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Patrick (Bilingual)

Susan Penhaligon , Robert Helpmann , Richard Franklin    PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)   DVD
2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 26.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
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Following in the bloody footsteps of Brian De Palma's Carrie comes Australia's offering of telekinetic terror. Part twisted love story, part supernatural thriller, Patrick tells the story of a comatose patient (Robert Thompson) who falls in love with his nubile new nurse, Kathy (Susan Penhaligon). Sadly enough, his only means of communication are via electricity, spitting, and general death and destruction. Suspense mounts as Patrick begins to infiltrate Kathy's life, and head nurse Matron Cassidy (played wickedly by Julia Blake) develops evil schemes of her own. Director Richard Franklin (Psycho II) manages efficient performances from the cast, and upon release Patrick was nominated for Best Film by the Australian Film Institute (but played the drive-in chain in the U.S.). This may not be the frightfest promised in the tag line ("Patrick is in a coma... yet, he can kill"), but Patrick still proves to be an interesting diversion and provides some absolutely terrifying glimpses of late-'70s fashion. --Matt Wold


Customer Reviews

2.3 out of 5 stars
2.3 out of 5 stars
Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars OK Aussie horror/ thriller in the "Carrie" vein. Jan 11 2004
Format:DVD
Directed & Co-Produced by Richard Franklin who would later go on to direct PSYCHO 2, PATRICK is a watchable but unremarkable Aussie thriller which is loosely in the vein of CARRIE.
As a child Patrick murders his mother & one of her male friends by electrocuting them in the bathtub via telekinesis.
For some reason, after this Patrick is rendered comatose with massive damage to his cerebral cortex (the film doesn't even explain any of this) & for the last 15 years he has been in hospital (Well he wouldn't be surfing at Noosa, would he?).
Kathy Jacquard (Susan Penhaligon) is recently out of nursing school & one of her first patients is Patrick (Robert Thompson- who bears a remarkable resemblance to the US actor Gerrit Graham), described by a doctor as "160 pounds of limp meat hanging off a comatose brain". But Kathy soon discovers that Patrick is fully aware of what is going on around him, & communicates by spitting (once for yes, twice for no). The only problem is Patrick doesn't want the other staff to know he is aware of his surroundings.
To try & prove to her collegues that Patrick can "speak" Kathy has him telepathically type messages on a typewriter, but of course she is unable to use this as proof as well & soon Kathy's friends and family are questioning her sanity. But not for long, as Patrick soon confesses to being in love with Kathy & is not happy to learn she is happily married to Ed (Rod Mulliner).
So from the comfort of his warm, cozy bed the wide-eyed, spitting coma patient uses his powers to murder those close to Kathy, with methods ranging from a messy electrocution to one of the dopiest drowning "deaths" ever caught on film.
PETA will be unimpressed with the scene in which a live frog has a metal rod inserted through its body as part of a medical demonstration. Personally, I'm not sure where I stand on this: the scene didn't bother me, but there's no way I could do a thing like that to a live creature.
While it is mildly watchable, PATRICK doesn't really deliver many genuine chills & thrills, is relatively tame in terms of gore & violence, and isn't terribly memorable. Its still a good movie to watch in the wee hours of the morning if you're suffering from insomnia & need to kill a couple of hours. The only extra on the DVD I watched was the trailer.
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Format:DVD
FINALLY! The complete Australian language version of Richard Franklin's gem from 1978!

An enigmatic young man kills his mother, and winds up in a coma in a private hospital. Enter the pretty nurse who discovers Patrick has capabilities no one seems to know (or admit) about.
For those that are thrill seekers, this film is not a fast-paced action-packed story. BUT, for those of us that appreciate characters over wild thrills, and enjoy careful buildups to a final reveal, this one is nicely done. There IS a reason it was an initial success and has gained a big cult following, people understood Franklin's intentions.

Sure, Patrick is not Citizen Kane, but it is a nice mystery with great performances, a keen sense of humour ("self-referential humour" as it has been described), and some rather strong adult content for what was supposed to be a PG-rated film, even back in 1978. I first saw it theatrically and was surprised by its content, but appreciated the homages to Hitchcock (which Franklin carefully points out in many scenes on the DVD's commentary), and Brian May's score has a nice Herrmann-esque feel. I was only disappointed that it was dubbed with American actors. Finally seeing this film in the original Australian language version on DVD made me like this film a lot more 25 years later.

Elite's DVD has the basic extras: two theatrical trailers, a commentary by Franklin and writer Everett De Roche. There's an easy to find easter egg that features cover art for different soundtrack releases as well. The filmographies are quite thorough, for fans of Australian cinema.

While this film is not extremely original, it still provides enough intrigue for those who look deeper into films that the general public would brush off. Patrick could be considered an acquired taste, so those who are familiar with it and liked it will find this DVD a very satisfying purchase and a nice surprise to see it in its original form. Others be warned, you might stick with more familiar "blockbuster hits."

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1.0 out of 5 stars Comatose Dec 18 2002
Format:DVD
This is a weak Australian horror about a man (Patrick) who has some telekenetic powers after he is put in a coma. Whilst in a coma he lets havoc reign in his hospital.

There is not much more to say about this film.

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