Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Director:

John McNaughton

Writers:

Richard Fire (written by) &
John McNaughton (written by)

Release Date:

September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Yeah, I killed my Mama...

Plot:

Based on the true life serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Serial Killer | Prostitute | Graphic Violence | Video Footage

Awards:

9 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Mary Demas	...	Dead Woman / Dead Prostitute / Hooker #1
Michael Rooker	...	Henry
Anne Bartoletti	...	Waitress
Elizabeth Kaden	...	Dead Couple - Wife
Ted Kaden	...	Dead Couple - Husband
Denise Sullivan	...	Floating Woman
Anita Ores	...	Mall Shopper #1
Megan Ores	...	Mall Shopper #2
Cheri Jones	...	Mall Shopper #3
Monica Anne O'Malley	...	Mall Victim
Bruce Quist	...	Husband
Erzsebet Sziky	...	Hitchiker
Tracy Arnold	...	Becky
Tom Towles	...	Otis
David Katz	...	Henry's Boss

Also Known As:

Henry - Portrait d'un tueur (Canada: French title) [fr]
Henry - en massmördare (Sweden) [sv]
Henry - pioggia di sangue (Italy) [it]
Henry Lee Lucas - sarjamurhaaja (Finland) [fi]
Henry, portrait d'un serial killer (France) [fr]
Henry, retrat d'un assassí (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Henry, retrato de un asesino (Spain) [es]
Henry, to portraito enos dolofonou (Greece) [el]
Henry: A Sombra de Um Assassino (Portugal) [pt]
Henry: portret seryjnego zabójcy (Poland) [pl]
Retrato de um Assassino (Brazil) [pt]

Runtime:

83 min | Australia:77 min | Norway:78 min | Sweden:78 min | Italy:75 min (edited for TV)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:(Banned) (uncut) | New Zealand:R18 (cut) | Australia:R | Finland:(Banned) (1992) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1998) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1997) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1992) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (DVD rating) (2001) | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1989) | USA:X (original rating: 1988) | West Germany:18 | Iceland:(Banned) (video rating) | Iceland:16 (original rating) | Italy:VM18 (1992)

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Maljack Productions

Trivia:

The film makes use of many uninterrupted takes. The scene when Henry and Otis drive through the night and kill the man who stops to help goes on for almost two minutes without a single interruption.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: "Otis" is misspelled in the opening caption.

Quotes:

Becky: I love you, Henry.
Henry: I guess I love you too.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game-On: (#3.5)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Lavalite Waltz

A dark and twisted film about a very deranged and demented soul.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) is a film that is loosely based upon the exploits of notorious white trash serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. This man claimed to have killed hundreds of people, mostly women. But the director takes us down the path of a man who is in many ways similar to the real deal.

Michael Rooker stars as Henry, a demented man living in a twisted world who lives with a scummy roommate Otis (based also on Henry Lee Lucas' running buddy/lover Ottis Toole). Otis' kid sister Becky (loosely based upon the very young sister of Ottis) comes to live with her older brother after a falling out back home. She decides to head out to the big city to find a new life.

The film follows the murderous trail of Henry who's pent of rage and sexual frustrations fuel the madness that's locked deep within his psyche. Those that are around him soon feel his madness and it's brutal and fatal consequences. The director follows these three individuals with a pseudo-documentary feel. The rape and murder scenes are graphic and brutal as they should be. This is no mere exploitation film because there is nothing exploitative about it, as it should be.

I have to recommended this film. It's a sick, twisted but honest look at the life of a serial killer. He's no movie magic monster because unlike those, he's for real. Co-starring future B-Movie thug Tom Towles as Otis.

You'll never see a film like this again.