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!

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 ****

one.

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.

unexplained. Also bare in mind that before he slipped into a coma, Patrick viciously killed his mother and her lover... just in case you start feeling sorry for the poor lad at one point or another. You might wanna stop reading now, 'cause you do not need to know more.I think that when you consider PATRICK was released in 1978, it truly was a suspenseful little shocker. I can understand that some may find it too slow or even boring, but I personally don't mind slowly building up tension in this type of movies. I simply loved the fact that this movie carefully gives hints to the viewer about the fact that Patrick has acquired all sorts of psychokinetic powers throughout his comatose-years. And you sometimes can see him as a helpless child, then again as a cunning psychopath. This movie at one point, also raises some thoughts about the moral issues concerning euthanasia. But then leaves those questions behind when you start wondering whether it are the machines who keep Patrick alive, or it is Patrick who controls the machines. Also, the tension throughout this movie is sharp as a knife, 'cause you're constantly waiting for Patrick to move, and when he does, it truly is a terrifying sight.You can tell this was shot on a low budget but it still looks okay. The acting was even pretty decent thanks to a good, unknown cast, 'cause otherwise this movie would have failed miserably . I especially liked Susan Penhaligon as Kathy and of course Robert Thompson as creepy Patrick. Robert Helpmann was very unlikeable as the sadistic Dr. Roget. The same goes for Helen Hemingway as the hateful head-nurse Williams. There isn't really any gore in this movie and the few make-up effects are not so well-done. However this movie does something that's simply unthinkable in nowadays cinema and will make several animal-rights activists go foaming at the mouth. At one point Dr. Roget actually pierces a real living frog's brains, hereby killing it. Then he joyfully runs electricity through its carcass to see it jump again but he eventually gets what he deserves when he is seen eating those same frogs under the mental influence of... Patrick . Pretty sick, if you ask me.On a curious note, I suspect no-one less than Quentin Tarantino having seen and liking PATRICK. Because in KILL BILL Uma Thurman's character's also in a coma AND spits at unsuspecting bystanders. It might be far-fetched, but those are the only two movies I've seen that have such a character, and considering Tarantino is such a real movie-buff...PATRICK is an Australian movie that wasn't too successful after all and highly under-appreciated if you ask me, so the bigger surprise it was that, all of the sudden two years later, an unofficial sequel was made in Italy, PATRICK VIVE ANCORA, which differs immensely from the original. But that, my friends, is a completely different story, and you may not wanna go there...