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The horror history Hong Kong tried to bury — now exhumed in glorious, sleazy detail.

From Shaw to Snakes: The Venom and Violence of Early Chinese Language Horror Cinema (2023)

Grindhouse archaeologyNiche obsessionFangoria energy

Overview

Documentary

A look back at the largely undocumented period of early Chinese-language horror cinema, beginning in Hong Kong and the Shaw Brothers and graduating to Taiwan and the production of Calamity of Snakes in 1983.

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Content warning

Standout Aspects

Direction

Holwill treats snake-movie nonsense with genuine archival reverence.

Production

Tracking down Godfrey Ho alone deserves a medal.

Best for:Solo: Late night with notebook, pausing to scribble film titles you'll never find.·Friends: Convert the horror-curious friend who thinks they've seen everything.
Heads up:Disturbing: Real snake deaths in discussed films; archival footage included.
N

Director

Naomi Holwill

ReleasedApr 11, 2023
Runtime1h 16m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonemixed
Feelmedium

Top Cast

Godfrey Ho

Godfrey Ho

self

Hsiang Yun-Peng

Hsiang Yun-Peng

self

Kam Kwok-Leung

Kam Kwok-Leung

self

Sean Tierney

Sean Tierney

self

Ask about From Shaw to Snakes: The Venom and Violence of Early Chinese Language Horror Cinema

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Calamity of Snakes used approximately 10,000 real snakes, many venomous, with handlers paid per bite survived.

Cultural

Hong Kong's film archive initially refused to classify these as 'horror,' creating the documentary's central tension — who decides genre legitimacy?

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