The First Power

In my opinion this is a very good film. A super underrated flick and that is usually going to be one of those ones that go under the radar the end up being a very good movie.

A Los Angeles detective (Lou Diamond Phillips) teams-up with a winsome psychic (Tracy Griffith) to nab a nutso serial killer who was executed, but uncannily continues to manifest for more slayings.

"The First Power" (1990) is a fast-paced crime thriller with occult-oriented horror. It takes "The Night Stalker" (1972) template minus the vampire angle and mixes it with the real-life Richard Ramirez case, "Spellbinder" (1988) and "The Hidden" (1987).

It's as entertaining as any of those three movies, as well as more amusing, but it's hampered by predictableness. For instance, when the protagonist goes into the confessional you know exactly what's going to happen. Then there are some unlikely bits, like a vat of acid strategically placed in a sewer that explodes. Why Sure! Meanwhile the final scene leaves a sour taste.

Nevertheless, likable Lou works well as the driven detective while Redhead Tracy Griffith is a highlight. You might remember her from "Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland" (1989).

The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B-

Regular Horror/Thriller that has some decent scenes for the Horror fans. First, it deals with the devil and possession after death. Lou Diamond Phillips is a man tormented by his past and his belief in God is in predicament. He thinks his father didn't deserve to die. In fact, that event causes a series of situations like his mother turning crazy. Could he find the serial killer he is after to? Could he solve the mystery of the First Power?

Watch it and find it. Not a good Horror flick but sure it's entertaining. My only beef is that it doesn't have a creepy atmosphere or a dark setting; the plot asks for it! Also, there's a point where it's necessary to have some Horror related scenes but the movie focuses more on drama and thriller.

Lou Diamond Philips' performance is the best thing about the movie. Mrs. Griffith also delivers a nice performance and helps a lot that she's very beautiful and charming.

Delivers some chilling scenes but relies on the dramatic side more. Be warned you could be bored if you are looking for a straight Horror movie. Still it has a creepy vibe and very well done plot.

Give it a chance.

'The First Power' is an underrated and entertaining supernatural thriller flick that blends elements of action and horror together into one hell of an entertaining thrill ride with impressive stunts, exciting action sequences, a cool concept and a great cast. The movie is also well-paced and despite some questionable moments here and there, it does manage to keep you on the edge of your seat until the final act.

The plot - An L. A. detective Russell Logan (Lou Diamond Phillips) teams up with a psychic Tess (Tracy Griffith) to stop a demonic serial killer Patrick Channing also known as the Pentagram Killer (Jeff Kober) who after being executed on death row has been given the power of resurrection and possession to continue his killing spree.

Despite the outlandish premise the movie does manage to handle it in a more gritty and realistic way and delivers a good mix of action and horror, even if it does become very predictable as the movie progress and the third act does lose momentum, but there's enough tension and satisfying moments to keep you hooked all the way through.

Lou Diamond Phillips turns in a solid performance with the material he's given and makes for a believable hero. Jeff Kober is also a standout here as the Pentagram killer with the right amounts of menacing, creepy and flamboyance , he adds some real personality to the character and a blast to watch. Tracy Griffith as the psychic is also great and provides a great foil to the male lead and both have great chemistry together.

Overall this may seem a bit cliched by today's standards, but don't care as I found it highly enjoyable and quite scary at the same time, I would highly recommend it.

Jeff Kober ... doing his thing as is Lou Diamond Phillps. Funnily enough I had never seen this and it looks and feels like a movie I would have cherished in the late 90s - video store glory days and all that.

It seem to be infamous enough (to get a release by 88 Films and being talked about a lot too), but hey: better late than never, right? So this is as out there as it gets and the movie really needs you to suspend your disbelief. You may need as much time as Lou Diamonds character needs in this movie ... it may still not be enough to wrap your head around it though.

This is flawed and has not aged gracefully. Still it can be campy 80s/90s throwback fun, if you let it. Not much in the story department, apart from that idea of ... supernatural madness.