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:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The shocking true story of Henry Lee Lucas.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Serial Killer | Prostitute | Bisexual | 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
John Scafidi	...	Kid with Football #1
Benjamen Passman	...	Kid with Football #2
Flo Spink	...	Woman in Cadillac
Kurt Naebig	...	High School Jock
Kristin Finger	...	Hooker #2
Lily Monkus	...	Woman in Beauty Shop
Ray Atherton	...	Fence
Eric Young	...	Parole Officer
Rick Paul	...	Shooting Victim
Peter Van Wagner	...	Bum #1
Tom McKearn	...	Bum #2
Frank Coronado	...	Bum #3 (as Frank Coranado)
Lisa Temple	...	Murdered Family - Wife
Brian Graham	...	Murdered Family - Husband
Sean Ores	...	Murdered Family - Son
Pamela Fox	...	Hair Stylist
Waleed B. Ali	...	Store Clerk
Donna Dunlap	...	Dog Walker
Augie the Dog	...	Delores

Directed by
John McNaughton

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

Produced by
Malik B. Ali	....	executive producer
Waleed B. Ali	....	executive producer
Lisa Dedmond	....	producer
Steven A. Jones	....	producer
John McNaughton	....	producer

Original Music by
Ken Hale
Steven A. Jones
Robert McNaughton

Cinematography by
Charlie Lieberman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Elena Maganini

Casting by
Jeffrey Lyle Segal

Art Direction by
Rick Paul

Costume Design by
Patricia Hart

Makeup Department
Michael J. Alonzi	....	makeup effects crew
Chuck Gatz	....	hair stylist
Herb Nordheimer	....	makeup effects crew
Bernd Rantscheff	....	makeup artist (as Berndt Rantscheff)
Jeffrey Lyle Segal	....	special makeup effects artist (as Jeffery Lyle Segal)
Scott Whitehead	....	makeup effects crew

Production Management
Lisa Dedmond	....	production manager
Steven A. Jones	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew Bradburn	....	second assistant director
Paul Chen	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Frank Coronado	....	storyboard artist
Rick Paul	....	property master
Rick Paul	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Cory Coken	....	sound editor
Ric Coken	....	post-production sound mixer (as Rick Coken)
Dan Haberkorn	....	sound effects
Elena Maganini	....	post-production sound editor
Jim Moore	....	rerecording assistant
Louie Quiroz	....	assistant post-production sound mixer
Patrick Yacono	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration
Thomas T. Yore	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Lee Ditkowski	....	technical effects

Stunts
Paul M. Lane	....	stunts
David Woolley	....	fight coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Dave Buckley	....	grip
Brian Graham	....	grip
Dave Mahlman	....	assistant camera
Paul Petraitis	....	still photographer
Bernd Rantscheff	....	still photographer (as Berndt Rantscheff)
Bradley Sellers	....	assistant camera (as Brad Sellars)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Patricia Hart	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Steven A. Jones	....	musical director

Other crew
Richard Fire	....	acting coach
Melanie Hecht	....	script supervisor
Steven A. Jones	....	title designer
David Le Boy	....	title designer (as David LeBoy)
Bradley Magon	....	production assistant

Thanks
Kevin Dougherty	....	special thanks
Greg Doyle	....	special thanks
Tommy Dubois	....	special thanks
Mic Fabus	....	special thanks
Neil Flynn	....	special thanks (as Neal Flynn)
Judith Gold	....	acknowledgment: Chuck Gatz courtesy of
Steven Hager	....	special thanks
Larry Hart	....	special thanks
Bob Jorgenson	....	special thanks
Jeanette Jorgenson	....	special thanks
C.J. Kavooras	....	special thanks
Alex Kerr	....	special thanks
Charles Michaels	....	special thanks
Becky Passman	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Passman	....	special thanks
Paul Petraitis	....	special thanks
Wendy Sander	....	special thanks
Mike Sandlass	....	special thanks
Laura Storto	....	special thanks
Barb Sun	....	special thanks
Greg Sun	....	special thanks
Pat Thompson	....	special thanks
Cath Whitney	....	special thanks
James Young	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Maljack Productions

Distributors

• Greycat Films (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kulturföreningen Kedjan (1992) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1990) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (1992) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Astro Distribution (1997) (Germany) (VHS)
• MPI Media Group (1998) (USA) (DVD) (director's edition)
• MPI Media Group (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Dark Sky Films (2005) (worldwide) (all media)
• MPI Media Group (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Kamras Film Group (1992) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Pierre Grise Distribution (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Alfa-Panorama Film & Video (1998) (Finland) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Dark Sky Films (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (25th anniversary edition)
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Look Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MPI Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MPI Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Optimum Releasing (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Triangelfilm (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Alloy Music  soundtrack published by (as Alloy Music A.S.C.A.P.)
• Chicago Police Department  special thanks
• Ferrer Talent  special thanks (as Ferrer Talent, Chicago, IL)
• Lassen's Tap  special thanks (as Lassens Tap, Homewood, IL)
• MPI Home Video  courtesy of (excerpts from "Becket")
• Mayor's Office, Chicago  special thanks (as The Mayor's Film Office, Chicago, IL)
• Midway International Airport  special thanks (as Midway Airport, Chicago, IL)
• Organic Theatre, The  special thanks (as The Organic Theatre, Chicago, IL)
• Screen Time Images  film restoration
• Sproute Route  catering (as Sprout Route LTD.)
• Tone Zone Recording  music recorded at (as Tone Zone Recording Chicago, IL)
• Zenith D.B.  post-production sound services (as Zenith D.B. Chicago, IL)

Also Known As:

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 (uncut) (2005) | 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) | Portugal:M/18 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:X (original rating) (rating surrendered) | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | Iceland:(Banned) (video rating) | Iceland:16 (original rating) | Italy:VM18 (1992)

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Maljack Productions

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.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

Henry:Guns are easy to get... I can make a phone call and get a gun. Anybody can get a gun, Otis.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Callin' Colleen

Chilling

I am 57 years old. I've seen many films in my lifetime. I am not easily frightened or upset by movies. I am partial to drama and documentaries. I can count on one hand the films that I have found to be so deeply disturbing, that I later regretted seeing them.This film is among them. It is possible to "see too much" in this life, and once seen, some sights remain trapped in your head FOREVER short of getting a lobotomy, or being

hypnotized. Leaving the theater that day, I honestly felt as though I had actually witnessed several murders. I was really shaken by the horrific realism of this cinematic event. I was sorry that I had seen the film, but it was too late to retract the terror that, even today, still remains in my memory. Some things are so

emotionally damaging, that perhaps they should be left alone. This film was so powerfully unsettling for me, that I feel a need to warn others of the emotional impact. This speaks well of the directors skill at scaring movie-goers, but

approach with caution please. This is a very heavy movie. The Honeymoon

Killers is another film that I regret seeing. Would that I could forget that

nightmare!