Cunning, demented and maladjusted psychopath Buck Taylor (a genuinely creepy and credible performance by famed 80's Brat Pack member Judd Nelson) embarks on a brutal killing spree in Los Angeles. He picks folks out of the phone book, helps his victims kill themselves, and leaves sick taunting notes for the cops. It's up to weary, cynical veteran Bill Malloy (a typically fine and crusty portrayal by the always excellent Robert Loggia) and his excitable new eager beaver rookie partner Sam Dietz (winningly played by Leo Rossi) to nab Taylor. Director William Lustig, working from a smart and compact script by Jack T.D. Robinson, keeps the pace rattling along at a constant snappy clip, effectively creates a substantial amount of raw, gritty, gut-wrenching tension and stages the shockingly nasty and ugly murder set pieces with considerable flair. The first-rate supporting cast includes Meg Foster as Dietz's loving wife Carol, Angel Tompkins as a TV reporter, former convict turned crime novelist Edward Bunker as a huffy police superior, John Goff as a sarcastic psychiatrist, Ken Lerner as a smarmy swinger, Roy Brocksmith as a blasé coroner, Beau Starr as Taylor's abusive, overbearing cop father, and George "Buck" Flower as an ornery old coot. The refreshingly complex and engaging well-drawn characters (for example, the semi-pitiable Taylor is the angry and unbalanced toxic product of a harsh upbringing), James Lemmo's glossy, handsome cinematography, the hard-hitting no-nonsense tone, and Jay Chattaway's spooky, rousing, dynamic score further enhance the overall sterling quality of this bang-up little flick.

This crime story has some scary scenes, with an especially memorable one early on with a woman hiding in a clothes dryer. In fact, the first half of this is excellent but it peters out that point with two typical Hollywood clichés of crime movies of the period.

They are: 1 - the good cop (Leo Rossi as "Sam Dietz") going it alone despite the orders of his superior; 2 - the killer going to the good cop's house to kill his family. Too bad it stooped to these obvious story lines because this could have been an outstanding serial-killer movie. As it is, it would up being slightly better- than-average. By the way, what's with Meg Foster's eyes? It looks like they have no pupils. It's eerie to look at that woman's face.

This movie spawned several sequels and the sequels were better and better as they went along.

A demented serial killer is wrecking havoc on the streets of L.A. It's up to a rookie and a veteran cop to stop him.

Sound familiar? You bet. Yet this film seems to creep up above most other films of the similar genre, thanks in most parts to an unusually effective performance from Judd Nelson. Most of the times I don't particularly like him, but here he fits the bill perfectly.

The supporting performances are also quite good. Robert Loggia plays it straight as the veteran cop and Leo Rossi has never been as appealing as here. Director William Lustic creates a reasonable amount of suspense and keeps things moving at an adequate pace. But mostly, this film will be remembered (by me anyway) as the best Judd Nelson film, and his best performance. He plays a psychopath to a tee.