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Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
R0 - America - Dark Sky Films Review written by and copyright: Jari Kovalainen (1st January 2006). |
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The Film
 When I was younger and VHS was THE equipment to watch movies at home, among the obvious Fulcis, Argentos and Romeros there were some low budget independent horror and exploitation movies from the US, that people were seeking to see. From that I remember films like “Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except AKA Stryker's War (1985)”, “Combat Shock (1986)”, “Street Trash (1987)”, and of course “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)”. The latter was in some ways a few steps ahead of many other “shocking” films that came out in the 1980s, since it wasn´t just a cheap slasher, nor a brainless horror movie (not that there is anything wrong with those films). “Henry” offered a believable and grim story of a modern day serial killer (or killers), made in a low budget way whilst adding some documentary elements to it. It gave a serious punch to the gut for everyone who watched it back then, and that punch can be felt also today. The film starts with a “montage” of the lead character Henry (Michael Rooker), who´s mainly driving in his car and stalking possible victims, while the film intercuts to images of the murder victims, probably killed by Henry. This really takes the viewer right into the heart of the film, telling that this is not going to be a “walk through the park” experience. Soon, the two other important characters are introduced also; Otis (Tom Towles) and her sister Becky (Tracy Arnold), where we learn that Becky flies to Chicago, and since she has no place to go, she stays for a while at her brother's place. Otis and Henry are roommates, and know each other from prison. Their small apartment doesn´t offer much; a small kitchen, an old TV and a few beers in the fridge, but that will be the essential location for the film. Other important locations can be found around Chicago; its dark alleys, motorways and streets, and those are the places where the killing is done. Director/co-writer of the film, John McNaughton will probably always be best known for his work on “Henry”. He started by making a documentary “Dealers in Death (1984)”, and after “Henry” he tried his wings in Hollywood, where he made rather disappointing films like “Mad Dog and Glory (1993)” (with Robert De Niro), and “Wild Things (1998)” (which has gained some cult status, but didn´t really work for me). Like the documentary on the extras reveals, the production of “Henry” started rolling when executive producers of MPI Malik B. Ali and Waleed B. Ali wanted to make a “horror movie”, which they would distribute mainly to the home viewers (VHS-rental business was big back then). McNaughton and Richard Fire wrote the script, which went quickly into production. After the shoot the producers weren´t that happy at first since they wanted a more 'straight-on' horror movie, and there were also some problems with the MPAA (which wanted to give an “X”-rating to the film), so “Henry” was put on the shelf for a few years. When it finally started to appear at the film festivals and was released, it quickly gained some reputation, and reviews were also very positive. What should´ve been just a low budget horror movie became a regarded cult classic, with strong performances by the actors, and intense exploration into the dark side of human nature. What makes the film really work is of course the actor Michael Rooker, who delivers a character that is obviously a very sick person, but at the same time has also the other side, which makes the viewer almost feel some compassion towards him during the film. Deep down Henry is menacing and cruel, ultimately evil, but on the outside he appears as a silent and almost calm person. A “killer with no ego”, as described by the director McNaughton. Henry just kills, like the rest of us would watch some TV. Rooker simply gives a great and convincing performance, and it´s not hard to see why he became a respected supporting actor in Hollywood, at least in the 1990s. Other actors are not far behind, and Tom Towles also does a fine job in his role of Otis. One of the best achievements by the director McNaughton is how the lead characters Henry and Otis are written and portrayed. At first, Otis is the character who looks humorous and almost kind, a person who could protect his sister if needed, but when he gets the taste of killing, his darker side is in some ways even darker than Henry's, since Otis clearly has some twisted perversions. Actress Tracy Arnold as “Becky” is more on the supporting side, but is the third key character in the film to make the story really work. Like Henry, Becky also has a difficult and sad history of her own, since she was molested as a child, so she creates a special connection with Henry. “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” is loosely based on the famous American serial killer Henry Lee Lucas (more about him in the extras-section), and despite some documentary influences this is still the movie created by director McNaughton and his crew, rather than a “real story”. There are no detectives on the heels of the killings, and no sheriffs helping the innocent victims. There are just two guys, to whom killing people is just fun and play; “business as usual”. The aspect that is hard to overlook when talking about the film is the violence, and “Henry” has a reputation of being a nasty and bloody film. I can´t argue that the film has some explicit images (Henry likes to break necks, the thing in films which makes me really uncomfortable), and the “home invasion” scene is really disturbing, but this is not in the same level as some newer ones, like “August Underground”-films, which show every possible act of violence, mutilation and rape, leaving nothing “off screen”. What makes some scenes also more horrifying is the fact that they film some of their killings with a camcorder, and Otis particularly wants to watch the tapes afterwards. Now when we have video cameras everywhere (even in cell phones), those scenes actually feel more effective than probably back then. Despite the violent and controversial nature of the film, “Henry” is still pretty much a serious film making rather than cheap exploitation. And like McNaughton says, if you get over the first shock when you watch the film, there is also some humour included.
Video
US “Dark Sky Films” is a sub label of the bigger “MPI” company, and they have now released a 2-disc “20th Anniversary SE” of the film. “Henry” was shot in 16 mm, and the OAR 4:3 is retained here. In this case it looks like they´ve composed the film in 4:3, so matting this to 1.85:1 would make many scenes awkwardly tight. The transfer is obviously not Anamorphic, and is probably very close to the original 16 mm look of the film (to my knowledge this transfer was taken from the original negatives). The transfer has a fair share of grain, the colors are slightly washed out and the whole look of the film is rugged, but that is in most parts intentional and part of the original look of the film. There are a few (mainly night) scenes were the grain is extensive, so those might´ve been taken from some inferior source. You´ll probably find some edge enhancement if you look close enough, but the print itself is very clean and relatively sharp, and is a big improvement when compared to the earlier US-release by “MPI”. This film was meant to be “low budget” and that is also the look of the DVD, but “Dark Sky Films” has done a very good job of cleaning the print. Note, that the “beginning disclaimer” (“This film is a fictional dramatization of certain events…”) that is in some versions is not included here. The film runs 82:14 minutes (NTSC), and it has 14 chapters. The disc is coded “R0”, and it´s a “single layer” disc.
Audio
The disc has one audio track, and it´s English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (with surround encoding). Optional English HoH –subtitles are also included, which is always nice. Like the transfer itself, the audio sounds also “low budget”, which means that the dialogue is a bit “muffled”, sounding rather limited compared to the sound effects etc. There are also some minor “audio crackles” (again if you listen close enough, nothing major). Still, the audio does a good job, and you can always hear the dialogue, music and sound effects. With “Pro Logic” you´ll get some surround activity, but it mainly just adds the sound coming from all channels, rather than having some directional effects. This works ok with music, but not that well with dialogue. The track itself is quite monaural anyway to my ears.
Extras
Disc 1 The first disc includes the film, which you can listen to with full length audio commentary by director/co-writer John McNaughton and moderator David Gregory. You don´t get that many big revelations compared to the documentary on the disc, but McNaughton has his way with words, and he provides an enjoyable audio commentary. He points out actors and extras that are often his friends, and since he´s from Chicago himself, it´s interesting to hear where they shot certain scenes and how people passing by were just ordinary Chicago residents. He also tells that their method was to make a plan of what scenes to shoot each day and then shoot them, even if it would take 10, 15 or 20 hours. An interesting fact, also, is that they actually wanted to shoot the film in handheld first (to get a more documentary feel), but then when another cinematographer came on board, he chose another style (which works just great for the film). He also talks about the MPAA and the planned sequel, which he never made (it was still made by another director). Also there is a funny anecdote when he tells about the first screening of the film (to the producers), where they showed a bad quality tape copy of the film. Not a very professional way to convince the producers that you´ve done a good job. The best part, probably, is that McNaughton tells his motives and stories behind certain scenes, so that it´s better to understand the film (well, at least his intentions). Next there´s a photo gallery, which includes 29 photos; stills, behind-the-scenes -shots, and parts of the Japanese press book. 3 theatrical trailers can also be found from the disc: One for the film (1:53 min), one of the sequel “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2 (1998)” (1:51 min), and also “The Manson Family (2003)” (2:13 min), all feel good family fun. Or maybe not. Disc 2 The second disc kicks off with a long documentary called “Portrait: The Making Of Henry”, which runs 52:32 minutes, and is produced by Blue Underground and MPI. It´s presented in Anamorphic 1.78:1, and focuses mainly on the interviews (with segments from the film), and the most important people from the cast & crew are included (over 10 people are being interviewed). Director McNaughton and actor Rooker probably tell the most essential stories from the production, but the process has been memorable for everyone involved. You can sense that people are proud of the work that they have done, even when the subject is controversial. McNaughton tells how the project got off the ground, and how producers gave the first check, even when they didn´t have time to read the script (rarely happens in these days, I assume). He also tells that the first cut of the film was over 2 hours (the current cut of the film is the “Directors cut”, so don´t worry), and about the problems with the MPAA. Rooker also tells that his wife was pregnant when they started to shoot the film, so half of the day he was in the shoes of the serial killer (which might have been kind of rough to his wife). He and also other actors are quite happy that they had the chance to be a part of the film. This is the basic example how good documentaries are made of and great addition to the disc. Next there is a shorter featurette which is about the real life serial killer, called “The Serial Killers: Henry Lee Lucas”, and it runs 26:18 minutes. This section is taken from the documentary series released on DVD by “Dark Sky Films” (3-disc set, and over 5 hours of material). The documentary tells the bizarre story of Henry Lee Lucas, who did everything from several murders to necrophilia. The story is told by the sheriffs and investigators (from Texas) that were working on the case back then, and Lucas himself says a few things in the interview made probably from death row, where he is now. It´s clear that the film took some influences from the case (real Henry Lee Lucas also killed his mother, and he went on a killing spree with his friend (and lover) Ottis Toole). They were also a few steps ahead of the police, since they moved from place to place after the killings, like Henry teaches Otis in the film. It´s probably impossible to say how many murders Lucas actually committed along the way, but he was convicted for 11, and one of them gave him the death sentence. Some people have said that he had might have murdered close to 100 people or even many more. This documentary sure is not uplifting, but an interesting story of the horrible things that certain people can do, when their mind is sick enough. The scariest thing is the opening statement, which implies that approx. 200 serial killers are loose in the world today. Deleted scenes -section includes 21:01 minutes worth of scenes. Production audio is unfortunately lost, but there´s an audio commentary by director/co-writer of the film John McNaughton, with moderator David Gregory. Here´s the short description of the scenes (may include minor spoilers), which are in good shape: 1) Becky and Henry try to watch some TV, which doesn´t work. This is the scene before they play some cards for a second time. 2) Same scene shot from a different angle. 3) Otis and Henry on the couch after their first killing together. In this take there´s some gay male affection in the air, which honestly doesn´t work very well (McNaughton is the first to admit it). 4) Image of a murder victim. Shots pans slowly from the people and their golf-shoes. 5) Different takes of a murder victim from the beginning; the female who´s naked except that she has her socks on. 6) Garbage truck comes, and a man is loading the garbage into the truck, which apparently includes some body parts. 7) A few takes from the scene, where Otis shoots the man the first time under the highway. Extended take includes Otis putting the gun in the hand of the victim after he´s dead, and yelling “suicide!” (this scene was too hilarious to be included). 8 ) Henry is fishing. 9) A few takes from a deleted scene where a nightly intruder tries to rape Becky, but is interrupted when Otis and Henry come back home. They beat the guy and throw him out of the window (!). 10) Shot of a murder victim near the train rails. 11) Alternate shots from the scene where Otis, Henry and Becky are dancing, and filming each other with the camcorder. 12) Scene of a street preacher, and at the end of a scene Becky is walking by. 13) After the incident with the intruder, Henry tries to calm Becky down, while Otis goes and gets all of them some beer. 14) Shot of a murder victim in the car, with his throat cut. Last extra is a collection of original storyboards, which includes 74 individual images, which loosely cover the whole film. It can also be added that the keep case includes a reversible cover.
Overall
An highly recommended film; dark, realistic, disturbing, even darkly humourous. Whatever motions it´ll bring to different viewers, I´m quite sure that it won´t leave you cold. This 2-disc set by “Dark Sky Films” is good work, including a good transfer and informative extras. This DVD is available at Xploited Cinema.
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