Film 83 in the "1001 Films to See Before You Die" challenge is 1990's "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer". Or was it released in 1986? It depends on who you ask and what websites you trust. Well, in actuality, "Henry" was filmed in 1986 but wasn't released until 1990 due to a dispute with the U.S. censors over the amount of violence in the film. And there is a lot of that in this film. A little too much for my liking but it was very effective. This really wanted to get it's point across about what does through the mind of a serial killer. What his mind has to be thinking before or after killing his victims. I actually felt a little sad that he kills Becky at the end of the film because you were believed into thinking that Henry had turned and wanted to move on. But I was proven wrong. I very much enjoyed Michael Rooker in this film. My first time seeing him and he nailed this role perfectly and this was his first ever film he appeared in and even won both the Fantasporto Award and the Golden Space Needle Award, both for Best Actor. Thankfully, I get to see Michael again in another film, "JFK". And today, Michael has recently starred as Yondu in "Guardians of the Galaxy" alongside Chris Platt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Dave Bautista (or as wrestling fans like to call him, Batista). In 1999, director John McNaughton had this to say about the film, "I'm not going to make moral decisions for you. I'll present you with a situation. I know how I feel about it, but it's not my place to tell you how to feel about it." If you have seen this film then let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Here is what I had to say while watching 1990's (or 1986's) "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer"
Film - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Year - 1990
Director - John McNaughton
Staring - Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles
IMDb Rating - 7.1/10
My Rating - 7.4/10
Length - 79 min (1h 19min)
Genre - Biography, Crime, Drama
We open with a dead naked woman in a field
In a diner
Back when you could smoke indoors
And there's more dead people - This time in a store
And now a dead hooker in a hotel bathrom
She has a bottle sticking out of her face
This song is rubbish! Better put the news on
And another woman dead - This one in a river naked face down
And this is how you reverse out of a parking space
Henry has spotted his next victim
Damn! She has a husband
Never mind! I found me someone else! A female musician!
What are we doing at an airport?
Becky and Otis have a chat
Why does every car in this film look like it came from a scrapyard?
Stop talking about Leroy
Henry walks in with that hitch hiker's guitar and gives it to Otis
Feel free to take my room while I head out to California
Henry's job is cleaning people's kitchens?!?
Hi, stranger! Can I come in and clean your house?
FELIX THE CAT!!!!!
And that woman's dead from being strangled and shot four times in the head and chest
Meanwhile, Otis works as a mechanic
And he works as a drug dealer
So... that's how you gut a fish
Henry's already been to prison... For killing his mom with a baseball bat!!!
That fish dinner doesn't look very nice
Good thing we have Coors to wash it all down
Fancy a game of cards?
Wanna play 21? Well I have 22! Wanna play Blackjack? I've got two of those too - Anyone who gets that reference then you're clever
Becky's dad sounds like he's really into molestation
Whoops! She brought up Henry killing his mom!
Henry says he stabbed her!
"My momma was a whore!"
So... Henry's mom made Henry watch her have sex with strangers and even made him wear a dress
You celebrated your 14th birthday by killing your mom
I've just realised that their house is a real dump
Becky got herself a job shampooing peoples hair
Becky also says she worked in a strip club
Never buy a shirt saying what city you love (I Love Chicago)
Henry just stopped Otis from kissing Becky
You guys go get drunk while I stay in and clean the dishes
Who needs beers when we have hookers
Who would ever have group sex in a car?
And that's both hookers dead!
I've lost count in how many people Henry has killed
I think it's seven in 34 minutes
Let's celebrate our murders with a Burger King
Let's keep those murders between you and me
I am now waiting for either Henry or Otis to kill each other
This TV's a pile of crap
And now it's broken!!!
Better get me a new one from a shady dealer
I just want a TV with a remote
$500 for a video camera!!!
And that's the fat sales clerk killed
He kinda deserved it for being a dick
He even gets a TV smacked through his head
We'll be taking the TV and video camera
I think Becky's found her new husband... in Henry!!!!
Otis is the worst director ever
So... That's what a job centre looks like in the 1980's
I know we don't know each other but do you wanna share this weed?
Time to kill someone else
The speed limit is 30 but it feels like we're going 3
Time for use this new gun out
Well... he's dead!!!
Bit daft of them to leave the body at the side of the road
Henry's tip for killing someone - Never use the same gun twice
And this just turned into a snuff film
Otis raped a woman in front of her dead husband
Better kill the kid as well
And that's the woman dead
Otis stil insists on having sex with the dead body
Now then.. let's see me torture her again in slow motion
Meanwhile, Becky gets a phone call at work from Grandma
Otis has only gone and broken his camera
That camera could have been repaired
It feels like Henry is driving around in circles
Better leave Otis alone to drink
Becky tells Henry that she has quit her job
She's heading back home tomorrow and invites Henry to come with her
Let's have a steak dinner on my new visa card
Meanwhile, Otis is still watching himself rape women
KISS ME BITCH
Well... Otis had to spoil the fun
Henry doesn't like the Chicago Bears!!!
You named your dog "Delawrence"!?!
I'm gonna let you live... for now!
Meanwhile, Otis is having torture sex with Becky
Here comes Henry to save the day!!!!
Becky just stabbed Otis in the eye with a hairbrush!!!!
And as I predicted, Henry has killed Otis
What the hell is he doing?
He's carving Otis's body into pieces!!!
Better make our escape before the police arrive
All that's left to do is throw his body into the river
Fancy a trip to San Bernadino?
Let's put the radio on to make us feel better - Here's Lynne and the Lizards
Henry's only gone and killed Becky and shoved it in a suitcase!
:(
THE END
Film - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Year - 1990
Director - John McNaughton
Staring - Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles
IMDb Rating - 7.1/10
My Rating - 7.4/10
Length - 79 min (1h 19min)
Genre - Biography, Crime, Drama
We open with a dead naked woman in a field
In a diner
Back when you could smoke indoors
And there's more dead people - This time in a store
And now a dead hooker in a hotel bathrom
She has a bottle sticking out of her face
This song is rubbish! Better put the news on
And another woman dead - This one in a river naked face down
And this is how you reverse out of a parking space
Henry has spotted his next victim
Damn! She has a husband
Never mind! I found me someone else! A female musician!
What are we doing at an airport?
Becky and Otis have a chat
Why does every car in this film look like it came from a scrapyard?
Stop talking about Leroy
Henry walks in with that hitch hiker's guitar and gives it to Otis
Feel free to take my room while I head out to California
Henry's job is cleaning people's kitchens?!?
Hi, stranger! Can I come in and clean your house?
FELIX THE CAT!!!!!
And that woman's dead from being strangled and shot four times in the head and chest
Meanwhile, Otis works as a mechanic
And he works as a drug dealer
So... that's how you gut a fish
Henry's already been to prison... For killing his mom with a baseball bat!!!
That fish dinner doesn't look very nice
Good thing we have Coors to wash it all down
Fancy a game of cards?
Wanna play 21? Well I have 22! Wanna play Blackjack? I've got two of those too - Anyone who gets that reference then you're clever
Becky's dad sounds like he's really into molestation
Whoops! She brought up Henry killing his mom!
Henry says he stabbed her!
"My momma was a whore!"
So... Henry's mom made Henry watch her have sex with strangers and even made him wear a dress
You celebrated your 14th birthday by killing your mom
I've just realised that their house is a real dump
Becky got herself a job shampooing peoples hair
Becky also says she worked in a strip club
Never buy a shirt saying what city you love (I Love Chicago)
Henry just stopped Otis from kissing Becky
You guys go get drunk while I stay in and clean the dishes
Who needs beers when we have hookers
Who would ever have group sex in a car?
And that's both hookers dead!
I've lost count in how many people Henry has killed
I think it's seven in 34 minutes
Let's celebrate our murders with a Burger King
Let's keep those murders between you and me
I am now waiting for either Henry or Otis to kill each other
This TV's a pile of crap
And now it's broken!!!
Better get me a new one from a shady dealer
I just want a TV with a remote
$500 for a video camera!!!
And that's the fat sales clerk killed
He kinda deserved it for being a dick
He even gets a TV smacked through his head
We'll be taking the TV and video camera
I think Becky's found her new husband... in Henry!!!!
Otis is the worst director ever
So... That's what a job centre looks like in the 1980's
I know we don't know each other but do you wanna share this weed?
Time to kill someone else
The speed limit is 30 but it feels like we're going 3
Time for use this new gun out
Well... he's dead!!!
Bit daft of them to leave the body at the side of the road
Henry's tip for killing someone - Never use the same gun twice
And this just turned into a snuff film
Otis raped a woman in front of her dead husband
Better kill the kid as well
And that's the woman dead
Otis stil insists on having sex with the dead body
Now then.. let's see me torture her again in slow motion
Meanwhile, Becky gets a phone call at work from Grandma
Otis has only gone and broken his camera
That camera could have been repaired
It feels like Henry is driving around in circles
Better leave Otis alone to drink
Becky tells Henry that she has quit her job
She's heading back home tomorrow and invites Henry to come with her
Let's have a steak dinner on my new visa card
Meanwhile, Otis is still watching himself rape women
KISS ME BITCH
Well... Otis had to spoil the fun
Henry doesn't like the Chicago Bears!!!
You named your dog "Delawrence"!?!
I'm gonna let you live... for now!
Meanwhile, Otis is having torture sex with Becky
Here comes Henry to save the day!!!!
Becky just stabbed Otis in the eye with a hairbrush!!!!
And as I predicted, Henry has killed Otis
What the hell is he doing?
He's carving Otis's body into pieces!!!
Better make our escape before the police arrive
All that's left to do is throw his body into the river
Fancy a trip to San Bernadino?
Let's put the radio on to make us feel better - Here's Lynne and the Lizards
Henry's only gone and killed Becky and shoved it in a suitcase!
:(
THE END