55 reviews
Sales Rank: 16126

Format: Ac-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 138
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6

MPN: 00983
ISBN: 140493202X
UPC: 043396009837
EAN: 9781404932029
ASIN: B0000E5NQ0

Theatrical Release Date: June 19, 1998
Release Date: December 16, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Simon (James Urbaniak), a shy garbage man, lives with his sister (Parker Posey of Party Girl and Waiting for Guffman, among dozens of other movies) and mother, who both treat him with minimal respect. Into Simon's life comes Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan), a heavy-drinking self-proclaimed great writer who goads Simon into writing an enormous poem. The poem becomes the source of great controversy, proclaimed by some as a great work of art, denounced by others as perverse trash. As Simon's star rises, he tries to draw attention to Henry's work as well, to little avail. Though the premise seems simple, Henry Fool takes on something of an epic sweep as it follows the effects of fame on Simon's and Henry's lives. This rumination on art and inspiration was hailed by some critics as the best film yet by writer-director Hal Hartley (Trust, Simple Men, Amateur), while others felt it brought out his worst self-indulgences. All of Hartley's movies defy easy interpretation, and Henry Fool is no exception. Still, it's a rare film that even tries to tackle such subjects, let alone does so with a combination of intelligence and humor (ranging from verbal quirkiness to scatological embarrassment). Hartley's films, surprisingly enough, feel warmer and more accessible on video; perhaps watching them in one's home makes them seem more intimate and less abstract. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description
Acclaimed writer/director Hal Harley's (Amateur Flirt) HENRY FOOL is a Faustian black comedy that will leave you screaming with laughter at its wild mix of vulgarity antic humor and deeply-felt emotion. Intense nerdy young garbageman Simon Grim (James Urbaniak) sulks through a sexless humiliating lower-class existence. He shares a house in Queens NY with his clinically depressed mother Mary (Maria Porter) and sarcastic promiscuous sister Fay (Parker Posey). Into their mundane existence comes Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan) a freewheeling depraved faux intellectual and writer who inspires the repressed Simon to come out of his shell by writing a book-length poem. He also begins an affair with Fay the two making love at the most awkwardly inappropriate moments. At Henry's goading Simon timidly peddles his manuscript to an unscrupulous publisher setting in motion an unforseen chain of events both tragic and hilarious.System Requirements:Running Time: 137 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 043396009837 Manufacturer No: 00983

Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Weird, but in a good way April 16, 2008
Judging from what I have read about this film on IMDb and here, "Henry Fool" is a film that you will either love or hate with a vengeance. I liked it very much, but I can also see how people could hate it. "Henry Fool" is a story that is light on plot, but is carried by its characters. Simon Grim is a New York garbage collector who lives a miserable existence with his depressed mother and his promiscuous sister (Parker Posey). However, all of that changes when Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan), an ex-convict and aspiring writer, rents a room in Simon's basement and convinces Simon that he should quit his job and focus all of his efforts on writing a poem of epic proportions.

Whether you like this film or not will largely depend on how you feel about the main characters and where your sense of humour lies. This film is classed as a comedy and I found it to be very funny, but the humour is not "conventional" comedy humour. All of the lines are delivered dead-pan and their humour largely lies in their context within the film. Similarly, I loved the characters in this film for their general weirdness (and the fact that Posey and Ryan are both excellent in their roles, especially Ryan, without them this film would have fallen flat), but some other reviewers seem to find these characters to be boring and vulgar.

Overall, if you are used to watching primarily mainstream movies, then I would say that there is a good chance that you will dislike this film, but if you like to see films that are a bit difference, then this film is worth a shot.

4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining, kept my attention all the way through. March 16, 2008
Once again Hal Hartley has a very entertaining movie with interesting characters. I think his characters are the strongest parts of his stories. I did like Fay Grimm a little better. I expands on the Henry Fool character even more, even though he appears in the film less. But you really need to see this one first. P.S. I love Parker Posey!!

1 out of 5 stars

One Line Review November 29, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful

I know people think that Hal Hartley craps gold, but after 2 and half hours of boring, I'd have to disagree.

4 out of 5 stars

Hal Hartley's Universe November 12, 2007
Hartley's 7th film, Henry Fool is a dark comedy that takes place in Queens NY and revolves around the main characters who's personalities seem to fit their names. James Urbaniak plays Simon 'Grim', a timid young garbageman who lives with his depressed mother. Simon's sister, 'Fay Grim', played by Parker Posey and Thomas Jay Ryan as Henry 'Fool', an arrogant confident drifter he encounters who becomes his mentor as both share a similar passion for poetry and writing downs one's thoughts.

For Simon Henry seems to be a good and bad influence at the same time. Henry has some demons in his past that he's trying to escape from to further his career while at the same time inspiring Simon to follow his dreams. It's ironic how the story turns out and despite all the issues these characters have with eachother they are still protective of eachother. This story is really about the complex relationships of the characters and how success can affect someone and what happens when the roles are reversed.

I loved Henry Fool. All the characters were interesting. Henry was great and Parker Posey was amazing. They both had good chemistry with eachother. It was funny, bold, depressing, vulgar and satirical all at the same time. There is a lot going on this movie. It's very long and the ending is a little ambiguous but other than that it's a great indie film with heart and humor.

4 out of 5 stars

Henry no Foole October 6, 2007
Heny Fool with the same cast of characters as the recent Fay Grim sets the stage for the better film. While the odious Henry is engaging, it is Parker Posey in Fay Grim that makes both films worthwhile.