SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Michael_Elliott Patrick (1978) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Kathy (Susan Penhaligon) gets a new job working at a hospital as a nurse where her main duties are looking after a man named Patrick (Robert Thompson). The young man has been in a coma for three years but soon Kathy begins to think that he has some sort of psychic powers that allows him to stalk her and do much worse.PATRICK came from Australia and was one of the biggest hits of the Ozploitation era. If you're a fan of Hitchcock then Richard Franklin's film is an obvious homage to the Master of Suspense and it's worth noting that the director would go on to make PSYCHO II. I'm a little surprised that this film became such a hit when it was originally released because it lacks most of what made something like CARRIE so good.On a technical level the film is quite impressive as Franklin certainly makes a film that looks quite good. The cinematography is extremely good and the music score by Brian May is catchy. I also thought the performances were extremely good with Penhaligon doing an excellent job in the role of the nurse. I really thought she was tremendous in the film and she certainly helps keep you interested in what's going on. The supporting cast members are all good including Thompson who is quite memorable even though he doesn't say a word or move.What keeps the film from being better is the fact that it clocks in at 112 minutes and there's really not too much that happens. I really don't mind the slow pace but I certainly wish the film had been cut down a little or at least given a bit more to do. With that said, the lack of any real horror moments keeps the film from being better but PATRICK is still worth viewing.

claudialora As others have commented, this film is a bit of a love story that delves into the area of psychic phemonena, in particular psychokinesis and, though it isn't overtly expressed, astral projection.The title character, Patrick, is a patient in a private, long-term care facility. He's been in a seemingly irreversible vegetative state for three years, the result of psychological trauma experienced after the murder of his mother and her lover. Kathy is a new nurse at the facility who's main responsibility is the care of Patrick. She refuses to accept that he is unaware of his surroundings and repeatedly attempts to communicate with him. Spending long periods of time at his bedside she develops a bond with him, and it is soon revealed that he develops an even stronger bond with her.The well-written story progresses very slowly but the performances are quite strong. There was not much "action" in this film, nor were there many special effects...yet as a psychodrama I suppose they weren't necessary. I found this film to be riveting. It easily drew me in, despite the lack of thrills one would expect in horror films. I was disappointed that there weren't many surprises, although truth be told as the film drew to its close there was one scene that was eerily unsettling and another scene where I literally jumped out of my skin (and that does not happen often). So all-in-all I enjoyed this movie.I've been an avid fan of horror films for over 30 years, yet somehow I'd never heard of this one until a few days ago. I particularly enjoy films that do not rely on graphic violence, nudity and the use of four-letter words. In such films the writing, acting and directing is what categorizes them as great or awful. Though this film isn't one of the greats, it's not one of the worst films ever made either. I'm glad that I came across it, and I recommend it to any fan of horror.

lost-in-limbo After killing his mother and her lover by electrocution. Patrick is now in a coma, where he has been bed-ridden for the past three years in a private hospital. The reason for him being kept on life support is that the doctor in charge; Dr. Roget is using him in the experiment into exploring the territory between life and death. Kathy a new nurse arrives and the first job she is given is to look after Patrick. While, the other staff might not see it, Kathy starts to realize that Patrick has psychokinetic powers, which he uses to manipulate things to his likings.This is one film I've always been pushing aside, but I finally took the chance and seeing a couple of favourable reviews also helped. "Patrick" I found to be an interesting genre piece that was above-average compared to most low-budget and knock-off horror flicks. But again it didn't entirely wow me altogether, but still the film really does string you along with it's slow grinding suspense and slick execution. There are some effective scenes that are illustrated with great skill, but the suspense comes mostly from the thoroughly, taut script. Which, it does comes rather thick in. If you're looking for any blood, you'll be highly disappointed as this centres around the psychological nature than anything psychical. There are some minor acts of violence with the most damaging sight being done to a frog, but it focus more so on the aftermath and rallying the suspense through the surprising developments. The subtle plot has some unique details where little hints and suggestiveness are build up in key areas. The back-story surrounding Patrick is interestingly, involving and we're given time with most of the characters. But it might be too slow for some tastes. I actually thought they could've tighten the film down from its two hour running time, because at times it did kind of linger. Director Richard Franklin also brings to the table influences from Hitchcock, but also he adds some masterstrokes to his self-assured and patient handling of the picture. The professional cinematography plays around with some sharp moving shots and on show is a multi-layered score that plunges you into the deep end. The unknown cast are more than adequate with a strong lead performance by Susan Penhaligon as Kathy and Robert Thompson's appearance is creepy when they cut to him laying in bed as the vegetable Patrick. Robert Helpmann also is decent enough as Dr. Roget and rest of the supporting cast deliver fine performances.Overall, "Patrick" follows a familiar pattern, but its done quite well.

movieman_kev Richard Franklin directs this sci-fi thriller (I use the word thriller VERY lightly) about a parent murdering scumbag who's in a coma but has ESP, from a story by fairly regular collaborator Everett De Roche. I have no clue, how this movie landed the director the job of being at the helm of "Psycho 2", as the film as boring to the point of being tedious. At some point it feels like the movie MIGHT get better, alas it never happens. It's very telling when Robert Thompson ( the actor who plays the comatose Patrick) gives the best performance of the entire film.My Grade:C- DVD Extras: Uncut version; Commentary with Richard Franklin; Both Austrailian and American trailers; ans an easy to find Easter Egg that gives you a look at the soundtrack art that Goblin didEye Candy: Carole-Ann Aylett as Patrick's mum bares her ya-ya's briefly, Helen Hemingway goes topless as well. For the women there's brief sausage