Venom Mob
Encyclopedia
The Venom Mob is a group of actors from the Shaw Brothers Studio
, popular creators of martial arts films in the 1970s and 1980s. Most were friends since childhood and attended the Peking Opera School
in Taiwan
before meeting director Chang Cheh and moving on to the Shaw Brothers studio in Hong Kong.
They appeared in numerous Shaw films at younger ages but did not become a group in high demand until Five Deadly Venoms
. They were the main choreographers in all of their films, highly skilled Chinese weapon experts, excellent actors (for a martial arts film), and excellent acrobat
s. Most famous of them being Kuo Chui who always played the hero in their films.
As with most groups, time saw their talents being pulled in different directions, not to mention in-fighting for starring roles and production credits.
Shaw Brothers Studio
The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution...
, popular creators of martial arts films in the 1970s and 1980s. Most were friends since childhood and attended the Peking Opera School
Peking Opera School
The Peking Opera Schools were boarding schools located throughout Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, specialising in teaching Peking opera...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
before meeting director Chang Cheh and moving on to the Shaw Brothers studio in Hong Kong.
They appeared in numerous Shaw films at younger ages but did not become a group in high demand until Five Deadly Venoms
Five Deadly Venoms
Five Venoms aka Five Deadly Venoms is a cult 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venom Mob, and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, about five kung-fu fighters with unique animal styles: The Centipede, The Snake, The Scorpion, The Lizard and The Toad...
. They were the main choreographers in all of their films, highly skilled Chinese weapon experts, excellent actors (for a martial arts film), and excellent acrobat
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
s. Most famous of them being Kuo Chui who always played the hero in their films.
As with most groups, time saw their talents being pulled in different directions, not to mention in-fighting for starring roles and production credits.
Pick Your Poison
This is the main 5 (though there are six, Chiang Sheng is actually the 5th Venom, not Wei Pai who only did 3 or 4 films with the others).| Role | Performer | AKA | Background |
| Hero | Kuo Chui | #4 Lizard | The hero, usually the last man standing save perhaps 1 or 2 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. The rest, as they say, is history. His directorial debut was Ruthless Tactics in 1983. He did have one villain role and that was in "The Chinatown kid" Where he played a crime boss. |
| Villain | Lu Feng | #1 Centipede | Weapons expert and usually the villain, received very few heroic roles. Chu Lu Feng was also recruited in Taiwan and began is small bit parts in films such as The 7 Man Army, Shaolin Avengers, New Shaolin Boxer and The Chinatown Kid. He was one of the titular Naval Commandos before cementing his reputation as a villain in Heaven And Hell as well as Shaolin Temple the following year. |
| Hero | Chiang Sheng Chiang Sheng Chiang Sheng was a martial art actor, one of the Venom Mob, renowned for their acrobatic and martial arts skills. He joined the Chang Cheh's Cohorts as an actor, and also worked with Chang Cheh as an assistant director and choreographer. Along with Alexander Fu Sheng, Chiang Sheng was one of the... |
The Student | Most acrobatic and provided much comic relief. Usually a supporting hero with Kuo Chui. His on screen debut was a comedic flashback with Lu Feng in the opening act of Shaolin Avengers followed by a pair of villainous bit parts in The Brave Archer and The Chinatown Kid. Official debut films were Naval Commandos and Shaolin Temple filmed back to back. Was also Chang Cheh's assistant director on several films. These 3 formed an ensemble that would remain together after departing from the Shaw Studio in films such as Ruthless Tactics (aka Ninja In The Deadly Trap) and Fight Among The Supers. Sadly, Chiang Sheng died in 1991 of a heart attack after a divorce and alcohol abuse. |
| Hero/Villain | Sun Chien | #3 Scorpion | Best kicker of the group. Could be good or evil in Venom films depending on his role in the story, most fans find it hard to determine if he is good or evil until the end of the movie. Sun Chien was a native Taiwanese recruited by Chang Cheh for Chinatown Kid to play opposite Fu Sheng. He practiced Tae Kwan-Do in the military and as a result many sources report him as Korean, but this is not true. He merely studied a Korean martial-art. 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. |
| Hero/Villain | Lo Mang Lo Mang Lo Mang is a Hong Kong based veteran martial artist who was born as Lo Hin Lam in Hong Kong on 23 July 1956. Primarily known for starring in Shaw Brothers kung fu movies in the latter part of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s... |
#5 Toad | Considered the strongest with the best physique of the group, but usually also the first to get killed when the enemy finds his weak spots. He did survive in two of the films (Crippled Avengers and Invincible Shaolin). Mainly a supporting hero with Kuo Chui, but a villain two or three times. 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 (aka "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 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. Wei made his debut during a flashback sequence in Brave Archer Part 2 filmed prior to Five Venoms. Also appeared in Invincible Shaolin, Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung (which was shelved for a year due to Fu Sheng's injuries, hence the 1980 release date) and The Kid With The Golden Arm. Wei did not possess the same fighting skills as the rest of the cast and preferred drama. He defected to Golden Harvest and starred in Chang Cheh protege John Woo John Woo John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard... 's Last Hurrah for Chivalry Last Hurrah for Chivalry Last Hurrah for Chivalry is a 1979 Hong Kong wuxia film directed and written by John Woo, starring Damian Lau and Wei Pai. The film is a precursor to Woo's heroic bloodshed films.-Plot:... the following year. |
2nd Tier Venoms
Those listed (males) usually were the supporting villains with Lu Feng, if Lu Feng had a rare hero role the lead villain was usually either Wang Lung-Wei or Wang Li. Lung Tung-Sheng was usually a questionable character in a film who ended up siding with the hero's in the end. Females listed were usually "eye-candy" and got little fighting time in Venom films.- Wang Lung WeiWang Lung WeiWang Lung Wei , also known as Johnny Wang, is a Chinese actor, director, producer, and action choreographer, who has starred in over 80 kung fu films, mainly for Shaw Brothers Studios. Wang's first Shaw Brothers film role was as the traitor Ma Fu Yi in the Chang Cheh-directed film Five Shaolin...
- The 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 the absent Wei Pai, usually as a villain, and great with weapons. Wang Li was also recruited in Taiwan and appeared in bit parts in New Shaolin Boxer and The Chinatown Kid before his official debut in Shaolin Rescuers.Best known as the #3 Chief in Masked Avengers
- Sun Shu-Pei - Usually a villain with minimal Kung-Fu skills but very conniving and sneaky. Only heroic role was as "Long Axe" in the Kid With The Golden Arms.
- Yang Hsuing - Better known as 'Brass Head' in Kid with the Golden Arms. Appeared throughout Chang Cheh's Venom cycle of films in various heroic and villainous roles.
- Lau Shi Kwong - The cowardly type, best known as the snitch Wong Fa in "Five Deadly Venoms" and as "The Dangerous Kid" (...not a kid, a swordsman!) in The Flag Of Iron. He also played the henchman known as "Leopard Boy," in Avenging Warriors of Shaolin.
- Cheng Tien-Chi - Another master of Peking Opera. Made his debut in Brave Archer Part 3 followed by House Of Traps and Ode To Gallantry and would later take the lead roles in Five Element Ninja, The Weird Man and he 9 Demons/i>.
- Chu Ko - Also debut in Brave Archer Part 3 and continued into the 80s replacing Sun Chien, usually as an insidious villain. Would later achieve heroic status in later films Five Element Ninja and The Weird Man
- Lung Tung-Sheng - Best known as "The Spearman" from Flag of Iron, usually a misguided anti-heroAnti-heroIn fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
. - Wen Hsueh-Erh - Lead female in Sword Stained With Royal Blood and Ode To Gallantry, as well as Two Champions Of Shaolin. Usually plays the spoiled daughter role.
- Yu Tai Ping – The lead henchman in earlier Venom films, would later switch sides during 1981's The Flag Of Iron (literally) as his appearances afterwards were usually of the second-tier heroic nature in the films Masked Avengers and The Weird Man. He was one of the lead 'Super Ninjas' in Chang Cheh's gore-filled opus Five Element Ninja alongside Cheng Tien-Chi, Wang Li and Chu Ko.
- Shirley YuShirley Yu-Filmography:* Gambler's Delight * Hex Vs Witchcraft * Bastard Swordsman, The Grand Conclusion * The Ghost Story * Life Gamble * Scandalous Warlord * The Brave Archer 2...
- Shaw's leading sexpot, appeared in The Chinatown Kid, Life Gamble, and The Brave Archer Part 2. - Pan Ping-Chang – Usually the lead female in Venom films. Played Kuo's wife in Brave Archer 4 and the swordswoman in Kid With The Golden Arm.
- Chin Siu-Ho - First appeared in small bit roles in Rebel Intruders and 10 Tigers Of Kwangtung and made his official credited debut in Two Champions of Shaolin. Would also co-star in Legend of a Fox and Masked Avengers as well as films for other directors at Shaws after Chang Cheh's cohorts disbanded. He is still very much active in HK films today.
Venom Films
Original Hong Kong movie titles, followed by original Hong Kong release date (where available) and alias titles also known as.- Shaolin Temple (22/12/76) aka Death Chamber
- Naval CommandosNaval CommandosNaval Commandos is a Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh, who is famous for his martial arts cinematography, but ventured into military combat action with the production of this war movie based upon the War of Resistance/WWII .-Plot:...
(7/4/77) - Brave ArcherBrave ArcherThe Brave Archer, alternatively known as Kungfu Warlord, is a 1977 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang Cheh, starring Alexander Fu and Tanny Tien in the leading roles...
(30/7/77) aka Kung-Fu Warlords - Chinatown KidChinatown KidChinatown Kid is a 1977 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Robert Tai Chi Hsien and Lee Ka Ting, and starring Alexander Fu Sheng and the Venom Mob....
(2/12/77) - Brave ArcherBrave ArcherThe Brave Archer, alternatively known as Kungfu Warlord, is a 1977 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang Cheh, starring Alexander Fu and Tanny Tien in the leading roles...
Part 2 (13/5/78) aka Kung-Fu Warlords Part II - Five Deadly VenomsFive Deadly VenomsFive Venoms aka Five Deadly Venoms is a cult 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venom Mob, and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, about five kung-fu fighters with unique animal styles: The Centipede, The Snake, The Scorpion, The Lizard and The Toad...
(12/8/78) aka 5 Deadly Venoms, aka Shaolin Deadly Poisons - Invincible ShaolinInvincible ShaolinInvincible Shaolin aka Unbeatable Dragon is a Hong Kong films of 1978 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh. It is one of Chang Cheh's tales of Shaolin's historic rivalries with the Qing Dynasty...
(19/11/78) aka Unbeatable Dragon, aka Shaolin Bloodshed - Crippled AvengersCrippled AvengersCrippled Avengers is a 1978 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh and starring four members of the Venom Mob. It has been released in North America as Mortal Combat and Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms....
(21/12/78) aka Mortal Combat aka Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms - Life GambleLife GambleLife Gamble aka Life Combat is a 1979 Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venoms and Fu Sheng.-Plot:Life Gamble is a complex story about a stolen piece of jade which falls into the hands of a habitual gambler played by Wang Lung Wei and his arrogant anti-hero body guard play by...
(22/2/79) - Shaolin RescuersShaolin RescuersShaolin Rescuers aka “Avenging Warriors of Shaolin” is a Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh. It is one of the Shoalin Temple themed martial arts films and the adventures of the Shaolin hero Hung Si-Kuan starring the Venom Mob and Jason Pai Piao....
(24/3/79) aka Avenging Warriors Of Shaolin - Shaolin DaredevilsShaolin DaredevilsShaolin Daredevils aka Magnificent Acrobats aka. The Kings of Kung Fu is a 1979 Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venoms....
(29/6/79) aka The Magnificent Acrobats - Magnificent RuffiansMagnificent RuffiansMagnificent Ruffians aka “The Destroyers” is a Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Chen, starring the Venom Mob.-Plot:In another partially-available Venoms film, Lu Feng is the boss of a local town who uses the golden sword technique, however his kung fu is worthless as no one in the town knows...
(20/9/79) aka The Destroyers - Kid With The Golden ArmKid with the Golden ArmKid With The Golden Arms is a 1979 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by Mona Fong. It is one of the few Venom Mob films to include Wei Pai .- Plot :...
(2/11/79) - Heaven and Hell (19/1/80) aka Shaolin Hell Gate
- 2 Champions Of Shaolin2 Champions of Shaolin2 Champions of Shaolin is a 1982 Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh. It is one of the Shaolin Temple themed martial arts films and feuds with the Wu Tang Clan starring the Venoms...
(12/4/80) aka Shaolin And Wu-Tong - Flag Of IronFlag of IronFlag Of Iron is a 1980 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh and starring the Venom Mob.- Plot :The master of the respectable and honored Iron Flag Clan is murdered by the mysterious Spearman, an assassin hired by the elder brother of the clan Chow Feng...
(14/8/80) aka Spearman Of Death - Rebel IntrudersRebel IntrudersRebel Intruders aka “Killer Army” is a Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh and starring the Venom Mob.-Plot:China is ripped apart by a civil war, and thousands of displaced refugees swarm into towns not yet ravaged by war. Three such refugees arrive in one town...
(11/9/80) aka Killer Army, aka The Guerillas - Legend Of A Fox (15/12/80)
- 10 Tigers Of Kwangtung (20/12/80)
- Masked AvengersMasked Avengers (1981 film)Masked Avengers is a Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by Mona Fong. It is one of the later Venom Mob films which no longer starred Sun Chien or Lo Mang, who were replaced by new Venom members Wang Li and Chu Ko. It also gave a starring role to younger member Chin Siu-Ho...
(15/5/81) - Sword Stained With Royal Blood (Shaw) (3/6/81)
- Brave ArcherBrave ArcherThe Brave Archer, alternatively known as Kungfu Warlord, is a 1977 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang Cheh, starring Alexander Fu and Tanny Tien in the leading roles...
Part 3 (12/11/81) aka Blast Of The Iron Palm - House Of TrapsHouse of TrapsHouse of Traps is a 1982 Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venom Mob.-Plot:When a corrupt prince arranges for the theft of a highly valuable jade antique the emperor dispatches his best men to retrieve it. The only problem is that the prince has hidden the antique in the...
(9/1/82) - Brave Archer And His Mate (15/2/82) aka Mysterious Island
- Ode to GallantryOde to Gallantry (film)Ode To Gallantry, also known as Hap Haak Hang, is a 1982 Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by Chang Cheh and starred the Venom Mob...
(16/12/82) - Ruthless TacticsRuthless TacticsRuthless Tactics aka Ninja in a Deadly Trap is an independent martial arts film directed by Kuo Chui, starring the main three Venoms and Ti Lung...
(1983) aka Ninja In The Deadly Trap