The Killing of John Lennon

Last updated

The Killing of John Lennon
Killing of john lennon.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Andrew Piddington
Written byAndrew Piddington
Produced byRakha Singh
Starring
CinematographyRoger Eaton
Edited byTony Palmer
Music by
Production
company
Picture Players Productions
Distributed by
Release dates
Running time
114 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$6,975 [1]

The Killing of John Lennon is a 2006 biographical film about Mark David Chapman's plot to kill musician John Lennon. The film was written and directed by Andrew Piddington and stars Jonas Ball, Robert C. Kirk and Thomas A. McMahon.

Contents

A British-American co-production, it was not released in the United States until 2008 and received much less attention than the similarly themed American-produced independent film Chapter 27 , released the year prior. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

Premise

The film follows Mark David Chapman three months prior to the Lennon assassination and contains flashbacks to Chapman's earlier life and upbringing, while also exploring his infatuation with J.D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye and the links between this and his motivation for the killing.

Cast

John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appear as themselves via archive footages from 1960s, Ted Koppel appears Himself as News Anchor from ABC News on 9 December 1980, and President Ronald Reagan also appears himself as archive footage from 1981 president attempt assassination.

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 39% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Despite a committed performance by newcomer Jonas Ball, The Killing of John Lennon is ultimately a flimsy character study." [2] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Chapter 27</i> 2007 film

Chapter 27 is a 2007 biographical drama film depicting the murder of John Lennon by Mark David Chapman. It was written and directed by Jarrett Schaefer, based on the 1992 book Let Me Take You Down: Inside the Mind of Mark David Chapman, the Man Who Killed John Lennon by Jack Jones, produced by Robert Salerno, and stars Jared Leto as Chapman. The film takes place in December 1980, and is intended to be an exploration of Chapman's psyche. Its title is a reference to J. D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, which has 26 chapters, and suggests a continuation of the book.

<i>Heights</i> (film) 2005 American drama film

Heights is a 2005 American drama film directed by Chris Terrio and written by Amy Fox, based on her 2001 stage play of the same name. It follows a pivotal twenty-four hours in the interconnected lives of five New Yorkers. It stars Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden, Glenn Close, Jesse Bradford, and John Light. Numerous prominent actors such as Eric Bogosian, George Segal, and Isabella Rossellini appear in supporting roles.

<i>Reno 911!: Miami</i> 2007 American film by Robert Ben Garant

Reno 911!: Miami is a 2007 American cop comedy film based on Comedy Central's Reno 911! and directed by Robert Ben Garant. Distributed in the United States and Canada by 20th Century Fox and internationally by Paramount Pictures alongside Comedy Central Films, the film was theatrically released on February 23, 2007 to mixed reviews, with much of the criticism aimed at its lack of appeal to non-fans.

<i>The U.S. vs. John Lennon</i> 2006 American film

The U.S. vs. John Lennon is a 2006 American documentary film about John Lennon's transformation from member of the Beatles to anti-war activist opposing the reelection of Richard Nixon as president in 1972. The film also details the attempts by the Nixon administration to deport Lennon from the US to end his anti-war and anti-Nixon campaigns. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in New York City and Los Angeles, California on 15 September 2006, and had a nationwide release on 29 September. A soundtrack composed of John Lennon tracks was released by Capitol Records and EMI on 26 September 2006.

<i>Overlord</i> (1975 film) 1975 British film

Overlord is a 1975 black-and-white British war film written and directed by Stuart Cooper. Set during the Second World War, around the D-Day invasion, the film is about a young British soldier's experiences and his meditations on being part of the war machinery, including his premonitions of death. The film won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival. “Overlord is not about military heroics; on the contrary, it is about the bleakness of sacrifice”, Cooper said.

<i>Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten</i> 2007 film

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten is a 2007 documentary film directed by Julien Temple about Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the British punk rock band The Clash, that went on to win the British Independent Film Awards as Best British Documentary 2007. The film premiered 20 January 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It was also shown at the Dublin Film Festival on 24 February 2007.

<i>The Mighty Macs</i> 2009 American film

The Mighty Macs is a 2009 American sports drama film by director Tim Chambers. It stars Carla Gugino in the lead role of Cathy Rush, a Hall of Fame women's basketball coach. The film premiered in the 2009 Heartland Film Festival and was released theatrically in the United States on October 21, 2011 through indie film label Freestyle Releasing.

<i>Waking Sleeping Beauty</i> 2009 American film

Waking Sleeping Beauty is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Disney film producer Don Hahn and produced by Hahn and former Disney executive Peter Schneider. The film documents the history of Walt Disney Feature Animation from 1984 to 1994, covering the rise of a period referred to as the Disney Renaissance.

<i>Haunter</i> (film) 2013 Canadian film

Haunter is a 2013 Canadian supernatural horror film directed by Vincenzo Natali, written by Brian King, and starring Abigail Breslin. The film premiered at the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival, and was picked up for U.S. distribution there by IFC Midnight.

<i>Killing Kennedy</i> (film) 2013 American TV series or program

Killing Kennedy is a 2013 American docudrama TV film directed by Nelson McCormick and written by Kelly Masterson, based on the 2012 non-fiction book of the same title by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. The film stars Rob Lowe, Will Rothhaar, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Michelle Trachtenberg. It dramatizes the presidency and assassination of John F. Kennedy, as well as the life of Lee Harvey Oswald in the years leading up to the assassination.

<i>A Liars Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Pythons Graham Chapman</i> 2012 British film by Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson, and Ben Timlett

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman is a 2012 British animated semi-biographical comedy film that is a portrayal of the life of Monty Python alumnus Graham Chapman. The film is loosely based on A Liar's Autobiography: Volume VI, a book written by Chapman and David Sherlock. It received a limited theatrical release on 2 November 2012 in the United States, and aired on the Epix TV channel on the same day.

<i>Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp</i> 2015 American comedy television miniseries

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp is an American satirical comedy television miniseries written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. First Day of Camp is the second installment in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise. The eight-episode Netflix series is a prequel to Wain's 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, a parody of teen sex comedies which has since developed a cult following. Although many of the original film's ensemble cast have gone on to high-profile work, all of the then-adult actors returned for this series, playing even younger versions of their original roles. The episodes were released for online viewing at the end of July 2015.

<i>Janis: Little Girl Blue</i> 2015 film by Amy J. Berg

Janis: Little Girl Blue is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg, about the American singer-songwriter Janis Joplin. It had its world premiere at the 2015 Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2015, and was released theatrically in the United States by FilmRise on November 27, 2015.

<i>Killing Reagan</i> (film) 2016 US drama film

Killing Reagan is a 2016 American television drama film directed by Rod Lurie and written by Eric Simonson. It is based on the 2015 book of the same name by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. The film stars Tim Matheson, Cynthia Nixon, Joe Chrest, Joel Murray, Kyle S. More, and Michael H. Cole. The film premiered on October 16, 2016, on the National Geographic Channel.

<i>Closeness</i> (film) 2017 film

Closeness is a 2017 Russian drama film directed by Kantemir Balagov, in his feature film debut. It was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, it won the FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.

<i>Whitney: Can I Be Me</i> 2017 documentary film directed by Rudi Dolezal and Nick Broomfield

Whitney: Can I Be Me is a 2017 British-American documentary film that was written, co-produced by Nick Broomfield and directed by Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal. The film's subject is the life and career of singer Whitney Houston.

<i>Nightmare Cinema</i> 2018 American horror anthology film

Nightmare Cinema is a 2018 American horror anthology film featuring work by directors Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ryūhei Kitamura, and David Slade.

<i>Kid 90</i> 2021 American documentary film

Kid 90 is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Soleil Moon Frye. The film follows Moon Frye who carried a camera around with her everywhere she went. Leonardo DiCaprio serves as an executive producer under his Appian Way Productions banner.

<i>The One</i> (TV series) British science fiction television series

The One is a British science fiction television series based on John Marrs's 2016 novel of the same name. It was created by Howard Overman and was released on Netflix on 12 March 2021.

<i>Hysterical</i> (2021 film) 2021 American film

"Hysterical" is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins. It follows multiple comedians throughout their lives on stage and off. Judy Gold, Carmen Lynch, Kathy Griffin, Nikki Glaser, Jessica Kirson, Marina Franklin, Bonnie McFarlane, Rachel Feinstein, Lisa Lampanelli, Kelly Bachman, Iliza Shlesinger, Fortune Feimster, Sherri Shepherd and Margaret Cho appear in the film.

References

  1. "The Killing of John Lennon (2008) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  2. "The Killing of John Lennon (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  3. "The Killing of John Lennon Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 7 October 2020.