HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER is as chilling today as when it was first filmed 20 years ago. With its focus on notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, the film is liberal with use of the actual facts, but gets to the essence of Henry Lee. Probably the most shocking part of the film is that it gives no real explanation for his killing sprees, just hints at Henry's abusive past by his mother. But not giving a clear reason for his killing, the film raises the anxiety level of the viewer, who really wants to know why he killed. There are two separate murder scenes that particularly tug at your conscience because they evoke opposite emotions. The first takes place when Henry and Otis are trying to buy a TV from a verbally abusive seller of stolen items - you almost want this guy killed as sort of a karmic justice. But then, there is a scene of a home invasion where the whole family is murdered. Can you condone the one murder but condemn the other? The bonus features are great as well, especially "Portrait: The Making of Henry" which tells of the filmmakers battle to avoid getting an "X" rating. There is also a Henry Lee Lucas documentary where you can see interviews with the actual killer himself. Finally, I found the "storyboards" section especially revealing since the final film captured just about every image in the original storyboards. The passing of twenty years has not diluted the impact of this film in the least. HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER is a disturbing, yet brilliant piece of horror that preys on your darkest fears: murder without reason. It was once called "One of the 20 scariest movies of all-time!" and I would have to agree...but I would place it in the top five!
Whether you agree with Bono's lofty preaching, you can't deny the talent of the band U2. "U2: The Complete History" is an "unauthorized" telling of the story of the band, relying mainly on interviews with those who worked with the band during their "up and coming" years. This is probably a good thing, as Bono tends to be his own worst enemy when he runs his mouth. Bono himself is rarely heard in this documentary, but there is one hilarious moment when he says, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." I like that - humor instead of preaching! However, I would have loved to see an analysis of U2 by the other members of the band, but they are not interviewed at length. I found it interesting that there was a religious conflict within the band, as Adam Clayton was the one member who did not embrace Christianity like the others. A few of the commentaries by those intimate with the band tend to get a little long winded, but you come away from this film totally realizing U2's commitment and single-minded goal, which they achieved. While not the "definitive" biography of the band, "U2: The Complete History" is sure to please hardcore U2 fans.
"Eminem: The Complete History" covers the life of the notorious rapper Eminem, or "Slim Shady" as he calls his alter ego. This DVD does an excellent job of covering Marshall Mathers III's early life, with interviews with friends, relatives and co-workers. But when the story gets to the part when fame actually arrives, it is a bit sketchy. His daughter is actually mentioned before his wife. There is very little about his suicide attempt or his movie. One annoying part of this film is that expletives are taken out! Isn't that why you have DVD's in the first place, to get the uncensored version? I do find it curious that there are actually two versions of Eminem presented, as his voice and grammar changes on the interviews that are shown. One interview has him talking coherently in relatively correct grammar. Then you get the "urban speak" Eminem who is obviously trying to pull a Vanilla Ice by resorting to street slang and even a lower speaking voice - as if by talking this way he is reinforcing his "street cred". Ultimately, you come away from this film with the feeling that Eminem's "publicity machine" has almost whitewashed his background, almost like they did with John Lennon. Like Lennon, Eminem probably led a more sheltered life than has been told to the media. Will I actually go buy some Eminem CD's now? Probably not, but this film did shed some light on the current media hype of celebrities.
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"Henry-Portrait of a Serial Killer"
"U2: The Complete Story"
"Eminem: The Complete Story"