The First Power

The First Power

1990

Director- Robert Resnikoff

Cast- Lou Diamond Phillips, Jeff Kober, Tracy Griffith, Mykelti Williamson, Elizabeth Arlen

           

Lou Diamond Phillips plays detective Russel Logan, a hot shot cop who apparently specializes in taking down serial killers. A murderer is on the loose and the MO is Satanic, the victims having been ritually murdered with pentagrams carved into their chests.

            With an anonymous tip from a psychic (Tracy Griffith) Logan is able to track down the killer in exchange for a promise that he want kill the murderer or seek the death penalty. In a bloody confrontation, he catches his man, Patrick Channing (Jeff Tober). Logan quickly forgets his promise and seeks the death penalty. Channing seems pretty pleased with this outcome and with good reason.

            Channing, through his Satanic works, has been granted The First Power, the power of resurrection. He also seems to have been granted telepathic projection, the ability to possess others, flight, awesome fighting skills, etc. so whatever. Channing picks up where he left off with his murders. His first victims are Logan’s fellow cops (one played by Mykelti Williamson four years before he would become famous as Bubba in Forrest Gump).

            With the aid of his psychic informer and a nun (Elizabeth Arlen) who has apparently been studying these powers, he is able to finally confront and defeat Channing, with the aid of a special crucifix.

Though this plot seems to be the same as Exorcist 3 and Fallen it should be noted that this film came out before either of them, though it did come out a year after Shocker which was also very similar. Of all four films, The First Power lacked the star power of Fallen, a legendary director like Shocker or the legacy of Exorcist 3, Despite this, it makes the most out of what it has and is a decent occult thriller. It only has one cliché (the obligatory scene where the detective connects the crimes by drawing a pentagram on the map). Its gets a little silly in a few places (a bag lady possessed by Channing does martial arts and a scene where Channing chases the protagonists with a ceiling fan). For the most part though, it maintains a sense of urgency and Channing’s special powers allow for some surprises.

For fun, see if you can spot the cameos by David Gale (Reanimator) and Bill Mosely (House of 1000 Corpses).