Venom Mob
The Venom Mob is a colloquial title given to a group of actors from the Shaw Brothers Studio who attained international prominence for their lead roles in the 1978 film, Five Deadly Venoms. Its members consisted of Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Philip Kwok, Sun Chien, Lo Mang, and Wai Pak. Although the main cast have never referred to themselves as the Venom Mob, they have continued to be referred to as such in English-speaking media[1][2] while English DVD versions of their films often introduced them collectively as The Venoms.
Prior their entry into the Hong Kong film industry, many members had attended Peking opera schools in Taiwan before being recruited by director Chang Cheh.[3][4][5] They were cast in Five Deadly Venoms by Chang and screenwriter Ni Kuang to bring in and cultivate the next generation of actors into the martial arts genre.[3][5] The group was active between 1978 and 1981 and made several films together following the success of their first picture.[a]
The group disbanded in 1981 with the split being attributed to reasons such as the declining popularity of martial arts films in Hong Kong and Taiwan, changing audience preferences, and Chang Cheh's shift to the Mainland Chinese market.[5]
Roster
[edit]The main five (though there are six, Chiang Sheng is actually the fifth member of the Venoms, not Wei Pai, who only appeared in four films with the others).
| Role | Performer | a.k.a. | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hero | Kuo Chui | #4 Lizard | Usually played the lead hero and was the last man standing with the exception of four films. An acrobat and stuntman recruited by Liu Chia-Liang in Taiwan (after appearing in Wang Yu's Master Of The Flying Guillotine fighting Liu Chia-Yung) for Chang's 1975 film Marco Polo. This was followed by cameos in The Fantastic Magic Baby, The Boxer Rebellion, New Shaolin Boxer and The Magnificent Wanderers. His directorial debut was Ruthless Tactics in 1983. He did have one villainous role, that of the White Dragons crime boss in The Chinatown Kid (1977) opposite the late Hong Kong actor Alexander Fu Sheng. |
| Villain | Lu Feng | #1 Centipede | A weapons expert and usually cast as the villain, he received very few heroic roles. Chu Lu Feng was also recruited in Taiwan and began his small bit parts in films, such as The 7 Man Army, Shaolin Avengers, New Shaolin Boxers and The Chinatown Kid. He was one of the titular The Naval Commandos before cementing his reputation as a villain in both Heaven and Hell and Shaolin Temple. He is the only one of the actors to receive a credit as a "Fighting Instructor" on The Five Venoms. |
| Hero | Chiang Sheng | The Student | Known for his acrobatic ability, he was usually cast as a supporting hero to Kuo Chui but later films would see him cast in various villainous parts. His on-screen debut was a comedic flashback with Lu Feng in the opening act of Shaolin Avengers, followed The Brave Archer and The Chinatown Kid. Official debut films were The Naval Commandos and Shaolin Temple filmed back-to-back. Was also Chang Cheh's assistant director on several films. These three formed an ensemble that would remain together after departing from Shaw in films such as Ruthless Tactics (a.k.a. Ninja in the Deadly Trap) and Fight Among the Supers. Chiang Sheng died in 1991 of a heart attack after a divorce and alcohol abuse. |
| Hero/Villain | Sun Chien | #3 Scorpion | Primarily known for his kicking ability, and played various hero and villain roles. Sun Chien was a Taiwanese actor and Tae Kwon Do expert, recruited by Chang Cheh for Chinatown Kid to play opposite Fu Sheng. Sun Chien also worked for directors Sun Chung (Human Lanterns), Chu Yuan (Spirit of the Sword), and Liu Chia-Liang (The Lady is the Boss) among others. His Taekwondo skills earned him a nickname "Korean kicker", despite the fact of being Taiwanese, owing to his martial arts' origin. Sun Chien earned th. Chien departed for a short period of time but made his return to the group in House of Traps. |
| Hero/Villain | Lo Mang | #5 Toad | Known for his physique and physical strength, he usually was the first one to get killed. He did, however, survive in two films (Crippled Avengers and Invincible Shaolin). Lo Mang also played various hero and villain roles. Was an accountant at Chang Cheh Film Co. in Taiwan who studied Mantis for years before landing bit roles in Shaolin Temple and The Brave Archer. This led to a trio of modern-day parts showcasing his physique in The Chinatown Kid, Heaven and Hell, as well as Deadly Strike (a.k.a. "Soul Brothers Of Kung-Fu") for Shaw's satellite company Eternal Films. Afterwards, he returned to the Brave Archer series in an expanded role as "The Iron Palm" before starring as "The Toad #5" in The Five Venoms, one of his signature roles (the other being Kid with the Golden Arm the following year). |
| Hero/Villain | Wei Pai | #2 Snake | Did not star in many films with the previous five. He did not possess the same fighting skills as the rest of the group and preferred drama to action. In addition to The Five Venoms, Wei Pai only starred in Chang Cheh's Invincible Shaolin, Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung (which was shelved for a year due to Fu Sheng's injuries, hence the 1980 release date), Kid with the Golden Arm and a flashback sequence in The Brave Archer Part 2. He defected to Golden Harvest and starred in Chang Cheh protégé John Woo's Last Hurrah for Chivalry the following year. |
Supporting Actors
[edit]- Wang Lung Wei - a villain in several early Venom films. Made his debut in Chang Cheh's Shaolin Martial Arts, filmed in Taiwan during 1974.
- Wang Li - appeared in later Venom films replacing Wei Pai, usually as a villain. Wang Li was also recruited in Taiwan and appeared in bit parts in New Shaolin Boxers and Chinatown Kid before his official debut in Shaolin Rescuers
- Sun Shu-Pei - usually a villain with minimal fighting skills whose only heroic role was as "Long Axe" in Kid with the Golden Arm.
- Yang Hsiung - appeared throughout Chang Cheh's Venom cycle of films in various heroic and villainous roles.
- Lau Shi Kwong - another actor usually cast as the cowardly type with minimal martial arts ability, best remembered as the snitch Wong Fa in Five Deadly Venoms and as "The Dangerous Kid" in Flag of Iron.
- Cheng Tien-Chi - another graduate of Peking opera, Cheng made his debut in The Brave Archer 3, followed by House of Traps and Ode to Gallantry. He would later star in lead roles in Five Elements Ninjas, The Weird Man and The Nine Demons.
- Chu Ko - also debuted in The Brave Archer 3 and continued into the 1980s replacing Sun Chien, usually as an insidious villain.
- Lung Tien-Sheng - usually cast as misguided anti-hero, such as 'The Spearman' in Flag of Iron and 'Golden Snake Xia Xueyi' in Sword Stained with Royal Blood
- Wen Hsueh-Erh - Lead female in several later Venom films. Excels at playing spoiled brat roles or the love interest of one of the main heros.
- Yu Tai Ping – The lead henchman in earlier Venom films, would later switch sides during 1981's Flag of Iron (literally) as his appearances afterwards were usually of the second-tier heroic nature in the films.
- Tony Tam Jan Dung - A henchman and usually partnered with Yu Tai Ping, Yang Hsuing or Lau Shi Kwong and serves as under Lu Feng's character. He was usually seen as a character in background before becoming a top henchman in Crippled Avengers.
- Chin Siu-Ho - First appeared in small role in The Rebel Intruders prior to making his official credited debut in 2 Champions Of Shaolin. Proceeded to co-star in Ten Tigers of Kwangtung, Legend of the Fox and Masked Avengers among others, in addition to films for other directors at Shaw after Chang Cheh's cohorts disbanded.
Venom Films
[edit]Films directed by Chang Cheh (or a Venom) that feature at least three Venoms in starring roles.
| Original H.K. English Title | Production Company | Original H.K. Release Date | Alternate English Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Five Venoms | Shaw Brothers | 8/12/78 | The 5 Deadly Venoms; Shaolin Deadly Poisons; Five Deadly Venoms |
| Invincible Shaolin | Shaw Brothers | 11/19/78 | The Unbeatable Dragon |
| Crippled Avengers | Shaw Brothers | 12/21/78 | Mortal Combat; Return of the Five Deadly Venoms; The Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms |
| Life Gamble | Shaw Brothers | 2/22/79 | Life Combat |
| Shaolin Rescuers | Shaw Brothers | 3/24/79 | Avenging Warriors of Shaolin |
| Shaolin Daredevils | Shaw Brothers | 6/29/79 | The Daredevils |
| Magnificent Ruffians | Shaw Brothers | 9/20/79 | The Destroyers |
| Kid with the Golden Arm | Shaw Brothers | 11/2/79 | Kid with the Golden Arms |
| Heaven and Hell | Shaw Brothers | 1/19/80 | Shaolin Hell Gate |
| 2 Champions Of Shaolin | Shaw Brothers | 4/12/80 | Two Champions of Death; 2 Champions of Death |
| Flag of Iron | Shaw Brothers | 8/14/80 | Spearman; The Spearman of Death |
| The Rebel Intruders | Shaw Brothers | 9/10/80 | Killer Army |
| Legend of the Fox | Shaw Brothers | 11/15/80 | |
| Ten Tigers of Kwangtung | Shaw Brothers | 12/20/80 | 10 Tigers of Kwangtung; Ten Tigers from Kwangtung |
| Sword Stained with Royal Blood | Shaw Brothers | 3/6/81 | |
| Masked Avengers | Shaw Brothers | 5/15/81 | |
| Ruthless Tactics | Yu Feng Film Company | 1981 | Ninja in the Deadly Trap; Ninja's Deadly Trap |
| House of Traps | Shaw Brothers | 1/9/82 | |
| Ode to Gallantry | Shaw Brothers | 12/16/82 |
Venom-Related Films
[edit]Films directed by Chang Cheh that feature Venoms in supporting roles or fewer than three Venoms in starring roles.
| Original H.K. English Title | Production Company | Original H.K. Release Date | Alternate English Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Polo | Shaw Brothers | 12/25/75 | The Four Assassins |
| Shaolin Temple | Shaw Brothers | 12/22/76 | Death Chamber, Death Chambers |
| The Naval Commandos | Shaw Brothers | 4/7/77 | |
| The Brave Archer | Shaw Brothers | 7/30/77 | Kung-Fu Warlords |
| Chinatown Kid | Shaw Brothers | 12/2/77 | |
| The Brave Archer 2 | Shaw Brothers | 5/13/78 | Kung-Fu Warlords Part II |
| The Brave Archer 3 | Shaw Brothers | 11/12/81 | Blast of the Iron Palm |
| The Brave Archer and His Mate | Shaw Brothers | 2/25/82 | The Brave Archer Part 4, Kung Fu Warlord 4 |
| Five Elements Ninjas | Shaw Brothers | 4/21/82 | Five Element Ninjas, Super Ninjas, Chinese Super Ninjas, Chinese Super Ninja |
| The Weird Man | Shaw Brothers | 1983 | |
| Attack of the Joyful Goddess | Hong Kong Chang He Motion Picture Co., Ltd. | 10/3/83 | Attack of the Venoms, Five Venoms Attack |
| Death Ring | Hong Kong Chang He Motion Picture Co., Ltd. | 1983 | |
| The Nine Demons | Hong Kong Chang He Motion Picture Co., Ltd. | 1984 | The 9 Venoms, Nine Venoms |
| Shanghai 13 | Winners' Workshop Production Co., Ltd. | 1984 | The Shanghai Thirteen |
Notes
[edit]- ^ At that time, Venom Mob was considered the successor to a popular group of Shaw Brothers martial arts stars known as "The Fantastic Four" (formed by Alexander Fu Sheng, Chen Kuan-tai, David Chiang and Ti Lung), who, like the Venom Mob were also discovered and recruited by Chang Cheh and considered the four main stars of the Shaw Brothers in the 1970s (due to the fact that the four were the protagonists of most Shaw Brothers films in the 70s, they ended up becoming known as "The Fantastic Four" or "The Four Pillars of Shaw Brothers").
References
[edit]- ^ "How Chang Cheh's Venom Mob martial arts films, starting with 1978's The Five Venoms, became cult favourites in the West". South China Morning Post. 11 July 2021.
- ^ "The Venom Mob Is Back". Celestial Pictures.
- ^ a b "Cool Ass Cinema Presents: An Interview With Former Shaw Brothers Star, Actor & Martial Arts Choreographer Philip Kwok". Cool Ass Cinema.
- ^ "Kuo Chui Interview by Toby Russell". Archived from the original on 2009-04-09.
- ^ a b c "Cool Ass Cinema Presents: An Interview With Former Shaw Brothers Star & Director/ Action Choreographer, Lu Feng". Cool Ass Cinema.