Halloween Top 5: Bloodiest Shaw Brothers ‘Venoms’ Films

“Masked Avengers” Chinese Theatrical Poster

With their ornate costumes, eclectic masks and sinister weaponry – not to mention some of the most blood-drenching flicks ever put on celluloid – we consider The Venoms (aka Philip Kwok, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Lo Meng, Sun Chien and Wei Pai) to be the ultimate link between kung fu and Halloween. For this reason, City on Fire proudly presents the Top 5 Bloodiest Venoms Films:

Masked Avengers (1981)

If you’ve ever watched a Shaw Brothers kung fu film and found yourself thinking: “This flick is good and all, but what it REALLY needs is a bunch of blood-drinking, Satan-worshiping, mask-wearing villains and a whole lot more violence,” then Masked Avengers is the movie for you.

This is a dark, dark flick, and those who require comedic antics with their kung fu need not apply. It has hardcore violence equal to Five Element Ninja. Some disturbing imagery, from masked cultists drinking human blood to intestines dangling from tridents. Then there are the traps in the cultists’ lair, which gouge, crush, and eviscerate. It’s almost as if this flick was made for Halloween.

“Flag of Iron” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Flag of Iron (1980)

With its intricate choreography, colorful villains, fantastic sets, and of course, excessive violence – Flag of Iron is one of the better Venoms movies. It’s similar to Masked Avengers, in that both are heavy on plot, both lack main Venoms Lo Meng and Sun Chien, and both are impressively brutal.

In its uncut state, Flag of Iron is not only more fleshed out, but also more violent. In addition to blood sprays, hackings, and unusual deaths, there’s also a flag thrown all the way through a victim (it flies through the dude and embeds itself in a wooden beam, drenched in blood).

Don’t let the film’s non-threatening title fool you. There’s a reason it’s titled The Spearmen of Death in other territories.

“House of Traps” Chinese Theatrical Poster

House of Traps (1981)

Not much carnage via weaponry. Instead, most of the violence in House of Traps comes from the traps themselves. The bottom level has spikes that come out of the floor, and a steel staircase that will clamp shut (in other words, feet get cut in half and men are impaled and torn asunder). Spear-tipped nets ensnare those who make it high enough, trapping them while guys on the bottom floor come out and shoot up at them with arrows.

The ending of House of Traps is especially bizarre, with one of the heroes hacking open a corpse, to root out the contents of its stomach. PETA beware: A live chicken buys it in a moment of pure exploitation!

“Two Champions of Shaolin” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Two Champions of Shaolin (1980)

In Two Champions of Shaolin, Lo Meng llsically vomits blood in the best display of “spitting out blood when injured” since Fu Sheng in Heroes Two. In addition, Chiang Sheng rips some guy’s balls off, and later bashes someone’s brains out. Look close, you’ll see them.

Two Champions of Shaolin is drenched with acrobatic displays of martial fortitude and blood-drenched violence. The best part of the movie arrives with a tournament between the top Wu-Tang fighters and Chiang Sheng and Lo Meng. Squaring off in one-on-one combat, this segment puts Mortal Kombat to shame.

I’ve done the math: Two Champions of Shaolin = total carnage.

“The Kid with the Golden Arm” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Kid with the Golden Arm (1979)

The Kid with the Golden Arm opens bloodily with an escort service member crawling into their headquarters, “Chi Sah gang” etched onto his bare back by a sword. There’s a memorable scene in which someone off-screen is stabbed, and his blood literally jets across the set.

The violence level is pleasantly high – we’re talking Lone Wolf and Cub-level bloodshed, with multiple hackings, slicings, and cleavings. Blood erupts from sword gashes, people get hacked apart, and those beaten by fists bleed profusely from the mouth

Despite its comic book-like title, Kid with the Golden Arm is certainly one of the more violent Venoms movies.

Thanks to Joe Kenney for his bloody contribution. If you’re interested in any of these films, please visit DDDHouse.com, Amazon.com or Shawbrothersuniverse.com for availability. For some of the greatest Venoms prints and T-shirts money can buy, visit Shaolinchamber36.com. Looking for dog clothes? Visit Frank and Beanz Doggie Apparel. How’s that for some plugs?