HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986) – Episode 298 – Decades of Horror 1980s

“Yeah. I killed my mama. One night – it was my 14th birthday – she was drunk, and we had an argument. She hit me with a whiskey bottle. I shot her. I shot her dead.” “I thought you said you stabbed her.” “Oh yeah. That’s right. I stabbed her.” Sheesh. Keep your stories straight. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss John McNaughton’s landmark film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 298 – Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

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Synopsis: Henry is a serial killer. When he gets to Chicago, he moves in with his ex-con acquaintance Otis, whose sister Becky also comes to stay. That’s when Henry starts schooling Otis in the ways of the serial killer.

• Director: John McNaughton
• Writers: Richard Fire & John McNaughton
• Selected Cast:
  • Michael Rooker as Henry
  • Tracy Arnold as Becky
  • Tom Towles as Otis
  • Ray Atherton as Fence
  • Mary Demas as Dead Woman/Dead Prostitute/Hooker #1
  • Kristin Finger as Hooker #2
  • Elizabeth Kaden as Dead Couple – Wife
  • Ted Kaden as Dead Couple – Husband
  • Denise Sullivan as Floating Woman
  • Erzsebet Sziky as Hitchiker
  • Lisa Temple as Murdered Family – Wife
  • Rick Paul as Shooting Victim
  • Brian Graham as Murdered Family – Husband
  • Sean Ores as Murdered Family – Son
  • Monica Anne O’Malley as Mall Victim
  • Bruce Quist as Husband
  • Anne Bartoletti as Waitress
  • Kurt Naebig as High School Jock
  • Donna Dunlap as Dog Walker
  • Augie the Dog as Delores

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) is a stunning achievement from this cast and crew, many of whom were making their first movie. Its release was a bit of a trickle, but over the decades, the film has become a cult classic. It’s an amazing movie with equally amazing performances. Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, and Tracy Arnold perfectly depict what director/co-writer John McNaughton calls the Poetry of Idiocy. Henry is oh-so-good while being oh-so-disturbing and uncomfortable to watch. None other than Stuart Gordon claimed this movie had trouble finding distribution because it was “too bloody for the art crowd and too arty for the blood crowd.” Your 80s Grue-Crew have mixed reactions to Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which makes for a much better discussion.

At the time of this writing, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) is available to stream from Pluto TV, Tubi, Plex, Prime, Arrow, and Screambox. It is available on Blu-ray from Dark Sky Films. 

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Bill, is Nightmare City (1980), featuring Hugo Stiglitz and Mel Ferrer, and directed by Umberto Lenzi. The synopsis says “zombies,” but sources say they use guns, so who knows? It should be fun!

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