Clearly this is the best Singapore zombie movie of 2012.
The trailer at the start is reminiscent of a Monty Python sketch and is obviously a tip-of-the- hat to that sort of humor. Hsien of the Dead is simply a ground-breaking revolution in digital filmmaking, and throughout most of it, uses many interesting roving shots and angles. Writer-Director-Producer Gary Ow did an absolute bang-up job on his first feature. Kudos to him.
To appreciate this film, you must compare it with any of Lloyd Kaufmann's films, employs the "sorta" B-grade story-over-quality thing that happens in Hsien of the Dead. The plot is quite simple: Singapore has a slow zombie apocalypse unveiling as a virus starts infecting the population. Four survivors meet up and attempt to escape from Singapore island.
Opening with a music video that has nothing to do with the story, except introduce the cast, the movie opens with 4 separate Origin Stories, very much in a style of a comic book, very choppy, very frenetic in nature.
Ah Huay (Vivienne Tseng) is the alpha-female, cos-play blade-fighter. Edward (Ernest Seah) the boot-licking censor is from the Ministry of Propaganda's censor board civil-servant who watches porn all day. Hana (Nurhuda Choo) is the crack-shot tudung-wearing biker-chick. Hsien (Moses San Juan) is the Singapore army conscript.
What I enjoyed about this was the portrayal of Singapore's army as a lackadaisical spineless force: their weapons are all kept unlocked. Anyone who has served time in the Singapore army can probably attest to their low levels of security.
The Terrorist is Mas Alamak (Darrell Britt), a parody of the terrorist from real life. The interrogation scene in the movie is probably the best funniest bit in the whole movie.
Hsien of the Dead is the funniest Singapore zombie movie ever made. This is 72 minutes of pure unadulterated laughter. Highly recommended.
