Patrick vive ancora (1980)

Director:

Mario Landi

Writer:

Piero Regnoli (writer)

Release Date:

15 May 1980 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A bedridden psycho is able to receive evil "vibrations" from hardened criminals and use them for his telekinetic powers.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Dog | Clinic | Swimming | Coma

Cast

Sacha Pitoëff	...	Professor Herschell
Gianni Dei	...	Patrick Herschell
Mariangela Giordano	...	Stella Randolph
Carmen Russo	...	Cheryl Kraft
Paolo Giusti	...	David Davis
Franco Silva	...	Lyndon Kraft
John Benedy	...	Peter Suniak
Anna Veneziano	...	Meg

Also Known As:

Patrick Is Still Alive (USA) (video title)
Patrick Still Lives (USA) (original subtitled version)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM18 | Germany:18 | West Germany:16

Company:

Stefano Film

Quotes:

Professor Herschell: [English subtitles] It is clear that Mr. Cough's death was due to a fatality.

Movie Connections:

Follows Patrick (1978)

Adult Entertainment

With this movie and Giallo A Venezia, I think Mario Landi attempted to do something outrageous, black humored and gory as Peter Jackson`s first two movies, but failed to gain such popularity because he aimed these elements at the sexual, to which most of the audience is very sensitive. The fact that most of the violence is inflicted on real human beings instead of zombies or aliens may have also contributed. This way, Landi took the risk of being considered vulgar and misogynistic, but was definetly making something for the adult audience: That being mostly male. It is very hard for me to agree with almost everyone who reviewed this movie and Giallo A Venezia, because the question arises how did they sit through them in the first place since they have always been movies with such bad reputations. I in particular consider to be Landi very successful in exactly what he aimed for: Adult entertainment.

Neither Giallo a Venezia nor Patrick Lives Again tried to be suspenseful but disgusting, but I think they could not stray too much from their initial premise ( Patrick Vive Ancora being some sort of sequel or remake of the excellent Patrick, a thriller by Richard Franklin), and manage to build if not overall suspenseful athmospheres, at least some pretty good moments. Landi was a skillful director who had experience in the field ( Adapting George Simenons novels to TV or cinema) and managed to make me at least surprised as they were creative with some of the deaths depicted at least in his version of Patrick. I loved the scene of the hanging, after the guy deals the cards. I didnt understand the animal in the refrigerator ( maybe he was trying to repeat a similar scene in his previous movie, the giallo), but It made me jump, and it definetly has the same spirit as Peter Jacksons goriest ideas.

Most people say that Giallo a Venezia is also technically flawed, but watching a better edition made recently on DVD of Patrick made me reconsider this. The only editions of Giallo that are still around are like from the early eighties, and it is logicall that by now they are worn out, and at least the one I watched has editing errors that look more like they were made at the time of preparing the video edition. Patricks Edition looks fine as far as the technical in the DVD, speaking in terms of the movie itself. Much, much worse or stronger movies have been put out on DVD ( let us take for instance Saló, by Pasolini, or Emmanuelle in America, from Aristide Massaccesi), and I dont see why Giallo has not come out, and that they made an " edited" version of Patrick.

Also, if you notice, in both movies people is always smoking or drinking to specific brands of whiskey and cigarettes. I even suspect sponsorship from them as the characters cannot stop drinking or smoking from them in almost all the scenes, and if so, I would not think that brands of such products will sponsor a child movie, either.

Both movies look like they were put together very quickly, which not necesarily make them bad, either. They share the same starring cast, and the locations of movies from the same producer as well as Mario Bavas. This gives them the look of Fulcis movies. Both Landis And Fulcis styles are very comparable. Only Landi is much more cynical and dark humored, and relies a little more on the acting than the camera angles and movements of Fulci. A little more old fashioned.

Well, I think this movies have been spoiled enough to be surprised by the " outrageousness" that they are considered to have, but this way if you have not seen them, you will know what to expect. If you are in for some viciousness, dark humor ( which is the main ingredient) and political incorrectness, this is for you. They really are pretty much like Peter Jacksons movies. And remember, forget about it if you are under 21!