Some of the Shaw Brother best fake beards showcased in this one. A Hitchcockian mystery masquerading as a trashy Kung Fu flick. When it comes to Kung Fu styles I understand Snake, Scorpion, Centipede, and MAYBE Toad style.
But tell me how Lizard style is going to do anything? You can stand on a wall? Great.

"That's a cool-ass vest." - RZA

The packed screening with an enthusiastic audience, a perfect 35mm print and a Q&A with RZA afterward was probably the most ideal way to see my first Shaw Brothers movie, so perhaps I'm overrating it a little. But I was sufficiently drawn in by the characters and the fighting to forgive some of the slower or drier bits. It helps that all the characters delightful cartoons with fighting styles to match (Toad acts like he's invincible because, well, he is literally invincible) and the fights, while taking up less of the running time than I expected, are meaty and extremely fun. The most surprising element was the running theme of political corruption, but mostly I just enjoyed the colorful fights and fun, often shirtless characters.

Un tesoro da trovare e cinque matti che menano fortissimo.
Un film che non lesina su violenza e crudezza, da vedere se ci si vuole divertire con delle sane mazzate.

Five Deadly Venoms has all the physics-defying wirework, cartoonish gore, campy overacting, atrocious dubbing, and drawn out fight scenes that you could ever ask for in a Kung-Fu flick. The fight choreography is incredibly smooth and effortlessly impressive, and the film is bolstered by some memorably hammy performances. There's a distinct focus on costuming and set design that's not present in many other films of the genre, along with some excellent cinematography, which is showcased nicely despite a somewhat roughly constructed and at times choppy edit. It get's a touch long in the tooth during the second act when it tries to flesh out a rather barebones plot, but when it hits it hits hard and fast, making the film an archetypal Hong Kong martial arts movie with an inspired execution.

the movie was great but i wish the dad sitting behind me had waited until his kid could read to take him to a movie with subtitles. the beards were tremendously fake

Gosh this film is so dumb

You can see why this film has influenced the likes of Tarantino and Wu-Tang. Pretty standard stuff for a Shaw Brothers film but stylish enough to be enjoyable.

A classic according to most kung-fu aficionados, this is known more for its rich, serpentine story rather than its kick-em-up thrills. When there's action, it's fun. The animal styles give you a lot of variety, and the fighting's frantically and creative. I like the characters, especially in an awesome prelude that describes their special powers--lightning quickness that makes it appear as if there are a hundred hands and feet, snake-like agility, wall climbing, invincibility, and whatever the scorpion does--but I just think there could have been so much more done with them. Still, it's a cool kung-fu flick that most fans of the genre will appreciate, and the story's solid enough to make it worth revisiting

Week 4: Jan. 22-Jan. 28
Shaw Brothers Week

Pretty swell.

A fun showcase of five different kung fu styles, The Five Venoms is clearly influenced by Western cinema and noir/mystery stories. There are a few moments of funky camera warping—I presume from a fisheye lens—but I was rather impressed with the camera work and it’s motivational movements. I hope to see Snake Style and Toad Style in more kung fu movies; Lizard Style can die with this picture.

Gorgeous, ultraviolent fantasy. The way the buckets of bright red blood fly is equally grotesque and thrilling.