five venoms documentary

[doug maverick]

this is a fan made documentary that encompases all the venom films from rise to fall.

part1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOwN_XroG_0),part2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngps2rnYnNs),part3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVDgzxwW0xE),part4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7uH2g-w-3U)part5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZgiRnbNt0), part6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr_TGGPUrbU), part7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cnGVC2GzSo), part8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdgXIfN4cI4),part9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOh7xBrcBi0)

[Shaolinlueb]

this is great so far. on part 3. my co-workers are like what is this? lol

[RAYNYSC]

Nice find there doug.

[jethro]

To be honest this put me to sleep. I wonder why they didn't mention the Brave Archer movies.

[doug maverick]

its fan made and not professional but very informative and has alot of good hard to find info. te brave archer films weren't in because they weren;t technically a veoms film it was a alexander fu sheng film. although i'll admit the narrative was boring te footage was first rate he found some extremely rare stuff that even kungfu cinema would be put t shame. all around i say good job i woul loveto see more kung fu movie fans take the time to do things like that.

[jmd161]

Part 3 actually has my sigung in it. In the scene with the chopsticks and bowl the old guy in the scene teaching him how to fight with chopsticks and bowl is my sigung Grandmaster Wong Cheung. Some of the movements are actual Black Tiger chopsticks and bowl techniques.





jeff:)

[doug maverick]

awesome man thats cool, that how chan kuan tai's students must feel every time they watch a shaw bro'sfilm

[jethro]

its fan made and not professional but very informative and has alot of good hard to find info. te brave archer films weren't in because they weren;t technically a veoms film it was a alexander fu sheng film. although i'll admit the narrative was boring te footage was first rate he found some extremely rare stuff that even kungfu cinema would be put t shame. all around i say good job i woul loveto see more kung fu movie fans take the time to do things like that.

I thought they should have talked about the Brave Archer films. Fu Sheng in a way was one of the Venoms. Before the movie 5 Venoms was made, most of the actors were in movies like MAgnificent Wanderers, LIfe Gamble, Heaven and Hell, and CHinatown Kid. I am probably just complaining since I was so bored by it.

[doug maverick]

the film was about the venom film and what is considered the cannon of 12 films brave archer was not apart of that cannon. i don't really know how you can be bored with all that footag even the rare stuff but whatever to each his own.

[jethro]

I watched this quite a while ago and I remember them talking about Chinatown Kid. I just thought they should have talked abotu at least a couple of the other Fu Sheng movies the VEnoms were in.

[doug maverick]

why should they have mentioned it?

[jethro]

Because it is a documentary about the Venoms

[CLFNole]

It is mostly just clips from the various bootleg VHS copies. The guy really butchers some of the names. But all in all it isn't too bad.

[jethro]

If I was new to the genre I would probably enjoy it more.

[Li Kao]

I thought he did a good job with the documentary. It was basically a labor of love and there was some pretty neat bonus footage included. Regarding Brave Archer -- yes, it probably could have been included but I think the focus was primarily on the major works where the Venoms were in the leading roles. It would really be exhaustive if he featured every movie that featured just one or two of the Venoms considering there were quite a few they had cameos or small roles in. I wouldn't consider Fu Sheng to be one of the Venoms -- yes, they did appear in several movies together -- but so did, say, Ti Lung and I don't consider him a Venom either.

The guy who put together the documentary has run a Venoms fansite for years here: http://fivedeadlyvenoms.cjb.net/ They even have a forum, although it's not very active. I haven't posted there in quite a while, but there are some nice folks that contribute. The website has some nice biographies and lots of little goodies, like a tribute to Chiang Sheng and the Women of the Venoms films. He also has the Venoms documentary for sale as well as fansite DVD versions of Flag of Iron, Chinatown Kid, Daredevils of Kung Fu, Killer Army, Legend of the Fox, and Magnificent Ruffians.

Also, I found out about a very neat little event that took place recently on his forum: Richard Hopkins organized a tribute/seminar with the guest of honor being none other than Lo Mang himself! :eek: The event took place in Philly's Chinatown on August 25-26 -- Ric Myers showed up to host and other guests included Taimak. Gifts sent in by Jacky Chan were raffled off, Lo Mang gave a fight choreagraphy seminar, and there was a great sense of camraderie among all of the fellow fans. Here is a better wrap-up the event, complete with pictures: http://www.teako170.com/lomang2.html It was a very rare opportunity to rub elbows with a true legend. They are talking about making it an annual event with new guests for the next one -- I'll be sure to give you all a heads up when I hear about specifics. ;)

[jethro]

Fu Sheng did like 4 times more movies with the Venoms than Ti Lung. And I never said Fu Sheng was a Venom, I said that in a way he was a Venom and that those movies should have been mentioned because they had the Venoms in the cast. It has nothign to do with Fu Sheng being a Venom. It has everything to do with the Venoms being in those movies. Really, ther are probably like 12 guys you could consider Venoms. Wang Li for one, Chin Siu Hou is another. It was always the same crew working together. And none of the movies I mentioned have just 1 or 2 Venoms. What abotu Brave Archer 3. That movie has the ULTIMATE Venoms showdown. Anyways, Teako is a really cool guy. He posts on kungfufandom. It was pretty exciting when everybody showed there pics from the Lo Meng convention. I can't even imagine how exciting it would have been to actually be there.

[doug maverick]

there are only five venoms in evryones eyes forget about all he others. the fu sheng were good okay but the films focus was on the 12 films the venoms made as the stars and their "fall from grace".

[jethro]

Dude I thought you were fan of the movie 5 Venoms. Have you ever heard of Wei Pai:rolleyes:

[doug maverick]

uh yeah and?? he played the snake in five deadly venom

[jethro]

Yeah and he was in Invincible Shaolin which is the movie they made directly after 5 Venoms. He was also in Kid with the Golden Arm and 10 Tigers From Kwangtung. The fact that you think there are only 5 Venoms just means that you haven't put very much thought into it. It is fine that people like you think there are only 5 Venoms, but people who know the genre know that there are plenty of other actors who worked with them. Ping Yu Tai was in pretty much every Venoms movie ever made. What about Yeung Hung? He was in almost all the Venoms movies. The way you are talking there only 3 Venoms since Lo Meng and Sun Chien wasn't in every one of those movies. You don't speak for everyone doug, you only speak for the people who have only seen 5 Venoms and maybe a couple others.

[doug maverick]

i've actually seen all twleve venom films actually. cheng cheh had two groups of actors that he used reguarly but not all are venoms. thats what i'm saying. lets not make this a contest of who knows more. mainly because i don't care

[jethro]

Sorry Doug. You pised me off a little bit when you said there are only 5 Venoms in "everyones" eyes.

[doug maverick]

well the reason i said that cause those who study the genre know about chang's two groups and even though both groups poped up in eachothers films. the five from five deadly venoms are generally considered the venoms. although wei pai wasn;t in all twelve films. but i retract my above statement of in everyons eyes.

[jethro]

Yeah we all know there was Ti Lung David Chiang, Chen Kuan Tai, Fu Sheng, and Chi Kuan Chun, and then there were the next 5, and they were given the name Venoms because they became popular after the movie 5 Venoms. But my point is, well, I have 2 points.

I believe Life Gamble, the Brave archer movies, MAgnificent Wanderers, 10 Tigers... are Venoms movies becuase they have between 4 and 5 of the main Venoms starring in them.

My other point is that I consider all the side guys Venoms because they were in all of the Venoms movies. I call em side Venoms.:p You ALWAYS saw the same guys in all those movies.

Its a stupid argument. You see it one way and I see it another. Its all good Doug.

And also, Wei Pai is a Venom!:p

[doug maverick]

yes wei pei is venom.

[jethro]

He is not considered a venom by most, but he is to me:D

[doug maverick]

even thou he wasnt in all twelve films he was in the first one which automaticly makes him an original venom. if people don't consider an original venom a venom then they missed it.

[jethro]

What?? I thought you said you think there are only 5 Venoms. Are you now saying there are 6?

[doug maverick]

well i guess i am now aren't i

[jethro]

Next I am gonna get you to agree that there are 7 Venoms. D!ick Wei played the master and he starred with the Venoms in many movies. It won't be long before I convice you there are about 15 Venoms:D

[doug maverick]

i had t agree on six cause ther were six venoms in th orignal film. centipede,snake,toad,scorpian,lizard and the last student who knew a bit of everything. i forgot about snake thats why i said five at first but then had to take it back.

[Li Kao]

Fu Sheng did like 4 times more movies with the Venoms than Ti Lung.

There must be some I am forgetting about -- I always thought it was roughly even, with a slight edge to Fu Sheng.

Both Ti Lung and Fu Sheng starred with the Venoms in: Shaolin Temple/Death Chamber, Naval Commandos, and 10 Tigers of Kwantung.

Fu Sheng was in all of the Brave Archer movies although Ti Lung was in part 3.

Fu Sheng was in Life Gambles and Chinatown Kid (no Ti Lung) and Ti Lung was in Ruthless Tactics/Ninja In a Deadly Trap (no Fu Sheng).

Making for 9 movies Fu Sheng made with the Venoms vs. 5 with Ti Lung. I guess that would be 4 more, though not 4 times more ;) Unless I am forgetting some, which is more than likely. :confused:

[Li Kao]

My other point is that I consider all the side guys Venoms because they were in all of the Venoms movies. I call em side Venoms.:p You ALWAYS saw the same guys in all those movies.

I agree here -- (and like the term "side venoms" :)) there was a sort of revolving supporting cast in just about all of the Venoms movies -- you guys listed most of them -- here is another list (I stole this from a Wiki entry -- saves me from having to look up all the names, though the faces are familiar lol):

Side Venoms

Johnny Wang Lung-Wei- 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.

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.

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 The 9 Demons.

Chu Ko - Also debut in Brave Archer Part 3 and continued into the 80s replacing Sun Chien, usually as an insidious villain. Best known as the #2 Chief in Masked Avengers. 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 some sort of anti-hero.

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 swith 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 Yu - Shaw's leading sexpot, appeared in The Chinatown Kid, Life Gambles, 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 an 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.

[jethro]

Dang Li Kao I didn't know you were such a big Venoms fan! Good stuff. The only one I can add is Tam Jan Dung, the guy with amazing kicking skills who fights Lo Meng in Crippled Avengers and Shaolin Daredevils. He also played Fong Sai Yuk in 2 Champions.

[Li Kao]

Hehe didn't my avatar give it away?

And thanks for bringing up Tam Jan Dung as well -- I couldn't place the name but when I saw a picture of him it clicked - he definitely deserves mention as he's been in almost all of the Venom films as well -- plus I learned he went on to be an action director kind of like Kou Choi -- he worked on a some Donnie Yen movies (Legend of the Wolf, Cheetah on Fire) that I was unaware of. Very cool.

[jethro]

Yeah he has done very well for himself after the Venoms movies. He is the guy who fights Donnie with the chain in LOTW.

[jmd161]

Phillip Kwok was a student of my sigung Grandmaster Wong Cheung. The iron ring,horse bench, chopsticks and bowl and the plumb blossom post in Shaolin Rescuers came from black tiger.


You see them all here in this scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Lema7ab4o



jeff:)