Licensed to Kill.written and directed by Arthur Dong Arthur Dong (born October 30, 1953 in San Francisco, California) is an American documentary filmmaker. He is Chinese American and his work combines the art of the visual medium with an investigation of social issues, examing topics such as Asian American history and identity, and (DeepFocus) Reviewed by Mark J. Huisman Gay bashing Gay bashing is an expression used to designate verbal confrontation with, denigration of, or physical violence against people thought to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) because of their apparent sexual orientation or gender identity. is not a new subject, But filmmaker Arthur Dong (Coming Out Under Fire) finds a refreshing new angle on the issue in his tour-de-force documentary Licensed to Kill. Asking "Who are you?" and "Why did you do it?" Dong contacted 16 convicts imprisoned im·pris·on tr.v. im·pris·oned, im·pris·on·ing, im·pris·ons To put in or as if in prison; confine. [Middle English emprisonen, from Old French emprisoner : en- for murdering gay men. Using police-interrogation videos, TV news clips, and crime-scene photos (some gruesome beyond belief), he pieces these stories together to create a string of queer true-crime novellas This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by [ expanding it]. This is a selected list of novellas that have gained fame and/or critical and public acclaim. , sometimes to surprising effect. Just when you're ready to write these guys off, one makes a point that's right For The Lyle Lovett song, see . This article contains information about a scheduled or expected . It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content could change dramatically as the single release approaches and more information becomes available. on the money. (Asked why his victims were gay, one killer replies, "Not very many people care about a homosexual. The police sure don't.") Although Licensed to Kill employs the usual Bible-thumpers, like Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson, Dong eschews emotional hyperbole. Considering that the filmmaker was once gay-bashed himself, he has produced a remarkably objective work. His simple focus on our killers gives the film undeniable power. The most wrenching story: how an HIV-positive gay man filled with self-hatred turned his anger on other gays, Here's a man who slaughtered some of us, yet you might find yourself sympathizing with him. The words of these killers will convince you that as long as people believe gays are inferior, some will employ those beliefs as a license to kill. |
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