Venom Mob

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 acrobats. 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).

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.
*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".Best known as the #2 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".
*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. 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-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 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 Commandos" (7/4/77)
* "Brave Archer" (30/7/77) aka "Kung-Fu Warlords"
* "Chinatown Kid" (2/12/77)
* "
* "Brave Archer Part 2" (13/5/78) aka "Kung-Fu Warlords Part II"
* "Five Deadly Venoms" (12/8/78) aka "5 Deadly Venoms", aka "Shaolin Deadly Poisons"
* "Invincible Shaolin" (19/11/78) aka "Unbeatable Dragon", aka "Shaolin Bloodshed"
* "Crippled Avengers" (21/12/78) aka "Mortal Combat"
* "
* "Life Gamble" (22/2/79)
* "Shaolin Rescuers" (24/3/79) aka "Avenging Warriors Of Shaolin"
* "Shaolin Daredevils" (29/6/79) aka "The Magnificent Acrobats"
* "Magnificent Ruffians" (20/9/79) aka "The Destroyers"
* "Kid With The Golden Arm" (2/11/79)
* "
* "House Of Traps" (9/1/82)
* "Heaven and Hell" (19/1/80) aka "Shaolin Hell Gate"
* "Brave Archer And His Mate" (15/2/82) aka "Mysterious Island"
* "2 Champions Of Shaolin" (12/4/80) aka "Shaolin And Wu-Tong"
* "Masked Avengers" (15/5/81)
* "Flag Of Iron" (14/8/80) aka "Spearman Of Death"
* "Rebel Intruders" (11/9/80) aka "Killer Army", aka "The Guerillas"
* "Brave Archer Part 3" (12/11/81) aka "Blast Of The Iron Palm"
* "Legend Of A Fox" (15/12/80)
* "Ode To Gallantry" (16/12/82)
* "10 Tigers Of Kwangtung" (20/12/80)
* "
* "Sword Stained With Royal Blood (Shaw)" (3/6/81)
* "
* "Ruthless Tactics" (1983) aka "Ninja In The Deadly Trap"

ee also

*Cinema of Hong Kong
*Hong Kong action cinema
*Shaw Brothers Studio