised of five insane men, has blended seamlessly in with the parade.
The dragon’s fierce eyes swivel. The jaw snaps. Happy, frightened children step into its path, then run away yelling. Parents laugh.
No-one suspects.
In the midst of the throng, the dragon strikes – chomp.
And again – chomp, chomp, chomp!!
Confusion. Panic. Disorientating ambiguity – is this part of the show?
No.
Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp. Roar! Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp.
Police on the scene try to make sense of the massacre (the dragon has escaped along a dark side alley). The five insane men had a psychiatrist, and he is running to the police, delirious – these men are crazed. There is nothing left in their minds that could be called human. They will strike again. They will stop at nothing. Etc.
The parade is over. Many people are cowering in their high-rise apartments. But the unlucky few have not heard the news, and are wandering home, alone in the deserted streets.
Take for instance this teenage girl, who has recently engaged in sexual intercourse. Unsure whether she has done the right thing with her boyfriend (a prominent sportsmen at their high school) she now hurries back to her waiting parents. But sounds seem pursue her – a rubbish bin over-turned. Footsteps. The jingling of bells.
Unseen, some metres behind her, a giant green head is watching her with fierce eyes from around a street corner.
Sensing something, she looks back. Nothing. But as she walks on:
Jingle, jingle, jingle.She turns again. This time she spots it, lurking in the shadows beneath a tree. HOLY SHIT! She runs, but now the dragon has broken cover. It’s pursuing her, teeth chomping, accompanied by the inexplicable ruckus of clashing cymbals!!!