Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

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

Director:

John McNaughton

Writers:

Richard Fire, John McNaughton

Stars:

Mary Demas, Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold

9 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Henry likes to kill people, in different ways each time. Henry shares an apartment with Otis. When Otis' sister comes to stay, we see both sides of Henry; the "guy-next-door" and the serial killer. Low budget movie, with some graphic murder scenes.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | serial killer | prostitute | rape | nude woman murdered | 

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Taglines:

Yeah, I killed my Mama...

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Henri, portret serijskog ubice

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$111,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$609,939 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Maljack Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min 75 min (edited for TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Throughout filming, the filmmakers cut costs by utilizing family and friends, as well as their own possessions, and even the crew itself, wherever they could. For example, the dead couple in the bar near the start of the film are the parents of director John McNaughton's best friend, whilst the bar itself is where McNaughton used to work.. Actress Mary Demas (a close friend of McNaughton's prior to the film) plays three different murder victims; the woman in the ditch in the opening shot; the woman with the bottle in her mouth in the toilet; and the first of the two murdered prostitutes. The four women Henry encounters outside the shopping mall were all played by close friends of McNaughton. The woman hitch hiking was a woman with whom McNaughton used to work. The clothes Michael Rooker wears throughout the film were his own clothes (apart from the shoes and socks). The car driven by Henry belonged to one of the electricians on the film. Art director Rick Paul plays the man shot in the lay-by; storyboard artist Frank Coronado plays the smaller of the attacking bums; grip Brian Graham plays the husband in the family-massacre scene; executive producer Waleed B. Ali plays the clerk serving Henry towards the end of the film.

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Goofs

Some obvious matte lines are seen in the film from time to time.

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Quotes

Store clerk: How about those Bears?
Henry: Fuck the Bears.

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Crazy Credits

Before the film begins the following can be read: "This film is a fictional dramatization of certain events. 'Henry' is not intended to be an accurate portrayal of a true story. The film is based partly on confessions of a person named Henry, many of which he later recanted. As to Otis and Betty, the film is fictional."

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Connections

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! Part 2 (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Lavalite Waltz"
Written by Dan Haberkorn (as D. Haberkorn)
Performed by Dan Haberkorn

User Reviews

What A Sick (But Fascinating) Film!

This low-budget film gets high marks because it's entertaining, despite the perversity of the subject matter. It's only 83 minutes long and it moves very fast. Some will be turned off big-time with the shocking brutality of this film, but that's what it is about - a cold-blooded killer (Michael Rooker, playing real-life killer Henry Lee Lucas) with seemingly no conscience, and a stupid partner (Tom Towles as "Otis Toole"), who is about as bad.

"Chilling" is a good word to describe these guys.

The only part of the movie which was repugnant to me was the scene in with Rooker and Towles break into a house, terrorize a woman and videotape it. Other than that, this is fun to watch in a sick way. This, and the French movie, "Man Bites Dog," are the two movies in my collection I am embarrassed (morally speaking) to say I own and find fascinating to watch.

There are only three main actors in this film: Rooker, Towles (playing fellow killer, Otis Toole, a real dumb-ass trashy character) and his kid sister, "Becky" (Tracy Arnold). All three are extremely interesting.

The rest of the people are all victims of those two guys who go on a killing spree that is almost a daily occurrence for a short time. It's absurd, but that's the story. It caused quite a star when it was released. It was given a rare NC-17 rating. Nowadays, it would be "R" with no fanfare.

This is a very sick story, but it sure is interesting.