This Blu-ray double feature is, at the time of writing, the latest martial arts release from the Eureka Classics range and comprises two prime examples of the ”Venom Mob’ movies directed by the legendary Hong Kong action auteur Chang Cheh. As a life-long devotee of martial arts cinema, the Venom Mob series had pretty much passed this reviewer by over the years, so I was particularly interested to see what they were all about, and as such, neither of these films disappoint.
1979’s The Daredevils is a revenge story telling of a man seeking retribution for the cold-blooded murder of his father by a soldier in order to control his army. With the help of three loyal friends our hero (actor Lo Mang) embarks upon a veritable feast of beautifully choreographed violence which will please the eye of the most demanding fan of this particular genre of film and although the stars are unfamiliar they are a perfect example of the kind of gifted unsung martial artists who filled the gap since the death of Bruce Lee and the rise of Jackie Chan in the late 1970s.
Where The Daredevils is a pretty serious movie in tone and presentation, 1982’s Ode To Gallantry comes from a time when the comedic efforts of Jackie Chan were starting to find their way into many of this type of movie and it’s quite jarring at times – particularly in this example – to see comedy and quite brutal violence share the screen sometimes in the same scene. Ode To Gallantry follows another familiar trope in kung fu movies in a story of rival warring clans battling to gain control before being confronted and ultimately defeated by a lone hero, in this case a guy called “Mongrel”. Although not quite as good as The Daredevils this film is a fine companion piece and together they provide just over three hours of rip-roaring action entertainment.
Both films are 1080p HD presentations in their original language but with newly translated English subtitles. As usual with Eureka, the films are enhanced by superb new commentaries, a featurette explaining the origins of the Venom Mob subgenre, and a limited edition collector’s booklet. Well done, Eureka. Keep ’em coming.
THE DAREDEVILS/ODE TO GALLANTRY is out now in a Limited Edition Blu-Ray set on March 24th from Eureka Entertainment
