Pay or Die was released under several titles, including Devil’s Three, Mean Business and Devils Three: The Karate Killers. It’s directed by Bobby A. Suarez, an absolute ace of Philippine action cinema. While contemporaries like Cirio Santiago found wider global distribution through Roger Corman, Suarez injected his pictures with a wildly personal flavor, blending bone-crunching action with delightfully broad comedy.
Following up on the legendary They Call Her Cleopatra Wong, this finds criminal kingpin Lucifer “The Devil” Devlin (Johnny Wilson) pushing his own henchmen too far with his abusive antics. Tired of taking orders, his top men (including the hook-handed pimp Manny, played by Dick Adair, and casino heavy Mo, played by stuntman Danny Rojo) decide to mutiny and seize control of his operations by kidnapping his daughter, Debbie (Cynthia Rodrigo).
With no one left in his own syndicate to trust — he even says, “Imbeciles! How are we going to push drugs if we don’t have any pushers?” — Devlin is forced to turn to his arch-nemesis: the fearless Singapore secret agent Cleopatra Wong (Marrie Lee). Cleo agrees to help, but her price isn’t money; she demands that Devlin surrender himself to the authorities once his daughter is safe. Realizing she needs backup to take on the criminal underworld of Manila, Cleo recruits an unforgettable, unorthodox crew, including Franco (Terry Del Rio), an expert martial artist, former cop and flamboyant out gay man which is pretty novel for a hero in a 1979 exploitation film, and the very large Madame Rotunda (Florence Carvajal), a powerhouse three-hundred-pound psychic with incredible physical strength. Armed with unique abilities, special gadgets (including a briefcase that doubles as a bazooka!) and an infectious, high-energy spirit, the trio embarks on a wild mission packed with ice factory showdowns, highway motorcycle stunts and relentless brawling.
It’s like an Andy Sidaris movie without the sex and hot tub meetings!
You can watch this on Tubi.
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