The First Power
A nun, called sister Marguerite (Elizabeth Arlen), is trying to convince her superiors, the Cardinal (Philip Abbott), and the Monsignor (David Gale) that something must be done about a brutal psychopath who is killing people with a satanic ritual. Her superiors don't pay attention to her.A heavily made-up woman phones Russell "Russ" Logan (Lou Diamond Phillips), stating that the murderer will commit another crime at a particular place -Sunset Boulevard- at a specific time. The woman makes Logan promise that the murderer won't be killed or given the death sentence.That particular night, the third night, it's rainy, and cold. One police officer pretends to be a bum (Brian Libby), Carmen (Sue Giosa) poses off as a prostitute. Russell and another cop friend, Detective Oliver "Olllie" Franklin (Mykelti Williamson) of his, stay in the car.While Logan's lieutenant tells him off because he's using 12 people for 72 hours and nothing has happened now, Carmen has disappeared.The murderer has tied Carmen down. He takes off his mask, and saying that she must calm down so that he can help her, he puts his mask on her face. He shows a knife to her and is about to cut her bad when Logan appears to save her. The murderer runs away and Logan goes after him. Logan captures him, but he gets badly hurt.Patrick Channing (Jeff Kober), the murderer, was a kind and meek man who worked for the running water department. Channing is sentenced to death. Channing had threatened Logan outside the court before being eventually sentenced to death. The news breaks it to the first page, and there is a party to celebrate it at the police station. Obviously, the woman who had tipped Logan is not happy about it. She phones an exultant Logan to tell him that she had advised him not to consider the death penalty, and she tells him that he'd better solve the situation. However, Logan has not intention to do anything about it. Channing is sent to the gas chamber, but when the gas is taken off, he can release himself, he produces a knife, breaks off the mirrored wall and tries to stab Logan, who has to shoot him in self-defence.Obviously, all this is a nightmare. His cat wakes him up and makes him nervous. Logan picks up his gun and threatens the cat. He wakes up, enters a room and sees all the walls stained with blood. When two police officers knock on the door to take him to another crime site, he tells them to get inside and take all the fingerprints. When he enters the very same room again, there is nothing out of the ordinary.Logan visits a luxury mansion to see to another body.A red-haired woman called Tess Season (Tracy Griffith) has the vision of a pool of blood in the parking lot when she leaves her car. A passerby (David Katims) pushes her to save her from being run over by a car. That passerby had a newspaper on whose first page another murder of a beautiful woman is talked about. It is Carmen, the female cop. Seaton thinks that Channing's spirit has been freed and released back into the world although his body had been exterminated. Seaton asks to talk only with Logan, and she discovers herself as the woman who had tipped off Logan in the first place. She seems to be a kind of psychic who helped the police to find a child some years before. SeatonA dozed-away drug addict is accused of having killed again. Logan hears the voice of Channing insulting him, but the drug addict didn't say anything, and nobody else heard anything.Logan and Franklin enter Seaton's mansion house. They listen to her answering machine messages. She had a recorded message from Channing. Logan listens a third message - which has mysteriously disappeared- which sets a date in a particular place, the church of Olivera Street. Logan and Franklin take Seaton there by force. She blames Logan because she is now in danger - as both cops are. She stares at Franklin and tells him to be careful, because he is in direct danger.There is a fair. There are many people and attractions. A hanson pulled by some horses starts running all over the place. People gets out of the way, but Ollie cannot. He is run over. One of the horses gets frantic and hits him with his legs. When Logan and Seaton tend to him, Ollie says: "I've seen him. It is him."A young man tries to run away. When Logan threatens to shoot that young man on the rooftop of a 10-storey building, that young man jumps off. The young man gets to the floor, stands up and leaves without being seen by everybody else, mocking Logan once again. Nobody believes Logan. Two gang members who were at the site (Charles Raymond & Scott Lawrence) didn't say anything.Commander Perkins (Dennis Lipscomb) tries to reason with Logan, but another of his bosses, Lieutenant Grimes (Carmen Argenziano) laughs about Logan. Seaton is taken away by her lawyer, and she threatens to sue Russ and the police department. When another body of a young male appears crucified, Perkins gives to case to Grimes. Logan is afraid that Grimes is not going to do anything about the murder.Logan goes to a church and confesses. He asks an unknown priest (J. Patrick McNamara) to listen to him. Logan says that he lost his faith because his father died and his mother said that it was one of god's kindnesses. He asks the priest whether there may exist cases of possession, and a bad spirit entering people in order to make them commit crimes. At that moment, the priest becomes Channing again. Logan runs after him. Channing can fly, jump as a super-hero. Logan goes after him. Channing appears with a mask and an axe and tries to kill him. ---It was a vision suffered by Seaton. She was at a department store trying to buy a bottle of perfume. With the surprise, she breaks the bottle. The shop assistant (Melanie Shatner) tries to convince her of paying the perfume without success, as she is already running towards the place in her vision. She goes to the dereclit where he is following Channing to help him. She arrives just in time to shout "Logan!" That way, Channing misses his shot, but the scene is quite similar to Seaton's vision. Tess was able to scare that man away with an iron colgant of the pentacle.Channing takes a ventilator and is about to turn them to pieces with it. Logan and Seaton run away, and he confiscates a driver (Robert Colaizzi)'s car, using it to run away. Channing jumps on top of the car, but they finally succeed. Logan gives his card to the driver and tells him to ask about Grimes, who will pay for repairs. They discuss the matter, and the hot-dog street vendor (Gokul) overhears their conversation. He says that he's taken her out of hospital, and he humorously suggests that he should take her back there fast.Seaton takes Logan to see sister Marguerite. A nun (Lynne Marta) tries to tell them away, but they insist. Sister Marguerite finally agrees to see them. She tells them not to mess with the third power, and finally rejects to talk to them anymore, as the church considers it very dangerous. Logan says during their short conversation that he couldn't care less about the church. Tess tells Logan that he sees Channing because that's the look which the devil wants to to show him.They visit Channing's home. His grandmother (Julianna McCarthy) cautiously opens the door. She lets them in because Logan says that they think that Channing was innocent. She says that Channing's sister Sarah was a very good girl who died young. His father was a good man, as was Patrick -- sweet and quiet. Patrick didn't know his own father.Tess Seaton has a vision. Patrick's father had raped his own daughter and had a son from her - Patrick. Tess run away, as she was able to feel and repeat Sarah's words. Tess runs to the underground sewers. Another technician, (Grand L. Bush) tells them to go away. Some years ago, a child was drowned there, that's why that particular area is usually closed down.Sister Marguerite wants to leave the convent and tries to steal an image, to use it against the devil who is using the third power to possess people. Father Brian (Hansford Rowe) says that he'll pray for her. Marguerite leaves.The police car radio tells to Tess that Logan needs help. She runs after him. He had entered the water system with a shotgun, meaning business. Logan pulls her close and tells her to go back outside, but she says that he is there.Channing faces Tess Seaton. She shows her the pentacle, but it doesn't scare him away: she forces her to show it to herself, saying that she was using it the opposite way, and that he'll keep on killing as much as he pleases. Logan sees them, Channing threatening her with a knife. Tess Season pushes Channing to the floor from an unsafe building structure. When they go to the floor, it's drunk Grimes who appears pierced by a piece of tube.Perkins can't believe Logan, but he lets him go with a day off.Seaton and Logan go out together. They don't know what to do. On their way to Russ' apartment, he gives a coin to a female bum (Nada Despotovich). He produces another gun -an unregistered one- and says that he'll kill everyone who threatens him. Tess tells him that that isn't a plan.They kiss. A noise startles them. They kiss again. This time it's a sonorous thud. He says it's madness and pulls away.The attractive young bag lady appears dancing on the air outside of the room. Tess is startled twice. When she tells Logan, he can't see anything, until the bag lady appears again, breaks through the glass and attacks them. They run away in Logan's car.The bum appears on the back seat of Logan's car. She makes sexual comments and gestures to both of them, and she magically sits on his lap. Obviously, they end up having a road accident. Their car spirals out of control. Russ gets out on his own feet, but Tess has disappeared.Logan visits Marguerite again. She says that future tellers may have the second power, but that only god can give somebody the first power. She produces a crucifix with a knife inside.They go to the place where Channing used to make her rituales. Logan kills the bag lady and releases Tess Seaton. Marguerite performs a ritual on the body of the bag lady. She sets the pentacle on fire.Tess and Russ leave through a hole in the wall. Marguerite is slow. He goes to pick her up, but she has been possessed. Russ tries to talk to Marguerite, saying that she can win over the devil. Possessed Marguerite threatens to shoot him.Russ talks to Patrick on Marguerite's body. He asks him who he killed first - his father?, his grandfather? were they the same people? Marguerite tries to stab herself with the crucifix/knife. Suddenly, it's Patrick who fights with Logan.Tess opens the doors of the resevoir. Littres and litters of water flood the place. Patrick pulls her to the water when she was about to leave. She cries for help. Logan jumps to the river of water, which takes they three through tunnels and tunnels of water. Patrick and Tess are above a pool of acid. They fight. Russ appears to help him and it's Patrick who falls onto the pool of acid. Russ throws a lit lighter onto the pool of acid.Russ and Tess get down the stairs. Patrick attacks him again.The police arrive. Russ is sat on top of Sister Marguerite. The police (Michael Wise) threaten to shoot him. Logan stabs her with the crucifix. Suddenly, it's Patrick who was stabbed and died on the floor. A strong light wraps everything and confuses Tess Seaton, who can't do anything. The police officers shoot Logan. Patrick is dead.Russ is at hospital. He wakes up and attacks Tess. Tess wakes up -- it was a dream.She stares in horror at Russ - is the devil inside him?Fade to black.Credits roll.
paranormal, violence, murder