Oily Maniac
They are a formidable partnership, unscrupulous solicitor Wu Li Fatt and ruthless businessman Chen Fuxin, overseeing the forced transfer of the successful coconut plantation run by Lin Yaba to the Yung family, the lease having expired and he being held to the contract regardless of the significant increase in value in the interim.
A fight breaking out, Lin is accused of murder and sentenced to death, his last conversation with his nephew Chen Yuan imparting to him the knowledge of a talisman tattooed onto his back which will allow Chen to protect those less fortunate but with the warning that if used with bad intentions then the bearer will die a terrible death.
Released in 1976 and directed by Meng-Hua Ho, Danny Lee is Chen Yuan, the Oily Maniac (Yóu guǐzǐ, 油鬼子) of the title, based on the legend of the Orang Minyak, a supernatural creature of Malaysian folklore coated in shiny black grease or coconut oil and soot, reflecting the impingement of modern industry on the nation and traditionally abducting young women though here seen at least attempting to defend some of them, though not successfully, and not all.
Chen an employee of Wu Li Fatt (Hsieh Wang), he dislikes his boss but is not aware of the depth of his manipulations until informed by secretary Xiaoli (Lily Li), taking advantage of a woman who wishes to sue a plastic surgeon for a botched operation but lying to her to accept a lesser sum then claiming the full compensation due for himself, a cue for another rampage by the Oily Maniac before finally returning his attentions to Fuxin (Ping Chen).
Released from the physical impediments of his post-Polio syndrome by his powers though any sense of emotion from his liberation is never explored, activated by dowsing himself in oil or even fully immersing himself, his enemies otherwise demonstrably all too keen to kick the cripple, the interventions of the Oily Maniac are extreme, the collateral damage as great as his intended targets, Chen aware and regretful of what has happened yet presumably not entirely in control nor making efforts to restrain or carefully direct himself.
Heartbroken over the murder of his cousin Yue’er (Ping Chen) despite her having spurned his unwanted advances, more killing is on the cards, the Oily Maniac swooping in accompanied by what is quite obviously the theme from Jaws before heroically running away, any moral high ground dubious and the film blatantly misogynist in the repeated presentation of violated women, legs splayed and abandoned semi-clad or fully naked.
Oily Maniac will be streaming on the Arrow platform from Friday 5th December
