When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

11107951 Arthur Dong's documentary License to Kill offers the interested viewer an excellent opportunity to be informed about both the nature and motivations behind hate crimes which target sexual minorities -specifically gay men. Throughout the film, Dong introduces us to several convicted perpetrators of hate crime. The criminals presented are all male, and have been convicted with murder. The victims of all but one individual interviewed were gay males. The motivations behind these vicious hate crimes are varied, but a significant proportion of the criminals involved attempted to mitigate their actions by claiming some religious significance. This religious attribution is evident of "Old school homonegativity". Old school homonegativity states that negative actions taken against gay men and lesbian women are the result of religious beliefs, myths, or a strict adherence to perceived normality. Thus, these may be seen as chief motivations in the perpetuation of these anti-gay hate crimes. Many of the men Dong spoke with indicated that they saw gay men as weak and therefore, easy targets. According to theories concerned with hegemonic masculinity, the masculinity of gay men is seen as being on par with femininity and a destabilizing force against which dominant masculinity aggresses. The perception of gay men as weak and easy targets is likely an external expression of this aggressive attitude taken on by those who wish to reinforce -consciously or unconsciously- the socially dominant idea of masculinity while subverting those viewpoints which seek to challenge it. Dong's film highlights the negative effects of ignorance and the devastating outcomes which can result. I would recommend this film to anyone wishing to gain knowledge related to gay hate crime as well as those wishing to understand the social ramifications of hate crime in general.

11037421 Licensed to Kill is a raw look at American homonegativity in the 90's. After being assaulted, Arthur Dong showed incredible bravery, having the courage to look these aggressors in the eyes and ask why; and the courage to listen to the responding lack of remorse, and in some cases pride, these individuals took from their crimes. Dong must be very strong to have been able to sit back and listen to these men spew disgust for gay men and excuses for their crimes when in reality there is no excuse for killing someone over their sexual orientation. The word "kill" written in a murder victim's blood is a potent image that epitomizes the hatred inherent in these acts. Reflecting on this image days later one still feels the blood-lust emanating from that wall. This appalling violence is seen in a more clandestine version through the story of William Kiley; after being brutally beaten by a teenager his neighbors did not phone the police but instead scorned Kiley for spraying his attacker with water. It is not hard for the viewer to connect the dots and consider how one lesser offense against a gay man can escalate into full blown murder. Comprehending how and why person would commit such offenses is beyond difficult but the film endeavors to show just that. Some of the men utilize vengeful Bible verses and myths of pedophilia to justify their crimes. Very few express remorse, other than being frustrated with the inconvenience of going to prison. Jeffrey Swinfold exemplifies this notion stating that his "taking care of" a gay man "is one less problem the world needs to deal with". The shocking yet fascinating overt homonegativity shown in this film leaves the viewer pondering what has changed in the 16 years since the films release. 11037421

Director & writer of a startling documentary, Arthur Dong, does great research of anti-gay hate crime murderers; some of whom are currently on US death rows: Donald Aldrich (Killer); Corey Burley (Killer); Raymond Childs (Killer); William Cross (Killer); Kenneth French (Killer); Jay Johnson (Killer); Jeffrey Swinford (Killer).Award winner of 2 prestigious Sundance Film Festival awards, the Directors & the Filmmakers Trophies, Arthur Dong has become more renowned since producing "Licensed to Kill." His documentary goes beyond the pale of simple-minded media headlines (that miss hundreds of brutal anti-gay hate crimes in the US each year) of anti-gay murders by scrutinizing the killers themselves. To no one's surprise, many claim they feel 'licensed' by preachers they've heard to do "God's work": murder gays. While others claim they's been violently &/or sexually abused as children (usually by their own straight, white fathers-97% of the time).In 1977, gaybashers attacked filmmaker Arthur Dong. Perhaps this event led to his personal reason for filming face-to-face cell block interviews with murderers convicted & sentenced to death for killing gay men. Cutting to the chase, Dong asks on-point, "Why did you do it?" These death row inmates use the typical variety of lame excuses: 1) The number 1 reason is the 'God told me to' anti-gay hate-crime defense party line. Considering what key televangelists the late Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, J.D. Kennedy, Pat Robertson et al, publicly instigate through their anti-gay sexually obsessed 'sermons', it's no wonder blaming God for murdering gays is hate-criminals' top ranked sense of being 'licensed to kill' by US anti-gay sexual supremacists.2) Claims they are justified to kill gays as protection from his murder victim's sexual advances is the number 2 gay murderers' defense party line. This popular excuse among lawyers is known as the "gay panic" defense. Apparently, anti-gay murderers don't know how to say the easy word, "No," & walk away, if a same-gender person flirts with them! Instead they go ballistic & kill. Note: this is specific to anti-gay men who murder gay men & has nothing to do with women.3) The claim that 'I am a victim of child abuse who fears losing my manhood', is the number 3 most likely excuse these murderers & their defense lawyers use. Sometimes law enforcers collaborate with this defense.4) The 'homeboys' depraved mentality that stalks for "easy prey' excuse; straight men who go out of their way to guess & stalk men they perceive are gay; pretend to be gay themselves & pick up gay men; then, kill them for sport.5) The 'I don't want gays in the military with me' excuse. These unfortunate soldiers have no clue they're already serving with thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people in the US & other nations' militaries! Many of the anti-gay murderers are delusional enough to believe they're righteously doing a murderous God's & a sexually-supremacist US government's authorized work by ridding the world of non-heterosexual people.(See Dr. Gregory Herek's research on anti-gay hate crimes for more stats & do view this starling true (1997) film. It reveals how anti-gay murderers are victims of untruth: especially US neo-Christian-fundamentalist-supremacist politicized propaganda).It's scary & intriguing that believing in this propaganda has already led to murders of many heterosexuals who were perceived to be gay!

This is a very intense film. It shows us killers up close and personal. Some of them show no remorse at all. Others show some, but all feel "disconnected" from their crimes. Most of them hate homosexuals, and that gives them the license to kill them without guilt or remorse. It makes you think twice about the morality of the Christian Right and other conservative organizations whose barrage of hatred against Gays has helped soothe the conscience of these killers. Not for the squeamish. It features gruesome crime scene footage.