Offering a harrowing and disturbing look at homophobia and anti-gay violence, Dong's courageous docu, winner of 2 major awards at the 1997 Sundance Fest, is an intelligent exploration of sexual prejudice and hatred in contemporay American society.
Licensed to Kill (1997)
Runtime: 80 mins
Synopsis: Homosexual filmmaker Arthur Dong draws on his own experiences at the hands of gay-bashers to shine a light on men who have gone one step further and actually killed people whose sexuality affronts them. The fearless Dong talks face-to-face with people who have been convicted of killing gay... Homosexual filmmaker Arthur Dong draws on his own experiences at the hands of gay-bashers to shine a light on men who have gone one step further and actually killed people whose sexuality affronts them. The fearless Dong talks face-to-face with people who have been convicted of killing gay men, creating a fascinating film in the process. [More]
Genre: Education/General Interest
DVD Info
Release:
Feb 6, 2006
DVD Features:
- Keep Case
Audio:
- (unspecified) - English
Additional Release Material:
- Bonus Featurette - 1. "A Conversation with Serial Killer Jay Johnson"
- Interview - 1. Arthur Dong - Filmmaker
Interactive Features:
- Interactive Menus
- Scene Selection
Additional Products:
- Booklet - 1. 8-page with essay by journalist Chris Bull
News
Documentaries need energy, or they can become as dry as reading a dictionary. Dong's questions too often illicit little interest from the prisoners.
It's a simple idea for a film: Do interviews with people in prison who have killed gays and ask them to explain why they did it, but the riveting result is far from simple.


Top Critic