Simply Perfect

Simply A Masterpiece

best movie i've ever seen.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

I was surprised as I sat viewing this film to realise I had seen it before... Evidently, back in 1989, ITV had shown the uncut version of the movie. I find it amazing that I could remember the film so clearly after twenty-eight years.Though I remembered the movie it never lessened the enjoyment of watching it again. Notwithstanding the passage of years, this film is still strong and relevant today.Lee Grant plays Deborah Ballin a news reporter who is campaigning for better rights for abused women. While on her television show, Colt Hawker, played menacingly and darkly by Michael Ironside, watches with growing disdain for in his world women should know their place. He takes it upon himself to send Ballin a message by killing her. He fails dismally, leaving her wounded. Her death now becomes his mission. He starts to stalk the hospital where she's receiving medical attention and the bodies start to stack up - and not due to natural causes.What the director, Jean-Claude Lord (Second Chances - reviewed on this blog & Secrets of the Summer House - to be reviewed), gives the audience is an above par slasher film, with a nice psychological thriller twist. It's superior to others in the genre as it gives a credible back story to the psychopathic killer, which in turn adds a chill because it shows he's not a monster, just a man.Lord gives the audience a roller coaster ride as he speeds up the action and slows down for tension and suspense. The use of a more natural light is a bonus for the viewers when most of these films hide everything in the darkness of shadows, Lord shows you the menace at all times. This is a good thing as Ironside does a wonderful portrayal of Hawker, who is a chameleon... a man of many differing faces, though a madman under the skin.I really liked the fact that Nurse Sheila Munroe, veritably portrayed by Linda Purl, doesn't let too much get to her. As a nurse, she's used to seeing death and dead people, though not murder victims. This is shown through her reactions, she doesn't scream uncontrollably, she is shocked but remains in control of herself. She is a good strong female character.It's Ballin that loves to scream and flail about and this is the only downside to the movie. I know it's strange, I love slasher films but cannot abide screaming. What I cannot abide is unnecessary screaming. For the most part, when faced with something indescribably terrible most people will utter expletives rather than scream, come on directors lets keep it real.If you like slasher psychopaths on a rampage then this is a movie for your delectation.

I'll start by saying that the slasher film genre is one of my least favourites. This is generally because, after a few excellent movies, the films that flooded the 1980s all became derivative, repetitive, and downright boring. The only thing you could look forward to in these movies were the gory special effects, where the oh-so-annoying teenage victims finally got their just desserts. But just occasionally you'll find a slasher flick that transcends the genre and becomes more than just a routine bloodbath; I'm pleased to say that VISITING HOURS is such a film. Instead of a faceless monster stalking young girls, instead we get a psychological slasher film which explores the character of its antagonist – the stalker/murderer who hates women, thanks to a childhood incident – and the protagonist, an outspoken reporter trapped in a hospital and waiting to be attacked.The film is leisurely paced and takes a while to get going, and there are a lot of sub-plots getting in the way before we get to the conclusion. Despite this, the production values are good and the script realistic. Although the film does contain its fair share of clichés and predictable moments, it always feels more realistic and more horrible than most in the genre. In some ways it feels like a less-weird David Cronenberg movie, with the almost clinical detachment from the action; maybe it's just some vibe that Canadian horror movies possess.The film's success is mainly a result of the casting. Without Michael Ironside, I can't imagine this film being half as good. In a mostly silent performance, Ironside creates a totally cold, ruthless, and downright frightening personality, a maladjusted killer who has great intelligence but a corrupted mind. Ironside is fantastic. I always admire the actor and his performances but here he just goes off the board with his subdued portrayal. Far better than hammy Anthony Hopkins and his Hannibal Lector and Kevin Spacey and his clever-clever killer. In fact I would consider this Ironside's finest moment.The rest of the cast are adequate but can't match Ironside. Lee Grant is an unusual choice as the female lead but she makes a pretty good job of it and at least proves to be something more than the blonde bimbo. William Shatner lurks around the sidelines but doesn't get to do anything, worse luck. The various stalking sequences are very atmospheric and suspenseful and the final cat-and-mouse chase in the hospital is up there with the best of them. It's just a shame that the cold subject matter and horrific images (Ironside photographing the slowly dying old woman) are too much to handle for some viewers. Get past them and you have a great little film in your hands.

"Visiting Hours" did respectable business at the box office when it first came out, though it was torn apart by critics. To some degree, I do understand why those critics didn't like the movie at the time. For starters, at 105 minutes in length, the movie is far too long and padded out. Many people watching it today will be squirming in their seats from impatience rather than from terror. At the same time, there are a few head-scratching moments that suggest some explanatory footage was removed during the editing stage, like how Ironside's character gets uniforms and other material to disguise himself when going to the hospital. Slasher fans may be disappointed by the lack of gore and blood. In fact, the movie might be rated PG-13 instead of R by today's standards. And William Shatner's character is hammy and doesn't seem to serve much purpose.But there are some things in the movie that give it merit. For starters, the movie looks very good, much more slick and expensive than most other slashers of this period. Director Jean Claude Lord also does add some atmosphere and some creepy composed shots here and there. The best thing about the movie, however, is Michael Ironside as the killer. He manages to be both extremely creepy and believable. It's no surprise that he went on to become a fairly well-known star after his great performance here.To sum up, "Visiting Hours" is flawed and no classic, but as an example of the slasher film genre, it's definitely above average, and a must watch if you are a fan of this genre.

"Visiting Hours" is the intense story of Deborah Ballin, a women's rights activist who causes much controversy in her decision to support a woman who killed her abusive husband. This decision causes a psychotic misogynist to hunt down Ms.Ballin and kill her. However, his violent attack only sends her to the local hospital, where she makes friends with a kind-hearted nurse. The psychopath then hunts her and all those close to her down in order to finish what he started. Although it sounds like your typical '80s slaughter-thon, this movie actually has more depth to it than most. Instead of b-actors that don't know what they're doing, this cast is made up of some pretty good actors such as Academy-Award winner Lee Grant, William Shatner, the ever-creepy Michael Ironside, and Linda Purl. I believe that Ironside was perfectly cast here and gives a great performance as a soulless, evil killer. Another thing that sets this apart from the other slasher flicks is the dark-nature of the violence. Most of these flicks are very gory, but they are mostly light-hearted and campy. This was just dark and quite mean-spirited, which makes the movie very effective. I certainly recommend this frightening little gem!Rated: R for Violence and Profanity