Product Details

• Actors: Susan Penhaligon, Robert Helpmann, Rod Mullinar, Bruce Barry, Julia Blake
• Directors: Richard Franklin
• Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: ELITE ENTERTAINMENT
• DVD Release Date: November 19, 2002
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00003PE93
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #110,165 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Patrick" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
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

From the Back Cover
After violently murdering his mother and her lover, young Patrick lays comatose is a small private hospital. When a pretty young nurse, just separated from her husband, begins working at the hospital, she senses that Patrick is trying to communicate with her, while others in her life are being killed in most mysterious ways.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epitome of Suspense, February 23, 2003

By	James A. Dean (Arlington, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This film is one of the creepiest, most suspenseful films you will ever watch. The "comatose" reviewer below must have been just that, because he needs to change his bong water. I would defy anyone to watch this movie and not be engrossed. Fine acting throughout, this isn't some chessy film by any stretch. If you liked a movie like "Dead Calm", for instance, you'll like this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A blast from the past; Franklin's homage to Hitchcock, December 27, 2002

By	hippiedj "hippiedj" (Palm Desert, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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."

3.0 out of 5 stars Bedsores..., August 7, 2008

By	Bindy Sue Frřnkünschtein "bigfootsalienbaby" (under the rubble) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

A young nurse named Kathy Jacquard (Susan Penhaligon) gets a new job at a psychiatric clinic. She is assigned to a patient named Patrick (Robert Thompson). Patrick has been in a coma ever since he murdered his mother and her boyfriend 3 years earlier. Kathy goes through her daily routine, until bizarre events start happening to her and to those around her. Kathy slowly realizes that Patrick, while quite immobile, is nonetheless able to manipulate people and objects w/ his mind. Ms. Jacquard's terror and frustration grow as Patrick attacks any men in her life. This movie has it's moments, but I did find myself wishing for a little more in the way of action. No, I wasn't expecting explosions or hundreds of grisly deaths. However, a few more sinister, telekinetic fatalities would certainly have upped the suspense and helped to move things along. As it stands, PATRICK is a watchable movie w/ a decent story. Watch for Rod Mullinar (Thirst) as Kathy's husband Ed. Julia Blake is very intense as the matron...