Chang Cheh
Encyclopedia
Chang Cheh (February 10, 1923 – June 22, 2002) was Shaw Brothers Studio
's best known and most prolific film director, with such films as the Five Venoms, the Brave Archer (based on the works of Jin Yong), the The One-Armed Swordsman, and other classics of wuxia
and kung fu film.
, The Assassin, Golden Swallow
) to kung fu films (Five Shaolin Masters
, Five Venoms, Kid with the Golden Arm
) to more modern period dramas (Chinatown Kid
, Boxer From Shantung
, The Generation Gap
) to lavish costume epics (The Water Margin, The Heroic Ones, Boxer Rebellion).
After graduating from National Central University
(later renamed Nanjing University
in Nanjing
and reinstated in Taiwan
) in Chongqing
(Chungking), where he studied politics, Chang moved to Hong Kong
, where he became a film critic. Chang got his start in the film industry as a screenwriter; his first script was The False Faced Woman, a movie from Shanghai
which was released in 1947. He wrote several more scripts before making his directorial debut in 1949 with Mount Turbulence. His first big hit came with 1967's One-Armed Swordsman
, the first film in Hong Kong history to gross HK$1 million. The film catapulted actor Jimmy Wang Yu
to stardom and cemented Chang's status as one of Hong Kong's top directors. In the same year, he released The Assassin, another early Chang classic, and in 1968 he followed up with Golden Swallow
, a sequel to King Hu
's classic wuxia picture Come Drink With Me
.
He often co-wrote scripts with fellow screenwriter Ni Kuang
, and occasionally co-directed films with directors such as Baau Hok-li, Wu Ma
and Gwai Chi-hung. He even occasionally wrote and co-wrote music for his films. In addition to his film related work, he also wrote novels, poetry and non-film related articles under numerous pseudonyms.
Heavily influenced by Sergio Leone
's spaghetti westerns and Japanese samurai films
, Cheh brought elements from these movies into his own work, revolutionizing Hong Kong filmmaking. His swordplay films of the 1960s (including One Armed Swordsman), filled with bloody scenes of the hero cutting his way through a roomful of opponents, were considered at the time by Westerners to be violent trash but are now looked back on as masterpieces of the genre.
In the early 1970s Cheh began making kung fu films (including Five Shaolin Masters
and Five Venoms) sometimes filming four or five movies in a single year. His earlier kung fu movies were often done in collaboration with choreographer (and future director) Lau Kar Leung, who Chang had worked with, along with choreographer Tong Gaai, on earlier films. After falling out with Lau on the set of Disciples of Shaolin, Chang started featuring a troupe of actors made up of Sun Chien, Chiang Sheng
, Philip Kwok
, Lo Meng, Lu Feng, Wei Pai (and Yu Tai Ping), who would come to be known as "The Venoms
", as actors and choreographers in his films. His films from this period, including Five Deadly Venoms
, Kid with the Golden Arm
, and Crippled Avengers
, feature a heavy influence from the wuxia
movie genre, and are considered his most popular films in the west - not counting 1982's Five Element Ninjas
, aka Chinese Superninjas.
Chang was a pioneer of what is known by some as "heroic bloodshed
"; films that emphasize brotherhood, loyalty and honor, and several of his films, including Vengeance
, Boxer From Shantung
and Chinatown Kid
, can be seen as clear influences on the later work of directors such as John Woo
and Ringo Lam
. His influence on future filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino
(who listed Chang as a dedicatee in the end credits of Kill Bill Volume 2
), Robert Rodriguez
and Zhang Yimou
is unquestionable. John Woo
, who lists Cheh as his chief filmmaking inspiration, worked as assistant director on many of the master's films, including Boxer From Shantung
, The Water Margin and The Blood Brothers
.
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...
's best known and most prolific film director, with such films as the Five Venoms, the Brave Archer (based on the works of Jin Yong), the The One-Armed Swordsman, and other classics of wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
and kung fu film.
Career
Referred to as "The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema", Chang Cheh directed over 100 films in his illustrious career at Shaw Brothers, which ran the gamut from swordplay films (One-Armed SwordsmanOne-Armed Swordsman
One-Armed Swordsman is a 1967 Hong Kong wuxia film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio. Directed by Chang Cheh, it was the first of the new style of wuxia films emphasizing male anti-heroes, violent swordplay and heavy bloodletting...
, The Assassin, Golden Swallow
Golden Swallow
Golden Swallow may refer to:* Golden Swallow * The Golden Swallow, a Hero of Chinese folkloreIn film* Golden Swallow, a 1949 film by Shaw Productions* Golden Swallow , a 1968 film by Shaw Brothers...
) to kung fu films (Five Shaolin Masters
Five Shaolin Masters
5 Shaolin Masters aka 5 Masters Of Death is a 1974 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Lau Kar Leung and Lau Kar Wing.The film focuses on Shaolin's historic rivalries with the Qing Dynasty.- Plot :...
, Five Venoms, Kid with the Golden Arm
Kid with the Golden Arm
Kid 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 :...
) to more modern period dramas (Chinatown Kid
Chinatown Kid
Chinatown 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....
, Boxer From Shantung
Boxer from Shantung
The Boxer From Shantung is a 1972 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, and starring David Chiang and Chen Kuan Tai.- Plot :Boxer From Shantung follows Ma Yongzhen and Xiao Jiangbei...
, The Generation Gap
The Generation Gap
The Generation Gap was a primetime American game show that aired from February 7 to May 23, 1969 on ABC. It was originally hosted by Dennis Wholey for the first ten episodes, after which he was replaced by Jack Barry. Fred Foy announced during the entire run....
) to lavish costume epics (The Water Margin, The Heroic Ones, Boxer Rebellion).
After graduating from National Central University
National Central University
National Central University is a national comprehensive university in Taiwan .National Central University was founded in 1915 and originated in 258 CE at Nanjing, China. After NCU in Nanjing was renamed Nanjing University in 1949, NCU was re-established in Taiwan in 1962...
(later renamed Nanjing University
Nanjing University
Nanjing University , or Nanking University, is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning in China...
in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
and reinstated 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...
) in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
(Chungking), where he studied politics, Chang moved to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, where he became a film critic. Chang got his start in the film industry as a screenwriter; his first script was The False Faced Woman, a movie from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
which was released in 1947. He wrote several more scripts before making his directorial debut in 1949 with Mount Turbulence. His first big hit came with 1967's One-Armed Swordsman
One-Armed Swordsman
One-Armed Swordsman is a 1967 Hong Kong wuxia film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio. Directed by Chang Cheh, it was the first of the new style of wuxia films emphasizing male anti-heroes, violent swordplay and heavy bloodletting...
, the first film in Hong Kong history to gross HK$1 million. The film catapulted actor Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu is a Chinese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He shot to fame with the Shaw Brothers Studio's martial arts film, The One-Armed Swordsman, in 1967...
to stardom and cemented Chang's status as one of Hong Kong's top directors. In the same year, he released The Assassin, another early Chang classic, and in 1968 he followed up with Golden Swallow
Golden Swallow
Golden Swallow may refer to:* Golden Swallow * The Golden Swallow, a Hero of Chinese folkloreIn film* Golden Swallow, a 1949 film by Shaw Productions* Golden Swallow , a 1968 film by Shaw Brothers...
, a sequel to King Hu
King Hu
King Hu was a Hong Kong- and Taiwan-based Chinese film director whose Wuxia films brought Chinese cinema to new technical and artistic heights. His films Come Drink with Me , Dragon Gate Inn and A Touch of Zen inaugurated a new generation of wuxia films in the late 1960s...
's classic wuxia picture Come Drink With Me
Come Drink with Me
Come Drink with Me is a 1966 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by King Hu. Set during the Ming Dynasty, it stars Cheng Pei-pei and Yueh Hua as warriors with Chan Hung-lit as the villain, and features action choreography by Han Ying-chieh. It is widely considered one of the best Hong Kong films ever made...
.
He often co-wrote scripts with fellow screenwriter Ni Kuang
Ni Kuang
Ni Kuang , also known as Ngai Hong, I Kuang or Yi Kuang, is a Hong Kong-based Chinese novelist and screenwriter, with more than 300 published wuxia and science fiction novels and more than 400 film scripts. He is the brother of another romance novelist, Yi Shu.-Life:Born Ni Chong , he grew up in...
, and occasionally co-directed films with directors such as Baau Hok-li, Wu Ma
Wu Ma
Wu Ma is a Chinese actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 180 appearances to his name , Wu Ma is one of the most familiar faces in the history of Hong Kong Cinema...
and Gwai Chi-hung. He even occasionally wrote and co-wrote music for his films. In addition to his film related work, he also wrote novels, poetry and non-film related articles under numerous pseudonyms.
Heavily influenced by Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
's spaghetti westerns and Japanese samurai films
Cinema of Japan
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2009 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived...
, Cheh brought elements from these movies into his own work, revolutionizing Hong Kong filmmaking. His swordplay films of the 1960s (including One Armed Swordsman), filled with bloody scenes of the hero cutting his way through a roomful of opponents, were considered at the time by Westerners to be violent trash but are now looked back on as masterpieces of the genre.
In the early 1970s Cheh began making kung fu films (including Five Shaolin Masters
Five Shaolin Masters
5 Shaolin Masters aka 5 Masters Of Death is a 1974 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Lau Kar Leung and Lau Kar Wing.The film focuses on Shaolin's historic rivalries with the Qing Dynasty.- Plot :...
and Five Venoms) sometimes filming four or five movies in a single year. His earlier kung fu movies were often done in collaboration with choreographer (and future director) Lau Kar Leung, who Chang had worked with, along with choreographer Tong Gaai, on earlier films. After falling out with Lau on the set of Disciples of Shaolin, Chang started featuring a troupe of actors made up of Sun Chien, 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...
, Philip Kwok
Philip Kwok
-Filmography:*The Eye 2 - Monk*The Sunshine Cops *Tomorrow Never Dies - General Chang non speaking appearance*The Phantom Lover *American Shaolin - Cab Driver*Hard Boiled - Mad Dog...
, Lo Meng, Lu Feng, Wei Pai (and Yu Tai Ping), who would come to be known as "The Venoms
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...
", as actors and choreographers in his films. His films from this period, including 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...
, Kid with the Golden Arm
Kid with the Golden Arm
Kid 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 :...
, and Crippled Avengers
Crippled Avengers
Crippled 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....
, feature a heavy influence from the wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
movie genre, and are considered his most popular films in the west - not counting 1982's Five Element Ninjas
Five Element Ninjas
Five Element Ninjas is a 1982 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh. It was released in North America as Chinese Super Ninjas.- Plot :...
, aka Chinese Superninjas.
Chang was a pioneer of what is known by some as "heroic bloodshed
Heroic bloodshed
Heroic Bloodshed is a genre of Hong Kong action cinema revolving around stylized action sequences and dramatic themes such as brotherhood, duty, honour, redemption and violence. The term heroic bloodshed was coined by editor Rick Baker in the magazine Eastern Heroes in the late 1980s, specifically...
"; films that emphasize brotherhood, loyalty and honor, and several of his films, including Vengeance
Vengeance (1970 film)
Vengeance is a 1970 kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, and starring David Chiang and Ti Lung. The film is set in 1920 Peking, and centers on a revenge plight of Chiang...
, Boxer From Shantung
Boxer from Shantung
The Boxer From Shantung is a 1972 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, and starring David Chiang and Chen Kuan Tai.- Plot :Boxer From Shantung follows Ma Yongzhen and Xiao Jiangbei...
and Chinatown Kid
Chinatown Kid
Chinatown 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....
, can be seen as clear influences on the later work of directors such as 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...
and Ringo Lam
Ringo Lam
Ringo Lam Ling-Tung , born in 1955 is a Hong Kong film director, producer and scriptwriter.He is known for gritty, dark and realistic action thrillers. He was born in Hong Kong and studied film at York University film school in Toronto...
. His influence on future filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
(who listed Chang as a dedicatee in the end credits of Kill Bill Volume 2
Kill Bill Volume 2
Kill Bill Volume 2 is a 2004 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the second of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart. Kill Bill was originally scheduled for a single theatrical release, but with a running time of over four hours, it was...
), Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
and Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum....
is unquestionable. 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...
, who lists Cheh as his chief filmmaking inspiration, worked as assistant director on many of the master's films, including Boxer From Shantung
Boxer from Shantung
The Boxer From Shantung is a 1972 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, and starring David Chiang and Chen Kuan Tai.- Plot :Boxer From Shantung follows Ma Yongzhen and Xiao Jiangbei...
, The Water Margin and The Blood Brothers
Blood Brothers (1973 film)
Blood Brothers is a 1973 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Lau Kar Leung, and starring David Chiang and Ti Lung...
.
Filmography
Films directed include:- The Assassin (1967)
- The One-Armed Swordsman (1967)
- Golden SwallowGolden Swallow (film)Golden Swallow, also known as The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick, is a 1968 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring Cheng Pei-pei, Jimmy Wang, Lo Lieh and Chao Hsin-yen...
(1968) - Have Sword, Will Travel (1969)
- The Invincible Fist (1969)
- Return of the One-Armed SwordsmanReturn of the One-Armed SwordsmanReturn of the One-Armed Swordsman, also known as One-Armed Swordsman Return, is a 1969 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio...
(1969) - The Heroic Ones (1970)
- Vengeance! (1970)
- Duel of FistsDuel of FistsDuel of Fists is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh and starring David Chiang and Ti Lung. Filmed on location in Bangkok, the story concerns a Hong Kong engineer who goes to Thailand to find his long-lost half-brother , who is a Muay Thai boxer.-Plot:Fan Ko, an engineering...
(1971) - The Deadly DuoThe Deadly DuoThe Deadly Duo is a 1971 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh, and starring David Chiang and Ti Lung.-Cast:*David Chiang as Little Bat*Ti Lung as Bao Ting Tien*Ku Feng as Man Tien Kuei*Wong Chung as Hero Gau Shun*Chan Sing as Jin emperor...
(1971) - The Anonymous HeroesThe Anonymous HeroesThe Anonymous Heroes or Wu ming ying xiong is a 1971 Hong Kong Shaw Brothers action-comedy film directed by Chang Cheh.-Cast:*Ti Lung*Chan Chuen*Cheng Kang-Yeh*Cheng Lei*Chen Sing*David Chiang*Li Ching*Ching Miao*Chow Yun Kin...
(1971) - New One-Armed SwordsmanNew One-Armed SwordsmanThe New One-Armed Swordsman, also known as Triple Irons, is a 1971 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring David Chiang. Chiang replaced Jimmy Wang, the star of the two preceding films in the series, The One-Armed Swordsman and Return of the...
(1971) - King Eagle (1971)
- The Water Margin (1972)
- Boxer From ShantungBoxer from ShantungThe Boxer From Shantung is a 1972 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, and starring David Chiang and Chen Kuan Tai.- Plot :Boxer From Shantung follows Ma Yongzhen and Xiao Jiangbei...
(1972) - Police Force (1973)
- The Blood BrothersBlood Brothers (1973 film)Blood Brothers is a 1973 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Lau Kar Leung, and starring David Chiang and Ti Lung...
(1973) - The Generation GapThe Generation GapThe Generation Gap was a primetime American game show that aired from February 7 to May 23, 1969 on ABC. It was originally hosted by Dennis Wholey for the first ten episodes, after which he was replaced by Jack Barry. Fred Foy announced during the entire run....
(1973) - The Delinquent (1973)
- The PirateThe PirateThe Pirate is a 1948 American musical feature film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. With songs by Cole Porter, it stars Judy Garland and Gene Kelly with co-stars Walter Slezak, Gladys Cooper, Reginald Owen, and George Zucco.-Plot:...
(1973) - Five Shaolin MastersFive Shaolin Masters5 Shaolin Masters aka 5 Masters Of Death is a 1974 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Lau Kar Leung and Lau Kar Wing.The film focuses on Shaolin's historic rivalries with the Qing Dynasty.- Plot :...
(1974) - Heroes TwoHeroes TwoHeroes Two is a 1974 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, and starring Alexander Fu Sheng and Chen Kuan Tai. It is also known as Bloody Fists and Blood Brothers.- Plot :...
(1974) - Shaolin Martial Arts (1974)
- The Legend of the 7 Golden VampiresThe Legend of the 7 Golden VampiresThe Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is a 1974 horror film produced by Hammer Studios and Shaw Brothers Studio. It was released in North America in an edited version as The Seven Brothers Meet Dracula, and alternatively known as The Seven Brothers And Their One Sister Meet Dracula.-Plot:Professor...
(1974) - Disciples of Shaolin (1975)
- 7 Man Army7 Man Army7 Man Army is a 1976 Hong Kong film by director Chang Cheh. The film stars Ti Lung, David Chiang, Alexander Fu, and Chen Kuan-Tai.- Plot :...
(1976) - Shaolin Temple (1976)
- Shaolin Avengers (1976)
- 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....
(1977) - The Brave Archer (1977)
- The Brave Archer 2The Brave Archer 2The Brave Archer 2, alternatively known as Kungfu Warlord 2, is a 1978 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 Niu-niu in the leading roles...
(1978) - Five Venoms (1978)
- 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...
(1978) - 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....
(1978) - Ten Tigers of Kwangtung (1979)
- 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 :...
(1979) - 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....
(1979) - Magnificent AcrobatsShaolin DaredevilsShaolin Daredevils aka Magnificent Acrobats aka. The Kings of Kung Fu is a 1979 Shaw Brothers film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venoms....
(1979) - 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...
(1980) - The Brave Archer 3The Brave Archer 3The Brave Archer 3, alternatively known as Blast of the Iron Palm, is a 1981 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 Niu-niu in the leading roles...
(1981) - 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...
(1981) - The Brave Archer and His MateThe Brave Archer and His MateThe Brave Archer and His Mate, also known as The Brave Archer 4 or Mysterious Island, is a 1982 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novels The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes...
(1982) - Sword Stained With Royal BloodSword Stained with Royal Blood (1982 film)Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a 1982 Hong Kong film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by Chang Cheh and starring the Venom Mob. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Louis Cha...
(1982) - Five Element NinjasFive Element NinjasFive Element Ninjas is a 1982 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh. It was released in North America as Chinese Super Ninjas.- Plot :...
(1982) - The Weird Man (1983)
- Ninja In Ancient China (1993)