Chapter 27 (2007)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

J.P. Schaefer

Writers:

J.P. Schaefer (written by)
Jack Jones (book)

Release Date:

15 December 2007 (Japan)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

No one can survive becoming a legend.

Plot:

A film about Mark David Chapman in the days leading up to the infamous murder of Beatle John Lennon. |

Plot Keywords:

John Lennon | Murder | Cigarette Smoking | Memorial | Prostitute

Cast

Jared Leto	...	Mark David Chapman
Lindsay Lohan	...	Jude
Judah Friedlander	...	Paul
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ursula Abbott	...	Jeri
George Bryant II	...	Limo driver
Kevin Cannon	...	Precision Driver / Street Hood
Mark Lindsay Chapman	...	John Lennon
Melissa Demyan	...	Lennon Groupie
Jeane Fournier	...	European Woman
Molly Griffith	...	Covergirl / Centerfold
Matthew Humphreys	...	Frederic Seaman
Redman Maxfield	...	Maitre D'
Lauren Milberger	...	Gilda Radner
Matthew Nardozzi	...	Little Kid
Brian O'Neill	...	Patrick
Adam Scarimbolo	...	Clerk Riley
Michael Sirow	...	Joseph Many
Jeff Skowron	...	Waiter
Mariko Takai	...	Yoko Ono
Victor Verhaeghe	...	Spiro
Erik Wolfe	...	Lennon Band Member

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

84 min | USA:100 min (Sundance Film Festival)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-7 | USA:R | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Central Park West, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Peace Arch Entertainment Group

Trivia:

We are told that John Lennon was living in the Manhattan building called The Dakota, where Rosemary's Baby (1968) was filmed in 1968 - directed by Roman Polanski, whose pregnant wife, the actress Sharon Tate, was murdered in 1969. The murderers were Charles Manson and his followers, who titled their death spree "Helter Skelter" after the 1968 song by The Beatles.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mark David Chapman: I believe in Holden Caulfield. And in the book, and what he was saying, what he was saying to a lost generation of phony people.

Movie Connections:

References Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Soundtrack:

Deck the Halls

And?

Just caught the world premiere at Sundance tonight. At the Question and Answer with the director and lead actor, the audience asked two categories of questions. Either, "what drove you to make this movie" and "what did you learn about Chapman that is not already known" on one hand or "how many pounds did Jared Lito gain/lose to play the part" on the other. The actor Jared had more to say about the hardship of the physical aspects of this role than the director Jared had to say about the "why" of the movie other than some vague attempt to humanize Mark David Chapman and to show that his motivation apparently came from his sick adherence to the words of John Lennon and Salinger's Catcher In The Rye.

But such is already common knowledge gleaned from any standard article written about Chapman's murder of Lennon along with his last few days up until the shooting. The director admitted to no contact from the Lennon family or even with Chapman himself--why humanize someone you don't even care to meet? So, the audience wondered, what was the point? No wonder the most interesting thing to the audience the film was Jared the actor's weight commitment to the role.

Excellent acting throughout, especially Ms. Lohan's work, and solid technical film-making. But nothing interesting, thoughtful, insightful, exposing or illuminating to see.

A film about a madman causing pain and grief to a someone and their family, or in this case to millions worldwide, that sheds light as to how such person got to such a state is one thing, but one that that does nothing but execute a common knowledge play-by-play of the killer's last few days, a "Passion of the Chapman" if you will--and even that gives this film too much credit--does not seem to have a reason except possibly dull sensationalism. I say dull because, if not, wouldn't such a film have been made over twenty years ago?

A well done, well acted wasteful drag of a movie.