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Patrick Double Feature
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (19th February 2023). |
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The Film
 "Patrick" (1978) Kathy Jacquard (played by Susan Penhaligon) is hired as a nurse at the Roget Clinic, led by Dr. Roget (played by Robert Helpmann). One of her tasks is to take care of a patient named Patrick (played by Robert Thompson), who has been in a coma for three years. In her personal life she is having difficulties after separating from her husband Ed (played by Rod Mullinar) while at work she is under constant supervision from strict head nurse Matron Cassidy (played by Julia Blake), but something unusual starts happening when she gets closer to Patrick - he starts communicating with her through telekinetic powers. Director Richard Franklin and writer Everett de Roche heard a fascinating story about a man who caught his wife cheating on him, and was paralyzed after falling out a window. After that the man could only communicate with a spit motion from his mouth, and interestingly his wife continued to take care of him, including sexually which she said was still possible to do. The inspiration led to the creation of the Patrick character, but the similarities end there as the rest of the story becomes a science fiction horror film in the telekinesis genre, He may be the title character, but the centerpiece is around the character of Kathy and her emotional journey. Dealing with a separation from her husband and feeling frightened of him coming back into her life, she is also having to fit into a new place and new workplace with everything around her changing. She is emotionally vulnerable, and one person that starts to make her feel more comfortable in the new situation is Brian (played by Bruce Barry), a doctor that was introduced to her by Roget Clinic nurse Panicale (played by María Mercedes). He is concerned for Kathy's well being and the two start a relationship together, but that does not make comatose Patrick happy, as it is shown, he is falling in love with Kathy as well. There is a glimpse into Patrick's life before his coma, as it opens with the wordless and silent Patrick not being able to handle the relationship that his mother was having with her lover, which leads Patrick to electrocuting them while they bathed together. The accident killed the couple and also left Patrick in a coma, but it never states whether Patrick had powers before the accident or if they were acquired afterwards. It's also not clear why it took him three years to use his powers, though there are implications that he possibly used his telekinesis on a previous nurse who no longer works at the clinic. The film shows that he has the ability to move things, whether physical objects or people in short distances from him or even miles away, as seen in the pool sequence that was nowhere near the clinic. He is able to manipulate a typewriter to write his words and he is able to control objects, and it could be because of Kathy's presence - the only staff member who speaks to him like a normal human being and is interested in his recovery unlike Dr. Roget who only sees him as an object for testing and researching. Richard Franklin was a longtime admirer of Alfred Hitchcock, and while a student at the University of Southern California, he befriended the director and helped organize events in which the director among other filmmakers would give lectures to students about filmmaking. His study of Hitchcock's process shaped him as a filmmaker, and "Patrick" is a film that takes many inspirations from Hitchcock yet it also stands on its own, The closest Hitchcock came to a character like Patrick was in an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" season 1, in which Joseph Cotten played a bedridden character following an accident. As for supernatural elements like telekinesis, this is something that Hitchcock would never explore in his features. There are numerous Hitchcock homages to be found in "Patrick". The title logo is based on the "Psycho" logo. The main character's troubled relationship with his mother is reminiscent of Norman Bates. In addition Franklin took cues from Hitcock's filmmaking process with the use of storyboards, the slow and calculated pacing to build tension, and this also applied to the look of the film. Cinematographer Donald McAlpine's visuals are bright and bold, giving a comforting feeling of warmth for audiences who may not be suspecting of anything quite sinister, even if the opening flashback shows the Patrick character killing his mother and her lover by electrocution. But this also comes with the limited budget of the film, which was produced for $400,000, so existing locations had to be used, including the clinic which had an eerie look that was similar to that of the Bates Motel. Even with the low budget, they were still able to make a film with a lot of tension from the characters, the supernatural elements, and the unusual story that looked at broken love and emotional connection in a different way. "Patrick" still has its flaws. There is never an explanation for Patrick's powers or why he hasn't used them for his own well being for the last three years. There's little backstory on Kathy's separation, or the coldness of the clinic matron. There could have been more to explore to shape the characters better, but all in all "Patrick" gets a lot right with its tension building and uncomfortable scenes for audiences well. It's easy to see why the film is considered a classic of the Ozploitation genre but it was not always seen that way. This was producer Antony Ginnane's first foray into producing a horror film, and in Australia there were few if any exploitation horror films being made that were homegrown. The film was released theatrically on October 1st, 1978 in Australia followed by other countries throughout 1979. In Australia, the film didn't find an audience and was considered a box office bomb. In other countries from the United States to Europe it found financial success in distribution, becoming one of the bigger horror hits of the time. In America, the distributors wanted to cut the film and also dub the Australian accents to American accents which at first frustrated Franklin, but Ginnane knew that it was a choice that they were willing to take for possibly having a bigger hit. It proved to work, as the American release was a successful one. On the other hand, in Italy the film was also changed slightly, including replacing the original composer Brian May's score with one by the band Goblin. The Italian release was also a big hit which in turn led to an unauthorized Italian sequel being produced entitled "Patrick vive ancora" in 1981. Frankling and de Roche had some ideas for a sequel film, but their careers would become busy with different projects that a sequel would never come to fruition. Rather than a sequel happening, the film would get a remake thirty-five years later from Ginnane as producer and music video/documentary director Mark Hartley directing as an homage to the original, yet taking it in a new and different direction. "Patrick" (2013) Kathy Jacquard (played by Sharni Vinson) is hired as a nurse at the Roget Clinic, led by Dr. Roget (played by Charles Dance). One of her tasks is to take care of a patient named Patrick (played by Jackson Gallagher), who has been in a coma for three years. While at work she is under constant supervision from strict head nurse Matron Cassidy (played by Rachel Griffiths), but something unusual starts happening when she gets closer to Patrick - he starts communicating with her through telekinetic powers. Mark Hartley's 2008 documentary "Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!" was the first all encompassing look at the movement that was later coined Ozploitation, and it was from here that he was able to interview and befriend numerous cast and crew members of Australian cinema of the 1970s and 1980s, including director Richard Franklin. During the filming of the interview, Franklin was sick from cancer but was staying positive with the stories he had to tell for a new audience. He passed away on July 11th, 2007, a year before the film was completed. The 1978 "Patrick" was one of many features discussed, and it was due to the documentary that the original film's produder Antony Ginnane approached Hartley on hekming a remake. Becoming the most knowledgeable person on Australian genre cinema, he seemed like a natural choice to pay homage to one of the most defining works of Ozploitation, but rather than making a carbon copy, the remake is one that feels closer to a modern indie horror than the genre where it came from. Hartley was known for music videos, commercials and the aforementioned documentary, and had never made a feature film, and that also went for Justin King, who co-wrote "Not Quite Hollywood" and was hired as the co-screenwriter for the "Patrick" remake along with Harley and Ray Boseley. The cinematographer was Garry Richards who worked with Hartley in the past in music videos and documentaries. While a number of crew members were new to the feature film experience, they were certainly experienced in filmmaking itself and their vision for the remake would look and feel like a completely different film with a number of changes made. The basic story of a young man in a coma with telekinetic powers at a private clinic and a new nurse befriending him would stay the same. Many of the principal characters would also be kept with their names also staying the same. A few characters were changed or removed, such as Kathy's separation only being mentioned in passing rather than introducing her ex as a character. Matron Cassidy was given more depth by making her the daughter of Dr. Roget, playing a creepy family dynamic to the clinic. Another interesting change is the reveal of Patrick's backstory with his mother, which is placed towards the end of the film in the remake rather than at the start in the original. The biggest change comes with the look and feel of the remake. It is incredibly dark visually and reliant on jump scares and a quicker pace. The look of the clinic and many other locations, whether indoors or out look very dark with minimal lighting to accent the atmosphere. It's sometimes hard to place what the audience should be seeing, and instead of the comforting aspect the brighter original had, the remake is upfront that this is a darker tone both in vision and in story. The scares come from music cue jumps, visual scares, and screams from each and every angle. In essence, this does not at all feel like the original film. But does it work as a jump scare feature? Yes and no. The jumps are well done at times, but others seem forced rather than playing with pacing. The effects work is strong with a mix of practical stunts and effects with CGI additions, but for scenes that use complete CGI such as with the driving in the rain scenes look a bit fake and take the viewers out from the realism. As for the performances, there are a number of highs, with Vinson being an excellent Kathy and Griffiths being a powerfully cold matron Cassidy. Charles Dance is great as always as Dr. Roget, but the love interest character Ed (played by Damon Gaugh) doesn't seem quite strong or caring in comparison to the original film. There is one scene in which he makes a spitting motion like Patrick would that freaks out Kathy, and it's not quite clear why he did that to her. The remake is paced much faster and not willing to take time to add to the story and characters, instead updating it for modern times and modern audiences. The original was of its time and was a trailblazer for the genre. The remake feels more like a follower of the genre, taking cues that were tried and tested already, rather than being something new and different entirely. As a film on its own, the remake of "Patrick" does a lot with good effect. But as a remake of a classic, it must be unfairly compared to the original. This was also the case for Richard Franklin and his film "Psycho II" in 1983. As great as the sequel was on its own, it had to be compared to the untouchable original, and in effect was always seen as the lesser of the two. It is interesting to see how different trends in the genre have shaped the genre in the modern age. Even though Hartley payed homage to the original and the Ozploitation genre with the remake, it's an entirely different beast, for better or worse. The film opened in Australian on October 17th, 2013 after playing at a few international film festivals earlier in the year. This was followed by international releases the following year. While there was positive praise for the film, there was disappointment from fans of Ozploitation classics that were being re-evalued at the time, as the remake didn't set to write new rules or become a part of the old school genre. It's interesting to see the two "Patrick" films back to back and see what worked and what didn't, as each film has its praises and flaws. Umbrella Entertainment previously released the original film on Blu-ray in 2013 to help promote the remake, and the remake received its Blu-ray release in 2014 from Umbrella Entertainment as well. In 2021, Umbrella Entertainment released this Blu-ray set, which packages the two features together with a lengthy amount of vintage and new extras. Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray set
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the original film in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. There doesn't seem to be any major restoration work done on the film, as there is some examples of film damage that can be spotted such as dust and scratches. Colors sometimes weave and not as balanced, depending on scene to scene. Reds and browns are much more prominent with brighter colors seemingly faded a bit. Film grain is intact and there are no issues of digital manipulation. Comparing stills from the older 2013 Umbrella Blu-ray release, the transfer seems to be quite similar to the older disc. It's unfortunate a new restoration could not be done for the reissue. The original's runtime is the original Australian cut, at 112:19. Umbrella Entertainment presents the remake film in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The remake was shot and edited digitally, and the transfer here is quite excellent. It is an exceptionally dark film, which at times are almost too dark, as if the characters forgot how lights actually work in indoor environments. It was an artistic choice to have a darkly lit film, and the muted colors, dark colors are well reproduced here in this transfer. Detail is great, sharpness is excellent and is an overall pleasing experience here. The remake has a runtime of 95:34.
Audio
"Patrick" (1978): English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono The original mono track is presented lossless, and while it is a clean sounding track, it does seem slightly off balance. Pro-Logic enabling doesn't fold the two channels down to a center channel, instead spreading the differences and making things sound unnaturally surrounded. Standard two channel playback is the more ideal option. The track itself is fairly on the clean side with pops and crackle unheard, though at times a bit of hiss can be found. The score cues and effects are well balanced against the dialogue and is fairly well balanced throughout. "Patrick" (2013): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo The remake gets both 5.1 and stereo lossless options and both sound excellent. The 5.1 track uses the surrounds in an effective manner with scares and the score cues, with the center focusing on dialogue which is always clear and well balanced. There are no issues of dropour or errors to be heard for a great soundtrack for the film. There are no subtitles available for the original film while there are optional English HoH subtitles for the remake film. This was another missed opportunity for Umbrella to not create a subtitle track for the original film for this release. As for the remake, the subtitles are in a yellow font, are well timed, and easy to read.
Extras
This is a 2-disc set with DISC ONE having the original film and its extras while DISC TWO has the remake film and its extras. DISC ONE Audio Commentary by director Richard Franklin This audio commentary which was recorded in 2002 features the director recalling the production of the film, from the genesis of the story, the technical aspects of the shoot including the special effects, the locations used, the numerous Hitchcock references, the score, the performers, the original 140 minute rough cut which is considered lost, and more. There is a slight surprise that comes in around 46 minutes into the commentary, in which comments from Everett De Roche are suddenly edited in, as he talks about the writing process and inspiration, which lasts about five minutes until it returns to Franklin speaking for the rest of the commentary. Frankling at one point apologizes that he wasn't aware of what had happened to some of the cast and crew after the film was released, though he has a lot of great annecdotes to recall about. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Extended Interviews with director Richard Franklin, screenwriter Everett de Roche, producer Antony Ginnane, and stars Susan Penhaligon and Rod Mullinar from "Not Quite Hollywood" (61:07) Featured here are extended interviews with the cast and crew that were taken from director Mark Hartley's essential documentary on the Ozploitation genre from 2008, these interviews are specifically for "Patrick" which was a central showcase. There are talks of Penhalgion working in Australia and being excited about being in a genre film, Millingar recalling working with Penhaligon and his experience of seeing the film projected on a big screen in Thailand and dubbed in Thai, Franklin's annoyance with the film being dubbed into American English for the United States and the film's worldwide reception, de Roche discussing the initial idea for the story and some of the changes made from the script to screen, and Ginnane working on an entirely new experience for the crew as well as the international reception. in 1080 30p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "A Coffee Break with Antony I. Ginnane" featurette (17:56) This interview with Ginnane is from 2009, in which he talks about his jump into genre filmmaking with horrors and thrillers, Franklin's heavy Hitchcock influence with the making of "Patrick" including detailed storyboarding and use of music cues. He also talks about the feature's initial major success coming from overseas rather than in its home country, as the country was seemingly not ready for homegrown horror at the time. in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles On Set Interview with Richard Franklin (9:18) Presented here is a vintage interview with Franklin conduced by Ivan Hutchinson during the making of "Patrick" and also includes some rare behind the scenes footage. Frankling talks about the production of the film, the suspense angle, the difficult effects, and the tight shooting schedule. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles 1981 Interview with Richard Franklin (25:30) Fringe science, euthanasia themes, co-producing Blue Lagoon, Making Road Games in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Where Was It Filmed?" featurette (16:18) YouTuber Paul Hagl's “Reel Streets of Melbourne” series chronicles him finding and visiting film locations around the city and this episode of “Patrick” was his first. Starting off with some comedic moments of Hagl watching the film on Blu-ray, he then hunts for the locations of the hospital, street, and house locations as seen in the film. Some of the finds like the main hospital is found, but Cathy’s house seemed to have been demolished and rebuilt. There are sprinkles of comedic moments with editing as well as referencing the pool sequence, and a good start to the series of shorts. The clip has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Excerpt from Dubbed US version (3:30) The scene of Cathy’s job interview is presented with the dubbed American audio track. The audio is not remastered, so there is some hiss and crackle throughout. in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Stills and Poster Gallery (5:44) A series of behind the scenes stills, poster art, other promotional artwork, and newspaper clippings are presented in an automated slideshow with music from the film as background. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, Music Dolby Digital 2.0 US Theatrical Trailer (1:48) While colors are faded and there are damage marks around, the audio is surprisingly clear in this trailer. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.85:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles TV Spots (0:56) Three American TV spots are presented here. in 1080 30p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Patrick vive ancora" Trailer (2:16) The unauthorized sequel feature from Italy’s trailer is presented here, which is mistakenly titled “Patrick vive ancore” in the menu. There is no dialogue, though all the on screen text is in Italian. in 1080 30p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Australian Theatrical Trailer (3:20) The restored original trailer is presented here, which looks as good as the feature film does, with better colors and sound in comparison to the American trailer, which relies equally on dialogue scenes and the creepy deep narration. Though there is a bit of hiss in the audio. The trailer has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.85:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Antony I. Ginnane Trailer Reel (31:10): - Patrick - restored - Snapshot - film damage, weak colors - Thirst - grainy - Harlequin - some damage, but fair colors - The Survivor -remastered with great colors, some damage - Race for the Yankee Zephyr - clean - Dead Kids - slightly blurry, pops in audio. - Turkey Shoot - windowboxed for some reason. - Dark Age - Hightide - The Lighthorsemen - windowboxed - The Time Guardian - windowboxed - The Dreaming - Screamers A series of Ginnane produced trailers are presented here, in differing quality between each trailer. Some of them are restored such as "Patrick", some are from standard definition windowboxed transfers like "The Lighthorsemen" and "The Time Guardian". in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in various ratios, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC TWO Audio Commentary by director Mark Hartley, cinematographer Garry Richards, and writer Justin King This commentary recorded in 2013 has Hartlet, Richards, and King together discussing details on the making of the film. Discussed are specific changes for the remake, the technical effects with the mix of CGI and practical, behind the scenes information, about the cast and crew, the cameos and references and much more. The three are never at a loss of words and is a solid commentary. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Spit, The Stunts, The Sex, The Gore" featurette (28:22) This featurette was shot and edited by Summer de Roche, the daughter of the original film's screenwriter, who was given full access to document the remake's production. Compiled here are behind the scenes footage for a number of special effects and stunt sequences, candid interviews with the cast and crew, and more. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Cast & Crew On-Set Interviews (58:10) Presented here are interviews during production from the cast and crew. There are interviews with actors Charles Dance, Rachel Griffiths, and Sharni Vinson on their characters and their draw to the production, plus interviews with producer Antony Ginnane, director Mark Hartley, writer Justin King, cinematographer Garry Richards, production designer Robbie Perkins, costume designer Aphrodite Kondos, makeup artist Larry Van Duynhoben, and visual effects supervisor Steve Cooper on behind the scenes details. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Mark & Garry's Production Diary" featurette (29:40) Presented here is additional footage shot by Summer de Roche, this time focusing on Mark Hartley and Garry Richards. Shot during production usually after a long day's hard work on set which starts off with excitement and throughout the weeks turns into anxiety, with both being quite honest with the stress of production. Though thankfully, without major arguments or troubles along the way. A few of the comments also turn up in the above featurette. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "VFX Before & After Showcase" featurette (4:43) Presented here is a montage of scenes from the film with examples of visual effects progression comparisons. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Radio interviews with director Mark Hartley (21:54) Three radio interviews with Hartley made during the film's theatrical release in Australia are presented together, though unfortunately without credits or dates attached. Hartley discusses the process of the remake and the differences, the shooting, and the difficulties of making a genre film in Australia. The second interview is especially poor sounding, as if it was recorded through a walkie talkie. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Phase 4" viral video (2:06) A faux found footage reel to promote the film’s streaming and home video release, which actually is not using footage from the movie itself. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Stills & Poster Gallery (4:09) A series of behind the scenes stills plus poster art are presented in an automated slideshow format with cues from the film’s score as background music. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, Music Dolby Digital 2.0 Theatrical Trailer (1:58) The original Australian theatrical trailer is presented here. It has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Umbrella Entertainment previously released the original film on Blu-ray in 2013 and the remake film on Blu-ray in 2014. For the newer 2-disc set, Umbrella have added the 1981 Franklin interview, the "Where Was It Filmed?" featurette, the trailer for the unauthorized Italian sequel for the original film and the radio interviews and viral video promo for the remake film. The 2-disc is an upgrade for extras for both films.
Packaging
This is #5 in Umbrella's Ozploitation Classics range of Blu-rays, which includes a uniform slipcase with a blue border that houses the keep case. The front artwork for the keep case has the American poster art for "Patrick" (1978) while the back has the Japanese poster art for "Patrick" (2013). The inner portion has a collage of stills from both films.
Overall
"Patrick" (1978) and "Patrick" (2013) each have their strengths and weaknesses. The original will forever be part of the dawn of Ozploitation horror and done well with its limitations. The remake is calculated and jumpy, but doesn't quite have the originality to set it apart from the rest of the genre. This 2-disc set from Umbrella doesn't give a new transfer for the original film unfortunately, though it collects a wealth of extras for both features including a few exclusives. Still comes as recommended. Note the scores below are for "Patrick" (1978).
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