A talented independent filmmaker whose bleak, chilling vision of society has garnered him considerable critical praise, John McNaughton has also engendered at least an equal amount of controversy. His first feature film, "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer", was not distributed for over three years after its completion in 1986--partly as a result of its precarious financial provenance, but also because of its relentless but nonjudgmental examination of the pathology of the real-life Henry Lee Lucas. "Henry" was the first film over which a production company sued the MPPA for the X rating it
Worked for a year in the audio-visual department of Campbell-Mithun, an ad agency in the Chicago area
Left his job and traveled, working along the way in various capacities as a jewelry maker, sailboat builder, carnival pitchman, among other jobs
Returned to Chicago and began working in video production; also handled occasional projects such as producing laser light shows and remodeling hamburger stands; met and befriended Steven A. Jones, then a producer of commercials
Designed an animated logo for MPI Home Video, a company formed by friends from college
Spent all his money on video equipment; directed a syndicated TV series on famous gangsters, narrated by Broderick Crawford and titled "Dealers in Death"
