As in the film, Frieda Powell preferred to be addressed as "Becky" rather than her given name. [24][25], Others familiar with the case have suggested that Lucas committed a low of two murders to — at the most — about 40 killings. Back at their apartment, Henry explains his code of immorality: the world is "them or us". Close. When he returns, he finds Otis is raping Becky anally and is strangling her with her shirt. Using Otis's return as an excuse, Henry leaves to buy cigarettes and get some air. Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) is a dark and terrifying film. In the early 1990's, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER was taken for a second time by the Australian Customs Service. During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger. Loosely based on serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, the film follows Henry and his roommate Otis who Henry introduces to murdering randomly selected people. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer isn't entirely successful, but it's admirable nonetheless. Although the title makes Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer seem like a cut-rate slasher flick, the movie is actually one of the most disturbing and terrifying examinations of mass murderers ever filmed. It was considered too extreme and after being withdrawn, was replaced by the current official poster. (1986). The clothes Michael Rooker wears throughout the film were his own (apart from the shoes and socks). Becky reveals that her father raped her as a teenager. The Texas Attorney General's Office produced the "Lucas Report," which concluded that reliable physical evidence linked Lucas to three murders. In Henry: Portrait of a serial Killer you can only feel hate. Seller 100% positive. One of the most harrowing American horror films of the 20th century, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer returns in an immaculate presentation that cements this shocking and thought-provoking plunge into a nightmare of the human soul as a true cinema landmark. He migrates to Chicago, where he stops at a diner, eats dinner and later murders the elderly proprietors of a liquor store. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer [21], In prison, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to over 600 murders, claiming he committed roughly one murder a week between his release from prison in 1975 to his arrest in 1983. Henry tells Otis that he will have to leave Chicago soon. The people they kill are strangers and in one particularly gruesome attack, kill all three members of a family during a home invasion. If you know that and see this movie, you can ask some serious question about how disturbing some of our fellow humans are. "[7] Elliott Stein of The Village Voice stated, "the best film of the year... [it] recalls the best work of Cassavetes." Sure, he's never honored with an Oscar or any other important price for his performance, but everyone who sees this movie knows it's true. Henry suggests that they go to his sister's ranch in San Bernardino, California, promising Becky they will send for her daughter when they arrive. Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) is a dark and terrifying film. Although the title makes Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer seem like a cut-rate slasher flick, the movie is actually one of the most disturbing and terrifying examinations of mass murderers ever filmed. The film was directed by Chuck Parello and starred Neil Giuntoli as Henry with Kate Walsh and Penelope Milford in supporting roles.[28]. With the producer, writer, and director in place and with the subject matter decided upon, the film went into production. HENRY II: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER picks up where the original left off, with Henry (Neil Giuntoli, The Shawshank Redemption ) taking a room with husband and wife Kai (Rich Komenich, The Amityville Horror ) and Cricket (Kate Walsh, Grey’s Anatomy ). Replay Slideshow Previous slide Next slide. Henry reveals that he is disturbed by sexual violence against women because of his prior child abuse at the hands of his mother, forming a seemingly protective bond with Becky. [26] Lucas was ultimately convicted of 11 murders and sentenced to death for the murder of an unidentified female victim known only as "Orange Socks." One of the most harrowing American horror films of the 20th century. The opening 10 to 15 minutes are extremely effective, as we follow Henry (Michael Rooker) while he is on the prowl looking for his next victims. This time it was the US laserdisc release from MPI Home Entertainment. Similarities between real life and the film include: In the UK, the film was first released in its uncut form in 2003 by Optimum Releasing. ... you sustain trauma lol it wasn’t that bad but it definitely took a different take on serial killer films than i was familiar with or prepared for at the time, as someone else put it, … Only the old horror movies from the 30's and 40's could do that. Rooker portrays migratory murderer Henry, and the camera follows him as he commits a series of vicious murders on … The movie was filmed in 1985 but had difficulty finding a distributor. Will he find the perfect woman in a photographer, and end his killing spree? "[20], The film was recognized by American Film Institute in 2003 for their AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list. With the documentary cancelled, Waleed and McNaughton decided that the money for the documentary could instead be used to finance a feature film. [19], It is listed in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, which says "Henry evokes horror through gritty realism and excellent acting. The MPAA rated the film "X," which was popularly associated with pornographic films at the time.[6]. Title: This controversial horror classic follows a serial killer and his partner-in-crime. The original poster artwork was a painting by Joe Coleman. Becky tells Henry her plans, and they decide to go out for a steak dinner. A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. "[16] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews. The killing spree depicted in the film starts after Otis' sister Becky comes to stay with them. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Henry (Michael Rooker) is a psychopathic drifter who murders scores of people - men, women, and children - as he travels throughout America. During filmmaking, costs were cut by employing family and friends wherever possible, and participants utilized their own possessions. However, after financing was in place, the owner doubled his price and the brothers pulled out of the deal. The Ali brothers gave McNaughton $110,000 to make a horror film with plenty of blood. Real: Hannibal Lecter. You wonder if he even IS a human, no living creature can be so awful.So, if you ask yourself all this during this movie, and I assure you will, you could say it's an excellent film. [8] In its theatrical run, it eventually grossed $609,000, in part due to the continued controversies surrounding the film. Henry advises Otis that every murder should have a different modus operandi so the police will not connect various murders to one perpetrator. A troubled man gets released from prison and starts taking out his sadistic fantasies on an unsuspecting family living in a secluded house. Due to the rating, Atlantic pulled out. MPI did not plan a theatrical release for the film. He also went on to say that the film was an obvious candidate for the then-proposed A rating for films that were for adults-only which were non-pornographic. Henry Lee Lucas sexually abused Toole's 12-year-old niece, Frieda Powell, who lived with Lucas and her uncle for many years. Written by The 1970 Chevrolet Impala driven by Henry belonged to one of the electricians on the film. Henry talks with the same, aggressive tone of voice during the whole movie, his eyes seem to shoot fireballs when the camera looks like in them and his appearance makes you want to puke. It's based on the real Texan serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole. "I guess I love you too", Henry replies, seemingly annoyed. 41 of 62 people found this review helpful. [27] The film had a Blu-ray release in 2009. Which of these debut films would you most like to watch (or watch again, if you've already seen them)? Otis seemingly accepts and drops the argument. In the US, in 2005 a special 20th Anniversary Edition two-disc DVD was released by Dark Sky Films. Such confessions also increased his fame with the public. Poster art for "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer." A film crew follows a ruthless thief and heartless killer as he goes about his daily routine. Loosely based on the life of Henry Lee Lucas, this is a raw, gritty and overall savage character study of a serial killer. [citation needed]. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all. 2,037 likes. Arriving in Chicago, Henry 'Michael Rooker, in what is undoubtedly the finest performance of his patchy career', moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer. McNaughton himself sent copies of the film to prominent film critics, hoping to attract attention and thus a distributor. Shot on 16mm and starring Michael Rooker, who's probably best known nowadays as Yondu Udonta in the Guardians of the Galaxy. Still retaining its ability to unsettle, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer sets out with the objective to exemplify how a conventional countenance can adorn insanity. The next day, Becky gets a job in a hair salon. [11], In 2001, Universal Home Entertainment submitted the full uncut version of the film for classification for home video release. Otis (Tom Towles), a drug dealer and prison friend of Henry's, picks up his sister Becky (Tracy Arnold), who left her abusive husband, at the airport. They book a motel room for the night. HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER Original Movie Poster 39x55 2Sh Italian ROOKER. Loosely based on serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, the film follows Henry and his roommate Otis who Henry introduces to murdering randomly selected peopl It stars Michael Rooker as the nomadic killer Henry, Tom Towles as Otis, a prison buddy with whom Henry is living, and Tracy Arnold as Becky, Otis's sister. That's a quality you don't see in movies very much. When he fights back, Otis grabs a rope and starts to choke the man. Additionally, Ferman re-edited the scene so that the reaction shot of Henry and Otis watching TV now occurred midway through the scene rather than at the end. [14] The film's subsequent theatrical release was able to capitalize on the positive reviews it had received throughout its controversial festival showings, and its theatrical reception was more positive. Following further controversy over the rating, Greycat Films picked up the film for distribution after it screened at the Boston Film Festival in 1989. A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, loose in New York City, kills young women and takes their scalps as his trophies. According to the costume designer Patricia Hart, she and Rooker would travel to the set together each day, and she never knew from one minute to the next if she was talking to Michael or to Henry as sometimes he would speak about his childhood and background not as Michael Rooker but as Henry. garykmcd. Available for the first time since 1990, this deluxe vinyl release features the complete soundtrack with score cues by Robert McNaughton, Steven A. Jones, and Ken Hale; available to pre-order from waxworkrecords.com. Becky indicates a romantic interest in Henry for his actions having protected her. In January 1993, the BBFC again classified the film '18,' but the Board also removed four seconds from the scene where the TV salesman is murdered, meaning a total of 42 seconds were removed from the home video release. Loosely based on the real life exploits of Henry Lee Lucas, a leering, low IQ sicko who became a media star after claiming to have murdered several dozen people (some believe Henry was bragging), this film takes a gritty, realistic approach that creates the … It was on many many levels a very important film. However, in the film Becky is Otis's younger sister and is considerably older than the 12-year-old Frieda Powell. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a controversial 1986 film that follows the exploits of a serial killer named Henry. Waxwork Records is excited to present Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Henry uses the threat as an excuse to indulge his murderous impulses, and Henry stabs him repeatedly with a soldering iron nearby. 96. Read our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're watching in March, including "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Boss Level, and Zack Snyder's Justice League. Complete your Robert McNaughton - Ken Hale - Steven A. Jones collection. Otis and Henry argue after their camera gets destroyed while Otis is filming female pedestrians from the window of Henry's car. The violence and the clinical, detached portrayal of Henry and his horrifying actions make Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer a disturbing, thought-provoking film, but it certainly isn't one for every taste. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) Parents Guide Add to guide . "Henry" was filmed during the winter of 1985-86 by a Chicago director named John McNaughton, on a budget of $125,000, using unknown actors from the free-wheeling Organic Theater Company. McNaughton credited the MPAA's refusal to accept any cuts as giving him the opportunity to release it uncut, as he would have made cuts had they requested it. The film is an honest and disturbing attempt to come to grips with the sort of modern horror that we must - more urgently every day - try to understand. The characters of Henry and Otis are loosely based on convicted real life serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole. Henry: It's like a trail of sh*t, Otis. Atlantic Entertainment Group expressed interest in releasing the film theatrically but mandated that it have an MPAA "R" rating. But complications set in when the film crew lose their objectivity and begin lending a hand. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The release went live this afternoon from Waxwork Records. Otis worries that the police might catch them, however, Henry assures him that everything will work out. Maximize Share. Henry lacks compassion in everything he does and isn't the kind to leave behind witnesses - of any kind. The film was classified '18' for theatrical release in April 1991, after 24 seconds were cut from the family massacre scene (primarily involving the shots where Otis gropes the mother's breasts both prior to killing her and after she is dead). While Becky is in a state of shock, Henry grabs the rat tail comb from her hand and brutally stabs Otis, murdering him, and then dismembers his body in the bathtub. The film starts out with a girl named Becky, who just got out of a tough relationship with her convict husband and heads to Chicago to make some money for herself and her daughter. The BBFC waived the four seconds cut from the murder of the TV salesman, and 61 of the 71 seconds from the family massacre scene (they refused to reinstate the 10 seconds of the scene where Otis molests the mother after she is dead). This DVD included a newly recorded commentary from McNaughton, a 50-minute making-of documentary, a 23-minute documentary about Henry Lee Lucas, 21 minutes of deleted scenes with commentary from McNaughton, a stills gallery, and the original storyboards. Henry was filmed in 1985 but had difficulty finding a film distributor. Lucas died in prison of heart failure on March 13, 2001. After an odd new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue. For example, in the scene where Becky emerges from the subway, two men can be seen standing at the top of the stairs having a heated discussion. A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The film's theatrical premiere was on January 5, 1990 in Boston, where it grossed $50,504 during the weekend. What's in the bag at the end of the film?
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