Patrick (1978)
Directed By: Richard Franklin
Starring: Susan Penhaligon, Robert Helpmann, Robert Thompson
Subgenre: Supernatural
A while back I checked out the amazing documentary “Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!” I know next to nothing about this subgenre from Australia, so I learned quite a bit watching this and made a quick list of movies to check out. Patrick was at the top of the list.
A young Patrick, decides to end his Mother’s whoring ways by throwing a fan (or was it a lamp?) into the bathtub that she is sharing with her latest visitor. Patrick then falls into a coma and we jump forward to find Patrick still lying in a hospital bed, eyes wide open, with the occasional involuntary spit to let you know he is still alive. Nurse Kathy Jacquard is new to the hospital and has just recently split up with her husband. Weird things start to happen to her and to people around the hospital. It appears as though Patrick has taken an interest in Kathy, but how does a comatose patient show his jealousy? With telepathic powers of course!
Patrick plays out more like a thriller, as the scares are pretty minimal, but it is a pretty good flick. I am not sure if Exploitation hounds will be satisfied, as it is a pretty tame movie, but it is worth checking out.
Director Richard Franklin would go on to direct Psycho II, F/X 2 and Cloak and Dagger, among a handful of television episodes as well.
