The Oily Maniac

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.

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.

This is a great alternative to the crazy "Toxic Avenger", best acted with better actors and also makes you laugh more without all that nonsense vulgarity.

Shaw Brothers are a guarantee if you want to spend an hour and a half having fun in front of a good, completely recreational audiovisual product and above all without getting bored for a second.

Very well written, well acted, great photography, the monster is a bit of a cardboard, but it creates its mystical atmosphere all the same.

Undoubtedly best of all the various Troma, Jess Franco and other pieces of junk that today are acclaimed by fans for no reason.

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.

I was gonna say something about as I was watching this it just felt like I was watching a special flick, a cult classic if you will. Of course, some other user comment says the same thing. Well, TS! The Oily Maniac is a memorable and fun trip down slimy monster revenge road!

Story revolves around revenge and the moral of "justice will prevail". They say that in the movie, that this is the moral. With Uncle Ping(?) being unfairly put to death, our handicapped hero learns the secret from Uncle to get even with the baddies who are causing all this havoc. And with the directional tattoo copied off of Uncle's back, our hero will now be able to turn into, The Oily Maniac! Watch out sleazy bad guys, cause your about to get greasified!

The film is just basically our Oily Maniac taking out each bad guy that he's aware of. Pretty simple, but pretty entertaining as well. The Oily Maniac can turn into an oil slick which he can use for stealth attacks and even travel at faster speeds, though he's no slouch at running or jumping either. He also has the power of regrowth! And of course, yelling when he's about to strike.

With some fun sleaze and action to be had, the Oily Maniac delivers in the areas that it needs to be an entertaining flick. My only real gripe is the lack of any real gore. If the deaths were more gruesome this film could have been a classic, but instead it's just a cult classic. By the by, someone needs to write South Park and tell them to do a spin-off episode with Jimmy as the Oily Maniac.