The First Power (1990)
The First Power Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Russell Logan
as Patrick Channing
as Tess Seaton
as Detective Oliver Franklin
as Nun
as Gang Member #2
as Sister Marguerite
as Commander Perkins
as Lieutenant Grimes
as Grandmother
as Carmen
as Bag Lady
as Carmen
as Mazza
as Father Brian
as Cardinal
as Monsignor
as Priest
as Anchorwoman
as Driver in Alley
as Detective No. 2
as Bum/Detective
as Uniform
as Cop at Arrest
as Cop at Tenement
as Cop
as Resevoir Worker
as Street Vendor
as Man In Parking Structure
as Reporter #1
as Bartender
as Reporter #2
as Reporter
as Shopgirl
as Uniform Cop #1
as Desk Clerk
as Antonio
as Uniform Cop
as Driver
as Bum in Hotel
as Gang Member #1
as Detective
Critic Reviews for The First Power
All Critics (11) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (8) | DVD (1)
Silly and forgettable, unless you're a fan of vintage Phillips or curious to see 1990 Los Angeles, The First Power is a chore to sit through.
A digestible take on screen menace, using Phillips and co-star Jeff Kober quite well in this unremarkable but effective B-movie.
When you get right down to it, make-up and masks aren't nearly as scary as a human countenance hiding a black heart.
Cheesy horror flick, not worth your time
When it stops making no sense, it's really quite boring.
Audience Reviews for The First Power
Body swap horror is nearly a genre unto itself with 'The Hidden' as the forefather. 'The First Power' is a moody, but dull-witted hybrid of police procedural and supernatural thriller. A priest name-drops Geraldo Rivera within five minutes which really time-stamps the film. Logan (Lou Diamond Phillips) is not an acute detective insofar as he fumbles incompetently on a city map until he finally realizes that the occult killer's pattern is an inverted pentagram even though his modus operandi is carving them into his victims. The serial killer Patrick Channing (Jeff Kober) inexplicably adorns himself with a crusty-old-man mask which is a needless flourish. Apparently recovery from almost fatal abdominal stabs is practically instantaneous. Plotholes abound with a psychic informant (Tracy Griffith in a pitiful performance) who isn't forthright and explicitly state that Channing will be eternally resurrected if he receives the death penalty. Despite her clairvoyance, Griffith is shocked when Logan and his partner Oliver (Mykelti Williamson) are rummaging through her house. An extremely schlocky death is when Oliver's internal organs are stomped by a carriage-hitched horse. The lone commendable aspect in this otherwise joyless enterprise is the lithe stuntwork (ex. A death-defying leap off a six-story building). The cat-and-mouse chase is predominantly listless because there is no depraved symbiosis between Phillips and Kober.
Super Reviewer
Awesome action/horror/thriller casts LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS as a detective attempting to stop the evil spirit of a maniac executed in the gas chamber for a series of satanic murders. With the help of a nun & psychic, Phillips must find a way to end the horrible killing spree, save themselves & prove the maniac exists before he gets framed or worse killed by the psycho. Well acted & directed thriller is very fast paced & action packed from first frame till last, never stopping to take a breath & is much better than THE HORROR SHOW (A.K.A. HOUSE 3) SLEEPSTALKER & in someways beats out WES CRAVEN'S SHOCKER in a variety of ways. The film has many creepy images & a few shocking murders (usually we see the aftermath) & plenty of plot twists & turns. Highly recommended. Such a shame a sequel was never made. 4 1/2 stars 5-15-13
Super Reviewer
Lou Diamond Phillips plays Detective Russell Logan -- on the bloody trail of a demonic killer who can inhabit different forms and perform super-human feats. Detective Logan is aided by a Psychic (Tess Seaton), who helps him locate the evil force. It is an action-packed showdown against evil with some really cool chases and battles. Suspenseful and fun!
Super Reviewer
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