Length of Film- 83 minutes
Director- John McNaughton
Cast- Mary Demas, Michael Rooker, Anne Bartoletti, Elizabeth Kaden, Ted Kaden, Denise Sullivan, Anita Ores, Megan Ores, Cheri Jones, Monica Anne O'Malley, Bruce Quist, Erzsebet Sziky, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles, & David Katz
I'm going to directly quote the book for an explanation on the movie. It directly connects my opinion but in a smarter way than how I can write it.
"Directed by John McNaughton, Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer is loosely based on the story of real serial murderer Henry Lee Lucas. It is exceptional for its realism of style and amoral viewpoint, and it remains with viewer as one of the most disturbing movies ever made."
-Cynthia Freeland from 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
This movie was originally filmed in 1986, but was not released until 1990 due to a dispute with the US censors, and I could see why. It raises the question, why would someone want to make a film about a serial killer? Why is it important to tell the story of Henry Lee Lucas? Was it to push the limits of what's allowed (censorship)? McNaughton was a brave man and took the risk to show Henry snapping women's necks, dismembering body parts, and the overall carelessness and guiltless he feels after the murders.
Cynthia Freeland who is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Women's Studies at the University of Houston stated this; "this film is not fun to watch, but it is important in that it forces viewers into questioning our cultural fascination with serial killers." What movies followed Henry? Silence of the Lambs and Natural Born Killers.
And I have to agree with Mrs. Freeland. It was hard NOT to watch. The scenes were graphic, but I didn't turn the DVD off. Some might not have like thee ending of the movie; he didn't live happily ever after with the girl, but I liked it. I thought it was necessary for it to end that way. Representing that no woman who make him change. Even if a woman he'd care for, his urge to murder would over power
Fun Facts (found at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099763/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2)
Throughout the film, any sound of a neck breaking is really a Styrofoam cup being crushed near the microphone. The sound of Henry (Michael Rooker) cutting off Otis' (Tom Towles) head is a plastic mesh grapefruit bag being slowly torn open.
The fake head of Tom Towles used in the scene where he is stabbed in the eye cost $700.
The film was shot on 16mm in 28 days with a budget of $110,000. It initially earned $600,000 on its (extremely limited) theatrical run, but has since gone on to earn millions on VHS and DVD, as well as theatrical re-releases.
Michael Rooker said he was working as a janitor when he auditioned for the part of Henry and went to the audition in his janitor uniform. He got the part, and continued to wear his uniform throughout the film shoot. He only had one jacket, though, so he took it off before he "killed" anyone so he wouldn't get blood on it.
