‘Last Call’ Review: HBO Doc on Serial Killer of Gay Men 1990s NY – The Hollywood Reporter

Contents:

• STREAM IT OR SKIP IT: ‘LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORK’ ON HBO, A DOCERI THAT TAK A LOOK AT 1990S POLICE INDIFFERENCE IN THE FACE OF GAY MEN GETTG MURRED
• THE CHILLG CONFSNS OF A COP TURNED SERIAL KILLER OF GAY MENTHE FACE OF EVILHARRY DEMPSTER/DAILY EXPRS/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTYTHE NETFLIX DOC “MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP” NTAS CREEPY TERVIEWS WH DENNIS NILSEN, A MADMAN WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 RENT BOYS OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERD.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED AUG. 17, 2021 5:42AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 17, 2021 5:01AM EDT KILLERS DON’T LIKE TO GET UGHT, BUT ONCE CTODY, THEY SURE DO LIKE TO TALK, AS EVINCED BY A RAFT OF TE-CRIME EFFORTS—CONVERSATNS WH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAP, CONONTG A SERIAL KILLER, THE CONFSN KILLER, THE SONS OF SAM: A DCENT INTO DARKNS AND ELIZE MATSUNAGA: ONCE UPON A CRIME, AMONG OTHERS—CENTERED AROUND TAPED NVERSATNS WH NOTOR FIENDS. TO THAT LIST ONE N NOW ADD MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, A NON-FICTN FILM WHOSE PRIMARY DRAW IS A RAFT OF PERSONAL RERDGS MA BY DENNIS NILSEN, THE STTISH MADMAN WHO TERRORIZED LONDON DURG THE 1980S, AND WHOSE KILLG SPREE, AND ATTEMPT TO AVOID RCERATN, WAS RECENTLY IMMORTALIZED BY A SUNDANCE NOW DRAMATIC SERI STARRG DAVID TENNANT.HELMED BY FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR MICHAEL HARTE, WHO’S PREVLY EDED DON’T F**K WH CATS: HUNTG AN INTER KILLER AS WELL AS THREE INTIL STRANGERS, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP (AUG. 18, ON NETFLIX) BEGS WH NILSEN SLAMMG THE NOTN THAT HE LIBERATELY SOUGHT IMMORTALY, AS WAS CLAIMED BY A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT SURMISED HE HAD A HUNGER FOR THE SPOTLIGHT OM THE HANNIBAL LECTER POSTER HANGG HIS JAIL CELL. NILSEN’S PROTTS, HOWEVER, DON’T JIBE WH THE MANY D TAP HE MA WHILE PRISON. INTEND TO FORM THE FOUNDATN OF HIS TOBGRAPHY (SELF AN ATTENTN-URTG VANY PROJECT), THE RERDGS FD THE MURRER EXPOUNDG ON HIS LIFE AND CIRCUMSTANC WH AN ELOQUENCE THAT REEKS OF AFFECTED SMUGNS—A QUALY THAT’S ALSO TE OF HIS EVERYMAN SCHTICK, AS IF ANYONE WOULD BUY FOR A SEND THAT, BEE OF HIS ORDARY APPEARANCE AND MEANOR, HE WASN’T A DANGERO PREDATOR. THERE’S NO NYG THAT NILSEN’S NONSCRIPT EXTERR—LANKY AME, GLASS, SCHOOLBOY HAIRCUT—WAS PART OF WHAT MA HIM SUCH A MABRE SPECTACLE. LIKE TED BUNDY BEFORE HIM AND JEFEY DAHMER AFTER, NILSEN DIDN’T F THE TYPIL HOMICIDAL-MANIAC PROFILE (HE HAD EVEN SERVED, FOR A TIME, AS A POLICE OFFICER). NOHELS, HE WAS AS LD-BLOOD AS THEY E, A RAGG SOCPATH WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 MEN DURG A FIVE-YEAR SPAN OM 1978-1983, AND WHO WAS ONLY UGHT WHEN AN ENGEER WAS LLED TO FIX A CLOGGED DRA AT HIS CRANLEY GARNS APARTMENT PLEX NORTH LONDON, AND DISVERED THAT THE E OF THE BACK-UP WAS AN ENORMO AMOUNT OF HUMAN FLH AND BONE. NEIGHBORS CLAIMED THAT THEY’D SEEN NILSEN NEAR THAT DRA AROUND MIDNIGHT THE PREV EVENG, AND WHEN HE RETURNED HOME OM HIS JOB AT THE LOL JOB CENTRE, HE LED VTIGATORS TO HIS FLAT, WHERE THE STENCH WAS FETID THANKS TO TWO GIANT GARBAGE BAGS THAT, HE NFSED, NTAED THE REMAS OF NUMERO VICTIMS.THE TAILS THAT SOON EMERGED WERE GRISLY. NILSEN’S MOD OPERANDI VOLVED PICKG UP MALE DRIFTERS AND “RENT BOYS” AND BRGG THEM BACK TO HIS HOME, WHERE HE’D KILL THEM. AT CRANLEY GARNS, THE DRA PIPE WAS A CENTRAL MEANS OF BODY DISPOSAL, WHEREAS AT HIS PRR RINCE AT 195 MELROSE AVENUE HE’D STASHED RPS BENEATH THE FLOORBOARDS—AND BURNED THEIR BODI BONFIR A REAR GARN—UNTIL HE RAN OUT OF SPACE AND HAD TO MOVE. THIS RMATN, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT NILSEN WAS GAY AND OFTEN PREYED UPON HOMOSEXUAL MEN, BEME PRIME FODR FOR THE MEDIA, AND BBC RRPONNT BILL HATON IS ONE OF MULTIPLE TERVIEWE TO STATE, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, THAT HE GOT A SENSATNALISTIC THRILL OUT OF LEARNG ABOUT NILSEN’S HORRIFIC CRIM. NILSEN DON’T REALLY DISCS THE PARTICULARS OF HIS GOME PASTIME; HIS THOUGHTS ON THAT SUBJECT ARE NVEYED BY DIRECTOR HARTE VIA TRANSCRIBED MENTARY, AND POLICE AND URT RERDS PRENTED AS TYPEWRER TEXT. WH REGARD TO HIS NOTORIETY, HOWEVER, HE DO STATE THAT “A CLEARLY PREJUDICED PICTURE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO FORM THE PUBLIC’S MD, EVEN BEFORE I WAS CHARGED WH ANY FENSE, GIVG THE MEDIA FULL LATU TO K THEIR PROPERTY. THIS ALLOWED THE IMAGE OF MONSTROSY TO TAKE FULL FLIGHT, TO WHET THE PROFABLE PUBLIC IMAGATN.” HE’S TECHNILLY RRECT THIS ASSSMENT. YET MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP MAK CLEAR THAT HIS FAMO REPUTATN WAS WELL-EARNED, AND LISTENG TO HIM ARROGANTLY PRATTLE ON THIS WAY PROV LS UNNERVG THAN SIMPLY FURIATG.NILSEN’S SIRE TO P THE BLAME FOR HIS NDUCT ON AN UNRG MOTHER AND A PEDOPHILIC GRANDFATHER MIGHT BE MORE CREDIBLE IF NOT FOR HIS WHOLALE DUPLICY AND UNTSTWORTHS, AND MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP WISELY DON’T BUY EVERYTHG THE KILLER PEDDL. THROUGH TERVIEWS WH VTIGATORS, JOURNALISTS, FAY MEMBERS OF HIS VICTIMS AND ONE MAN, MARTYN, WHO NARROWLY PED HIS CLUTCH, EXPLAS HOW NILSEN EXPLOED 1980S LONDON’S RAMPANT HOMOPHOBIA ORR TO GET AWAY WH HIS HEO CRIM. REGNIZG THAT NO ONE WOULD MISS HIS YOUTHFUL DOWN-AND-OUT TARGETS, AND THAT HOMOSEXUAL MEN PARTICULAR WOULD BE APT TO STAY SILENT OUT OF FEAR OF PUBLIC REPRISALS FOR THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA. “NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA.” DIRECTOR HARTE SKIMS OVER SOME OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF NILSEN’S SAGA, AND HE MOSTLY KEEPS NILSEN’S FACE OFF-SCREEN DURG MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP. THANKFULLY, THE LONGER HIS DOCUMENTARY PROCEEDS, THE LS ONE ALSO HAS TO HEAR OM THE KILLER. COMPRISED OF THE UAL ARRAY OF ARCHIVAL TV NEWS BROADSTS, TEXTUAL GRAPHICS, IMAG OF D TAP, AND TALKG-HEAD TERVIEWS—WHICH ARE NDUCTED DIMLY-L ROOMS WHERE THE PAT IS OFTEN PEELG OFF THE WALL, FOR CREEPY ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT—THE FILM ISN’T TERTED BREAKG NEW FORMAL GROUND. STILL, AS WH SO MANY OF S STREAMG-SERVICE TE-CRIME BRETHREN, S NVENTNAL ATHETIC APPROACH ALLOWS TO ACHIEVE S FUNCTNAL ENDS.BETTER IS THAT DIRECTOR HARTE GIV VOICE TO THOSE WHO WERE VICTIMIZED, BOTH DIRECTLY BY NILSEN AND DIRECTLY BY A BRISH CULTURE THAT TOLD THEM THEY HAD NO WORTH, THAT THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEIR HERENT NATURE, AND THAT THEY EHER WEREN’T VICTIMS AT ALL OR GOT WHAT THEY SERVED. IN THOSE PASSAG, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP BE A PORTRA OF AN EVIL DIVIDUAL AND A CRIQUE OF THE LARGER ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWED HIM TO FLOURISH. NICK SCHAGER
• SERIAL KILLER DOCERI 'LAST CALL' RECKONS WH NYC'S HISTORY OF ANTI-GAY VLENCE
• THE SERIAL KILLER WHO PREYED UPON GAY NEW YORKERSMONSTROUSHBO’S DOCERI “LAST CALL” TELLS THE CHILLG STORY OF A STRG OF ANTI-LGBT MURRS ’90S NYC—AND MANAG TO HONOR THE VICTIMS THE PROCS.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2023 3:16AM EDT COURTY OF HBOLAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORK IS YET ANOTHER DISTURBG TE-CRIME DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A FIEND PREYG UPON A MARGALIZED MUNY. HOWEVER, THE PELLG HOOK OF ANTHONY CARONNA AND HOWARD GERTLER’S FOUR-PART HBO VTIGATN (JULY 9) IS THAT ’S BOTH A WHODUN AND A SOCLOGIL CRIQUE OF THE ERA AND ENVIRONMENT WHICH S TALE TOOK PLACE: EARLY 1990S NEW YORK CY, WHOSE CLIMATE OF HOMOPHOBIA FACILATED S VILLA’S HOMICIS. WH ANTI-GAY AND TRANS LEGISLATN CURRENTLY SWEEPG THE NATN, ’S AN ALL-TOO-RELEVANT STORY ABOUT PERSECUTN AND VLENCE, AND THE WAY WHICH PUBLIC RHETORIC—AND ACTN—FOSTERS FURTHER HATE.DIRECTOR CARONNA’S SERI BEGS WH THE 1992 DISVERY BY MATENANCE WORKERS OF A DISMEMBERED BODY BURLGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY. CUT TO SEVEN PIEC, EACH OF THEM WRAPPED NEWSPAPER (AND A SHOWER CURTA) AND PACKED TO DIFFERENT TRASH BAGS, THIS DIVIDUAL WAS—VIA HIS BRIEFSE AND PERSONAL BELONGGS—SWIFTLY INTIFIED AS THOMAS MULHY, A 57-YEAR-OLD HBAND AND FATHER WHO WAS THE AREA FOR A BS MEETG. DETECTIV ALSO FOUND LATEX GLOV, A PASS SAW, AND A LEN SHEET THE PLASTIC BAGS, ONE OF WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY TRACED BACK TO STATEN ISLAND’S LONE CVS. OTHERWISE, HOWEVER, THERE WAS LTLE EFUL PHYSIL EVINCE PROCURED OM THE EMS, SO PS SHIFTED THEIR ATTENTN TO MULHY’S MOVEMENTS THE DAYS AND HOURS LEADG UP TO HIS MURR. AS THEY SOON LEARNED, MULHY HAD LAST BEEN SEEN ON JULY 8, 1992, AT MIDTOWN MANHATTAN’S TOWNHOE BAR, AN UPSLE GAY WATERG HOLE WHERE OLR WELL-TO-DO GENTLEMEN OFTEN MET YOUNGER SUORS. DOUGLAS GIBSON REMEMBERS TALKG TO MULHY THAT EVENG AND SPYG AN UNKNOWN MAN HIS VICY, BUT HE DIDN’T GET A GOOD ENOUGH LOOK AT THIS STRANGER TO PROVI AN ACTUAL SCRIPTN. COPS, MEANWHILE, FOUND DIFFICULT TO NVCE PEOPLE AND AROUND THIS TABLISHMENT TO TALK TO THEM, SCE 1992, THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE GAY MUNY WAS FED BY DISTST, IF NOT OUTRIGHT ANTIPATHY, MUCH OF BORN OM THE FORMER’S HISTORY OF PREJUDICED HARASSMENT AND HOSTILY. IF THAT PROVED A SIGNIFINT HURDLE THE SE, SO TOO WAS LAW ENFORCEMENT’S STILL-LACKG TERPARTMENTAL MUNITNS, AND WAS THIS FAILURE THAT LAYED THEIR REALIZATN THAT MULHY’S MURR WAS PART OF A GHASTLY PATTERN.A YEAR EARLIER LANSTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, THE SIARLY DISMEMBERED BODY OF PETER ANRSON HAD BEEN FOUND. LIKE MULHY, ANRSON WAS A CLOSETED GAY MAN, AND ON THE NIGHT OF HIS DISAPPEARANCE ON MAY 5, 1991, HE TOO HAD VISED THE TOWNHOE. WHEN VTIGATORS TO MULHY’S SLAYG HEARD ABOUT THIS, THEY KNEW THE TWO MURRS WERE LKED. WORSE, THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY THE NEARLY INTIL MURRS OF 44-YEAR-OLD PROSTUTE ANTHONY MARRERO ( MAY 1993) AND OF 55-YEAR-OLD GREENWICH VILLAGE RINT MICHAEL SAKARA ( JULY 1993), THE LATTER OF WHOM WAS A REGULAR AND WELL-KNOWN STAPLE AT THE FIVE OAKS BAR. CLEARLY, SOMEONE WAS KILLG GAY MEN AFTER MEETG THEM AT CLUBS, AND BEE OF HIS MOD OPERANDI, THE ASSAILANT WAS DUBBED BY THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS AS THE “LAST CALL KILLER.” STILL OM LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORKHBO LAST CALL IS, ON THE ONE HAND, A TRADNAL SPENSEFUL MYSTERY, WH VAR POLICE OFFICERS DISCSG THEIR EFFORTS TO PIECE TOGETHER CLU AND UNRSTAND THEIR VICTIMS’ BACKSTORI ORR TO LOTE A SPECT. JT AS PTIVATG, THOUGH, ’S A VIVID SNAPSHOT OF S PARTICULAR MOMENT, NARRATED LARGE PART BY TWO DIVIDUALS WHO WERE ON THE ONTL OF THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL LGTBQ+ RIGHTS: THE NEW YORK GAY & LBIAN ANTI-VLENCE PROJECT’S BEA HANSON AND MATT FOREMAN. RELLG A TIME WHEN GAY AMERINS WERE BOTH EMERGG OM THE SHADOWS FORCE (PECIALLY NYC) AND FACG CREASED ANTAGONISM AND THREATS (CLUDG OM THE RAGG AIDS EPIMIC), HANSON AND FOREMAN OFFER TIMATE AND PASSNATE FIRST-HAND ACUNTS OF THE CULTURAL AND POLIL ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARLY ’90S. IN DOG SO, THEY HELP NTEXTUALIZE THE MURRS AS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE LONG-STANDG BTALY THAT GAY (AND TRANS) MEN AND WOMEN FACED ON A DAILY BASIS. EMPLOYG PLENTIFUL ARCHIVAL MATERIAL, LAST CALL IS A SIMULTANEOLY VIBRANT AND SORROWFUL LOOK BACKWARDS, S NOSTALGIA FOR THE BURGEONG GAY MOVEMENT LORED BY THE FEAR THAT SO MANY FELT BEE OF HOMOPHOBIA AND THE MORTAL DANGER POSED—AS WELL AS THE ANGER THAT WAS A DIRECT BYPRODUCT OF BEG IGNORED, SLANRED, AND OPPRSED. DIRECTOR CARONNA’S SERI HONTLY AND PASSNATELY REVISS THE PAST, PUTTG A NUANCED FACE ON PEOPLE WHO WERE SO OFTEN DISMISSED, DISRD, AND RCED TO UNFLATTERG STEREOTYP, CLUDG MULHY, ANRSON, MARRERO, AND SAKARA. FEATURG TERVIEWS WH IENDS, LOVERS, AND RELATIV OF THE FOUR MEN WHOSE LIV WERE HORRIFILLY CUT SHORT BY A MADMAN, REMEMBERS—AND CELEBRAT—THEM NOT AS STATISTICS, BUT AS FLH-AND-BLOOD DIVIDUALS. STILL OM LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORKHBO IN SEPARATE TERVIEWS WH DIFFERENT TECTIV, LAST CALL HIGHLIGHTS POLICE OFFICERS’ IGNORANCE ABOUT THE GAY MUNY AND THEIR RETICENCE TO RELATE TO THE MURRS. SUCH BLDNS, WHETHER WILLFUL OR NOT, FEELS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT NNECTED TO THE SERI’ OWN LIBERATE DISMISSAL OF THE FACT THAT THE KILLER—WHO, THROUGH MORN FGERPRT ANALYSIS, WAS INTIFIED AS MOUNT SAI NURSE RICHARD ROGERS JR.—WAS ALSO A GAY MAN. THERE’S A PERSISTENT SENSE, OM ALL ANGL, THAT TOLERANCE (AND FEAR OF VILIFITN) HAS REPEATEDLY TRATED ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE, AND PREHEND, THIS TRAGEDY, AND THE FACT THAT ROGERS NEVER OPENED UP ABOUT HIS MOTIVATNS ONLY FURTHER LEAV THGS FEELG PRSGLY MURKY.WHAT REMAS CLEAR, THOUGH, IS ROGERS’ GUILT. HAVG BEEN PREVLY ACQUTED OF KILLG HIS LLEGE ROOMMATE AND, YEARS LATER, OF ASSLTG ANOTHER MAN, THE QUIET AND SOFT-SPOKEN MEDIL PROFSNAL WAS UNDOUBTEDLY THE SERIAL CULPR THORI HAD SOUGHT. NO MATTER THE QUTNS ABOUT JURISDICTN THAT AROSE AT TRIAL, HE WAS JTLY SENTENCED TO TWO NSECUTIVE LIFE SENTENC, ENDG A REIGN OF TERROR THAT—DUE TO HIS HAB OF TAKG ROUTE TRIPS AROUND THE UNTRY—MAY HAVE CLUD MANY MORE UNKNOWN VICTIMS. HE WAS, BY ALL ACUNTS, A MONSTER SEEMGLY WHOUT REMORSE, AND LAST CALL IS SHARPT WHEN POSS HIM AS THE RULT OF A SOCIETY THAT MONIZ WH MALIC TENT (BE ANA BRYANT THE ’70S OR RON DESANTIS TODAY) AND, THE PROCS, SPIR EVABLE CELTY. NICK SCHAGER
• SERIAL KILLER WHO PREYED ON GAY MEN, WAS DUBBED 'I-95 KILLER' IS EXECUTED FLORIDA
• HOW RICHARD ROGERS, A MILD-MANNERED STATEN ISLAND NURSE, TURNED OUT TO BE A SERIAL KILLER WHO DISMEMBERED GAY MEN

STREAM IT OR SKIP IT: ‘LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORK’ ON HBO, A DOCERI THAT TAK A LOOK AT 1990S POLICE INDIFFERENCE IN THE FACE OF GAY MEN GETTG MURRED

Te Crime We Bged 2022For gay New Yorkers 1991, there were still plenty of reasons to not put much fah law enforcement.

Jt 22 years after clash wh police outsi the Stonewall Inn Greenwich Village opened a promisg new ont the ongog fight for LGBTQ+ rights, AIDS was cimatg the queer muny and hate crim were on the rise, no small part due to the tragilly wispread misperceptn of the vis as a gay disease and lack of unrstandg about how was transmted.

And another nightmarish turn of events, someone was g NYC's vibrant gay nightlife scene as a huntg ground.

THE CHILLG CONFSNS OF A COP TURNED SERIAL KILLER OF GAY MENTHE FACE OF EVILHARRY DEMPSTER/DAILY EXPRS/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTYTHE NETFLIX DOC “MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP” NTAS CREEPY TERVIEWS WH DENNIS NILSEN, A MADMAN WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 RENT BOYS OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERD.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED AUG. 17, 2021 5:42AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 17, 2021 5:01AM EDT KILLERS DON’T LIKE TO GET UGHT, BUT ONCE CTODY, THEY SURE DO LIKE TO TALK, AS EVINCED BY A RAFT OF TE-CRIME EFFORTS—CONVERSATNS WH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAP, CONONTG A SERIAL KILLER, THE CONFSN KILLER, THE SONS OF SAM: A DCENT INTO DARKNS AND ELIZE MATSUNAGA: ONCE UPON A CRIME, AMONG OTHERS—CENTERED AROUND TAPED NVERSATNS WH NOTOR FIENDS. TO THAT LIST ONE N NOW ADD MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, A NON-FICTN FILM WHOSE PRIMARY DRAW IS A RAFT OF PERSONAL RERDGS MA BY DENNIS NILSEN, THE STTISH MADMAN WHO TERRORIZED LONDON DURG THE 1980S, AND WHOSE KILLG SPREE, AND ATTEMPT TO AVOID RCERATN, WAS RECENTLY IMMORTALIZED BY A SUNDANCE NOW DRAMATIC SERI STARRG DAVID TENNANT.HELMED BY FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR MICHAEL HARTE, WHO’S PREVLY EDED DON’T F**K WH CATS: HUNTG AN INTER KILLER AS WELL AS THREE INTIL STRANGERS, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP (AUG. 18, ON NETFLIX) BEGS WH NILSEN SLAMMG THE NOTN THAT HE LIBERATELY SOUGHT IMMORTALY, AS WAS CLAIMED BY A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT SURMISED HE HAD A HUNGER FOR THE SPOTLIGHT OM THE HANNIBAL LECTER POSTER HANGG HIS JAIL CELL. NILSEN’S PROTTS, HOWEVER, DON’T JIBE WH THE MANY D TAP HE MA WHILE PRISON. INTEND TO FORM THE FOUNDATN OF HIS TOBGRAPHY (SELF AN ATTENTN-URTG VANY PROJECT), THE RERDGS FD THE MURRER EXPOUNDG ON HIS LIFE AND CIRCUMSTANC WH AN ELOQUENCE THAT REEKS OF AFFECTED SMUGNS—A QUALY THAT’S ALSO TE OF HIS EVERYMAN SCHTICK, AS IF ANYONE WOULD BUY FOR A SEND THAT, BEE OF HIS ORDARY APPEARANCE AND MEANOR, HE WASN’T A DANGERO PREDATOR. THERE’S NO NYG THAT NILSEN’S NONSCRIPT EXTERR—LANKY AME, GLASS, SCHOOLBOY HAIRCUT—WAS PART OF WHAT MA HIM SUCH A MABRE SPECTACLE. LIKE TED BUNDY BEFORE HIM AND JEFEY DAHMER AFTER, NILSEN DIDN’T F THE TYPIL HOMICIDAL-MANIAC PROFILE (HE HAD EVEN SERVED, FOR A TIME, AS A POLICE OFFICER). NOHELS, HE WAS AS LD-BLOOD AS THEY E, A RAGG SOCPATH WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 MEN DURG A FIVE-YEAR SPAN OM 1978-1983, AND WHO WAS ONLY UGHT WHEN AN ENGEER WAS LLED TO FIX A CLOGGED DRA AT HIS CRANLEY GARNS APARTMENT PLEX NORTH LONDON, AND DISVERED THAT THE E OF THE BACK-UP WAS AN ENORMO AMOUNT OF HUMAN FLH AND BONE. NEIGHBORS CLAIMED THAT THEY’D SEEN NILSEN NEAR THAT DRA AROUND MIDNIGHT THE PREV EVENG, AND WHEN HE RETURNED HOME OM HIS JOB AT THE LOL JOB CENTRE, HE LED VTIGATORS TO HIS FLAT, WHERE THE STENCH WAS FETID THANKS TO TWO GIANT GARBAGE BAGS THAT, HE NFSED, NTAED THE REMAS OF NUMERO VICTIMS.THE TAILS THAT SOON EMERGED WERE GRISLY. NILSEN’S MOD OPERANDI VOLVED PICKG UP MALE DRIFTERS AND “RENT BOYS” AND BRGG THEM BACK TO HIS HOME, WHERE HE’D KILL THEM. AT CRANLEY GARNS, THE DRA PIPE WAS A CENTRAL MEANS OF BODY DISPOSAL, WHEREAS AT HIS PRR RINCE AT 195 MELROSE AVENUE HE’D STASHED RPS BENEATH THE FLOORBOARDS—AND BURNED THEIR BODI BONFIR A REAR GARN—UNTIL HE RAN OUT OF SPACE AND HAD TO MOVE. THIS RMATN, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT NILSEN WAS GAY AND OFTEN PREYED UPON HOMOSEXUAL MEN, BEME PRIME FODR FOR THE MEDIA, AND BBC RRPONNT BILL HATON IS ONE OF MULTIPLE TERVIEWE TO STATE, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, THAT HE GOT A SENSATNALISTIC THRILL OUT OF LEARNG ABOUT NILSEN’S HORRIFIC CRIM. NILSEN DON’T REALLY DISCS THE PARTICULARS OF HIS GOME PASTIME; HIS THOUGHTS ON THAT SUBJECT ARE NVEYED BY DIRECTOR HARTE VIA TRANSCRIBED MENTARY, AND POLICE AND URT RERDS PRENTED AS TYPEWRER TEXT. WH REGARD TO HIS NOTORIETY, HOWEVER, HE DO STATE THAT “A CLEARLY PREJUDICED PICTURE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO FORM THE PUBLIC’S MD, EVEN BEFORE I WAS CHARGED WH ANY FENSE, GIVG THE MEDIA FULL LATU TO K THEIR PROPERTY. THIS ALLOWED THE IMAGE OF MONSTROSY TO TAKE FULL FLIGHT, TO WHET THE PROFABLE PUBLIC IMAGATN.” HE’S TECHNILLY RRECT THIS ASSSMENT. YET MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP MAK CLEAR THAT HIS FAMO REPUTATN WAS WELL-EARNED, AND LISTENG TO HIM ARROGANTLY PRATTLE ON THIS WAY PROV LS UNNERVG THAN SIMPLY FURIATG.NILSEN’S SIRE TO P THE BLAME FOR HIS NDUCT ON AN UNRG MOTHER AND A PEDOPHILIC GRANDFATHER MIGHT BE MORE CREDIBLE IF NOT FOR HIS WHOLALE DUPLICY AND UNTSTWORTHS, AND MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP WISELY DON’T BUY EVERYTHG THE KILLER PEDDL. THROUGH TERVIEWS WH VTIGATORS, JOURNALISTS, FAY MEMBERS OF HIS VICTIMS AND ONE MAN, MARTYN, WHO NARROWLY PED HIS CLUTCH, EXPLAS HOW NILSEN EXPLOED 1980S LONDON’S RAMPANT HOMOPHOBIA ORR TO GET AWAY WH HIS HEO CRIM. REGNIZG THAT NO ONE WOULD MISS HIS YOUTHFUL DOWN-AND-OUT TARGETS, AND THAT HOMOSEXUAL MEN PARTICULAR WOULD BE APT TO STAY SILENT OUT OF FEAR OF PUBLIC REPRISALS FOR THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA. “NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA.” DIRECTOR HARTE SKIMS OVER SOME OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF NILSEN’S SAGA, AND HE MOSTLY KEEPS NILSEN’S FACE OFF-SCREEN DURG MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP. THANKFULLY, THE LONGER HIS DOCUMENTARY PROCEEDS, THE LS ONE ALSO HAS TO HEAR OM THE KILLER. COMPRISED OF THE UAL ARRAY OF ARCHIVAL TV NEWS BROADSTS, TEXTUAL GRAPHICS, IMAG OF D TAP, AND TALKG-HEAD TERVIEWS—WHICH ARE NDUCTED DIMLY-L ROOMS WHERE THE PAT IS OFTEN PEELG OFF THE WALL, FOR CREEPY ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT—THE FILM ISN’T TERTED BREAKG NEW FORMAL GROUND. STILL, AS WH SO MANY OF S STREAMG-SERVICE TE-CRIME BRETHREN, S NVENTNAL ATHETIC APPROACH ALLOWS TO ACHIEVE S FUNCTNAL ENDS.BETTER IS THAT DIRECTOR HARTE GIV VOICE TO THOSE WHO WERE VICTIMIZED, BOTH DIRECTLY BY NILSEN AND DIRECTLY BY A BRISH CULTURE THAT TOLD THEM THEY HAD NO WORTH, THAT THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEIR HERENT NATURE, AND THAT THEY EHER WEREN’T VICTIMS AT ALL OR GOT WHAT THEY SERVED. IN THOSE PASSAG, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP BE A PORTRA OF AN EVIL DIVIDUAL AND A CRIQUE OF THE LARGER ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWED HIM TO FLOURISH. NICK SCHAGER

Last Call: When a Killer Stalked Queer New York, a four-part HBO seri premierg July 9, lv to the grisly murrs and a not-so-distant past when blatant homophobia was still the norm and queer bars, as one activist puts the show, "were one of the few plac the muny where we uld e and feel safe.

SERIAL KILLER DOCERI 'LAST CALL' RECKONS WH NYC'S HISTORY OF ANTI-GAY VLENCE

"And even then, adds Bea Hanson, who served as a liaison between the NYC Gay & Lbian Anti-Vlence Project and police, "There was always this sort of 'you've got to watch your back at the same time too' sort of feelg. Tony Brooks, a 26-year-old ndidate for cy uncil at the time, told police he and Anrson had gone to Manhattan together the night of May 3 to attend a fundraiser at the Central Park Wt home of Robert Browne, a proment gay rights activist.

One wasn't gay. One was not a homosexual.

"In hdsight, " he says, "maybe  would've been a good ia to follow up wh the that time, we didn't know was a gay bar. I don't know anythg about where all the gay bars New York are.

THE SERIAL KILLER WHO PREYED UPON GAY NEW YORKERSMONSTROUSHBO’S DOCERI “LAST CALL” TELLS THE CHILLG STORY OF A STRG OF ANTI-LGBT MURRS ’90S NYC—AND MANAG TO HONOR THE VICTIMS THE PROCS.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2023 3:16AM EDT COURTY OF HBOLAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORK IS YET ANOTHER DISTURBG TE-CRIME DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A FIEND PREYG UPON A MARGALIZED MUNY. HOWEVER, THE PELLG HOOK OF ANTHONY CARONNA AND HOWARD GERTLER’S FOUR-PART HBO VTIGATN (JULY 9) IS THAT ’S BOTH A WHODUN AND A SOCLOGIL CRIQUE OF THE ERA AND ENVIRONMENT WHICH S TALE TOOK PLACE: EARLY 1990S NEW YORK CY, WHOSE CLIMATE OF HOMOPHOBIA FACILATED S VILLA’S HOMICIS. WH ANTI-GAY AND TRANS LEGISLATN CURRENTLY SWEEPG THE NATN, ’S AN ALL-TOO-RELEVANT STORY ABOUT PERSECUTN AND VLENCE, AND THE WAY WHICH PUBLIC RHETORIC—AND ACTN—FOSTERS FURTHER HATE.DIRECTOR CARONNA’S SERI BEGS WH THE 1992 DISVERY BY MATENANCE WORKERS OF A DISMEMBERED BODY BURLGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY. CUT TO SEVEN PIEC, EACH OF THEM WRAPPED NEWSPAPER (AND A SHOWER CURTA) AND PACKED TO DIFFERENT TRASH BAGS, THIS DIVIDUAL WAS—VIA HIS BRIEFSE AND PERSONAL BELONGGS—SWIFTLY INTIFIED AS THOMAS MULHY, A 57-YEAR-OLD HBAND AND FATHER WHO WAS THE AREA FOR A BS MEETG. DETECTIV ALSO FOUND LATEX GLOV, A PASS SAW, AND A LEN SHEET THE PLASTIC BAGS, ONE OF WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY TRACED BACK TO STATEN ISLAND’S LONE CVS. OTHERWISE, HOWEVER, THERE WAS LTLE EFUL PHYSIL EVINCE PROCURED OM THE EMS, SO PS SHIFTED THEIR ATTENTN TO MULHY’S MOVEMENTS THE DAYS AND HOURS LEADG UP TO HIS MURR. AS THEY SOON LEARNED, MULHY HAD LAST BEEN SEEN ON JULY 8, 1992, AT MIDTOWN MANHATTAN’S TOWNHOE BAR, AN UPSLE GAY WATERG HOLE WHERE OLR WELL-TO-DO GENTLEMEN OFTEN MET YOUNGER SUORS. DOUGLAS GIBSON REMEMBERS TALKG TO MULHY THAT EVENG AND SPYG AN UNKNOWN MAN HIS VICY, BUT HE DIDN’T GET A GOOD ENOUGH LOOK AT THIS STRANGER TO PROVI AN ACTUAL SCRIPTN. COPS, MEANWHILE, FOUND DIFFICULT TO NVCE PEOPLE AND AROUND THIS TABLISHMENT TO TALK TO THEM, SCE 1992, THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE GAY MUNY WAS FED BY DISTST, IF NOT OUTRIGHT ANTIPATHY, MUCH OF BORN OM THE FORMER’S HISTORY OF PREJUDICED HARASSMENT AND HOSTILY. IF THAT PROVED A SIGNIFINT HURDLE THE SE, SO TOO WAS LAW ENFORCEMENT’S STILL-LACKG TERPARTMENTAL MUNITNS, AND WAS THIS FAILURE THAT LAYED THEIR REALIZATN THAT MULHY’S MURR WAS PART OF A GHASTLY PATTERN.A YEAR EARLIER LANSTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, THE SIARLY DISMEMBERED BODY OF PETER ANRSON HAD BEEN FOUND. LIKE MULHY, ANRSON WAS A CLOSETED GAY MAN, AND ON THE NIGHT OF HIS DISAPPEARANCE ON MAY 5, 1991, HE TOO HAD VISED THE TOWNHOE. WHEN VTIGATORS TO MULHY’S SLAYG HEARD ABOUT THIS, THEY KNEW THE TWO MURRS WERE LKED. WORSE, THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY THE NEARLY INTIL MURRS OF 44-YEAR-OLD PROSTUTE ANTHONY MARRERO ( MAY 1993) AND OF 55-YEAR-OLD GREENWICH VILLAGE RINT MICHAEL SAKARA ( JULY 1993), THE LATTER OF WHOM WAS A REGULAR AND WELL-KNOWN STAPLE AT THE FIVE OAKS BAR. CLEARLY, SOMEONE WAS KILLG GAY MEN AFTER MEETG THEM AT CLUBS, AND BEE OF HIS MOD OPERANDI, THE ASSAILANT WAS DUBBED BY THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS AS THE “LAST CALL KILLER.” STILL OM LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORKHBO LAST CALL IS, ON THE ONE HAND, A TRADNAL SPENSEFUL MYSTERY, WH VAR POLICE OFFICERS DISCSG THEIR EFFORTS TO PIECE TOGETHER CLU AND UNRSTAND THEIR VICTIMS’ BACKSTORI ORR TO LOTE A SPECT. JT AS PTIVATG, THOUGH, ’S A VIVID SNAPSHOT OF S PARTICULAR MOMENT, NARRATED LARGE PART BY TWO DIVIDUALS WHO WERE ON THE ONTL OF THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL LGTBQ+ RIGHTS: THE NEW YORK GAY & LBIAN ANTI-VLENCE PROJECT’S BEA HANSON AND MATT FOREMAN. RELLG A TIME WHEN GAY AMERINS WERE BOTH EMERGG OM THE SHADOWS FORCE (PECIALLY NYC) AND FACG CREASED ANTAGONISM AND THREATS (CLUDG OM THE RAGG AIDS EPIMIC), HANSON AND FOREMAN OFFER TIMATE AND PASSNATE FIRST-HAND ACUNTS OF THE CULTURAL AND POLIL ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARLY ’90S. IN DOG SO, THEY HELP NTEXTUALIZE THE MURRS AS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE LONG-STANDG BTALY THAT GAY (AND TRANS) MEN AND WOMEN FACED ON A DAILY BASIS. EMPLOYG PLENTIFUL ARCHIVAL MATERIAL, LAST CALL IS A SIMULTANEOLY VIBRANT AND SORROWFUL LOOK BACKWARDS, S NOSTALGIA FOR THE BURGEONG GAY MOVEMENT LORED BY THE FEAR THAT SO MANY FELT BEE OF HOMOPHOBIA AND THE MORTAL DANGER POSED—AS WELL AS THE ANGER THAT WAS A DIRECT BYPRODUCT OF BEG IGNORED, SLANRED, AND OPPRSED. DIRECTOR CARONNA’S SERI HONTLY AND PASSNATELY REVISS THE PAST, PUTTG A NUANCED FACE ON PEOPLE WHO WERE SO OFTEN DISMISSED, DISRD, AND RCED TO UNFLATTERG STEREOTYP, CLUDG MULHY, ANRSON, MARRERO, AND SAKARA. FEATURG TERVIEWS WH IENDS, LOVERS, AND RELATIV OF THE FOUR MEN WHOSE LIV WERE HORRIFILLY CUT SHORT BY A MADMAN, REMEMBERS—AND CELEBRAT—THEM NOT AS STATISTICS, BUT AS FLH-AND-BLOOD DIVIDUALS. STILL OM LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORKHBO IN SEPARATE TERVIEWS WH DIFFERENT TECTIV, LAST CALL HIGHLIGHTS POLICE OFFICERS’ IGNORANCE ABOUT THE GAY MUNY AND THEIR RETICENCE TO RELATE TO THE MURRS. SUCH BLDNS, WHETHER WILLFUL OR NOT, FEELS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT NNECTED TO THE SERI’ OWN LIBERATE DISMISSAL OF THE FACT THAT THE KILLER—WHO, THROUGH MORN FGERPRT ANALYSIS, WAS INTIFIED AS MOUNT SAI NURSE RICHARD ROGERS JR.—WAS ALSO A GAY MAN. THERE’S A PERSISTENT SENSE, OM ALL ANGL, THAT TOLERANCE (AND FEAR OF VILIFITN) HAS REPEATEDLY TRATED ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE, AND PREHEND, THIS TRAGEDY, AND THE FACT THAT ROGERS NEVER OPENED UP ABOUT HIS MOTIVATNS ONLY FURTHER LEAV THGS FEELG PRSGLY MURKY.WHAT REMAS CLEAR, THOUGH, IS ROGERS’ GUILT. HAVG BEEN PREVLY ACQUTED OF KILLG HIS LLEGE ROOMMATE AND, YEARS LATER, OF ASSLTG ANOTHER MAN, THE QUIET AND SOFT-SPOKEN MEDIL PROFSNAL WAS UNDOUBTEDLY THE SERIAL CULPR THORI HAD SOUGHT. NO MATTER THE QUTNS ABOUT JURISDICTN THAT AROSE AT TRIAL, HE WAS JTLY SENTENCED TO TWO NSECUTIVE LIFE SENTENC, ENDG A REIGN OF TERROR THAT—DUE TO HIS HAB OF TAKG ROUTE TRIPS AROUND THE UNTRY—MAY HAVE CLUD MANY MORE UNKNOWN VICTIMS. HE WAS, BY ALL ACUNTS, A MONSTER SEEMGLY WHOUT REMORSE, AND LAST CALL IS SHARPT WHEN POSS HIM AS THE RULT OF A SOCIETY THAT MONIZ WH MALIC TENT (BE ANA BRYANT THE ’70S OR RON DESANTIS TODAY) AND, THE PROCS, SPIR EVABLE CELTY. NICK SCHAGER

"Sometim he went for male pannship, " rells former New Jersey State Police Detective Nick Theodos, who not the seri that Mulhy's murr was the first se that brought him to close ntact wh the gay muny. "The homosexual muny wasn't very open about what they were dog their private liv, " he said.

Sakara, an openly gay 56-year-old who equented the Five Oaks piano bar the Wt Village, where he was last seen alive on July 30, 1993, acrdg to vtigators.

Bmeister, a married man wh children, is believed to have equented gay bars, where he targeted young men to lure home, kill and bury.

SERIAL KILLER WHO PREYED ON GAY MEN, WAS DUBBED 'I-95 KILLER' IS EXECUTED FLORIDA

"Invtigators believed Bmeister, a married father of three who equented gay bars, lured men to his home and killed them. It turns out that the last place anyone saw Mulhy was an Upper East Si gay bar named The Townhoe, where olr, sophistited men met each other, or met younger men attracted to their type. Through extensive archival footage and terviews wh people who participated the AVP particular and New York’s gay scene general, we are remd of jt how dangero was for people who were jt beg themselv, ually via vlence perpetrated by people who ma a practice out of queer-bashg.

HOW RICHARD ROGERS, A MILD-MANNERED STATEN ISLAND NURSE, TURNED OUT TO BE A SERIAL KILLER WHO DISMEMBERED GAY MEN

But the realy is brought home by the members of AVP and Edgar Rodriguez, a former NYPD sergeant and a member of the Gay Officers Actn League, who discsed the rampant and open homophobia the partment, which was so severe that Rodriguez knew was unsafe for him to e out while he was a p.