PENTAGRAM

Pursuing a supernatural psycho in Los Angeles

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-