Shen Yuan (Danny Lee) contracted polio when he was young. Now he walks with crutches due to being partially paralyzed. Shen works for a crooked lawyer, Mr. Hu Ly Fa (Hsieh Wang). Shen is in love with Lin Chung Yue “Little Yue” (Ping Chen). Little Yue’s boyfriend is Chen Fu Chien (Lun Hua), who secretly works for Hu. Hu and Chen connive to steal a company away from Yue’s Uncle Ah Ba (Ku Feng).
The Yang family wants Ah Ba’s Coconut Oil Garden business. Hu is secretly working with Chen to steal the company from Ah Ba. When Ah Ba finds out about what Hu is doing he confronts him. A fight ensues between Ah Ba and his friends and Hu and his minions. During the clash Uncle Ah Ba accidentally kills one of the thugs. He is found guilty and is sentenced to death.
Just before his execution Ah Ba calls for Shen to see him in the prison. Ah Ba takes off his shirt and shows Shen a tattoo on his back in Maylay. Ah Ba says it is a spell given to him 20 years ago by Shen’s father, who was a Shaman, before he died. He tells Shen that the spell will give him great power so he can take care of Little Yue. His uncle warns him that the power should only be used for good or he will die.
According to the spell, Shen must dig a hole in the middle of the house and stand in it while reciting some magic phrases in Maylay. He is then engulfed in an oily liquid that turns him into Oily Man.
In the meantime, two of Yang’s goons show up at Little Yu’s home intending to rape her. Oily man shows up and quickly kills one of the goons. The other runs away. Oily man returns to his house and turns back into Shen.
Shen professes his love for Little Yue but she tells him she is engaged to Chen. Sexually frustrated Shen takes it out on anyone who he deems as being bad. Working for a sleazy attorney proves to be a great way to find people worthy of being oiled. As oily man Shen becomes a one-man army against corruption.
“The Oily Maniac” was released in 1976 and was directed by Meng Hua Ho. It is a Hong Kong and Malaysian horror movie. It is kind of a modern day sequel to the 1958 Singaporean film “Curse of the Oily Man”. There are around seven movies that are based on the Southeast Asian Oily Man folk legend.
This was a lot more fun than I expected. It’s not a blockbuster or anything but it has a silly charm to it that is quite enjoyable.
The monster is a guy in a suit. It’s decent enough and looks a little like the Swamp Thing only black and shiny instead of green. The monster is only outshone by the multitude of women’s naked breasts sprinkled throughout the film.