Well, this is certainly the messiest superhero/avenger
that you will come across. I am not sure I would even want superpowers if
I first had to cover myself in black oil and then bring it home. My girlfriend
would be pissed. You clean it up this time. I am tired of you going out at
all hours and coming home looking like an oil slick. This Shaw Brother's
film was shot in Malaysia where they had had a large presence even prior
to Hong Kong. Malaysia has wonderful folkloric tales of scary monsters from
the Penanggalan to the Orang Bunian and many others. But as best as I can
tell the Oily Maniac is original to Shaw. Ho Meng-hua took a break from his
many martial arts films to take on horror. He had directed Black Magic the
previous year. That one is considered a classic horror film. Oily Maniac,
not so much but its interesting just for how weird it is and how bad the
special effects are. He tosses in a lot of nasty sleaze and misogyny to top
it off.
Danny Lee is crippled from polio as a boy.
He is in love with Chen Ping, but she can't get past his physical condition
and loves another. Her father (Ku Feng in a mop top wig) protects her from
being roughed up and kills a man. He is sentenced to death, but before his
execution, he gives Lee the secret tattooed on his back for powers. All you
have to do is dig a hole in your living room and get inside it and chant.
Wait, you want me to dig a hole in my living room floor? I don't think so.
But Lee does and turns into the Oily Maniac.
There are a lot of people worth killing
in this film. And he can turn into an oil slick and get into any place. Or
take the form of an oily beast with beady red eyes and a visible pumping
heart. If a part of him is cut off, it just rejoins his body. Two guys try
to rape Chen Ping and those are his first victims. He learns of other injustices
- Angela Yu Chien pretends to be raped to sue for money and in a great scene
as she is getting ready for a bath, he comes out of the faucet. There are
others. The only good person is his co-worker who secretly loves him. But
he isn't interested. Damn, it's Lily Li. Get interested. She seems to be
the only one who keeps her top on. Including Danny Lee. I was a little disappointed
that Chen Ping is so passive in the film when not in bed, but Ho Meng-hua
made up for that in The Vengeful Beauty and Kiss of Death.
