Patrick Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Patrick Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 13, 2024

Richard Franklin's "Patrick" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by Richard Franklin and screenwriter Everett De Roche; new program with critic Stephen Morgan; archival program with producer Antony I. Ginnane; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English and Italian, with optional English and English SDH subtiltes for the main feature. Region-Free.

The only other actor that I have seen trying to replicate what Robert Thompson does in Patrick is Pietro Barzocchini. In Burial Ground, Barzocchini is very effective too, but the camera does not spend the same amount of time observing his face and bulging eyes. It is because Barzocchini and the camera work in tandem and know exactly how much time they have to make the former’s character look as creepy as possible. Once seen, this character is impossible to forget, but the truth is that it is not one of the crucial leads in the film. In Patrick, Thompson gets a drastically different treatment. He is required to spend virtually the entire film in bed with a frozen face and eyes that look like they are about to pop out. On top of this, he is not on good terms with the camera, so the two do not do any special work to make him appear creepy. He must do it alone and stay that way even when the camera is busy observing what other characters around him do.

What about Mathieu Almaric’s performance in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly? It is very different. His face is frozen, but he can use his eyes to engage in conversations, and the camera does many unique things to bring the audience into his world. Unsurprisingly, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a drastically different film, too. It is firmly grounded in reality, trying his best to be as rational as possible while working with very challenging material.

For a long, long time the consensus among connoisseurs of genre films has been that Patrick is a Hitchcockian thriller that works rather well, or at least given its production limitations. I think that this is only partially true. Patrick does have some Hitchcockian elements that are impossible to ignore, but only because Hitchcock's work covers a lot of material that genre films like to explore. I do not think it was conceived and shot to emulate what Hitchcock did to impress. Also, it has too many rough spots that shape its personality, and as is the case with virtually all smaller genre films, this is what ultimately makes it worth seeing.

The fun begins when Kathy (Susan Penhaligon) applies for a job in the psychiatric facility where Patrick is a patient. After an extremely awkward interview, Kathy is hired and assigned to take care of Patrick, who is supposed to be a human vegetable, which makes him a very attractive target for a couple of mean characters with the authority to determine what is best for him. As Kathy begins treating Patrick as a normal human being, she is shocked to discover that he is aware of her presence, and as the two develop a most interesting relationship, several awful accidents eliminate the mean characters. An investigation is launched, but the people studying the accidents have a very difficult time rationalizing their findings.

The narrative construction is such that Patrick quite simply cannot function as a whodunit project, which is one of many reasons I do not think that its director, Richard Franklin, wanted it to be a Hitchcockian copycat. The remaining reasons behind my guess have everything to do with the very wicked sense of humor that permeates it and creates a most unusual atmosphere.

This very wicked sense of humor is what makes Patrick work for me. It is unusually flexible, so some viewers may miss its presence in certain areas of the film, but I can easily detect it and find it surprisingly effective. Why surprisingly? Because I do not think that the entire cast was fully aware of precisely what type of genre film Franklin was directing, which is why some actors look very serious, some appear unapologetically goofy, and a few are simply moving from one scene to another. Is it possible that Franklin was not either, and Patrick evolved as he kept moving forward? Yes, but it is unlikely, because Patrick does not struggle to establish an identity. It has one, and it is very, very similar to that of an Italian genre film from the same period, but without the over-the-top gore such a film would have undoubtedly produced.

Of course, this is precisely why when Patrick was licensed for distribution in Italy, Brian May’s original soundtrack was replaced with a brand new soundtrack by the legendary progressive/ambient rockers Goblin. (Deep Red, The Bloodstained Butterfly).

*Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release presents three versions of Patrick: Australian Theatrical Version (113 min), Italian Theatrical Cut (102 min), and U.S. Theatrical Cut (97 min).

Patrick Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 10890p transfer, Patrick arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release introduces a new 4K restoration of Patrick, which can also available on 4K Blu-ray. You can see our listing and review of the 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack here.

While I like how healthy the entire film looks now, I think that the quality of the presentation could and should have been more convincing. Why? Color balance is not as convincing as it could have been. I mentioned this in our review of the 4K Blu-ray release, too. Some areas look wonderful, but elsewhere light cyan/turquoise begins to interfere with white, some variations of white, and blue and some variations of blue. The change introduces fluctuations in primaries and supporting nuances that hurt the organic appearance of the visuals. You can see examples in screencaptures #2, 5, 7, and 9. In native 4K, the HDR grade helps some of the problematic areas look a bit better, but it is still easy to tell that the balance is not right. The rest is great. Delineation, clarity, and depth are consistently very pleasing. Image stability is outstanding, too. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your gelographical location).

Patrick Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 (Australian Theatrical Version), Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 (Italian Theatrical Cut), and English LPCM 1.0 (U.S. Theatrical Cut). Optional English SDH (for the Australian and U.S. versions) and English subtitles (for the Italian version) are provided.

I viewed the Australian version of Patrick. The dialog was clean, clear, and easy to follow. Balance was excellent as well, though in a couple of areas there are inherited minor fluctuations that affect dynamic intensity. The upper register never reveals signs of aging. If you enjoy Patrick, I recommend viewing the Italian version as well because it utilizes a completely different soundtrack by the legendary progressive/ambient rockers Goblin, who scored Dario Argento's Deep Red and several other Italian cult films.

Patrick Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Richard Franklin and screenwriter Everett De Roche. There is a lot of interesting information in it about the conception of Patrick -- which apparently is loosely based on a true story that was altered in several ways and then expanded with ideas and more from Psycho -- the original, very long cut of the film and its final version, the use of different music on the Australian and Italian versions of the film, how the film was tweaked to appear more stylish, etc. It is a very informative commentary, so if you enjoy Patrick find the time to listen to it in its entirety. The commentary was recorded in 2002.

• On-set Interview with Richard Franklin - this archival interview with Richard Franklin was conducted by Australian film critic Ivan Hutchinson. Franklin discusses the style and genre identity of Patrick. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• On-stage Interview with Richard Franklin - this archival interview with Richard Franklin was conducted with Mark Hartley at Cinemedia, Treasury Theatre, Melbourne, in 2001. Franklin discusses the big commercial success of his film at the Cannes Film Festival, Brian May's work on the soundtrack and Goblin's alternative soundtrack, the film's style and lasting appeal, etc. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• A Coffee Break with Antony I. Ginnane - in this archival program, producer Antony I. Ginnane recalls his involvement with Patrick and discusses its production and success. The program was produced in 2009. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• Not Quite Hollywood Interviews - the following interviews were utilized by Mark Hartley in his documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!. The interviewees discuss their contributions to Patrick and how their careers evolved in the years after its theatrical release. In English, not subtitled. (62 min).
  
  1. Susan Penhaligon
  2. Rod Mullinar
  3. Richard Franklin
  4. Everett De Roche
  5. Antony I. Ginnane

• Stephen Morgan: Shock Tactics - in this new program, Australian critic Stephen Morgan discusses the evolution of Australian genre cinema and the production and success of Patrick. In English, not subtitled. (27 min).

• French Title Sequence Comparison - presented with original music. (3 min).

• Trailers and TV Spots - in English, not subtitled. (6 min).
  
  1. Restored Australian Theatrical Trailer
  2. Vintage U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  3. TV Spot One
  4. TV Spot Two
  5. TV Spot Three

• Image Galleries -
  
  1. Original Promotional Materials
  2. Behind the Scenes

• Book - limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Alan Miller, exclusive extracts from director Richard Franklin and producer Anthony I Ginnane's unpublished memoirs; archival interviews with screenwriter Everett De Roche and special-effects supervisor Conrad Rothmann, and full film credits.

Patrick Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite numerous claims that Patrick is a universal genre film, it is pretty obvious that it was conceived and shot to function as an Italian genre film. What are the famous Italian genre films that are considered cult films now known for? Borrowing material from famous Hollywood films, producing special atmosphere while 'improving' this material, and frequently boasting a spectacular sense of humor. Patrick borrows material from Psycho, tweaks it to make it original, and has a wicked sense of humor, which is precisely why when it arrived in Italy it was rescored by Goblin. To be honest, I do not think it is a coincidence that Pietro Barzocchini's weird character in Burial Ground looks like a European relative of Robert Thompson's character, either. Andrea Bianchi must have seen Patrick and liked it quite a lot. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' combo pack introduces a new 4K restoration of Patrick with an excellent selection of bonus features. The same 4K restoration is also available on 4K Blu-ray. RECOMMENDED.