Review of Visiting Hours (1982) by Justin T — 06 Oct 2014
Nowhere near as much fun as it should be, VISITING HOURS is a relatively disappointing bit of exploitative nonsense. In and of itself, exploitative nonsense isn't necessarily a bad thing if pulled off correctly, but this particular attempt is dramatically inert, with little in the way of effective horror or suspense.
It's got a very thin premise stretched out to its breaking point (there's only so much you can do with the concept of a maniac stalking people in a hospital), and onto that framework it adds no small amount of uncomfortable sleaze (unusual for a big studio release; this is a Fox picture).
Grant, Shatner (disappointingly, he barely hams it up in his relatively small role), Purl, and Ironside (very convincing as the depraved wacko at the heart of the story) all do fine work, but it's in the service of a deeply unsatisfying plot.
All things considered, VISITING HOURS is a mean-spirited little movie with few redeeming qualities, save for the acting.
This review of Visiting Hours (1982) was written by Justin T on 06 Oct 2014.
Visiting Hours has generally received mixed reviews.
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