The Oily Maniac

Shaw Brothers movies aren't really known for being chill, but The Oily Maniac was particularly lacking in it. It's very silly, which is good, but it's also one that goes a bit far with the sleaze and assaults against women. I get that you get some of that in movies of this kind, but it's a short movie and there were at least three scenes featuring the latter, and at that point, it makes me start wanting to ask uncomfortable questions about the director's motivation for making this film.

Still, when you get the Oily Maniac doing his thing, it's goofy, funny, and probably will prove memorable. His appearance and the sounds he makes always proved amusing. He can turn into oil, or he can be a hulking humanoid covered in oil. He also has to immerse himself in oil to use these powers, which leads to some funny stuff. At its best, it feels like a goofy and more hardcore update to the sorts of tragic anti-hero monsters found in the old Universal Horror movies of the 1930s and '40s... kind of.

So the film follows him as he uses his powers to get back at people who've wronged him while also being something of a vigilante. It's basic, stupid, perverted (not the good kind of perverted, and probably too frequently perverted, too), but if you think you're the kind of person who'd enjoy a Shaw Brothers movie called The Oily Maniac, then you will enjoy the Shaw Brothers' The Oily Maniac.

This would probably amuse a young adolescent male, what with the rampaging oil covered monster interrupting fairly explicit sexual goings and other non consensual abuses. Just about of interest too as an example of the myths and legends out of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, where some of this is filmed. For the general viewer, this is problematic, not due to any lack of cinematic skills, the Shaw brothers tend to know their audience and be able to cater for it but their is a distinct lack of focus. The oily maniac is pretty well done as far as the effects department go and whether it is the life size monster or the mere puddle that can slide under doors all is fairly satisfactory (especially helped by Jaws like rip off music to accompany each rampage) but there is no consistency as to his actions and those around him. Whilst all the girls who have their tops torn off are lovely the support acting is generally poor and with so much running about without anyone (us included) knowing why, those eyelids begin to drop. Fun in places and fantastic having a 1976 Hong Kong exploitation movie look so good but here even 84 minutes seems a long time.

Danny Lee plays a crippled guy who has polio.When he visits his uncle in prison,waiting for the execution,he gets a special spell thanks to the tattoo on his back.Since this day,the man can turn into the oily maniac super hero,who slaughters a bunch of criminals."Oily Maniac" is one hell of a hilarious monster flick.The main idea is completely crazy:a man can turn into a pool of oil.The special effects are primitive,but the action is fast and there is a good deal of nudity.The plot is silly,but who cares.If you like to see cheesy monster rampage and lots of breasts this low-budget monster/super hero flick is a must-see.I'd give it 8 out of 10 just for the sheer pleasure of watching this trash.

Nowadays you are a monster if you spill old-fashioned polluting fossil fuels, or even promote their use, but in 1976 it was a wonderful product that made you a superhero! By obtaining an ancient Malaysian formula, the pathetic, crippled, and insignificant lawyer assistant Shen Yuan discovers that he can turn into a powerful warrior as soon as he comes into contact with oil or an oil product. Sure, he may look like a walking pile of petrified feces, but he's super strong, can jump incredibly high, and even liquefy himself to move faster. Which member of The Avengers can do that; I ask you?

To be honest, I'm not too familiar with the work of the infamous Shaw Brothers, and I expected "The Oily Maniac" to be different. The fighting/martial arts sequences are well-choreographed, like I assumed, but was hoping for trashier & smuttier B-horror instead of all the nudity and rape scenes. Every girl in the cast is forced to go topless, and many of them don't look too comfortable. There also isn't much of a plot. Shen Yuan transforms whenever he witnesses injustice, kills a few bad people, and carries on. The police are quite useless, as they literally state: we suspect everyone except for the cripple guy. There are a few pulpy highlights, like when the superhero-creature beats someone to death with his own bicycle, but the film certainly isn't a must-see.

Among all the esteemed classics that the Shaw Brothers produced, this one feels quite unlike most of its brethren. The contemporary setting is certainly a bit uncommon, and the choice to film exclusively in Malaysia, as are the more plainly dramatic airs with comparatively few genre elements. Even more noteworthy are the strong notes of ableism and misogyny that characterize the story, not to mention the sexual overtones that feel rather exploitative, especially in light of considerable nudity and sexual assault that require a subststantial content warning. And still even more distinct, and rather concerning, is how astoundingly direct and simplified the dialogue, scene writing, and overall narrative are, mostly quite blunt and brusque. That forthrightness extends to the majority of the acting and direction, meaning that in those moments when the titular figure isn't in action, the proceedings come off rather curiously as an overt and very heavy-handed melodrama. There actually is much to like here, and the story at large is fairly solid, yet 'Oily maniac' faces considerable problems for how very unsubtle, tactless, and gawky it is in its craft in many regards. Why, though it's not true across the board, there are moments when the tale feels altogether nihilist as there are few figures here that do not come off poorly at one time or another. There's so much going on here.

With all that said, if it's horror that you're looking for, you'll definitely find it. The very premise suggests a blending of modern regional folklore with classic comic book creations like Swamp Thing or Man-Thing, or other folk beliefs from various cultures about humans who take on properties of the natural world. I don't think the full potential of the scenario is borne out as protagonist shows himself to be easily manipulated to use his powers against anyone, yet the core is very sturdy as beleaguered Shen initially sets out to fight crime and corruption but quickly loses himself in the process. The violence and action sequences are duly striking, and if less than fully detailed, the costume of the "oily maniac" is more than suitable enough to fit the needs of the feature. Meanwhile this is admirably well made in most other ways, befitting the usual standards of the Shaw Brothers, including excellent production design and art direction, and great stunts and effects (if less finessed than in the kung fu flicks for which the studio is best known). The post-production special effects that are employed to visualize the monster's movements are glaringly obvious, though one can't fault this too much aspect too much since the title could only make use of what technology was available to it. While the acting and direction are broadly less than nuanced, both Ho Meng-Hua and his cast illustrate sufficient capability to bring the whole to fruition.

All things considered this doesn't count among the top premier movies that the Hong Kong legends have ever churned out. Even if we twist semantics to say that the readily discernible issues aren't abject flaws but just factors that may limit audience engagement, the fact remains that there's a lot about this 1976 flick that doesn't necessarily come off well; in the very least, it's not as refined and carefully made as some of the production company's other works. Be all that as it may, I still had a good time watching - I expected I'd enjoy 'Oily maniac,' and that I did, even as I recognize where it's less successful. Unless you're a diehard Shaw Brothers fan or a horror fanatic I don't think this anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but it's most very well done and entertaining, and when all is said and done it's a fine credit to those involved. It's no must-see, but bearing in mind some necessary content warnings, 'Oily maniac' is worth a look if you do have the chance to watch.