Licensed to Kill (1997 film)
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| Licensed to Kill | |
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| Directed by | Arthur Dong |
| Produced by | Arthur Dong Thomas G. Miller |
| Written by | Arthur Dong |
| Narrated by | Arthur Dong |
| Starring | Raymond Childs William Cross Corey Burley Kenneth Jr. French Jay Johnson Jeffrey Swinford |
| Music by | Miriam Cutler |
| Cinematography | Robert Shepard |
| Editing by | Arthur Dong |
| Distributed by | PBS P.O.V. Deep Focus Films |
| Release date(s) | 1997 |
| Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Licensed to Kill is a 1997 documentary written, directed, and produced by Arthur Dong, in which Dong, (a gay man himself) interviews various murderers known for their homophobic murders.
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[edit] Summary
Licensed to Kill goes behind the media headlines of recent high-profile anti-gay murders to investigate their causes. Attacked by gay bashers in 1977, filmmaker Arthur Dong probes the hearts and minds of murderers convicted of killing gay men he faces them in one-on-one cell block interviews and asks them directly: "Why did you do it?" Probing on-camera interviews with seven convicted killers behind bars propel the narrative drive of "Licensed To Kill." These inmates include a wide range of distinct profiles: a young man who claims he justifiably killed as protection from his victim's sexual advances - a defense known as "homosexual panic"; a self-loathing, religious gay man who killed because of his own homosexual tendencies; a victim of child abuse who feared losing his manhood; an army sergeant angry over the gays in the military debate; and a self-described homeboy looking for easy prey.
[edit] Murderers Featured
- Raymond Childs, murderer of a 55-year old gay man named Lou who made sexual advances toward him. Currently serving 25 years to life in Sing Sing Prison.
- Donald Aldrich, murderer of Nicholas West, who he met at a gay hangout, and with the help of two accomplices, shot nine times. Executed via lethal injection on October 12, 2004 in Huntsville, Texas.
- Corey Burley, murderer of Thanh Nguyen, a Vietnam immigrant whom he shot once and killed after stalking him and his partner in a park. Currently serving a life sentence at the Hodge Facility in Rusk, Texas.
- William Cross, murderer of W. Lemke who made sexual advances toward him. He was sentenced to 25 years in the Dixon State Correctional Center of Illinois. On July 13, 2006 he was released on parole.
- Kenneth Jr. French, murderer of Wesley Cover, James Kidd, Ethel Parrous, and Pete Parrous, whom were customers at a Luigi's restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina, after getting highly intoxicated. Unlike the other murderers featured in the film, none of French's victims were known to be homosexual, but rather, his act was out of anger toward the then President Bill Clinton for lifting the ban on homosexuals in the United States Military. He is currently serving four consecutive life sentences, plus 35 years, at the Polk Youth Institution in Butner, North Carolina.
- Jay Johnson, murderer of former State Senator John Chenoweth and Joel Larson at a local gay hangout in Minneapolis. Unlike the other murderers in the film, he recognized he was in fact gay himself both before and after his committed murders. He is currently serving two concurrent life terms at the St. Cloud Correctional Facility, as an openly gay man.
- Jeffrey Swinford, murderer of Chris Miller, whom he and two friends met at a local gay hangout, went over to his house for alcohol and drugs, and then subsequently beat Miller to death and robbed him. Currently serving a 20 year sentence and is up for parole in 2009.
[edit] Awards
- Best Documentary Director Award at the Sundance Film Festival, 1997.
- Filmmakers Trophy Award at the Sundance Film Festival, 1997.
- Official Selection at the Berlin International Film Festival, 1997.
- National Emmy Nomination for Best Director, News & Documentary.
