 |  |  | |
| Review: Falling somewhere between a creature feature from the '50s and a Hong Kong sexploitation flick is The Oily Maniac. It's a truly odd tale of a man crippled by polio who out of anger at his helplessness and love for an heiress to an oil refinery invokes an old Malaysian spell that temporarily turns him into a grease-covered monster. Like some archaic Toxic Avenger or Swamp Thing, the Oily Maniac is a misunderstood creature who kills only those who deserve to be choked, stomped on, and crushed. As creature films go, The Oily Maniac is a joke. Hong Kong is not known for its effects work and it shows here. Beyond the usual fake sets (watch for the obvious corner in the sky), the rubber creature costume is Ed Wood material with a cheesy-looking patch of red rubber that pulsates to mimic a heart. What's worse is that it's just a temporary state. Unlike Swamp Thing, there's little need to feel sorry for a man who willingly douses himself with oil every night to "transform" into a superhuman fiend. The way he travels by turning into an oil slick that zips over any surface is interesting and occasionally well done, but his killing is way too conventional. All he does is clobber people as best he can in a restrictive suit. He might as well be covered in feathers and go around as 'The Oily Chicken' for all the good his oiliness does him. Keeping things more lively is the steady baring of female breasts. At Shaw Brothers, Chan Ping made a career out of running around semi-nude (see The Vengeful Beauty) and she's displaying her wares frequently here as Danny Lee's would-be girlfriend. The biggest tragedy is Lily Li's part. She has shined in numerous martial arts movies, but her role as a meek secretary who vainly pines for the affections of The Oily Maniac's alter ego is pathetic. With nothing to work with, she delivers some of the worst acting of her career. In most respects, The Oily Maniac is a disappointing B-movie that fails to deliver on the campy fun that it advertises. |
| | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
| |  | |  |
| | | | 
| When Western viewers think of the Shaw Brothers studio, the old-school kung fu genre comes to mind. However, they didn't become Hong Kong's biggest studio by making martial arts films alone, as evidenced by this production starring a very young Danny Lee, who at this point in his career actually played something other than cops. He appears here as a lawyer crippled by polio whose uncle is framed for murder. Before he dies, the uncle gives Danny a secret spell that will give the user nearly unlimited power by turning them into an oil-covered monster. Danny begins using the power to take revenge for those wronged by the crooked law firm he works for, but soon the "oily maniac" takes over, and Danny finds it harder to stop killing.
This is a pretty cool idea that is ultimately let down by the movie's low budget and cheap special effects. The oily maniac just doesn't look all that menacing -- it's just really obviously a guy in a rubber suit -- and the attempts to show the fluid nature of the monster (being able to turn into a pool of oil, grow back limbs, etc.) are laughably bad. However, there is a good deal of boobs and blood to keep things moving along, and the actors for the most part do a good job, which helps keep a serious tone and keeps the film from sliding down into cheeseville. Oily Maniac isn't likely the most terrifying movie you'll ever see -- in fact, it probably won't even give you a cheap scare -- but it is a fun and unique picture that's well worth a look, especially if you want to see what Danny Lee did before he hit it big with films like The Killer. |
| | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
| | | | |
|
