Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Loosely based on the confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Henry has received a ton of publicity over its battle with the MPAA. Slapped with an "X" rating, MPI first appealed and then decided to release the film unrated. First off, there is nothing in Henry that warrants an "X" rating. Director John McNaughton's documentary-like "portrait" is a relentlessly grim picture of a psycho named Henry (Michael Rooker), who brings his friend Otis (Tom Towles) into the business. Over the next few weeks, Henry becomes friends with Otis' sister Becky (Tracy Arnold), while he and Otis go out and kill people. The film moves back and forth between beer and small talk at the kitchen table on the one hand, and brutal murder, on the other. At one point, Henry tells Becky: "Yeah, I killed my mother," but with each retelling the murder weapon shifts from baseball bat to butcher knife to gun. We cannot get a hold on Henry, and perhaps that is the point. He says that his mother sexually abused him, but we cannot know for certain if that is true. So we come away from the film with no new insights, nothing really to justify the 90 minutes of pure hell that we've endured. Henry is a competently made "B" movie, that almost succeeds in playing down its sensationalist subject matter (except in the choral orchestrations that accompany the long tracking shots of Henry's victims), and is reasonably well acted. Had the MPAA controversy not escalated Henry into a cause celebre it is doubtful whether Siskel & Ebert would have so willingly tossed their thumbs up for it, or whether the Village Voice would have--characteristically, I think--lauded it as the "best American film of the year." A strictly optional purchase. (R. Pitman) [Blu-ray Review—Sept. 29, 2009—Dark Sky, 83 min., not rated, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1986's Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer sports a decent transfer with Dolby Digital stereo sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary with director John McNaughton, a 'making-of' documentary (53 min.), an interview with McNaughton (31 min.), 'The Serial Killers: Henry Lee Lucas' featurette on the real-life criminal (26 min.), deleted scenes and outtakes with optional commentary (22 min.), storyboards, a stills gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for a controversial cult film.] [Blu-ray Review—Dec. 13, 2016—Dark Sky, 82 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $29.98—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1986's Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer: 30th Anniversary features a fine transfer and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Extras new to this release include a 'Henry at the BBFC' interview with author Stephen Thrower (28 min.), 'In the Round: A Conversation with John McNaughton' with the director (28 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes 'In Defense of Henry: An Appreciation' (21 min.), 'Henry vs. MPAA: A Visual History' (11 min.), 'It's Either You or Them: An Interview with Artist Joe Coleman' (9 min.), a new trailer, and a booklet. Extras carried over from the previous release include audio commentary with McNaughton, a 'making-of' documentary (53 min.), a 1998 interview with McNaughton (31 min.), 'The Serial Killers: Henry Lee Lucas' featurette on the real-life criminal (26 min.), deleted scenes and outtakes with optional commentary (22 min.), storyboards, a stills gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: the best-looking and most extras-packed edition yet of this controversial cult film.]