2. Henry (Michael Rooker) - Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986)
Hes not Jason, hes not Freddy hes real! screamed the ads for John McNaughtons film, which is by no means just another slasher movie. For one thing, the main character is based on Henry Lee Lucas, who may have been responsible for upwards of 600 homicides (or was he lying?) before being captured. Hes played by Michael Rooker who, even in his first lead role, has a thousand-yard stare thatll stop you in your tracks, and hes got the characters lack of empathy down cold. Like Mark Lewis in Peeping Tom, he enjoys recording his crimes and watching his victims on playback, slowly advancing through the scenes where they breathe their last. Unlike Michael or Jason, we get to see Henrys face throughout, yet he still remains beyond our understanding, which makes him all the more terrifying.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
