Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer‘s nature has long prevented the mainstream exposure some horror films of its era (e.g. The Evil Dead) were able to attain, but earned more respect than just about any other for its uncompromising vision of aggression and hatred. The specter of John McNaughton‘s feature will undoubtedly grow larger this fall, when Henry returns with a 30th-anniversary restoration and theatrical run from Dark Sky Films.
And it may have paid off solely for the quality of this new edition, which rather clearly supersedes any footage you can find — an important component for a work whose sense of atmosphere has long been a source of its acclaim. What better way to appreciate Michael Rooker‘s legendary performance than in the clearest form possible?
See it below, as well as Siskel and Ebert‘s rave review from 1990:
Henry (Michael Rooker) is a psychopathic drifter who has coldly murdered a number of people for no particular reason and without any remorse. Leaving scores of bodies in his wake, Henry makes his way to Chicago, where his murderous streak continues and he settles into the rundown apartment of his drug-dealing former prison friend Otis (Tom Towles). Also moving into the space is Otis’s younger sister Becky (Tracy Arnold), who is fleeing from her abusive husband. Henry soon reveals his troubled childhood background to Becky, which resulted in Henry’s murder of his mother, the crime that landed him in prison. Unbeknownst to Becky, Henry continues to commit a series of random killings along with Otis, who has quickly developed a taste for murder…
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer will begin its new theatrical run on October 21.