Saturday 3 December 2016

THE GREASY STRANGLER




Vying with ANTIBIRTH for grossest film of the year, as well as SWISS ARMY MAN for weirdest, here comes Jim Hosking's THE GREASY STRANGLER. Are you ready?


Hosking's followup to his ABCS OF DEATH 2 segment, G IS FOR GRANDAD, feels like it takes place in the same twisted little universe, replete with bushy man-merkins, prosthetic mutant cocks and gory murder. However, if Hosking's mission with STRANGLER was to outdo the repulsiveness of GRANDAD by an order of magnitude, then he's exceeded expectations. The real success of his first feature is that he's able to sustain interest for 90 minutes in what is essentially an extended gag, intended to make the viewer feel as queasy as possible.  

His experience as a commercial director is all over the film's slick visual style, which is so polished in parts that it feels at odds with the John Waters-esque head-fuckery occurring onscreen. As disgusting as the movie may get (and it does), much of THE GREASY STRANGLER is surprisingly easy on the eyes.


The first thing that struck me while watching it was "where did Hosking find all these weirdos?". Almost everyone in THE GREASY STRANGLER is just... odd, but reigning supreme atop this heap of misfits are Michael St. Michaels and Sky Elobar, as Big Ronnie and Big Brayden respectively. St. Michaels in particular is impossible to look away from. His craggy, leering face and slimy mannerisms are creepy sleazeball incarnate, aided immeasurably by the fact that he spends much of the film naked and wolfing down tasty treats like grapefruit smothered in pan drippings.

Big Ronnie also sports a strong contender for what has to be the most vile cock in the history of cinema. Don't be afraid of that giant, rash covered dog dick though. In fact, I urge you to run towards it, and to bathe luxuriously in the tub of rancid fat that is THE GREASY STRANGLER.


The cherry atop the lard that makes Hosking's first feature slide down the throat so easily is Andrew Hung's tweaking electronic score. It's every bit as demented as the film itself, an infectious mix of sugary earworms and outright madness. You'll find a link to the soundtrack at bandcamp below, where you can wallow in such unforgettable ditties as "Fizzy Barf" and "Stoned on Fart Fumes".

Get your official GREASY STRANGLER merch at Mondo here.












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