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Venom flicks


inframan

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Is there a general consensus to what makes a venoms movie?

2 venoms? 3? Chang Cheh as director?

I'm sure everyone has thier own criteria. Seems it could get confusing as the movie was called 5 venoms but then there were actually 6 venoms, but some people don't include the guy who was the snake.... Then there was a 2nd team of venoms, so some consider 5 Element Ninaja a Vemon movie. Heck Hard Boiled had more orignal venoms than 5EN?!

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Excerpt from a great article:

Several films featuring the Venoms are not included in this feature, such as Chinatown Kid, Heaven and Hell, the Brave Archer series, and Ten Tigers from Kwantung. The reason being that these movies were either vehicles for other actors (i.e. Fu Sheng in Chinatown Kid), or they were films with multiple lead actors (i.e. Ten Tigers from Kwantung).

Only movies with Chang Cheh as director and the Shaw Brothers as producers are included, as well, which is why Ninja in the Deadly Trap isn't listed here. Also, per tradition, at least three Venoms must star in the film, to be considered a "true" Venoms movie.

Read more here: http://www.cityonfire.com/features/venoms/

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It is not.

I have to agree with that statement. It always annoys me when people refer to it as a Venom's film just because Lo Mang is in it.

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I have to agree with that statement. It always annoys me when people refer to it as a Venom's film just because Lo Mang is in it.

I think it could be because the Ground Zero dvd said "venoms" on the cover, just trying to sell more dvd's I guess.

mpm74 great article thanks.

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I think it could be because the Ground Zero dvd said "venoms" on the cover, just trying to sell more dvd's I guess.

mpm74 great article thanks.

Yea you could be right Inframan, the GZ cover for 9 Demons says it's a Venoms movie too.

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Truth is there's only ONE Venoms movie, the original

True. The you have Crippled Avengers aka Return of The Five Deadly Venoms aka Mortal Combat.

Just enough to keep things confusing. :D

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DAJIZZARIZZA

i would add Kid with the Golden Arms and Flags of Iron are definatly venom films.

also Masked Avengers,.. these are no brainers because you have multi venom stars in it.

The Five Deadly Venoms made me love Shaw flicks and began my addiction to good kung fu flicks.

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shaolin drunkard

well,I think to be counted venom flick these would be needed;at least 3 venoms in main roles,chang cheh as director..and tone of movie should be dark(like it was in 5 deadly venoms) so that leaves shaolin rescuers ouf of my book.

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ironfistedmonk

Any Chang Cheh directed movie made between 1978 and 1982. Chinese Super Ninjas was the first movie he made after the venoms movies IMO

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DAJIZZARIZZA
well,I think to be counted venom flick these would be needed;at least 3 venoms in main roles,chang cheh as director..and tone of movie should be dark(like it was in 5 deadly venoms) so that leaves shaolin rescuers ouf of my book.

i can agree with the 1st 2 conditions,.. but type casting them is very unfair,.. they were talented actors in my opinion,.. some movies were better than others, but i would say simply your 1st 2 conditions are correct.

i prefer the ones that have a air of betrayal or mystery to it. i'm so glad ,.. celestial,.. hardpressed all those movies in such a short time,.. long live celestial !!!!! that had to been the biggest blitz of movies by a company in history,.. i never seen such a campaign,.. thanks to celestial,. i own about 350+ of their movies.

thanks Shaw Bros. and thanks Celestial

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Yeah, I agree. Celestial is one hell of a company. I don't even by R1's of Shaw movies. I stick to HK Celestials. =)

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There use to be a great list online where they broke down all the Venom movies by who was in them(this included Wei Pai, who was, imo, a Venom), it was said by this chart, that there has to be at least 3 Venoms in a movie to be considered a "Venoms" movie, though it would be up to you if you would consider Chinatown Kid a Venom flick or not, I myself consider Ninja in the Deadly Trap a Venoms film because it had the main 3 Venoms in it.

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There use to be a great list online where they broke down all the Venom movies by who was in them(this included Wei Pai, who was, imo, a Venom), it was said by this chart, that there has to be at least 3 Venoms in a movie to be considered a "Venoms" movie, though it would be up to you if you would consider Chinatown Kid a Venom flick or not, I myself consider Ninja in the Deadly Trap a Venoms film because it had the main 3 Venoms in it.

There is a list on wikipedia but it seems more like a list of films which multiple venoms appeared, like Ten Tigers, multiple venoms appeared but they weren't the focus of the story so probably not a 'venom' movie.

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This article lists 15:

http://www.cityonfire.com/features/venoms/

which should be a good place to start. I'm no expert but I like his criteria for a "venoms" movie

I wouldn't consider LEGEND OF THE FOX or SWORD STAINED WITH ROYAL BLOOD as Venoms films. They're film adaptations of Louis Cha novels and were not designed with the Venoms in mind. Some of the Venoms just happened to be cast in them because they were right for the parts. But these films were not designed as vehicles for the five Venoms actors the way DAREDEVILS and MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS and KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, etc. were. Big difference, IMHO.

Also, the list in your link doesn't include alternate titles (e.g. KILLER ARMY, UNBEATABLE DRAGON, DESTROYERS, etc.), which makes the list of limited use for some newbies.

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Called the Venoms as that was the movie everyone associated with them as a team. Yes there were 6 but a Venom movie doesn't have to include the 6. It's still a Venom movie with Wei Pai, or without Sun CHien, or without Lo Mang, or without all three. The CC connection as director also makes it a Venom movie, although NitDT has no CC but is a venom movie.

As they went on without Sun Chien and Lo Mang, the Venoms really became LF, KC and CS. They were making Venoms movies till they left in '82 to make NitDT.

"I wouldn't consider LEGEND OF THE FOX or SWORD STAINED WITH ROYAL BLOOD as Venoms films. They're film adaptations of Louis Cha novels and were not designed with the Venoms in mind. Some of the Venoms just happened to be cast in them because they were right for the parts. But these films were not designed as vehicles for the five Venoms actors the way DAREDEVILS and MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS and KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, etc. were. Big difference, IMHO"

How a movie is designed has nothing to do with calling the team the Venoms. Most people bypass Wei Pai anyway as he was only in a few movies. Most people know the core group and know as they went on it was just the 3. No one stopped calling them Venom movies after '79 because LM and SC weren't around. They/we didn't start calling them "Those Guys". If that is how you choose to look at it, that's you. As you said "imho".

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So I have compiled a list of the VENOMS films for utter convenience....

AVENGING WARRIORS OF SHAOLIN

TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN

FIVE DEADLY VENOMS

CHINATOWN KID

CRIPPLED AVENGERS

MASKED AVENGERS

INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN

KILLER ARMY

REBEL INTRUDERS

KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM

MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS

NINJA IN THE DEADLY TRAP

SHAOLIN RESCUERS

DAREDEVILS

LEGEND OF THE FOX

ODE TO GALLANTRY

SWORD STAINED WITH ROYAL BLOODBATH

HOUSE OF TRAPS

R.I.P.

Chiang Sheng

You forgot Flag of Iron and it's Sword Stained with Royal Blood which isn't really considered a Venom's film.

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DeathFuMaster
So I have compiled a list of the VENOMS films for utter convenience....

FLAG OF IRON

AVENGING WARRIORS OF SHAOLIN

TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN

FIVE DEADLY VENOMS

CHINATOWN KID

CRIPPLED AVENGERS

MASKED AVENGERS

INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN

KILLER ARMY

REBEL INTRUDERS

KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM

MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS

NINJA IN THE DEADLY TRAP

SHAOLIN RESCUERS

DAREDEVILS

LEGEND OF THE FOX

ODE TO GALLANTRY

SWORD STAINED WITH ROYAL BLOOD

HOUSE OF TRAPS

TEN TIGERS FROM KWANGTUNG

R.I.P.

Chiang Sheng

Which of these are the best?(Top 6 excluding 5 Deadly Venoms, which I have)

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shaolin drunkard
Which of these are the best?(Top 6 excluding 5 Deadly Venoms, which I have)

FLAG OF IRON

TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN

CRIPPLED AVENGERS

MASKED AVENGERS

INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN

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