There aren't a lot of movies that I walk out of. In general I stick it out all the way through no matter how uncomfortable things may be, and that goes double when at Sundance because I hate those who make a practice of watching 20 minutes of a film then leaving. That said, I fled The Greasy Strangler because it was so deeply unlikable and repulsive, which as it turns out are exactly the qualities that attracted so many to it.
The first trailer for the film has arrived and it shows off all of the vile qualities that led FilmRise to snap up the rights. While this doesn't do it justice in the least, the plot centers on a strange father/son duo living in Los Angeles where an oily killer known as the Greasy Strangler lurks. That's just the beginning of what director Jim Hosking has to offer, though. The characters are tough to look at under the best of circumstances, but throw in heaping globs of foul grease and other disgusting bodily fluids, combined with a low-budget style that isn't the least bit charming, this is a film that will only appeal to a very select few. Here's the synopsis:
This Los Angeles–set tale follows Ronnie, a man who runs a disco walking tour along with his browbeaten son, Brayden. When a sexy, alluring woman named Janet comes to take the tour, it begins a competition between father and son for her attentions. It also brings about the appearance of an oily, slimy, inhuman maniac who stalks the streets at night and strangles the innocent—soon dubbed “the Greasy Strangler.” Flush your expectations down the toilet, because you have never seen a slasher film or a father-son comedy like this before.
Produced by Elijah Wood and Ben Wheatley, The Greasy Strangler arrives on October 7th.
