Directed by John McNaughton, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is loosely based on the life of American serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. As difficult as it is to watch, Portrait of a Serial Killer is to be commended for taking a realistic tone rather than employing campy humor, or presenting Lucas and his comrade Otis (also loosely based on real life serial killer Otis Toole) as some type of anti-heroes. Instead, they are portrayed as violent individuals who apparently lacked any sense of compassion or human decency.
The audience is aware from the start that Henry has a brutal story to tell. In between scenes of Henry (Michael Rooker) going about the mundane routine of his daily life, we are shown various grisly tableaux of his many victims, some shot, others stabbed or strangled. We see him sitting in a car park observing women go to and from a shopping mall, watching and waiting for the right one to cross his path, the predator stalking his prey. He takes after one potential victim in his car, following her all the way home but proceeds no further when he notices her being greeted by a man, perhaps a husband or boyfriend. She will never know how close she came…
Henry is a thirty-something drifter, who becomes Otis’ roommate. Otis, a parolee working at a gas station in Chicago, has a younger sister named Becky (Tracy Arnold) who arrives from out of town and moves in. A teenage stripper, Becky is trying to get away from an abusive husband and get a job that will allow her young daughter to come live with her. She finds herself becoming attracted to Henry even after he tells her that he killed his own mother.
One evening, Henry and Otis decide to pick up a couple of prostitutes for a little entertainment. Once they’re done with them, Henry suddenly kills them without provocation. After dumping the bodies in an alleyway, Henry and Otis drive to a fast food restaurant, where they buy french fries. From then on, Otis is a changed man. Never having killed for the thrill of it before, his excitement is palpable.
Henry and Otis become obsessed with killing. The two men begin a series of murders in and around the Chicago area, with each one becoming more depraved than the one before. With killing, Otis finds something that truly excites him; more than all the drugs he’s sold and other crimes he committed in the past. While Otis gets increasingly revved up as the body count rises, Henry remains calm and introverted throughout their escapades. The sicker these two become, the more intense their relationship gets, and Becky ends up caught in the middle of it all.
Some people are bound to be very disturbed by Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. The film does nothing to shed light on the lives of the victims, tell their stories or even their names. Henry is strictly the story of these two depraved individuals and the victims are simply part of that sickness.
Shot in twenty-eight days with a budget of just over $110,000.00, Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer was filmed in 1986, but wasn’t released until 1989, partly due to repeated disagreements with the MPAA over the movie’s violent content. Executive producers, Malik B. Ali and Waleed B. Ali, openly admit they weren’t sure how to market it. The film was subsequently given an X rating, though ultimately released without a rating in the United States. Unless you’re a fan of the horror/gore genre this is likely a film you’ll want to avoid. Even though I don’t think it’s a film I would give repeated viewings, I give the filmmakers credit for creating an honest portrait of a killer, rather than resorting to the campy gimmicks that are so common in slasher flicks.
The booklet included with this new edition of Henry states as follows:
Henry is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a pin-registration Arriscan film scanner from the original 16mm camera negative. Dirt, debris, scratches and warping were manually removed using PFClean and grading was performed using Baselight.
Noting that the film was originally shot in in 16mm, the difference between the first Blu-ray and this one, feels like night and day. While the rough, documentary look has been retained, detail and texture has been noticeably improved. Color correction has removed the red appearance that pervaded flesh tones and black splotches have been removed from several nighttime scenes. Generally speaking, blacks are solid and the film grain looks natural. MPI Media has delivered a solid remaster of a low budget film.
The enclosed booklet provides the following information regarding Henry‘s soundtrack:
The original stereo mix was transferred from the 35mm magnetic reels at 96k using a Magna-Tech. Once ingested, digital restoration was performed using ProTools HD and Cedar DNS software. The 5.1 mix was created from the ST composite track with added sweeteners and ambiences.
The new DTS-HD 5.1 lossless track is a real improvement, smoothing out the rough edges of the previous mix. Dialogue is even and clear throughout and the electronic score by Ken Hale, Steven A. Jones and Robert McNaughton expands throughout the soundstage. While the dynamic range doesn’t match that of a contemporary blockbuster, it’s impressive given the films budget constraints.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are new to this release:
- In Defense of Henry: An Appreciation (HD, 20:43) In this new featurette, director Joe Swanberg, film critic Kim Morgan, film professor Jeffrey Sconce, exploitation expert Joe Bob Briggs, filmmaker Errol Morris and others discus the films themes, it’s mix of genres and legacy.
- Henry MPAA: A Visual History (HD, 10:52) This provides a look at both the old and the new rating system and the difficulties Henry faced with it.
- Henry at the BBFC: An Interview with NIGHTMARE USA Author Stephen Thrower (HD, 27:25) Thrower recounts the films long and difficult history with the British ratings board.
- It’s Either You or Them: An Interview with Artist Joe Coleman (HD, 8:43) Creator of a one-sheet poster for the film that was originally banned, Coleman discusses his involvement in the project.
- In the Round: A Conversation with John McNaughton (HD, 28:05) In this new interview, the director covers a wide range of subjects, including how his own life experience influenced his approach to the material.
- 30th Anniversary Trailer (HD, 1:46).
- Booklet: The enclosed booklet contains an essay by Stephen Thrower and several stills.
The following extras have been ported over from the previous Blu-ray:
- Commentary with Director John McNaughton: McNaughton is informative and gives insight into what the filmmakers were trying to achieve (they were making something disturbing, not entertaining).
- Portrait: The Making of Henry (SD, 52:35) Features interviews with most of the cast and crew, including director McNaughton, actors Rooker, Towles, and Arnold, and some other folks who worked on the film. It’s a glimpse into what everyone thought of the script, story, and the shoot.
- Deleted Scenes & Outtakes (SD, 21:25) Sans audio, director John McNaughton provides commentary for these deleted scenes.
- Interview with John McNaughton, 1988 (SD, 30:44)
- Original Trailer (HD, 11:53).
- Still Gallery (HD) Contains 34 stills, promo pieces and one-sheets.
- Original Storyboards (HD) Includes about 80 drawings.
