Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

[DarkImbecile]

Widely heralded as one of the greatest serial killer movies of all time, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer presents a bleak and unflinching dive into the mind of a mass murderer.

Recently released from prison, the nomadic Henry (Michael Rooker, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead) finds temporary abode in the rundown Chicago lodgings of a former jail acquaintance and small-time drug dealer, Otis (Tom Towles). Hiding behind his unremarkable employment as a pest exterminator, Henry leads a double life, prowling the streets by night on a brutal and apparently motiveless killing spree. As the bodies mount up, Otis finds himself inducted into Henry’s dark secret world, but when Otis’ sister Becky (Tracy Arnold) moves in, herself fleeing from an uncomfortable domestic situation, it quickly becomes apparent that two’s company, but three’s a crowd.

Based on the horrific true-life crimes of Henry Lee Lucas, the harrowing controversial debut feature from John McNaughton (Mad Dog and Glory, Wild Things) returns to the UK in its best-looking release ever, in a new 4K restoration supervised by the director himself.

Limited Edition Contents (Blu-ray/UHD):

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negatives, approved by John McNaughton
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation or 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in HDR10
• Original 2.0 stereo mix and 5.1 DTS-HD Master audio
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Eric Adrian Lee
• Limited edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Shaun Kimber, Peter Vronsky, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Julian Petley
• Booklet containing the original storyboards for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Six collector’s postcards (Limited Edition exclusive)

Disc One - Features & Extras:

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negatives
• High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
• Brand new audio commentary by John McNaughton & Steven A. Jones
• Two archive commentaries by John McNaughton
• Scene specific commentaries with John McNaughton and critic Nigel Floyd
• Deleted scenes and outtakes
• Original script
• Original theatrical and 30th anniversary trailers
• Image gallery

Disc Two - Bonus Disc:

• Portrait: The Making of Henry, a 50-minute behind-the-scenes documentary
• In Defense of Henry, an appreciation by Joe Swanberg, Kim Morgan, Jeffrey Sconce, Joe Bob Briggs and Errol Morris
• Twisting the Lens: The Diegetic Camera and Voyeurism in Henry, exclusive new documentary with John McNaughton, Adam Rockoff, Anna Bogutskaya and Jonathan Rigby discussing killers behind cameras
• Henry vs. MPAA: A Visual History, the story of the struggle to get Henry into North American theatres
• Henry at the BBFC with Stephen Thrower, discussing Henry's troubled history at the hands of the British censors
• John McNaughton on Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, exclusive new interview with John McNaughton and Stephen A. Jones, conducted at the time of Henry's UK premiere in February 1990
• Interview with John McNaughton, from 1998
• It's Either You... Or Them: An Interview with Joe Coleman, the artist behind Henry’s legendary original theatrical release poster
• John McNaughton in conversation with Nigel Floyd, interview from 2003
• In the Round: A Conversation with John McNaughton, conducted by Spencer Parsons in 2016

[colinr0380]

Wonderful! Regarding why there is an extra feature devoted to the film's certification by the BBFC, it is likely because this film was the subject of one of the most infamous censorship moments in the UK. The BBFC very much liked the film as a 'serious' (i.e. not exploitation, however that is defined) work and released it uncut in the cinemas but when it came to releasing the film on VHS they had issues with the home invasion scene of the family being killed which at the end is contextualised as Henry and Otis watching back their murders on videotape (a scene which feels very influential on both Man Bites Dog and early Haneke critiques of being 'safely, morally distanced' from events because they are being seen through a mediating camera's eye) as being too intense and troubling, as well as playing into fears of how audiences might be viewing violent imagery within their own home.

But the BBFC did not cut the scene. Instead they re-ordered it so that rather than seeing the family being captured then killed in one unbroken shot, with the uncomfortably implicating 'reveal' at the end of Henry and Otis watching back their crimes that they have filmed, instead in the middle of the video we get a cut to Henry and Otis, and then the film cuts back to show the family already slightly more untroublingly(?) dead.

It was one of the most controversial things that the British Board of Film Classification ever did, because it was getting into them not just cutting bits out of films but actually changing the meaning of films into something different than the filmmaker had originally intended. It was only at the time that Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer first came to be released on DVD in UK in the mid-2000s that it was finally able to be released uncut in its original form.

[GaryC]

Wonderful! Regarding why there is an extra feature devoted to the film's certification by the BBFC, it is likely because this film was the subject of one of the most infamous censorship moments in the UK. The BBFC very much liked the film as a 'serious' (i.e. not exploitation, however that is defined) work and released it uncut in the cinemas

The BBFC did actually cut the film for cinemas, though not as much as they did on VHS - the shot of a female corpse in the opening sequence and some cuts to the camcorder scene. I saw the film twice before its cinema release - first at the Scala, uncut, and then in the cut version with a Q&A afterwards. One of the panellists was Lynda La Plante, who thought the film was, and I quote, "crap".

[colinr0380]

That is interesting to hear, and I had not realised they had made cuts in the cinema as well! I think the re-ordering of the home invasion scene was a way of hiding the cuts made there, but I still err on the side of the idea that if cuts have to be made at all they may as well be blatantly obvious rather than trying to hide the edits through 'ingenuity'.

Those staged 'aftermath' tableaus are still disturbingly confrontational even now (perhaps more so in the female corpse one you mention). It is also interesting that the film is front-loaded with those tableau scenes as if to try and pre-empt (or at least counterpoint) any possibility of the audience feeling sympathetic towards the characters in the film that might have occurred in the otherwise lower key dramatic and more distant from the victims scenes that follow in the rest of the film when we as the audience are much more in cahoots with the blackly comic Of Mice and Men-like antics of Henry and Otis. All leading up to that final shot which is bone chilling in its implication without showing any explicit details at all.

[yoloswegmaster]

So it seems as if there is something wrong with both the UHD and BD discs.



The top screen is from the old BD, and the bottom screen is of the new Arrow BD. It seems as if there was a bad HDR-to-SDR conversion, similar to the Citizen Kane fiasco back in November.

A user on the other forum is also reporting a strange glitch that appears on the UHD disc:

At 23:40 during the conversation with Becky and Henry, it randomly cuts to a repeated shot from earlier.

[Finch]

Anyone know if Arrow send replacements to US-based customers if the disc was ordered directly from them (Arrow UK, that is)? I did so I'm hopeful they'll post a replacement disc once they've investigated and fixed the issue. My copy is on its way to me already.

[barbarella satyricon]

I haven’t seen this movie, but any mention of it reminds me this short sequence in Nanni Moretti’s Caro Diario wherein Moretti dejectedly saunters out of a matinee screening, listlessly processing what he has seen, then going to mercilessly harangue the newspaper critic who had written a pretentiously fulsome review of the film. Might have made for a funny, self-deprecating kind of an extra.

[Finch]

At least two users have reported that their Carlotta edition also has the unrelated shot of the woman leaving her car dropped into the Henry/Becky conversation while the audio of their conversation continues to play over that shot. One user says their disc was the Blu-Ray, the second sounds like they've gotten the Carlotta 4k. (EDIT: tenia pointed out that Carlotta only released Henry in 1080p, my mistake; EDIT 2: a Facebook user says the Scandinavian BD of Henry also has the earlier shot reappearing)

However, the Dark Sky Blu-Ray from a few years ago does not have the editing error but it is also from a 4k scan, and the Dark Sky and Arrow booklets say the scan was approved by John McNaughton. No one has reported the editing error appearing on the Arrow Blu-Ray so far (but it's possible that the BD owners have either not watched the entire film because of the tone mapping error on the Blu-Ray or they're not familiar enough with the film to have noticed the accidental insert).

[tenia]

I've seen the French BD when it was released (there's no French UHD), and didn't notice it. I don't recall being jarred by it, I suppose I thought it was an editing choice.

[yoloswegmaster]

[therewillbeblus]

UHD: Format of a Serial Print Recall

[Finch]

It takes quite a cheek of Arrow to state that *they* identified the errors.

[kekid]

I bought this and 12 Monkeys from diabolikdvd.
Do I get replacements from diabolikdvd or directly from Arrow?
Has anyone experience of getting replacements through diabolikdvd?

[Finch]

Replacements starting June 13th

Thank you for your patience while we resolve the issues with this release, we understand how frustrating this must have been. Please note; whether you have purchased the Limited Edition UHD (FCD2197) or Limited Edition Blu-ray (FCD2285), you are eligible for a replacement disc of the format you purchased.

Please note that replacement discs will ship from the week commencing 13th June (if not before), you will receive a confirmation email when your shipment is being organised.

***Direct Orders via Arrow Films & Zavvi***

Your replacement disc will be sent automatically to the address details on your order. If your address details have changed, please complete this form by 31st May 2022.

***Orders via Other Retailers (Amazon, HMV etc.)***

Please complete this form at your convenience, you will need to attach your proof of purchase.

Proof of purchase is either a receipt, invoice, or order confirmation for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer UHD (FCD2197) or Blu-ray (FCD2285). This must have information pertinent to your order, confirming the affected product and your address/orders details. If you no longer have this then please write your name and today’s date on the face of the affected disc itself, we can accept this instead.

***FAQ***

Q. What are the issues prompting a replacement programme?

A. A brief shot that incorrectly repeats over a different scene, appearing in the feature of both UHD and Blu-ray releases (FCD2197 & FCD2285).

Incorrect colour space being presented on the Blu-ray release (FCD2285).

Q. I have multiple copies; can I receive multiple discs?

A. You will receive the number of replacement discs matching the number of copies bought on your order, please note that we can only accept one attachment per form.

Q. What counts as a proof of purchase?

A. Proof of purchase is either a receipt, invoice, or order confirmation for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer UHD (FCD2197) or Blu-ray (FCD2285). This must have information pertinent to your order, confirming the affected product and your address/orders details. If you no longer have this then please write your name and today’s date on the face of the affected disc itself, we can accept this instead.

Q. Where will my disc(s) ship from?

A. All Henry replacement discs will ship from Arrow’s distribution centre in the UK.

Q. Can I track my shipment?

A. Replacement discs shipping to the UK will be untracked. All other shipments will be tracked but not visible on your Arrow/Zavvi account. If you require tracking, then please get in touch here a week after you receive your confirmation email.

Q. What about 12 Monkeys?

A. We’re working as quickly as we can to resolve this matter too and will update customers as soon as we can, thank you for bearing with us.

[kekid]

I bought this item from DiabolikDVD. I filled out the replacement form to Arrow UK. They replied by saying, "Work with DiabolikDVD". DiabolikDVD simply refunded my money, and said they cannot replace it.
It is out of stock everywhere, so I am screwed. I feel Arrow as the manufacturer of the defective item should replace it, regardless of which retailer or etailer I bought it from.
Is there any recourse?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Given that they provide the option to request a replacement without a receipt by sending a photo of the disc with your name and current date written on "the face" (the label side, I guess?), I don't see how they can exclude purchases from "non-approved" retailers. How would they know where the disc was purchased? Not to mention the FAQ and the form itself give no indication of any exclusions. I'm hoping this was just ignorance on the part of some customer service rep, but either way it's a bad look for Arrow.

[kekid]

I provided them with a scan of DiabolikDVD order.
Horrible customer service.
I don't know if anyone from Arrow reads these postings, but they should take care of the issue.

[swo17]

Do we know if this is out of stock everywhere because the limited edition is sold out, or because they stopped circulating the faulty pressing? The corrected disc supposedly only came out this week

[GaryC]

I bought mine from Amazon and Arrow have sent me the replacement disc. It arrived yesterday and I haven't had the chance to inspect it yet.

[Adam X]

I'm hoping this was just ignorance on the part of some customer service rep, but either way it's a bad look for Arrow.

I can’t see it being anything else. Even though Diabolik is one of a couple of 3rd party etailers in the US to host Arrow sales, they’ve never dealt with replacement discs directly for any label, as far as I’m aware. Arrow’s always dealt with them directly, no matter where you bought the disc from.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I provided them with a scan of DiabolikDVD order.
Horrible customer service.
I don't know if anyone from Arrow reads these postings, but they should take care of the issue.

I don't know if you're still communicating with them about this, but if nothing else works you could resubmit the form using the name and address of a friend and go the disc-defacing route instead of a receipt.

[Finch]

I'd ordered from Arrow UK direct; the email confirming the replacement was sent on the 15th and the fixed UHD was in the mail today from the UK to Maryland.

[swo17]

I'd ordered from Arrow UK direct; the email confirming the replacement was sent on the 15th and the fixed UHD was in the mail today from the UK to Maryland.

How long was it between when you filled out the form and when you received the confirmation email?

It is out of stock everywhere

Rarewaves still has it, and for only $30.99. I placed an order over the weekend and have received shipment confirmation

[Finch]

Since it was a direct order they did not ask me to complete the form. I believe that was only for any external orders?

[kekid]

I'd ordered from Arrow UK direct; the email confirming the replacement was sent on the 15th and the fixed UHD was in the mail today from the UK to Maryland.

How long was it between when you filled out the form and when you received the confirmation email?

It is out of stock everywhere

Rarewaves still has it, and for only $30.99. I placed an order over the weekend and have received shipment confirmation

Thank you, swo17. Are you sure that they are shipping the corrected version?