Main Cast: Li Hsiu-hsien, Chen Ping, Lily Li, Ku Feng
Release Year: 1976
Country: HK
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
Moments before his uncle is taken to be executed, Shen Yuan (Li Hsiu-hsien) writes down the cryptic words tattooed on the man's back...they are an invocation of some sort. Himself a crippled plantation manager, Yuan cannot win the attention of the girl next door whom he fancies, nor can he stem the abuses of his unpleasant boss. One day, pushed beyond his limits, Yuan remembers his uncle's invocation and utters it. He is immediately transformed into the Oily Maniac, an avenger of wrongs and hot-tempered foe of evil. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Review
The Shaw Brothers studio turned out a lot of twisted exploitation gems between their better-known kung fu epics, but few were ever as bizarre or lurid as this strange little tale. Oily Maniac is tacky in the extreme; the storyline shamelessly plunders everything from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to The Swamp Thing, the special effects are bargain basement, and the film offsets its comic book premise with all manner of sexy and gory excesses aimed squarely at the lowest common denominator. As a result, Oily Maniac is the kind of trash that will make mainstream audiences squirm but is guaranteed to delight fans of exploitation cinema. Thankfully for the latter viewers, Oily Maniac wears its tastelessness with pride. Stars Li Hsiu-Hsien, Ku Feng, and Chen Ping give the kind of melodramatic, comic book performances the movie requires, and director Ho Meng-Hua keeps the action rolling so fast and furious that it turns the film into a veritable schlock roller coaster. In short, Oily Maniac can only be recommended to viewers who enjoy the sleazier realms of cult cinema -- but said viewers will find it to be an agreeably fast-paced exploitation bonanza. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Cast
Li Hsiu-hsien - Shen Yuan
Chen Ping - Lin Ching-Yueh
Lily Li - Li Hsiao-Li
Ku Feng
Frankie Wei; Wang Hsieh
Credit
Chen Ching Shen - Art Director, Ho Meng-hua - Director, Tsao Hui-chi - Cinematographer, Chua Lam - Screenwriter
