Film of the Week: Five Deadly Venoms (1978)

Throughout the 1970's in Hong Kong, martial arts cinema was everywhere. Dozens of production companies sprung up after the success of Bruce Lee's films, but none of them were as famous or successful as the Shaw Brothers Studio. At their peak, the Shaw Brothers were rolling out over a hundred films each year. The Shaw Brothers films were made quickly and cheaply, with little attention to plot or dialogue. These films instead focused on supplying the viewer with frequent and extravagant martial arts battles. Five Deadly Venoms is a prime example of the offerings of the Shaw Brothers. With a paper thin plot about a young student of the Venoms martial arts school pursuing his five senior students, it may be difficult to see the appeal of Five Deadly Venoms. While the Shaw Brothers films have never attracted mainstream audiences in the U.S., they have maintained a steady cult following. The action and entertainment of these films cannot be overlooked, even if they do lack talented writers or actors. For all of those who would dismiss these films as having the artistry of a garbage can, I suggest that they look a little more closely.