Patrick Movie Review

It's pretty unusual -- especiallly by horror movie standards -- to have your title character unconcscious throughout the entire film. Yet that's the fate of poor Patrick (Robert Thompson), sent into a coma after seeing his mother and her lover together in a bathtub... and tossing in an electric space heater.

Years later, Patrick is a vegetable in an intensive care unit, with new nurse Kathy (Susan Penhaligon) taking over his care and feeding. Sure enough, it's only a matter of days before Patrick -- eyes wide open, unblinking -- is causing telepathic trouble -- dumping people into pools and typing mysterious messages with his mind. (Apparently he's in love with poor Kathy.)

Unfortunately, Patrick never reaches much of a thrill level. Having your villain stuck in a coma just doesn't do much for his degree of scariness unless he can physically manifest himself out of his hospital bed (think Exorcist III). Once Patrick does get the body count started, things get a little creepy, but they never had me jumping off the couch or even cringing in the slightest. Either way, it's too little, too late.

Somebody pronounce Patrick, will ya? He's D.O.A.