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Five Deadly Venoms (1978)

  • Senate Theater 6424 Michigan Avenue Detroit, MI, 48210 United States (map)

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

1hr 38min | R | Kung-fu/Mystery | Hong Kong 

 

Centipede! Snake! Scorpion! Lizard! Toad! 

Five deadly men. Five deadly fighting styles. Five Deadly Venoms. 

In a feudal world of violence, corruption and intrigue, a young novice of the Poison Clan must seek out and discover the identities of the five former pupils of his kung-fu master so that he might reclaim the good reputation of their clan. But will he be able to tell which of them can be trusted and which of them must be defeated? 

The Senate is excited to present this kaleidoscopic blend of kung-fu action, superhuman exploits, and intricate mystery from Hong Kong’s storied Shaw Brothers Studio. This is the film, perhaps more than any other martial arts picture in the post-Bruce Lee era, that kept kung-fu in the cultural consciousness within the United States. Through screenings at urban “grindhouse” theaters and steady rotation on television throughout the 1980s a cult following developed.

And with its dazzling, fantasy world this low-budget adventure provided an escape to countless youth on Saturday afternoons while it inspired filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and hip-hop luminaries like the Wu-Tang Clan.  

Don’t miss your chance to see this classic of Hong Kong cinema, presented just like Americans first saw it in 1978—dubbed in English with all the acrobatic action and bright colors splashed across a big screen. 

 

We're being joined at Five Deadly Venoms by our friends at the Detroit Kung Fu Academy for a special guest introduction and a 5-10 minute kung fu demonstration during intermission.

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue