During his long and industrious career, the "Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema" Chang Cheh made several films with the celebrated "Venom Mob," a group of skilled martial arts performers — including Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Philip Kwok, Sun Chien, Lo Mang, and Wai Pak — who rose to fame as the stars of his own Five Deadly Venoms. Here, Eureka Classics presents two of the Venom Mob's best: The Daredevils and Ode to Gallantry.
Set in Republic era China, The Daredevils follows Yang Ta-ying (Lo Mang) as he sets out to avenge his father, a military commander who was murdered in cold blood by Han Pei-tsang (Wong Lik), a thief-turned-soldier who killed Yang's father — along with the rest of his family — to take control of his estate and his army. With the help of his friends Chen Feng (Chiang Sheng), Fu Quanyi (Lu Feng), and Xin Zheng (Sun Chien), he sets out for justice. Then, in Ode to Gallantry, a lone martial artist nicknamed "Mongrel" is continually drawn into an intense struggle between several warring martial arts clans after he stumbles across the Black Iron Token, which entitles the owner to have any wish granted by Xie Yanke (Wong Lik), a brutal kung fu master.
After forming in 1978 for Five Deadly Venoms, the Venom Mob made over a dozen films with Chang Cheh that featured at least three of their number in starring roles. Filled with thrilling action set-pieces courtesy of some of the most talented martial artists to emerge in the 1970s, The Daredevils and Ode to Gallantry are two of the finest among them. Eureka Classics is proud to present this duo of collaborations between Chang Cheh and the Venom Mob on Blu-rayfor the first time in the UK.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES*:
Limited edition of 2000 copies | Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Chris Malbon | 1080p HD presentations on Blu-ray from masters supplied by Celestial Pictures | Original mono audio tracks | Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release | Two new commentaries by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth | Two new commentaries by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema | Deadly Venoms — new interview with Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong on the Venom Mob | PLUS: A limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing by writer and critic James Oliver | * All extras subject to change
ESTIMATE DISPATCH 7 to 18 BUSINESS DAYS. (subject to availability).
