Patrick

I remember seeing ads on TV for 'Patrick' back in the 1970s, but for some reason I never actually watched it until I recently rented it on DVD. I expected it to be laughably bad, but instead I was pleasantly surprised. It's a reasonably effective thriller, with a few excellent scenes. Director Richard Franklin obviously has a Hitchcock fetish, he later went on to direct the better-than-you-think 'Psycho 2'. I believe the American DVD has a commentary from Franklin, but the Australian one I watched doesn't. But you don't need him to point out the Hitchcock homages throughout. Okay, 'Patrick' isn't perfect. It's made on a very low budget, and the effects are nothing to write home about, but the script and acting aren't too bad. I do agree that Robert Thompson who plays Patrick isn't very convincing. Better casting could have improved the movie a lot. However Susan Penhaligon is good, and pretty cute to boot.

I think that some commentators expected far too much from this movie. For a "no-budget" film, you can't expect great special effects. Look at how much "Twilight Zone" achieved on a tiny budget; what a caning it got from "the critics", and then look at its popular success.

I see much the same here. After all, the only "special effect" really required was the typewriter typing all by itself! Weird it is - but then it's supposed to be. And slow, too: isn't that the whole point of a "suspense" movie?

In my opinion, it builds on its initial premise (the development of "mental" powers when physical ones don't exist) reasonably well, and achieves its objectives quite well. It's not "Star Wars" or even "Sixth Sense", but it never intended to be.

FINALLY! The complete Australian language version of Richard Franklin's gem from 1978!

An enigmatic young man kills his mother, then somehow winds up in a coma in a private hospital. Enter the pretty young nurse who discovers Patrick has capabilities no one seems to know about, or want to admit they know 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 grand "cinema," but it's a nice mystery/love story with great performances, a keen sense of humour ("self-referential humour" as it has been described), and some rather strong adult content & nudity for what was supposed to be a PG-rated film, even in the altered version for American audiences 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 track), and Brian May's score has a nice hermann-esque feel (I'm a proud owner of this score on vinyl). I was only disappointed that it was dubbed with American actors, which dummies down a film -- just take a peek at the dubbed version of Anatomy (aka Anatomie). Finally seeing this film in the original Australian language version on DVD made me like this film a lot more 25 years later.

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 the Elite 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." But realize, when films are pushed as "the hottest releases," you know something might be lacking and that it's processed for mass-friendly consumption. At least the Australian audiences did accept this film back then, and it won recognition. I'd like to think I was one of the Americans that understood why they found this film to be so great!

Following the success of Brian De Palma's 'Carrie' in 1976, movies featuring psycho-kinetics became all the rage. In 1978, Hollywood cashed in with 'The Fury' (also by De Palma) and the Richard Burton vehicle 'The Medusa Touch'; US TV gave us 'The Initiation of Sarah'; and even Disney got in on the act with 'Return from Witch Mountain'. Meanwhile, in Australia, director Richard Franklin joined in the craze with his creepy, offbeat chiller 'Patrick'.

Susan Penhaligon stars as Kathy Jacquard, a pretty nurse who discovers that her new comatose patient Patrick (Robert Thompson) is not only capable of communicating via psychokinesis (and the occasional bit of spitting!), but is also able to kill. As Patrick gradually begins to fall for Kathy, any other man hoping to get close to her automatically becomes a target of his awesome mental powers.

To feature a malign character who spends 99.9% of the film's running time absolutely motionless, staring into space, is an unusual, but very effective idea, and one that director Franklin cleverly uses to crank up the tension: his audience know damn well that Patrick will move at some point in the film, but have absolutely no idea when it will occur (I jumped twice: first, when Patrick unexpectedly spits at his nurse, and... well... you'll definitely know the other moment when it happens).

There are those who may find the slow-burn approach of this movie a little laborious, but I loved its leisurely approach—particularly as it gave me time to fully appreciate the movie's more bizarre moments: Kathy's job interview, during which the hospital's Matron mentions that such a job attracts certain 'types' (lesbians, scoptophiliacs, necrophiliacs, zoophiliacs and enema specialists!!); two scenes in which frogs don't do so well (one has his brain smushed with a needle and another is eaten by a doctor); Kathy attempting to prove that Patrick can feel by giving him a little 'wrist action'; and repeated appearances by Patrick's 'neighbour', a crazy old man who wets himself.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

The later 70's saw a handful of films about people with psychic powers, but this little-known thriller from Australia may just be the most unique of them all.

Nurse comes under the spell of her seemingly comatose patient, whose intense psychic powers are menacing the people around her.

Patrick is a bizarre, yet oddly moving film that benefits strongly from its off-beat and ultimately unpredictable story. It's a tale that manages to side-step clichés to become not only a brooding chiller, but a weird love story as well. There's an occasional good bit of suspense and shock that keeps the tension high. The story also possesses a strange sense of the erotic. Granted, the plot is a bit slow in pace but Richard Franklin's direction and a good cast help to carry it well.

Star Susan Penhaligon does a throughly good performance as the films heroine/victim. Rod Mulliner is good as Penhaligon's troubled husband, as is Bruce Barry as her boyfriend. Robert Thompson is also a stand-out as the films menacing title character. Even though Thompson spends most of the film lying in silence he still conveys a threatening presence, he's just that good of an actor.

For those seeking a left-field thriller that's thoughtfully well done, Patrick may just be your date.

*** 1/2 out of ****