Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from jail having served time for his mother's murder. He gets a job as an exterminator and commits several murders after teaming up with drug dealer and fellow loser, Otis.
Loosely based on the life-story of Henry Lee Lucas, who was abused as child by ... Read review
Most horror films exist in a fantasy movie-world safely removed from our existence, ... more
populated by zombie-like killers and psychopathic madmen. The power ofHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killeris its chilling placement in the mundane existence of everyday l...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Released from prison following his mother's murder. Henry (Michael Rooker, JFK) ... more
supplements his job as an exterminator with a series of violent, indiscriminate murders. Crazed drug dealer and fellow jailbird Otis (Tom Towles) provides Henry with a will...
Henry is the chilling account of a man whose vocation is murder. Michael Rooker stars as ... more
Henry the solitary drifter who leads his dim ex-jailmate friend Otis (Tom Towles) on a senseless killing spree. Picking their victims at random their methods o...
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Remember Henry?One of the most controversial serial killers of all time, returns in Henry: ... more
Portrait Of A Serial Killer 2 which picks up Henry's trail soon after the horrific events of John (Wild Things) McNaughton's classic thriller.Henry (Neil Giutoli) is broke and homeless but happens to stumble on a job and a home with Kai and Cricket, a married couple with whom he works and their shy schoolteacher niece, Louisa.It's not long before Henry finds himself involved in an insurance scam, burning down sleazy properties for greedy landlords.And by chance an opportunity arises for Henry to start killing again and Henry loves to kill...
Henry is released from jail having served time for the murder of his mother. Gaining ... more
employment as an exterminator he commits a number of grisly murders and teams up with drug dealer Otis... A chilling story loosely based on the murderer Henry Lee Lucas.
Most horror films exist in a fantasy movie-world safely removed from our existence, ... more
populated by zombie-like killers and psychopathic madmen. The power ofHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killeris its chilling placement in the mundane existence of everyday life. Michael Rooker plays Henry not as a raving psychopath but as the frumpy guy next door, a drifter who takes out his frustrations on random victims and escalates his body count after teaming up with the violent ex-con Otis (Tom Towles). Though not exceedingly gory in light of the excesses of such fantasy horrors as theFriday the 13thandNightmare on Elm Streetseries, director John McNaughton's straightforward presentation and documentary-like style creates a chilling realism that many viewers will find hard to watch. McNaughton neither comments on nor flinches at the brutal violence, which reaches its apex in a disturbing camcorder-eye view of a particularly sadistic murder of a middle-class couple, with Henry and Otis smiling through the deed as they record it for their continued pleasure. Henry straddles the line between True Crime (though fictional, the story was inspired by the confessions of real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas) and horror, a bleak, brutal kind of terror for a generation deadened by the escalating outrageousness of movie murders and nightly news crime scene clips. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Most horror films exist in a fantasy movie-world safely removed from our existence, ... more
populated by zombie-like killers and psychopathic madmen. The power ofHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killeris its chilling placement in the mundane existence of everyday life. Michael Rooker plays Henry not as a raving psychopath but as the frumpy guy next door, a drifter who takes out his frustrations on random victims and escalates his body count after teaming up with the violent ex-con Otis (Tom Towles). Though not exceedingly gory in light of the excesses of such fantasy horrors as theFriday the 13thandNightmare on Elm Streetseries, director John McNaughton's straightforward presentation and documentary-like style creates a chilling realism that many viewers will find hard to watch. McNaughton neither comments on nor flinches at the brutal violence, which reaches its apex in a disturbing camcorder-eye view of a particularly sadistic murder of a middle-class couple, with Henry and Otis smiling through the deed as they record it for their continued pleasure. Henry straddles the line between True Crime (though fictional, the story was inspired by the confessions of real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas) and horror, a bleak, brutal kind of terror for a generation deadened by the escalating outrageousness of movie murders and nightly news crime scene clips. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2000 - Drama - Director: Giuseppe Tornatore - Original Language: Italian - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana
Advantages: You can say you've seen it after reading all the hype. Disadvantages: You'll wonder why you really bothered with it.
Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from jail having served time for his mother's murder. He gets a job as an exterminator and commits several murders after teaming up with drug dealer and fellow loser, Otis.
Loosely based on the life-story of Henry Lee Lucas, who was abused as child by his mother (he'd been forced to wear dresses and watch his mother having sex with strangers, which his defence say created his hatred of women). Not ... ...catch my drift). Thing is, Henry seems so 'normal' as you see him go about his rather dull day-to-day life, but he's a psychopathic killer looking for his next victim. It makes you wonder if the people you see and consider normal (albeit sad loners with no real direction in life) could be hiding deep, dark secrets of their own. Some decent acting, but the film dragged a lot and it looks rather dated now (it came out in 1986). Hardly seems worthy ... more
Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from jail having served time for his mother's murder. He gets a job as an exterminator and commits several murders after teaming up with drug dealer and fellow loser, Otis.
Loosely based on the life-story of Henry Lee Lucas, who was abused as child by his mother (he'd been forced to wear dresses and watch his mother having sex with strangers, which his defence say created his hatred of women). Not really 'scary' (the scariest thing for me was the thought that maybe I've become de-sensitised to horror after seeing so much violence on TV) but certainly disturbing. And it's disturbing because you know that this kind of thing happens all around us, every day (OK, so maybe a slight exaggeration there, but you catch my drift). Thing is, Henry seems so 'normal' as you see him go about his rather dull day-to-day life, but he's a psychopathic killer looking for his next victim. It makes you wonder if the people you see and consider normal (albeit sad loners with no real direction in life) could be hiding deep, dark secrets of their own. Some decent acting, but the film dragged a lot and it looks rather dated now (it came out in 1986). Hardly seems worthy of the 18-rating when you consider some of the horror you see in more modern films. The way Henry and Otis rape and murder the family is the most disturbing scene, not least because they record it on a camcorder for their later viewing pleasure. This is the only scene that stuck in my mind.
Personally, I preferred 'Dahmer', 'Bundy' and possibly even the much-maligned 'Nightstalker' (OK, so maybe this is better than 'Nightstalker' - at least this film doesn't have dodgy camera work or death metal music). Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I watched it to fully appreciate it and see it as the 'modern classic' that it's been hailed as. At the end of the day, you need to think hard when you watch horror because half of it is your imagination and the real scares are where your imagination takes you. One to say you've seen, but I couldn't help but wonder what all the fuss was about. See for yourself, but I thought it was a lot of fuss over nothing, myself.
* DISCLAIMER: I wrote a very short review for this film, which can still be found online at a popular DVD rental site (although I can't name it, as we are not supposed to plug other websites here). This formed the basis of the above review. Please consider this before accusing me of copying somebody else's work and giving me a low rating! I hope this is sufficient. I guarantee that none of the above has been copied and that opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thank you.
Advantages: Brilliantly basic concept, characters and storyline. A masterpiece! Disadvantages: It'll be very disturbing to some people, the reality of this movie often rides the line of good taste. Very influential. I could easily see the character of Henry making sense to some people which is a worrying thought!!!
What makes HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER so brilliant?
Well, basically it treads a formula that keeps the movie very simple through out, it delves deep in to the soul core of human emotion and keeps the viewer down in these murky depths for the duration of the experience. There are no fancy angles, over the top preformances or gimmicks in HENRY. The movie runs soley on its own primal instinct from start to finish, resulting in one of the greatest ... ...discribed HENRY POASK as totally evil and a sick peice of cinema that was uncalled for, however for me HENRY is a complety human movie about belivable characters and a study of the way that the human race has behaved since time began. HENRY POASK deals with reality in a way that no other movie of a similer vain had done before and uses a style that many more since have tried to unsuccesfully copy.
I'll never forget one particular scene in the movie ...
gcooper 21.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Henry - Portrait Of A Serial Killer (DVD)
Advantages: Very scary and based upon a true story Disadvantages: VERY disturbing indeed - not everybody's cup of tea
...It follows the story of Henry initiating his accomplice into his own murderous ways, until the thrill gets too much for them.
There is one particular scene which shows an uncomfortably long 'camcorder' recording of Henry and his partner in crime abusing, torturing, and eventually killing a whole family for enjoyment.
Watch it on Video (most stores stock it for £5.99) then see if you can watch it on the big screen. Only then can you appreciate how ...
Pritpal 05.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Henry - Portrait Of A Serial Killer (DVD)
Advantages: actors, story. Disadvantages: length of film
...Killers of modern times are Henry Lee Lucas, Charles Manson (more of a cult leader), John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, The NightStalker Richard Ramirez, and many more.
There are several films about Serial Killers, here are a few of the best:
Ted Bundy: Deliberate Strange (The movie Bundy is set for cinema release)
John Wayne Gacy (To Catch A Killer, fantastic 3 hour film)
Jeffrey Dahmer - Dahmer...
Even more films are in production.
... ...she would force the young Henry of watching her makelove to these complete strangers and if he refused he would beat him, she would always beat him anyway.
In the film Michael Rooker who is a fantastic actor plays Henry.In the film the other two main characters are Otis and Becky. Here is the the story of the movie in brief.
Otis has not long been out of prison, he and Henry were in the same prison, but Henry was in prison for murdering his mother. ...
starclippings 01.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Henry - Portrait Of A Serial Killer (DVD)
Advantages: great direction and central performance, shockingly realistic Disadvantages: not for the squeamish
The central character is a sociopath who kills for no apparent reason and without any apparent emotion. He comes across as cool and detached, as he films himself attacking and killing people at random. It is this feeling of detachment which makes the film so chilling. The use of camcorder footage for some scenes gives it a starkly realistic atmosphere far removed from the glamourised violence of most Hollywood pictures. This film is absolutely ferocious ...
victor 30.06.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Henry - Portrait Of A Serial Killer (DVD)
Advantages: Brutal!! Disadvantages: The plots a bit here and there
Henry is basically played as a loner, who seems completely emotionless. Random, meaningless killings, which somehow make the film somewhat entertaining.
A real insight into serial killers, and disturbingly realistic. Great performances all round. not for the faint hearted, i found some of the killing scenes disturbing, graphic, and i found myself looking the other way at times.
Basic plot, Henry joins a man and his sister, who seem normal. (as ...
penpen 27.05.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Henry - Portrait Of A Serial Killer (DVD)
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This film has great cult potential,this film has brought me a deeper insight into my own life. Each charactor brings tolife this eppic tale of the insight into mind of the most sickest kind of human being imaginable. Cricket sexy and lovable, Kye caring but ruthless at the same time,Rooter Funny but foolish, and louisea the only women that henry ever "loved" (speculation).And then the small matter of henry ruthless powerful emotinal roller coaster moral in his own mind and his mask of sanity. How the world around henry looks at he like he is some powerless loser a bum, a punk, little do they know that in henry always wears his mask of sanity and in his own twisted mind he is more powerful than any man women or beast.
henry will take you on a roller coaster journy into the mind of a blood thirsty pure killer.
the reason henry kills ...
Henry is released from jail having served time for the murder of his mother. Gaining employment as an exterminator he commits a number of grisly murders and teams up with drug dealer Otis... A chilling story loosely based on the murderer Henry Lee Lucas.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
Optimum Home Entertainment, UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK; UNIVERSAL MUSIC OPERATIONS
Trailer, Trailer Reel, Director Interview, Director Commentary, Cast And Crew Biographies, Background Information, Trailer, Interview With Director John McNaughton, Filmography
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital English
Sound
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
4:3 Full Frame
Professional reviews
Review
"...Rooker captures a psychopath's charisma in a film as raw as a fresh blade wound." -- Rating: B+ (Entertainment Weekly, p.70, 30/09/1994)
"...Profoundly disturbing....[McNaughton's] artistic control of the camera and narrative is evident from the start..." (New York Times, p.C12, 23/03/1990)
"...Spare, intelligent and thought provoking....This film gives off a dark chill that follows you all the way home..." (Rolling Stone, p.69, 08/03/1990)
"...Exceptionally well-acted....[A] challenging, uncomfortable and honourable approach to real-life horrors..." (Sight and Sound, p.43-4, 01/07/1991)
"...A more explicit PSYCHO made with Hitchcock's integrity..." -- 4 out of 4 stars (USA Today, p.4D, 10/04/1990)
DVD Description
HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, loosely based on the case of Henry Lee Lucas, a confessed serial killer, is a terrifyingly intimate journey into the twisted life of a murderous psychotic. As the blank-eyed Henry (Michael Rooker) drifts from place to place, he selects victims at random, slaughters them, and captures the brutality on videotape. When he is joined by his deranged roommate, a loudmouthed ex-convict named Otis (Tom Towles), the almost unfathomably malevolent acts multiply. John McNaughton's film, in the tradition of such classic studies of homicidal personality as PEEPING TOM and TAXI DRIVER, goes further than both of these movies in its flat refusal to tell the killer's story on anything other than the killer's terms. McNaughton is able to present the world Henry aimlessly traverses as Henry sees it--almost unendurably bleak and meaningless--and in doing so he allows his film to go as deep into the nightmarish mind of a killer as anything ever committed to celluloid.
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