Runtime: 84 minutes
Directed by: Meng Hua Ho
Starring: Danny Lee, Ping Chen, Lily Li, Lun Hua, Hsieh Wang
From: Shaw Brothers
Yes, this is actually a Shaw Brothers film, a horror flick known as The Oily Maniac. The title makes me laugh and laugh. As for the actual movie... it's not great. To clarify what I said below, currently on Letterboxd there's a shocking amount of controversy over the Richard Linklater movie Everybody Wants Some!! While I haven't seen it, I understand the general tone is sexist, or at least that's what a segment believe is the case, and there's a lot of debate over the topic. I've managed to avoid most of the controversy but I know people are getting real heated on both sides over the movie and it's alleged sexism, not to mention there's plenty of debate over even if it's any good or not; I know some absolutely despise it.
Anyhow... I talk about The Oily Maniac below in what should not be a controversial review:
Yes, the Shaw Brothers actually made a movie known as The Oily Maniac, and it is about a bipedal creature who is made out of oil... in actuality it's a guy in a black suit that is “wet”. It sounded so absurd I had to see it; awhile ago I “tracked it down” (nevermind how; it's not something you can legally stream) and last night was the night I finally watched it. Well... I can only say it's about average.
The setting is 1970's Malaysia, which is where most of this was filmed. Basically, a guy who needs crutches to walk around (and yeah, he is bitter about his handicap) learns from a soon to die uncle the spell to become the titular oily maniac; he can only go after jerks and lowlifes who deserve it. As the movie portrays 1970's Malaysia as a lawless and corrupt land, a-holes aren't hard to find. What a thanks to the country for allowing them to film there.
I realize all of this sounds greatly entertaining, and indeed is rather wacky & when you see Oily change from human into an animated oil puddle that moves quickly around and back again it's an (oil) barrel of laughs, I can only rate this as about average. The story is too preposterous and Oily wrecking dudes manages to not be as exciting as it should be; “strangling people for a few seconds until they are apparently dead” is often done, although stomping people to death is always neat. While this is sleazy and it is amusing how they managed to squeeze in even more breasts by having a subplot of a woman w/ a botched boob job, it becomes gross when there are two scenes of rape. That mutes the chuckles I got from seeing one of my favorite things, which is “wacky 70's clothing”, as there's plenty of that in the movie. Watching this, I wonder if the filmmakers had conflicted opinions concerning women. Maybe I shouldn't even bring that up considering the gigantic sh*tstorm brewing here on Letterboxd over “that one Linklater movie” but when this movie even has a scene where a woman has-ahem-her hymen repaired by unlicensed surgeons... you wonder.
This wasn't what it could have been but at least it's still watchable and you do feel bad for Oily as he's conflicted over all the D-bags he's killed... at least this wasn't terrible.
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