The 5 Deadly Venoms

This Blu-Ray has excellent picture quality. It was like watching it for the first time. And it is even better than at the movie theatre. I remember watching it at the movie theatre when it first came out. It was so big on the movie screen that you can't really get the whole picture. And when there was an area that was out of focus, it really magnified the focus defect. (This is my point of view. As when ever I get to the theatre in Chinatown back then, it was always pack, thus I always had to sit close to the screen watching it up close.) If you have a big screen or one of decent size, this Blu-Ray will make a big difference in picture quality. And it won't be too big, as in the theatre, where the defect is over magnified. It seems the subtitle was done by a foreigner, none native english speaking. Subtitle 1 seems like a direct translation from Madarin where the meanings were translated literally. Subtitle 2 is a direct translation from the english dub version. But the translator must not be an english speaker as you can tell from the scene with the 6th venom & the 5th venom toad meeting at the restaurant. When the toad toss a silver piece to the 6th venom, pretending to be a bum, the 6th venom walk in over to the toad table. The toad said "Sorry, I have a guest. Sit elsewhere". But the subtitle 2 shows" Sorry, I would get. Sit elsewhere" as if the translator listen directly to the english dub but their english was so poor that they can not hear it correctly. I will not review the movie as this is a classic. And there are many review about the movie on the DVD version. I highly recommend this Blu-Ray. Comment: 1. I am one movie closer to becoming a Kung Fu Master. LOL. Read my review on The 36th Chamber of Shaolin [Blu-ray ] for more information about me becoming a Kung Fu Master. LOL. And you too can become a Kung Fu master after reading my review on The 36th Chamber of Shaolin [Blu-ray ] LOL. Special Offer: And for the price of $ XX.XX, I will send you a list of all the Kung Fu movies you should watch to become a Kung Fu Master. :) Included is a free catalog of Hollywood makeup supplies, just in case you want to make yourself look like an Asian, if you are not Asian, so it is more convincing (watch Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins to see what Hollywood makeup can do to make you look like an Asian) ; Also included is a magician catalog, just in case to want to impress your students & demonstrate magic tricks such as sword swallowing, walking on glass, walking on hot coal, lying on a bed of nail, Etc. All this for the price of $ XX.XX. Send $ XX.XX to Shaolin Suckers Delight 123 Sucker Street, Sucker, SR 78257 . Offer depends on available supply, on a first come first serve bases. So order your Kung Fu master kit NOW while supply last.

One of my early memories - catching the commercial for this on "Black Belt Theater" one Saturday. Of course, it relied heavily on the "I had five pupils" intro. It was years later, but I remember my reaction being similar to my reaction after seeing a TV spot for STAR WARS: If I don't see this, I probably won't survive. Then I watched it and my favorite character was framed, tortured and killed, while the bad guys ran around scot-free. Yes, the other two remaining protagonists revealed themselves to be as cool as poor Li Ho, and made with the Justice, but it was a little hard for my kid brain to process. Really, the reason the bad guys lost was...because of the bad guys. I don't think I was ready yet for the theme of this movie, which is EVIL WILL EAT ITSELF. Evil might be stronger than good, more pervasive, but in the end, evil will eat itself. That isn't what hooked me as a youngster - what got me was the mood, the color, the world-building magic of Movietown (when you watch this one, keep in mind there is not one single exterior shot - even the city is indoors at the Shaw's Movietown). The feeling created with the iconic intro, the classic De Wolf library soundtrack, Chiang Sheng's funky threads at the end, the incredible cool of Kwok Choi...it hooked me then, it it still does whenever I play this one. 5DV isn't non-stop action - it's more of a suspense film. But there is still plenty of payoff for kung-fu fans, and this movie influenced, well, read the back of the box for that stuff. Bey Logan says in the (very good) commentary track that it's almost impossible to overstate the influence this film has had, and he's right. This is a fine transfer, showing off the intense colors (they maybe went a little far with the noise reduction? But it's MINOR), opulent sets and costumes, and the amazing skills and presence of The Venoms (why do you think they're called The Venoms?). Of course, it's a Weinstein product, so parts are half-assed - the subs are mostly okay, but with enough embarrassing errors to make fans grit their teeth at several points. Luckily, this has one of the more enjoyable English dubs, and that's what I'd recommend for most viewers. Dub-hater that I am, I'd still say it's one of the few classic ones, if you want experience that authentic 70's kung-fu craze feel. "Poison Clan Rocks the World!" In all fairness, I'm letting my dissatisfaction with other DD releases color my opinion of THIS one - other than the half-assed subtitles (still watchable) this is one of their better efforts. And no RZA, which is a huge plus. I don't know if this movie is day one, Kung Fu 101 - it's definitely first semester, though. But it's such a presence in the world of hip-hop and action cinema that it falls into the category of required viewing for everyone, fu-fan or no.

OK, so I had only heard from a friend that I should check out some Kung Fu movies because I was listening to a lot of Wu-Tang Clan and he thought I should know there's a history there. Long story short, I looked up one of the samples from a Wu-Tang song and was directed to The Five Deadly Venoms. It looked kitchy and fun, and for eight bucks, what the hell? right? I watched this film the day it arrived and then watched it again the next day with my brothers-in-law. This movie is sop much fun--the fights are either awesome or hilarious, depending on your level of internal irony, but they are never dull. I won't retell the story here, as you've already got that, I'm sure, but I'll tell you how I reacted. I had never seen one of these films and the FDVs were a great introduction to the genre. I bought it a month ago and have since bought almost a dozen other Shaw Bros. movies like "8 Diagram Pole Fighter" and "36 Chambers." All fun movies, but FDVs also has that superhero quality that just isn't found in any but the most creative movies. To put it simply: if you are new to the genre buy this film. You won't be sorry.

An excellent and classic Kung Fu movie - Do check out the Return of The Five Deadly Venoms - which is even more enjoyable than this one!!

Most kung fu movies have a similar structure. The protagonist encounters conflict in the first act, learns a new kung fu style in the second act and seeks revenge in the third act. Shaw Brothers' The 5 Deadly Venoms is a departure from this formula. None of the main characters have to "level up" duing the film. Without giving up too much of the plot, the conflict in the first act has an unknown antagonist and the bulk of the film involves the protagonist solving a mystery. Besides that, the film has fantastic choreography that often relies on clever set pieces and camera effects that offers a bit more mysticism than your average kung fu movie. And like every other Dragon Dynasty release, the DVD is transferred by an original film reel copy of the movie and is presented in anamorphic widescreen. This is a must have movie for any serious kung fu movie fan.

PÜNKTLICHKEIT UND SCHNELLIGKEIT

Great movie and great remastering!!!!

DVD quality is great. English dub is the same one old fans remember from watching on TV in early 80s. English dub was main reason to have for fans from way back. Plus Mandarin lang. trcak and subs for purists. Great pic. quality.