Chapter 27
April 17, 2008
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Writer director J.P. Schaefer couldn't have asked for more from his lead actor Jared Leto in his directorial debut "Chapter 27." The unimaginably overweight Leto is Mark David Chapman, a young man who plots to do the unthinkable... Slowly slipping into insanity, Chapman travels to New York in early December 1980, to go forth with his plan to assassinate musician John Lennon. Completely alienated from all of his surroundings, Chapman's madness begins to become overwhelming as he continues to stand in front of the Dakota (ex-Beatle's home in NYC) waiting for Lennon to walk out. During these few days, Chapman bullies and continually annoys a young, die-hard Lennon fan, Jude (Lindsay Lohan), while constantly harassing and arguing with a photographer (Judah Friedlander, from the show 30 Rock) who is also there to take a paparazzi style shot of the great Lennon himself. During all this commotion, Chapman never takes his mind off of what he is there to do, figure out the perfect way to carry out the unforgettable.
Not a great film altogether, however, Leto is amazing! His transformation is not as superb, but could easily be compared to the male version of Charlize Theron in "Monster." "Chapter 27" is upsetting, discomfiting, and dark. Some scenes of great dialogue and detail of the tragic day linger throughout, and the banter between Leto and Friedlander, as brief as it is, is surprising. And, what I learned after viewing the film is, it was called "Chapter 27" because Mark David Chapman believed that if he killed John Lennon, that would be his way of writing the 27th chapter in the 26 chapter long book, "Catcher In The Rye," which Chapman claims is the reason he did what he did... The book "Catcher In The Rye" told him to do it.
Pat the Movie Critic gives "Chapter 27" --- 2 1/2 Scoops.
March 27, 2008
Jared Leto is in the upcoming movie Chapter 27 looking noticeably chunkier. And the sixty pounds he gained for the part actually caused him to have health problems.
He said, "My body was in shock from the amount of weight I gained. I don't know if it was gout, but I had a definite problem with my feet. I couldn't walk for long distances. I had a wheelchair because it was so painful."
But I guess it was worth it. Jared definitely pulls off the creepiness of of John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman. He says, "It was important to make that transformation. It changed everything about who I was - the way I walked, talked, how I felt about myself and the way people treated me. It was interesting to see what people thought - some obviously thought I'd let myself go."
It's almost like when Maria Menounos dressed up in a fat suit during sweeps and complained about people not paying attention to her....except better.
March 21, 2008
Doesn't it seem like Jared Leto's movie Chapter 27 was shot like 5 years ago? Well its finally going to make its way to the theaters next weekend.
The movie, which also stars Lindsay Lohan, is about Mark David Chapman in the days leading up to the infamous murder of Beatle John Lennon.
The movie hits NYC theaters on March 28th and will open in LA the following week. Check out the movie trailer below:
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