Das Horror-Hospital (1982)

A deranged, misogynistic killer attacks a journalist. When he discovers that she survived the attack, he follows her to the hospital to finish her off.

Director:

Jean-Claude Lord (as Jean Claude Lord)

Writer:

Brian Taggert (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Ironside, Lee Grant, Linda Purl

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Ironside	...	Colt Hawker
Lee Grant	...	Deborah Ballin
Linda Purl	...	Sheila Munroe
William Shatner	...	Gary Baylor
Lenore Zann	...	Lisa
Harvey Atkin	...	Vinnie Bradshaw
Helen Hughes	...	Louise Shepherd
Michael J. Reynolds	...	Porter Halstrom
Kirsten Bishop	...	Denise (as Kirsten Bishopric)
Deborah Kirshenbaum	...	Connie Wexler (as Debra Kirschenbaum)
Elizabeth Leigh-Milne	...	Patricia Ellis
Maureen McRae	...	Elizabeth Hawker
Dustin Waln	...	Mr. Hawker
Neil Affleck	...	Police Officer
Damir Andrei	...	Paramedic

Storyline

Deborah Ballin is a controversial middle-aged TV journalist, who is campaigning on air on behalf of a battered woman who murdered her abusive husband, claiming justifiable defense against the so-called victim. But her outspoken views championing women's rights incense one of the studio's cleaning staff, closet homicidal psycho (and misogynist) Colt Hawker whose deep seated despising all all things female occurred from seeing his Mother throwing boiling oil in the face of his abusive Father when he was a small child (and who's M.O. is to photograph victims he stabs as they're spasming to death). So much so that he decides there and then to shut her up...PERMANENTLY! Managing to beat her home, he soon dispatches her maid Francine, before turning his rage onto her as she come home (greeting her in only wearing her jewelry and make-up). Despite the brutal injuries he lashes out on her, she manages to survive and is rushed off to hospital. But undaunted he catches up to her in hospital and...

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Plot Keywords:

psycho | grindhouse | serial killer | hospital | journalist | 

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Taglines:

So frightening you'll never recover.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Horror-Hospital

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 5,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,250,157 (USA) (4 June 1982)

Gross:

$12,111,208 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Filmplan, Victor Solnicki Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First English language film directed by French-Canadian director Jean-Claude Lord.

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Goofs

(at around 45 mins) Michael Ironside's character dashes through a bathroom door in the hospital, and the camera and 2-3 crew members are briefly reflected in the mirror above the sink, before he closes the door.

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Quotes

Deborah Ballin: Don't leave me. He's here. I know it!

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Connections

Featured in The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014)

User Reviews

Stupidly under-rated serial killer movie

VISITING HOURS is a largely laughed-at serial killer flick starring Michael Ironside. I suppose many of the laughs generate from William Shatner being in the film, playing a concerned boyfriend. I've never understood the fixation with Shatner as a comedy figure. Shatner is OK in his role, playing it completely straight and not completely terribly. It seems in getting fixated on the (in my view, non-existent) laughs from Shatner, viewers seem to have a blind spot to a lot of good things that VISITING HOURS achieves.

Ironside is strong as the killer (Colt Hawker), whose desire to kill comes from a terrible childhood and an abusive father. He identifies with his father, and loathes women because his mother threw boiling water over his Pa's face. Seems a bit of a stretch, but it wouldn't be the first time sometimes chosen the abuser over the person they abuse.

Colt becomes a misogynist, and turns his attention onto Deborah Ballin, who speaks out against violence towards women. She's a little militant about it and annoys a few people, so it's hard for the cops to figure out that Colt is the one hunting her down.

Some of the kill scenes are genuinely affecting. Colt likes to takes pictures of his victims as they're dying, and one - where he pulls a breathing tube from an elderly lady - is harrowing. Don't forget that Ironside was great in STARSHIP TROPPERS and brilliant in TOTAL RECALL as the supremely slimy Richter, and he excels in a similar role here. It's pretty baffling why Ironside ended up in TV series/movie hell given his excellence in playing the bad guy. Just the luck of the draw.

But the main plus of VISITING HOURS is that it's incredibly well shot. It's wildly voyeuristic, with lots of uncomfortable close-ups and point-of-view shots... and lots of lingering on people's suffering. The director - Jean-Claude Lord - has made nothing else of note. Even his name rhymes in a comedic way. Lord started out in France, then ended up doing US TV movies. But VISITING HOURS has a slight Hitchcock vibe and the level of voyeurism that makes you feel a little grubby just watching the damn movie.

I'm not saying VISITING HOURS is a classic. It's not up there with HENRY, and it's not up there with the next rung of excellent serial killer movies... say something like ANGST or HIGHWAYMEN. The pacing is a little laboured, and there are passages of ropey dialogue. But VISITING HOURS is a very good movie. It certainly is stupidly underrated, and is definitely worth checking out for a well-directed slice of slimy horror.