The Greasy Strangler

Director - Joe Hosking (ABCs of Death 2, Privado)

Starring - Michael St. Michaels (The Video Dead, Ninja Academy), Sky Elobar (My Name is Earl, Son of Zorn), and Elizabeth De Razzo (Eastbound and Down, Cold Case)

Release Date - 2016

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The last year or so has seen the rise in horror and we can thank shows like The Walking Dead, Bates Motel, American Horror Stories, and True Blood for making horror mainstream.  The more people interested in horror brings about more possibilities for the genre.  One film that looked extremely unusual and fun was The Greasy Strangler.  I hate to make the comparison but the film looked like a black comedy set to the tone of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre.  I really wanted to see it and one day I got lucky.  I received an email from an Australian company that was releasing the film on a special edition two disc bluray.  I shared the press release for them and requested a copy.  They were kind enough to send one on over.  Thank you so much!
     The film follows father and son pair Big Ronnie (Michaels) and Big Brayden (Elobar) who own their own disco tour.  The two live together and for the most part they are inseparable until Brayden becomes romantically involved with a customer.  When Brayden stops dedicating his time to his father he becomes jealous and sets his sights on taking Brayden's love interest from him.  The two get caught in a struggle for her affection resulting in Brayden seeing a side of his father he's never seen before and suspects he is the notorious greasy strangler.

     I had watched several different trailers for The Greasy Stranglers and heard several friends comment on how awesome the film is but I just had to see it for myself.  I had heard that the film can not be explained and the only way to truly appreciate it is to see if for yourself.  That statement is painfully correct.  The acting in this one is one of the best I have this year.  Hands down.  Michael St. Michael and Sky Elobar are fucking perfect together.  They work so well with one another and created some extremely memorable characters that will stand the test of time.  If there is a higher power or space lord then I pray to them that we see another film with these two.  The supporting cast is solid but they are nowhere near as entertaining as these two on camera.  The story for this one is so fucking simple but brilliant.  We follow two grown ass men who are extremely awkward to watch as they compete for a woman who would normally be ignored.  On top of all that we have the greasy strangler angle that worked in even more laughs but was not that effective as horror.  Finally, the film does have a few on screen kills.  Most are simple strangulations with nothing worth mentioning but there was scene that features some very noticeable computer generated effects.  This completely ruined the gag and made the kill feel cheap.  Overall, The Greasy Strangler is a fucking must.  If you love offbeat films and black comedies then this one is for you.  Check it out.