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Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer | Year: 1990 Classification: Drama Actors/Actresses: - Michael Rooker - Tracy Arnold - Tom Towles The most disturbing film ever made? In the early 1980s, a group of guys wanted to make a new kind of horror film. Due to a very limited budget and time constraints, they knew they couldn't make one involving complex special effects and hideous-looking monsters - gore was not really an option. John McNaughton, first time Director, decided on a film about the everyday life a serial killer, set in modern day America. Much of the shoot would be on location, so no flashy soundstages or huge sets to eat up the budget. They cast an unknown in the lead and kept the cast and crew minimal. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was born. The effect of watching this film will flood you with many emotions as you go through it - anger, fear, empathy, sympathy, disgust to name but a few. It's very simple plot - a serial killer moves in with his ex-con cellmate and sister, then goes round killing people, is disturbingly simple. Absolutely everything about this picture works - the shoddy locations, the precision character acting (easily Michael Rooker's best film and his most intense performance) and matter-of-fact manner in which the murders happen, make this one of the most disturbing films ever made. I think it is a masterpiece and creates feelings in the audience that go well beyond any that the huge Hollywood blockbusters could hope to get near to. It is I would say, the most disturbing film I have ever seen (and I've watched many, many horror films) because it works on an entirely different level - these are people you pass in the street, that live near to you. McNaughton offers no explanation as to why the things we watch on the screen happen, they just do - which ultimately makes this more terrifying. Thus, we are left with an almost flawless character study of a serial killer in his prime, no hope for redemption, Henry kills because he enjoys it, no other reason and we, as the audience are implicated into that, by our fascination with evil deeds and violence (otherwise why in the first place, would you even want to watch a film like this?). Perhaps the most interesting element of the entire film is right at the beginning before it starts - a warning is displayed, giving the audience a taster of just what they're going to experience. McNaughton has oft claimed that anyone who sits through the whole film needs it, that those who leave early or don't watch it, don't need it. We are left with a film that makes you feel depressed about enjoying onscreen violence, forcing you to question just why you'd want to see people being killed and surely this can only be a good thing? The DVD is fully uncut and includes insights by McNaughton which are interesting and add to the general feeling of the film - it's certainly worth getting this version if any, but be warned - this is a one-off - no ghosts, ghouls or buckets of gore, nothing so easy I'm afraid. CULT MOVIES 28 28. HENRY: portrait of a serial killer (horror-thriller, 1992) Henry (Michael Rooker) lives with his ex-prison buddy Otis whose sister Becky moves in with them. Despite his shy nature Henry and Becky are attracted to each other. One night Otis and Henry go out with 2 prostitutes. In a fit of rage Henry kills one of them and with Otis' help kills the other. At first having second thoughts Otis gets a taste for killing and they set out on a murder spree. Otis first shoots down a passing motorist. They then break into a house and slaughter a whole family (dog and all). They record everything on tape. Otis begins to lose control as his perverse sexual urges lead him to rape his own sister. When Henry finds out things take a turn for the worst. Critique: This graphic, low-budget venture was made in 1986 but due to the material was released 6 years later. The story is based on the confessions of serial killer Henry Lukas (who allegedly confessed to more than 500 murders). Since the plot eschews from any reference of real events the theme is poorly presented. Writer-director John McNaughton concentrates more on the nature of killing and the people that commit them. The only sure thing we know as being Henry's murderous excuse was that his prostitute mother beat him up, and sometimes forced him to watch her have sex with clients. Besides that the scary thing is that we don't really get to understand his (or anyone else's) motives for killing. As is the case with most low-budget films the use of grainy stock footage and cheap props prove very realistic. McNaughton shows flair by the use of hand-held cameras (particularly in the disturbing 'family slaughter') and good use of cinematography (invoking a visionary paranoia and suspense). The ending further distances us from the nature of evil. QUOTES: pawnbroker: "Of course it's black and white. What do you expect for 50 bucks? ****** 3-D for God's sake?" Brutally Candid Horror.. Body after body is depicted together with murdering agonizing screams as a background sound. This is the beginning of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which instills a nightmarish vision of the mind of a serial killer. The film is loosely based on Henry Lee Lucas who was emotionally, physically, and sexually abused as child by his mother while living with his handicapped father who had lost his legs in an train accident. Henry had been forced to wear dresses and watch his mother having sex with strangers, which has created internal enraged emotions toward women. In addition, Henry shows an emotional numbness whenever he has killed someone as if he had just finished the last of his coffee. The story takes place in the Chicago area where Henry lives with Otis and Becky. Otis spent time in jail with Henry where the two became friends. His sister Becky has recently escaped an abusive relationship while Henry goes about trying to find odd jobs and killing women in random ways as it will not leave a trail back to him. However, when living in close quarters with others it is does not take long before Otis finds out about Henry's secret, but instead of going to the police they partner up. Henry teaches him the secret of killing for pleasure and together they begin to find ways of sharing these grotesque moments with each other. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer has some interesting cinematic moments where a camera is use for the main point-of-view, which later is transferred into the living room. This brings a morbidly surreal experience to the audience as the fetish of the disturbed characters is brought to the eyes of the audience in a revolting manner. Yet, it is a subtle transition, which most people have experienced through their own home video moments. The story is filmed with highly grained film stock, which enhances the realistic acuity of the environment as it brings further horror to the minds of the audience. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a highly disturbing film that experiments with audience participation in the film in a most clever way, which leaves the audience with a truly horrific cinematic experience. Buy Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer Search with the Priority Search Engine on Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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