Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Greasy Strangler Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 23, 2016

For fans of Adult Swim and finer examples of “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” craziness, “The Greasy Strangler” is probably going to seem familiar. It’s the latest offering of anti-comedy, where the jokes don’t necessarily come from punchlines or situations, but the silences between absurdities, which are cranked up to 11. Co-writer/director Jim Hosking aims to weird out the world with this offering, which ladles on grossness and embraces awkwardness, working to find laughs in the middle of ugliness. And it works with certain expectations and permissiveness. The world of “The Greasy Strangler” is hilarious for stretches of screentime, but the film is also determined to frustrate viewers, succeeding more often than not. It’s a bizarre movie, and not one to be watched casually, targeting a special demographic used to repulsive imagery and grotesque characterization.

Living together, Brayden (Sky Elobar) and his father, Ronnie (Michael St. Michaels), enjoy a special antagonistic relationship. Making a living selling tours of disco history locations, the pair spends most of their day shirtless and upset, with Ronnie constantly demanding the greasiest food around, barking at Brayden when he fails to meet expectations. When Brayden catches a glimpse of Janet (Elizabeth De Razzo), he falls in love, experiencing a sexual awakening with the seasoned woman. She also bewitches Ronnie, who attempts to steal the woman away, humiliating his only son. For Brayden, the pain is monumental but the fear is real, growing concerned about the wrath of the Greasy Strangler, a brutal killer covered head to toe in lard who bears a striking resemblance to Ronnie.

“The Greasy Strangler” is all about disgusting things. Hosking devotes an entire movie to the art of the gross-out, but it’s also an impressive offering of world-building, creating a desolate city populated with disco enthusiasts and eccentric strangers, which is currently being terrorized by a particularly slippery killer who’s capable of choking victims until their eyes pop out of their heads, which are promptly consumed by the monster. It’s a city of filth and discontent, making Ronnie and Brayden perfect unshowered citizens, engaging in a domestic tug of war inside their squalid home, where they live in their underwear (covered in unexplained bruises), watching the son spend mealtime trying to satisfy his father’s cravings for grease, drowning food in excessive oil and drippings. They’re an itchy pairing but devoted, constantly baiting each other with charges of being a “bullshit artist,” while Ronnie maintains his parental puppetry through a manipulation of guilt, keeping his son on top of his demands.

While “The Greasy Strangler” establishes a threat with the titular killer, the story is more interested in the damage Janet causes as she samples the sexual energy of the father and son. A rotund seductress, Janet is confident and brazen, taking Brayden’s virginity and succumbing to Ronnie’s predatory charms, falling for a man who wears a purple disco suit with a sheer crotch (Ronnie’s mangled penis is practically a supporting character). It’s a love triangle with disgusting people, commencing power plays between Ronnie and Brayden, who both crave intimacies with Janet, giving Hosking time to showcase perhaps the most nudity of the 2016 film year (performances are brave), though titillation is the least of the movie’s concerns.

The serial killer aspect of “The Greasy Strangler” is much more engaging, studying Ronnie’s limited stalking skills, murdering those who’ve wronged him, including a hot dog vendor who rejects a request to dunk a wiener in grease. The horror aspect of the film is silly but it gives Hosking more to do, allowing oddity some room to breathe, while supporting characters expand the feature’s surreal touches, playing up the production’s love of repetition. Perhaps most vivid is Oinker (Joe David Walters), one of Brayden’s friends who wears a pig snout to cover for a lack of a nose. There’s also Paul (Gil Gex), the blind proprietor of the car wash where Ronnie painfully cleans off his lard layers, paying for services with phony cash and broad pleasantries.

The Greasy Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85: aspect ratio, BD-R) presentation is built for showing off detail. HD cinematography is excellent with grotesque textures, delivering vivid close-ups of ugliness and fibrous costumes. Colors are secure, handling primaries with care, while select hues, such as pink and yellow, are made a priority. Skintones are natural. Delineation is comfortable, never losing frame information.

The Greasy Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound mix is generally active, though surround activity is limited to a few atmospherics and some music cues. It's more of a frontal listening experience, which isn't disappointing. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, preserving performance oddity and argumentative behavior. Scoring cues are deep, with a compelling synth throb delivering some heavier low-end. Sound effects are crisp, with memorable noises (including the thumping of car wash bristles on skin) often used repeatedly for comedic effect.

The Greasy Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Jim Hosking and stars Michael St. Michaels and Sky Elobar.

• Interview (9:10, HD) with St. Michaels catches up with the sly jokester on the set, where he describes the lengthy casting process, his character motivation, and the use of a prosthetic penis during numerous nude scenes. Weirdly, St. Michaels describes the shoot as the "most fun hell" he's ever had, hinting at a few frustrations he's not willing to delve deeper into.

• Interview (9:24, HD) with Elobar shares a few facts about his character, Brayden, while also walking through the film's highlights.

• Interview (11:08, HD) with Elizabeth De Razzo shares bits and piece about her character, along with her time with co-stars, including St. Michaels, who was extremely protective of the actress during nude scenes. Interestingly, De Razzo is encouraged to talk about Hosking as a director, and she's impressively honest about his shortcomings when communicating with the cast.

• Interview (16:34, HD) with Carl Soloman identifies the actor's four roles in "The Greasy Strangler."

• Interview (22:11, HD) with Holland MacFallister, Abdoulaye NGom, and Sam Dissanayake sits down with the "tourists" to explore their relationship and time spent with the director, praising his work.

• Interview (11:01, HD) with art department collaborator Ant Timpson examines how the picture acquired financial backing and celebrates his own creative intent.

• Interview (7:35, HD) with production designer Jason Kisvarday shares his hiring story and the feature's daily "no time, no money" schedule scramble.

• Interview (12:47, HD) with prop department employee Zack Carlson spotlights his multiple behind-the-scenes roles, his impression of Hosking, and summarizes the story.

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:50, HD), Red Band Trailer (1:50, HD), and a Teaser Trailer (:57, HD) are included.

The Greasy Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hosking ultimately fumbles the balance of "The Greasy Stranger," focusing too much time on Janet and her seductions, cooking up a competition between Ronnie and Brayden, who weaponize oral and anal sex. The picture is more amusing with murder, which keeps the effort alert and busy depicting the banal lives of the victims. It's a wild film, but, as expected, a little of this oddness goes a long way, and it's disappointing to watch Hoskings lose interest in maintaining pace. "The Greasy Strangler" ends out of breath, but it certainly commences with the right idea, generating a level of monstrous, repellant, hilarious hideousness before it grows comfortable with all the outrageousness.