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Licensed to Kill | 
| Director: Arthur Dong
Actors: Donald Aldrich, Corey Burley, Raymond Childs, William Cross, Kenneth French
Studio: New Video Group
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $24.49
You Save: $2.46 (9%)
New (23) Used (8) from $14.85
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 107197
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 80 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 9723
ISBN: 0767080912
UPC: 767685972335
EAN: 9780767080910
ASIN: B0009PW3QU
Theatrical Release Date: 1997
Release Date: June 14, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
Killing Gays August 5, 2007
Amos Lassen (Little Rock, Arkansas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Licensed to Kill"
Killing Gays
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
"Licensed to Kill" is a documentary by Arthur Dong which looks at high profile murders and their causes. Dong, himself, was attacked by gay bashers in 1997 and this is what gave him the impetus to create such a film. He probes the minds and the hearts of murderers who have been convicted of killing gay men and directly asks them why they ddid it. Looking at several types of killers including a young man who claims that he did it as protection against sexual advances, a self-hating religious gay man who killed because of his own tendencies, a victim of child abuse who was afraid of male rape, an army sergeant who was angry of the gays in the military policy and a self-described home boy, we get a look into the minds of those who want to see us dead.
Dong has done a lot of research of anti-gay hate crime murders and won 2 Sundance Film Awards with this documentary. He goes behind media headlines by examining the murderers themselves. Some felt that they had been licensed to kill by G-d while others claim that they had been sexually abused as children.
When asking the killers why they did it there were several answers that Dong got but the most popular, not surprising, reason was that "God told me to". Protection from gays and sexual abuse and the fact that someone was easy prey are other reasons given but the most ridiculous and outlandish of all is "I don't want gays in the military".
This is a scary and insightful film in that the murderers actually believe their own foolish propaganda. Looking at these men up close and personal makes for intense viewing. Some showed no remorse whatsoever while others felt completely disconnected from their crime. Most of them hate homosexuals and this they claim gives them license to kill. The movie made me reconsider the Christain right and other conservative organizations whose words of hatred against gays has helped to soothe the consciences of these murderers.
The interviews are fascinating and Dong details the nature of the offenses and probes the motivations of the crimes. Some descriptions are horrific. It is the complete lack of remorse and empathy for their victims that makes these movie so spellbinding. The theme of the title "Licensed to Kill" is well dealt with as the various murderers say that they believed that it was okay to kill gay men. It also shows just how deeply anti-gay sentiment is in this country and how thankful we should be that this has finally begun to change
Behind the minds of gay men's murderers July 14, 2005
Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a gripping documentary about half a dozen gay bashers. The interviewees are diverse in terms of race, sexuality, and sexual experiences/abuse. Additionally, there is a range of feelings about the crimes. One person says, "I regret it."; one person said, "At least this created a hate crimes law in my state."; but one murderer basically says, "So what?"
This work will make one think deeply about tensions between straight men and gay men. One man chillingly says, "Is it better to rob a convenience store for $20 and get caught or to rob a homosexual for hundreds of dollars knowing that he won't go to the police?" Many of the interviewees purposely targeted gay men. Some claimed to be harassed, yet using the victims' credit cards would hardly substantiate that claim. Most important is the theme of misinterpretation. In many instances here, gay men mistook straight men's chumminess for flirtation and paid for it with their lives. Bill and Ted can say, "I love you man! F*g!", but men have died taking those comments at face value.
Most viewers that I know point to the biracial, HIV-positive, self-loathing gay, transracial adoptee as the most compelling interviewee. I wouldn't agree because I fear that his inclusion suggests the "tragic m*l*att*" trope that many multiracial individuals find offensive. I also worry that some would dismay gay bashings as the actions of closeted gays: Do not sleep that most gay bashings involve majority men violating minority men. I personally felt most for the black prisoner who killed a gay, Vietnamese immigrant. You could truly tell that he regretted his crime and felt sorry for his victim.
The film ends by covering each interviewee's sentence and the sentences are long. I am worried that people may see this and say, "Okay, justice was done. There's no need to be concerned about anti-gay crimes if the courts are doing their jobs." I would hate for this great work to have the wrong impact. This documentary was made before the Matthew Shepard murder. Homophobic crimes are still rampant and often, if not usually, go unpunished or underpunished.
Arthur Dong is one of the most unacknowledged artists and activists in the gay community. His work here and elsewhere has continually been excellent. I encourage all people to see this leader's work.
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