Posted on Jul 9, 2023
Serial killer docuseries 'Last Call' reckons with NYC's history of anti-gay violence
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More than three decades after a serial killer began preying upon gay and bisexual men at bars in New York City, the victims and their families, as well as the activists who fought to bring the elusive murderer to justice, are the subjects of a four-part docuseries that premieres Sunday on HBO and Max.
Directed by Anthony Caronna and based on Elon Green’s award-winning 2021 book, “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York,” the true-crime series revisits the yearslong search for Richard W. Rogers Jr., a former surgical nurse at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital who was convicted of killing and dismembering two men in 1992 and 1993 — and suspected of killing others. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2006.
Using archival footage and first-time interviews with investigators, prosecutors, family members and activists, “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” aims to humanize the victims while spotlighting the efforts of community leaders and organizations, such as the city’s Anti-Violence Project, which fought for fair treatment of LGBTQ crime victims.
Directed by Anthony Caronna and based on Elon Green’s award-winning 2021 book, “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York,” the true-crime series revisits the yearslong search for Richard W. Rogers Jr., a former surgical nurse at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital who was convicted of killing and dismembering two men in 1992 and 1993 — and suspected of killing others. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2006.
Using archival footage and first-time interviews with investigators, prosecutors, family members and activists, “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” aims to humanize the victims while spotlighting the efforts of community leaders and organizations, such as the city’s Anti-Violence Project, which fought for fair treatment of LGBTQ crime victims.
Serial killer docuseries 'Last Call' reckons with NYC's history of anti-gay violence
Posted from nbcnews.com
LGBTQ+
New York City
Murder
American History
Violence
Posted 10 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel one of a long line of serial killers. Another famous one Jeffery Dahlmer and Dennis Rader who I have personally met.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Using archival footage and first-time interviews with investigators, prosecutors, family members and activists, “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” aims to humanize the victims while spotlighting the efforts of community leaders and organizations, such as the city’s Anti-Violence Project, which fought for fair treatment of LGBTQ crime victims.
“Being able to tell the story in a documentary format would allow us to get to the heart of the nature of anti-queer violence and also the response to anti-queer violence,” executive producer Howard Gertler said in a joint interview with Caronna. “It seemed like an opportunity to tell a historical story that has resonance both in terms of where this violence comes from and how to respond to it, at a time when we need to hear it most.”
In 2020, Caronna, whose directing credits include the feature film “Susanne Bartsch: On Top” and the FX docuseries “Pride,” was given an opportunity to read Green’s manuscript about the search for the “Last Call Killer,” but he initially passed on the project, citing a lack of interest in the true-crime genre and a fear of revictimizing the victims and the families. But it wasn’t until a year later, when Caronna met with Gertler, that he began to see the potential for a larger conversation about the history of violence against the LGBTQ community.
After they got the green light at HBO in early 2022, Caronna and Gertler worked closely with Nikita Shepherd, a Columbia University graduate student whose areas of focus include LGBTQ history. Shepherd guided the producers through the major people and events in the second half of the 20th century that shaped public attitudes toward LGBTQ people, including the AIDS epidemic.
“Nikita would take us through people like Anita Bryant, through the early 1970s, ’80s, and say, ‘This is where this backlash sort of came from and started,’” Caronna said."...
..."Using archival footage and first-time interviews with investigators, prosecutors, family members and activists, “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” aims to humanize the victims while spotlighting the efforts of community leaders and organizations, such as the city’s Anti-Violence Project, which fought for fair treatment of LGBTQ crime victims.
“Being able to tell the story in a documentary format would allow us to get to the heart of the nature of anti-queer violence and also the response to anti-queer violence,” executive producer Howard Gertler said in a joint interview with Caronna. “It seemed like an opportunity to tell a historical story that has resonance both in terms of where this violence comes from and how to respond to it, at a time when we need to hear it most.”
In 2020, Caronna, whose directing credits include the feature film “Susanne Bartsch: On Top” and the FX docuseries “Pride,” was given an opportunity to read Green’s manuscript about the search for the “Last Call Killer,” but he initially passed on the project, citing a lack of interest in the true-crime genre and a fear of revictimizing the victims and the families. But it wasn’t until a year later, when Caronna met with Gertler, that he began to see the potential for a larger conversation about the history of violence against the LGBTQ community.
After they got the green light at HBO in early 2022, Caronna and Gertler worked closely with Nikita Shepherd, a Columbia University graduate student whose areas of focus include LGBTQ history. Shepherd guided the producers through the major people and events in the second half of the 20th century that shaped public attitudes toward LGBTQ people, including the AIDS epidemic.
“Nikita would take us through people like Anita Bryant, through the early 1970s, ’80s, and say, ‘This is where this backlash sort of came from and started,’” Caronna said."...
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