Review Contributed by VCinema head honcho, Jon Jung


Plot Outline: Lin Yang-ba is thrown in prison for killing a man who was trying to bilk the family out of its oil “gardens”. Instead of dig himself out with prison chopsticks, he instead reveals to his friend, Sheng Yung, who happens to be a legal clerk, a magic spell tattooed on his back. This spell transforms Yung into the titular monster, at first tasked with justice and revenge against the gang after the oil operation and Lin’s daughter, Little Yue, whom Yung happens to be in love with. Things then get out of hand, however, and Yung begins to realize that justice is one thing and revenge is another.




The Review
When you think Shaw Brothers, you usually think of their older and more uniquely Chinese cinematic offerings of wuxia, period dramas, opera, and comedy in their catalog. However, as time marched on, tastes in cinema changed internationally and the SB catalog reflected that with more offerings which catered to these tastes. Evidence of this is Oily Maniac whose story is part legend (the intro of the movie claims the story was adapted from an Malaysian tale), part Incredible Hulk, and part Japanese kaiju/pinku eiga hybrid.

Make no mistake, though, the Oily Maniac is exploitation through and through. It’s boobs, beasts, boobs, chop-socky, boobs, rape, and lots more boobs. This movie is literally a travelogue of the boobs of Hong Kong as they bounce, get groped, have faces smashed into them (showing bush and ‘grinding’ are both no-nos in many Asian countries so ferocious mouth to breast play is commonly used to portray intercourse), even one grossly deformed by plastic surgery (!). No, this is not a movie of complex subtlety. Besides the breast fest, there are sneering bad guys, one of which who licks his lips like a cat spotting a sleeping mouse just before raping a woman. But wait! You also get slimy cigar-chomping lawyers, a rubber suited monster, and an gruesomely hilarious operating room scene.

The Conclusion
Fun stuff, proof that the Shaw Brothers could pump out sleaze on par with the best of them.