HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1990) Review
HENRY, one of the best serial killer horror films ever made, has arrived in high-definition. This low-budget scarefest isn't the kind of Blu-ray disc you pop in to impress the friends — it's grainy and worn looking at times. But that represents the low-budget origins of the film. This isn't the kind of film one would even want gussied up in 1080p. This release is about as good as the film has ever looked or might ever look. The imperfections, especially in the amount of grain during night scenes, really pop in HD. It is what it is. The colors are balanced nicely, but again the grain does mute the blacks. The look of the film certainly mirrors the subject matter. As for the sound, the film does its best from the original source. Imperfections in mixing and editing are present, but that is not the fault of the Blu-ray makers. Like the picture, the Linear PCM 2.0 stereo mix is gritty, but it fits this film perfectly.
As for the special features, any wanna-be filmmaker or cinephile should check out director John McNaughton's commentary. Documentary-maker David Gregory leads McNaughton threw a feature-length interview that covers the themes and challenges of the film. McNaughton's honest answers make for a trivia and film lesson rolled into one. Supplementing the fine commentary is a new making of doc that features interviews with McNaughton, co-writer Richard Fire, co-producer Steven Jones, and stars Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, and Tracy Arnold. Some of the material is covered in the commentary, but it's interesting to get the other perspectives on what was supposed to be a throwaway B-horror flick. In "The Serial Killers: Henry Lee Lucas," investigators and cops tell the gruesome tale of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who inspired the film. The 26-minute A&E-type doc even talks to Lucas. It delves into tormented past and his sick motives for killing. Director McNaughton narrates the deleted scenes because the original audio files have been lost. One scene in particular between Henry and Otis would have changed the whole fabric of the film. McNaughton also gives a 30-minute interview, which covers little more than the commentary track or the making of. The disc also includes a still gallery, the original storyboards, and the trailer.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
