Five Deadly Venoms
| Five Venoms | |
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Hong Kong theatrical poster
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| Traditional | 五毒 |
| Simplified | 五毒 |
| Mandarin | Wŭ Dú |
| Cantonese | Ng5 Duk6 |
| Directed by | Chang Cheh |
| Produced by | Runme Shaw |
| Written by |
Ni Kuang Chang Cheh |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Frankie Chan |
| Cinematography | Cho Wai Kei Kung Mu To |
| Edited by | Chiang Hsing Lung |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Shaw Brothers Studio |
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Release date
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Box office | HK$1,814,610 |
Five Venoms ('五毒' – Cantonese: Mm Dook) a.k.a. Five Deadly Venoms is a cult 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venom Mob, with martial arts choreography by Leung Ting, 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. The film was listed at number 11 on Entertainment Weekly's Top 50 Cult Films list.
The dying master of the powerful Poison Clan dispatches his last pupil, Yang Tieh, on a crucial mission. Worried that the skills he has taught are being used to evil ends, he orders Yang to trace a retired colleague, Yun, and warn him that the fortune he amassed from the clan's activities is under threat from five of his former pupils, each an expert in his own lethal combat style. Yang must discover the whereabouts and true identities of these masked warriors, and decide which, if any, he can trust to join him in his mission. The five pupils are the Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, and Toad. Centipede and Snake, and Lizard and Toad know each other, but none know the Scorpion, who always wears a mask. Before he dies, the master teaches Yang the weaknesses of each style.
The Centipede and the Snake come to the Yun family house to steal money. They murder the entire family when Yun refuses to divulge the location of his fortune. A witness sees the Centipede at the house. Later, the Scorpion investigates the scene and retrieves a hidden map. The Lizard, working as a policeman, recruits the Toad to help arrest the Centipede. After the Centipede is arrested and charged with murder, the Scorpion tells the Snake to frame the Toad for the murders. The corrupt judge sends the Lizard away on government business. The Snake pays an officer to make the witness commit perjury. The Toad is framed by the witness, who tells the judge that he saw the Toad at the scene of the crime. Toad refuses to confess, and his kung fu initially makes him invulnerable to their torture. The Snake devises a torture device to counteract it. When this fails, the Scorpion secretly cripples the Toad with darts to his weak spot. Subjected to further torture, the Toad passes out, and his signature is forged on a confession.
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