Phillip Ko Fai, born in 1949 in Hong Kong, made his mark in the world of cult cinema with his performances in Dynamite Brothers (1974) and Ninja Terminator (1985). Known for his dynamic presence, he often portrayed characters that embodied the gritty essence of exploitation films. His work in these titles reflects the vibrant energy of 1970s and 1980s Hong Kong cinema, where martial arts and action blended seamlessly with the thrill of the grindhouse aesthetic.
Dynamite Brothers
Larry Chin, a Chinese martial arts expert, sneaks into the United States at a San Francisco port, looking for his brother Wei Chin who disappeared several years prior, shortly after Larry's wife died in an accident. Larry is waylaid by men working for the crooked police officer Burke, who was told to watch for his arrival, but Larry is able to overwhelm the group and escapes. Larry convinces his cousin to tell him an address in Watts, Los Angeles where his brother had last been seen, unaware that his cousin has been warned not give that information and is later killed in a car bomb. Larry is picked up by Burke while attempting to take a bus to Los Angeles, where he is handcuffed to Stud Brown. Stud creates a distraction to allow them to escape, and the two work their way to Los Angeles, with Larry explaining his situation to Stud and Betty Fon, a driver who helps them out. In Los Angeles, they arrive at the address which is a bar operated by the Smiling Man. They find that they are in the middle of a gang war between the Smiling Man and Razor, the latter looking to distribute illegal drugs into the city. When Stud and Larry save the Smiling Man's life, he recruits them to his cause and offers to help. While talking with the Smiling Man, Stud becomes attracted to the mute Sarah. Betty has been looking into Wei's whereabouts for Larry, and directs him to Kung Fat, a local businessman. Kung tells Larry that Wei is dead and tells him the site of his gravestone, but when Larry goes there, he determines that Wei is not buried there. He goes back to Kung to accuse him of lying, but Kung and his men secure him, and attempt to take him to the outskirts of Los Angeles to be killed by a snake. Larry manages to escape and returns to Stud and the Smiling Man; the Smiling Man reveals that Kung is an agent in the drug ring, as well as Burke, who has been using his position to cover for the drug ring. When Larry returns to Kung's, he finds the man dead. Larry and Stud go to Burke, forcing him to reveal the location of the drug ring's mastermind. After they leave, Razor kills Burke for revealing this information. Larry, Stud, and the Smiling Man plan an attack on the drug ring, when they learn Razor has been seen near Sarah's place. Larry and Stud arrive too late and find Sarah dead by Razor. Angered, the two begin the attack on the drug mastermind. Stud manages to kill Razor, while Larry meets with the mastermind, discovering he is really his brother Wei Chin; Wei was the one that accidentally killed Larry's wife and fled the country to avoid his brother. As Smiling Man's men attack Wei's base, Wei attempts to flee but Larry is able to catch up and cause him to drive his car off the road, killing him. Stud and the Smiling Man finish off the rest of Wei's and Razor's gang. After regrouping back at the Smiling Man's bar and making sure that they have taken over Razor's gang, Larry and Stud say their goodbyes as they are both still on the run from the law.
