While corporate consolidation has led to smaller documentary production budgets and fewer indie doc sales, the demand for true-crime docus has skyrocketed over the last few years.
That’s good news for documentary production companies like Dan Cogan and Liz Garbus’ Story Syndicate. This year, Garbus, Cogan and Story Syndicate’s head of documentary and nonfiction, Jon Bardin, have produced three true-crime documentaries: Hulu’s “Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence,” Netflix’s” Take Care of Maya” and HBO’s “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York.”
About a string of murders in 1990’s Manhattan, “Last Call,” like “Stolen Youth” and “Take Care of Maya,” has become a hit with audiences and critics alike. (The final episode in the four-part series air on July 30.)
Variety spoke with Bardin, Cogan and Garbus about what they are looking for in a true-crime project and what they steer...
That’s good news for documentary production companies like Dan Cogan and Liz Garbus’ Story Syndicate. This year, Garbus, Cogan and Story Syndicate’s head of documentary and nonfiction, Jon Bardin, have produced three true-crime documentaries: Hulu’s “Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence,” Netflix’s” Take Care of Maya” and HBO’s “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York.”
About a string of murders in 1990’s Manhattan, “Last Call,” like “Stolen Youth” and “Take Care of Maya,” has become a hit with audiences and critics alike. (The final episode in the four-part series air on July 30.)
Variety spoke with Bardin, Cogan and Garbus about what they are looking for in a true-crime project and what they steer...
- 7/28/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
“Last Call” wasn’t interested in telling just a story of anti-queer violence and trauma — which is a tricky needle to thread when you’re telling a true crime story of a serial killer targeting LGBTQ men in the greater New York area.
Centered on serial killer Richard Rogers, HBO’s “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is based on Elon Green’s 2021 nonfiction account “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York” and unflinchingly documents the crimes and circumstances surrounding the murders of four queer men in the 1990s. But it was the hope of executive producer Howard Gertler (Oscar nominee for “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” and “How to Survive a Plague”) and director Anthony Caronna (“Susanne Bartsch: On Top”) to counterbalance that flashpoint of violence and fear with a tribute to the community’s joy and beauty.
Centered on serial killer Richard Rogers, HBO’s “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is based on Elon Green’s 2021 nonfiction account “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York” and unflinchingly documents the crimes and circumstances surrounding the murders of four queer men in the 1990s. But it was the hope of executive producer Howard Gertler (Oscar nominee for “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” and “How to Survive a Plague”) and director Anthony Caronna (“Susanne Bartsch: On Top”) to counterbalance that flashpoint of violence and fear with a tribute to the community’s joy and beauty.
- 7/24/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
When director Anthony Caronna was pitched with making a series out of Elon Green’s 2021 book “Last Call,” about a string of queer-targeted murders in 1990’s Manhattan, he had some reservations.
“I loved the book,” said Caronna. “But I passed on the project because I wasn’t interested at that time in doing true crime. My biggest concern was re-victimizing the community and possibly working against the community in a way.”
True crime media is a true mixed bag. Each documentary, docuseries or podcast sits somewhere on a spectrum of educational and entertaining; while the latter might sound like a jarring way to describe the storytelling of real-life criminals and real-life victims, it’s not incorrect to say that some audiences find sensationalized crime stories enticing.
So, before Caronna ended up taking on the pitch and directing HBO’s four-part docuseries “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York,...
“I loved the book,” said Caronna. “But I passed on the project because I wasn’t interested at that time in doing true crime. My biggest concern was re-victimizing the community and possibly working against the community in a way.”
True crime media is a true mixed bag. Each documentary, docuseries or podcast sits somewhere on a spectrum of educational and entertaining; while the latter might sound like a jarring way to describe the storytelling of real-life criminals and real-life victims, it’s not incorrect to say that some audiences find sensationalized crime stories enticing.
So, before Caronna ended up taking on the pitch and directing HBO’s four-part docuseries “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York,...
- 7/17/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Serial killer true crime stories are a genre in and of themselves — so much so that the repeated revisiting of murderers like Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy almost turn them into clichés that threaten to trivialize the very real consequences of their killings. But rarely are true crime and social justice as cohesively intertwined on the small screen as they are in “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York,” a four-part docuseries premiering on HBO.
Directed by Anthony Caronna and executive produced by Howard Gertler from Elon Green’s 2021 nonfiction book, “Last Call” pulls back the curtain on the killing spree of Richard Rogers, a male nurse who, as far back as the 1980s and until 2001 when he was eventually caught by authorities, targeted gay men in New York and New Jersey. His reign of terror also fell at a time when queer people were under...
Directed by Anthony Caronna and executive produced by Howard Gertler from Elon Green’s 2021 nonfiction book, “Last Call” pulls back the curtain on the killing spree of Richard Rogers, a male nurse who, as far back as the 1980s and until 2001 when he was eventually caught by authorities, targeted gay men in New York and New Jersey. His reign of terror also fell at a time when queer people were under...
- 7/9/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
In the early 1990s, a serial killer terrorized the New York City LGBTQ+ community. The HBO Original series “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” will shine a light on the events when it arrives on the premium cabler and its streaming service Max this weekend. The four-part docuseries will feature first-seen archival footage, interviews with experts and family members, and more as it shows how the LGBTQ+ community fought to solve the string of murders and demanded fair treatment for queen crime victims. “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” will premiere on HBO and Max on Sunday, July 9, 2023, at 9 p.m. Et. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max.
How to Watch ‘Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York’ Premiere When: Sunday, July 9, 2023 Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free...
How to Watch ‘Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York’ Premiere When: Sunday, July 9, 2023 Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free...
- 7/9/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
One of the most telling moments of Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York, the new HBO docuseries about a serial killer who terrorized gay men in the Nineties, comes when director Anthony Caronna is interviewing a pair of retired police detectives who worked the case. The interviewer asks a pretty standard wrap-up question, something along the lines of, “Is there anything you wish I had asked?” One of the detectives replies with his own question: “Why is the emphasis on the gay part?” Well, sir, it...
- 7/9/2023
- by Chris Vognar
- Rollingstone.com
"Queer bars were one of the few places where we could come and feel safe... And then, all the sudden, everything was taken away." HBO has revealed an official trailer for a four-part docu-series called Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York, and LGBTQ-themed true crime thriller. It will be released on HBO and streaming on Max starting in early July. Based on the book "Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York" written by Elon Green. As the AIDS crisis intensifies in the early 1990s, homophobia and hate crimes increase, and a serial killer preys on gay men in New York City by infiltrating the queer nightlife to identify his victims. The film highlights the prejudices and attitudes of the times, when deep-rooted biases in the criminal justice system and the media's distorted public perception of the victims undermined the...
- 6/28/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
HBO unveiled a trailer for “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York,” which will premiere on HBO and stream on Max Sunday, July 9.
The four-part investigative crime docuseries, which is based on Elon Green’s award-winning investigative book “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York,” centers on a serial killer who preyed upon gay men in New York City in the early 1990s, infiltrating queer nightlife to find his victims.
Also Read:
Warner Bros. Discovery in Talks to License HBO Content to Netflix
The show dives into the prejudices and attitudes of the times and the efforts by activists, including the NYC Anti-Violence Project, to force law enforcement to recognize and protect the queer community.
“Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is executive produced by two-time Academy Award nominee Howard Gertler (HBO’s “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed...
The four-part investigative crime docuseries, which is based on Elon Green’s award-winning investigative book “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York,” centers on a serial killer who preyed upon gay men in New York City in the early 1990s, infiltrating queer nightlife to find his victims.
Also Read:
Warner Bros. Discovery in Talks to License HBO Content to Netflix
The show dives into the prejudices and attitudes of the times and the efforts by activists, including the NYC Anti-Violence Project, to force law enforcement to recognize and protect the queer community.
“Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is executive produced by two-time Academy Award nominee Howard Gertler (HBO’s “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed...
- 6/28/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
The systemic erasure of queer killings is investigated in the HBO docuseries “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York.”
Directed by Anthony Caronna, the four-part series unpacks the homophobic lack of police effort to find Richard Rogers, a serial killer targeting gay men in the early 1990s New York City nightlife scene. The documentary is based on Elon Green’s book “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York.”
Per the official synopsis, in the early 1990s, with homophobia and hate crimes on the rise as the AIDS crisis worsened, a serial killer preyed upon gay men in New York City, infiltrating queer nightlife to find his victims. “Last Call” dives deeply into the prejudices and attitudes of the times, when deep-rooted biases in the criminal justice system and the media’s distorted public perception of the victims undermined the investigation...
Directed by Anthony Caronna, the four-part series unpacks the homophobic lack of police effort to find Richard Rogers, a serial killer targeting gay men in the early 1990s New York City nightlife scene. The documentary is based on Elon Green’s book “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York.”
Per the official synopsis, in the early 1990s, with homophobia and hate crimes on the rise as the AIDS crisis worsened, a serial killer preyed upon gay men in New York City, infiltrating queer nightlife to find his victims. “Last Call” dives deeply into the prejudices and attitudes of the times, when deep-rooted biases in the criminal justice system and the media’s distorted public perception of the victims undermined the investigation...
- 6/28/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
HBO’s Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York delves into the brutal murderer who targeted gay men in the 1990s. The four-part documentary series was directed by Pride‘s Anthony Caronna and features interviews with activists, investigators, and family members who were involved in the search for the serial killer.
The docuseries is based on Elon Green’s bestseller and is executive produced by Howard Gertler, Charlize Theron, Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, and Kate Barry.
HBO released the following description of the docuseries:
“In the early 1990s, with homophobia and hate crimes on the rise as the AIDS crisis worsens, a serial killer preys upon gay men in New York City, infiltrating queer nightlife to find his victims. A gripping, investigative crime story, Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York also dives deeply into the prejudices and attitudes of the times,...
The docuseries is based on Elon Green’s bestseller and is executive produced by Howard Gertler, Charlize Theron, Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, and Kate Barry.
HBO released the following description of the docuseries:
“In the early 1990s, with homophobia and hate crimes on the rise as the AIDS crisis worsens, a serial killer preys upon gay men in New York City, infiltrating queer nightlife to find his victims. A gripping, investigative crime story, Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York also dives deeply into the prejudices and attitudes of the times,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Warning: This story contains spoilers for the first two episodes of American Horror Story: NYC.
American Horror Story: NYC seems a culmination of everything Ryan Murphy has made in the past: It’s like if Pose met Dahmer met the Rubber Man, the mysterious murderous figure that we first met in AHS season one.
Over the first two episodes, which premiered Wednesday on FX and is now streaming on Hulu, we meet a cast of characters trying to survive New York in 1981, specifically a mysterious illness infecting both deer on...
American Horror Story: NYC seems a culmination of everything Ryan Murphy has made in the past: It’s like if Pose met Dahmer met the Rubber Man, the mysterious murderous figure that we first met in AHS season one.
Over the first two episodes, which premiered Wednesday on FX and is now streaming on Hulu, we meet a cast of characters trying to survive New York in 1981, specifically a mysterious illness infecting both deer on...
- 10/20/2022
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
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