#john lennon: murder without a trial

[greensparty]

TV reviews - Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too? / John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

This week I got to review two unscripted mini-series that both dropped recently on streamers.

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too?

As the singer and bassist for Rush, Geddy Lee has amassed quite a cult following. They were a thinking man's rock trio where you literally felt smarter just for listening to them. I went through a serious Rush phase as a teen. I had heard their hits, but began buying their 70s CDs one by one. I even learned some of their songs when I was taking guitar lessons. 2112, their epic rock opera, is my personal fave of their discography. In 1996, I saw the band live at the Meadowlands in NJ. Fantastic live band too. Now, Lee is getting his own limited unscripted series Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too? which premiered on Paramount+ last week.

TV poster

Produced by Banger Films and directed by Sam Dunn (who directed the Rush doc Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage as well as Super Duper Alice Cooper, and ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas, this is sort of like Geddy Lee's version of a travel show, where a host visits a different location each episode, talks to a local (or many), and takes in the local food and culture. The four episodes that have been released are Lee speaking with Les Claypool of Primus and The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Melissa Auf der Maur of Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana and 3rd Secret. Lee goes to their home, does activities with them and eventually talks and plays music with them. It is very much insider-baseball for musicians.

Lee is an engaging figure and a great host. All of these subjects so far have been bassists who came along after Rush and in some cases there was overlap between their band and Rush, but I think it might be interesting if the next season was bassists who pre-dated Rush. As a huge fan of Novoselic and Auf der Maur, and very familiar with Claypool and Trujillo, I of course was fully engaged in their rapport and conversation. Novoselic showing Lee his grange and flying with him on his plane is something I could watch all day! In some instances, it's Lee discovering things he hasn't done before like surfing with Trujillo. This is a cool show for music geeks, but beyond Paul McCartney the average person can't name too many bassists, so it's nice to see bassists talking shop and then some!

For info on Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too?

4 out of 5 stars

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

The December 8, 1980 murder of John Lennon outside his NYC apartment building at the hands of deranged "fan" Mark David Chapman is one of the great tragedies in that he was such a tremendous talent taken from us at age 40 way before his time. I was only about 4 when it happened, so I don't have any "where were you when Lennon was shot" memories (although I was into the Yellow Submarine movie). In later years as I got into The Beatles and Lennon's solo work, I saw many documentaries and specials about that tragedy. Not only was Lennon in a good place and happy with wife Yoko Ono and raising his 5 year-old son Sean, but he had just released a new album Double Fantasy, his first in five years and you got the sense it was the start of a big comeback. I've visited the Lennon memorial Strawberry Fields in Central Park many times. But I digress. The tragic murder is now a 3-part documentary mini-series John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, which just premiered on Apple TV+.

TV poster

Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, this is a deep dive into the day of the murder (what Lennon was doing leading up to the assassination, what Chapman was doing), the investigation, the trial and outcome.

Anyone who reads this blog, knows I am a lifelong Beatle and Lennon fanatic. Just recently, I got to review the documentary The Lost Weekend: A Love Story about May Pang’s relationship with Lennon and I also got to review the re-release of The Beatles’ Red and Blue albums. So I went into this very familiar with the subject. The thing that impressed me most was the depth of interview subjects, i.e. cab drivers that night, police and law enforcement that night, Dakota employees and residents, hospital staff and more. Hearing their recollections and some of the archival footage are quite impressive. But the thing that Lennon fans needs to understand going into this is that this is more of a true crime doc than a music or celebrity doc. I say this because there are very few Lennon musical collaborators other than producer Jack Douglas, and Yoko and Sean are shown in archival footage. There have been some fantastic Lennon docs in the past, notably Imagine: John Lennon (possibly the best Lennon doc there's been), The U.S. vs. John Lennon, and LennoNYC. This one is very much looking into the crime itself, the legal ramifications and the outcome. Do not expect to learn much about Lennon himself here if you're a fan, but you might learn quite a bit about Chapman (not that you necessarily want to know more about that monster). As a documentarian I can appreciate this doc series, but as Lennon fan I wanted a little more about Lennon, his family and the recording he was doing at that time, and it only scratched that surface.

For info on John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

3 out of 5 stars

[krispyweiss]

“John Lennon: Murder without a Trial” to Air on Apple TV+

- Release date for three-part, Kiefer Sutherland-narrated doc pending

Kiefer Sutherland narrates a new, three-part documentary examining the murder of John Lennon.

Apple TV+ announced the series, “John Lennon: Murder without a Trial,” but did not reveal its release date.

Based on public records, including previously unseen crime-scene photos; and interviews with eyewitnesses, Lennon’s friends, psychiatrists, detectives, prosecutors and attorneys for the Beatle’s confessed killer, the resulting documentary is the “most thoroughly researched examination” of Lennon’s Dec. 8, 1980, murder to date, Apple said in a statement.

Nick Holt and Rob Coldstream co-directed the series.

10/30/23

[lexie-squirrel]

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial (2023)

Периодически меня заклинивает на какой-нибудь ужасной теме вроде "Титаника" или 11 сентября, и я вынужден поглощать все на эту тему. На этот раз меня спонтанно заклинило на смерти Джона Леннона. Не могу назвать себя прямо-таки прожженным фанатом "Битлз" (ну, по крайней мере, теперь), но к теме убийства Леннона я отношусь без особого пиетета (и к его личности тоже). Так что я в отличие от многих не против, что это документалка пытается проникнуть в глубины больного разума Марка Чэпмена и тем самым - о ужас, о ужас - дает ему ту славу и внимание, коих он так жаждал.

Получилось довольно неплохо, тем более, что для документалки "созвали" многих свидетелей и участников тех самых событий - и таксистов, и друзей, и следователей. Началось все и вовсе с аудио-интервью с Ленноном, записанного злосчастного 8 декабря. При этом используется и хроника, например, репортажи новостей и просто видео, записанные журналистами в тот день. Но после смерти Леннона фокус мягко сместился на его убийцу, над мотивами которого все ломали головы. Здесь рассказали и о его прошлом, и предоставили слово другу его детства и бывшей девушке. Сам Марк Чэпмен тоже говорил - на архивных аудиозаписях. К сожалению, в этой документалке не упомянули о том, что возможно "запасным вариантом" Чэпмена в тот вечер был Дэвид Боуи.

В целом я теперь согласен с выводами документалки - Чэпмен был глубоко психически нездоров и нуждался в медицинском лечении, а не в тюремном заключении. Думаю, и судья, и присяжные были несколько предвзяты, да и сам Марк Чэпмен не особо помогал своим адвокатам, внезапно признав свою вину, потому что так ему велел "господь бог". С другой стороны, как мне подумалось, Чэпмен сейчас находится в тюрьме в том числе и для собственной безопасности - если бы его выпустили после какой-либо психиатрической помощи или условно-досрочно на свободе он бы долго не пробыл. Потому что, как мы знаем, всегда есть двинутые психи-фанатики с оружием. Вроде него самого.

[atomheartmagazine]

Nuovo post su Atom Heart Magazine

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"John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial" su Apple TV+: la ricostruzione dell'omicidio a opera di Mark David Chapman

Su Apple TV+ è ora disponibile la docuserie in tre episodi “John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial“, che esplora l’omicidio del leggendario membro dei Beatles, John Lennon, avvenuto l’8 dicembre 1980. L’approfondita narrazione si concentra su Mark David Chapman, l’assassino di Lennon, ripercorrendo l’arresto e il processo di uno degli omicidi più noti del XX secolo.

John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial

“John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial” offre una prospettiva unica sulla tragedia, utilizzando testimonianze esclusive come quelle del portiere del Dakota Building, dei poliziotti intervenuti, e dell’autista che portò Chapman sul luogo del delitto. Attraverso filmati inediti e racconti dettagliati, gli episodi, narrati da Kiefer Sutherland, forniscono una visione approfondita degli eventi che portarono all’assassinio di John Lennon.

Il viaggio dentro la follia di Mark David Chapman

La serie esplora la psiche di Mark David Chapman, un fan di John Lennon che, nonostante avesse ottenuto un autografo poche ore prima dell’omicidio, compì l’atto tragico per cercare fama. Si analizzano i motivi di Chapman. La sua ossessione per “Il Giovane Holden“ e il desiderio di somigliare al frontman dei Beatles, mettendo in luce la sua instabilità mentale.

Il contesto giudiziario

Attraverso immagini d’archivio e interviste, “John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial” segue il processo di Chapman e le complesse decisioni della corte. Si discute della possibilità di appellarsi alla sua infermità mentale e delle implicazioni pubbliche di un verdetto che avrebbe dovuto giustiziare un omicidio così eclatante.

Le scuse e l’ultima richiesta di Chapman

La narrazione si chiude con la richiesta di scusa pubblica di Chapman alla vedova di Lennon, Yoko Ono, formulata tre anni fa. Nonostante le scuse, la vedova non ha mai perdonato l’assassino. Chapman ha cercato la libertà condizionata per dodici volte, ma la sua richiesta è stata costantemente respinta.

John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial su Apple TV+

La docuserie rappresenta un contributo significativo alla memoria di uno degli eventi più sconvolgenti della storia della musica e della cultura pop. Attraverso una narrazione dettagliata e testimonianze esclusive, la serie offre uno sguardo approfondito sulla mente di Mark David Chapman e sugli impatti duraturi di quell’oscuro giorno di dicembre nel 1980.

[passionforfiction]

Recount of Documentaries I Watched in 2023

This year I also watched a couple of documentaries, mostly about actors and singers. They were really interesting. I also watched the documentary about Antonia, a student from the University of Puerto Rico who was killed during a student protest. I watched it with my dad who had been studying in that campus when it happened.

[rockattitudegr]

Ενα νέο ντοκιμαντέρ αποτελούμενο από τρία μέρη με θέμα τη δολοφονία του John Lennon και αφήγηση του Καναδού σκηνοθέτη και ηθοποιού Kiefer Sutherland έρχεται στο Apple TV+.

[poetfades2black]

Watching the John Lennon doc on Apple TV. Crazy.

1955 – Mark David Chapman

Mark David Chapman (born May 10, 1955) is an American man who murdered former Beatles member John Lennon in New York City on December 8, 1980.

[quoththemaven]

2024 Favoritest Docs

Favoritestest: Remarkable Life of Ibelin 😍

American Nightmare

Lover, Stalker, Killer

The Truth vs Alex Jones

Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show

The Jinx 2

Freaknik

moviepass, moviecrash 

Beach Boys

Ashley Madison

Ren Faire

Brats

John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial

Skywalkers: A Love Story

Wise Guy: David Chase & The Sopranos

Chimp Crazy

Will & Harper

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara

Road Diary Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

The Grab

Beatles '64

¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!

[iamthepodman]

On The Podman's Second Podcast, a hodgepodge of tracks from various sources are haphazardly thrown together to capitalize on the Podman's flash in the pan popularity. Funny thing is, it's a fantastic listen! The Podman reviews 2023. reviews; Something About the Beatles, John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial and it We're Just Going to Talk About the Beatles.

Never Before Has Podcasting Heard Anything Like Him...

And Here He Is!.... The Podman!

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2023.12.06

Wednesday, December 6th:

(exclusive): A Historia Delas (hulu, "Their Stories" Brazilian drama, all 8 eps), "John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial" (apple+, docu-series), "Messi Meets America" (apple+, part 6, docuseries finale), Blood Coast (netflix, French police thriller, all 6 eps)

(movies): "We Live Here: The Midwest" (hulu, documentary spinoff), "Christmas as Usual" (netflix, Norwegian+Indian rom-com, ~90mins)

(streaming weekly): Shetland (BritBox), Black Cake (hulu, season 1 finale), Slow Horses (apple+), The Buccaneers (apple+, penultimate), Ink Master (Para+), The Santa Clauses (dsn+, season 2 finale), "Soundtrack #2" (dsn+, Korean romantic musical drama, first 2 eps), Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis (freevee, season 2 opener), Squid Game: The Challenge (netflix, season 1 finale, in primetime)

(broadcast specials): CMT Campfire Sessions (CMT, "Christmas Edition 2023"), GOP Primary Candidates Debate (NewsNation|theCW, 4th round, 4 participants, live)

(original made-for-TV movies): "Trapped In The Cabin" (LMN, 2hrs)

(earlier - hour 0): Young Dylan (NICK) / . / NFL Slimetime (NICK)

(hour 1): Quantum Leap (NBC), Celebrity Jeopardy! (ABC, quarterfinals end), The Masked Singer (FOX), Survivor (CBS, 90mins), The Challenge (MTV, 90mins)

(hour 2): Magnum P.I. (NBC), Sistas (BET), Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC), Snake Oil (FOX), Survivor (CBS, contd) / . / The Amazing Race (CBS, 90mins), The Challenge (MTV, contd) / . / Cribs (MTV), King Charles (CNN, weekly talkshow, special time)

(hour 3): The $100,000 Pyramid (ABC), SurrealEstate (SyFy, season 2 finale), The Amazing Race (CBS, contd), Ms. Pat Settles It (BET), Guy's Ranch Cook-Off (FOOD, special, 60mins)

[preempted, returning next week: Sullivan's Crossing (theCW), The Spencer Sisters (theCW) ] [note: Celebrity Jeopardy! (ABC) returns in January, moving to Tuesdays.]

[qudachuk]

This look at the Beatle’s shooting and the legal investigation does justice to a profoundly strange moment – thanks to incredible archive footageIf the fundamental measure of a documentary series is how many first-hand witnesses it can recruit, John...

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward to in December

I can't believe it is now the END of 2023 and it's the last month of the year. In addition to Pearl Harbor Day (Dec. 7), Hanukkah (Dec. 7-15), Winter beginning (Dec. 21), Christmas Day (Dec. 25), Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1) and New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) here is what's on my radar:

Movies:

Silent Night

John Woo is one of my personal filmmaking heroes. I even made a tribute to him with my short film To Be John Woo. He has not made a film in the U.S. in twenty years and now he's back with an action-packed revenge film. Opens 12/1 (review to come).

A Disturbance in the Force

The 1978 TV special Star Wars Holiday Special has become legendary…mainly because it was so critically reviled and George Lucas has tried to prevent it from ever being re-broadcast or released. I got my bootleg DVD and I’ve written about it quite a bit here. Now there is a documentary about the SWHS. It’s directed by Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak. Coon co-directed Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, which I named my #14 Documentary of the 2010s! Blu-ray and streaming release on 12/5.

Wonka 

I have a very special place in my heart for Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In third grade we did a production of it and I made my acting debut as an Oompa Loompa. Tim Burton's 2005 remake got a bad rap, but I kind of liked it and dug how they tried to get into his background. Now there is a new prequel about Willy Wonka's early days and the lead up to his becoming a chocolate king. I would call myself cautiously optimistic about this. Opens 12/15.

Ferrari 

I can't say I love every movie Michael Mann has made, but when he's good he's really good and whenever he has a new film I always check it out. This biopic of Enzo Ferrari looks good! Opens 12/25.

The Boys in the Boat

George Clooney has directed some of his best work when it's based on real life, i.e. Good Night and Good Luck and The Monuments Men. This one is about the 1930s University of Washington rowing team. Opens 12/25.

Occupied City 

Steve McQueen's directed some great narrative films and now he has a new documentary about Amsterdam from World War II to now. It's also 4 hours and 6 minutes (not a typo). Opens 12/25.

Music:

Peter Gabriel I/O

Peter Gabriel hasn't released a new album of original material in 21 years (there's been covers and re-recordings since then), so this new album he's been teasing throughout the year is cause for celebration. Album drops 12/1.

TV:

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too?

As the singer and bassist for Rush, Geddy Lee has amassed quite a cult following. Now he is doing his version of a travel show, where he meets with other notable bassists to do some of their favorite activities, see their home and area, talk shop and yes, compare bass playing tips. Series premieres on 12/5 on Paramount+.

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

The 1980 murder of John Lennon is one of the great tragedies in that he was such a tremendous talent taken from us at age 40 by a deranged "fan". This 3-part docuseries deep dives into that killing and the aftermath. Series premieres on Apple TV+ on 12/6.

End of the Year Lists:

As anyone who knows me knows, I wait until after the year ends to begin unveiling my best-of-the-year lists (you never know, something great might be released on 12/31!), so expect my lists to be rolled out beginning in January. In the meantime, I’ll be reading all of the Best of 2023 lists that begin dropping this month!

[krispyweiss]

Movie Review: “John Lennon: Murder without a Trial”

There’s an unseemliness about “John Lennon: Murder without a Trial” the film that begins with people adjacent to the Beatle’s last day getting their 15 minutes of attention and ends with the movie makers offering what’s tantamount to a mitigation hearing for the man who murdered Lennon Dec. 8, 1980, outside the Dakota building in New York City.

Based on public records, including previously unseen crime-scene photos; and interviews with eyewitnesses, Lennon’s friends, psychiatrists, detectives, prosecutors and attorneys for the Beatle’s confessed killer, the three-part Apple+ documentary narrated by Kiefer Sutherland begins with “The Last Day” and directors Nick Holt and Rob Coldstream allowing Dakota employees, cab drivers, New York City cops, hospital staff and others to talk about their interactions with Lennon just before and after the shooting.

“I just thought it was so tragic, that was the only time I got to meet him,” a retired Roosevelt Hospital nurse and Beatles fan says of Lennon coming to her ER after being shot.

This unfortunate quote illustrates the voyeuristic vibe that permeates the film, as when a cop on the final episode - “The Trial” - states proudly that he was the only detective on the case who did not read “The Catcher in the Rye,” the book Lennon’s murderer carried with him to New York.

In any event, “The Trial” finds the killer’s childhood friends, a former girlfriend and his ex-pastor talking about what went wrong in the gunman’s life while defense attorneys stress he was mentally ill when he committed the heinous, attention-seeking crime. To the directors’ credit, they do give former prosecutors the opportunity to dispel that notion and argue prison is where the killer belonged and still belongs.

Which leaves Episode 2 - “The Investigation” - as the only one of the 35-minute segments that doesn’t cause the viewer to recoil. But anyone who cares about Lennon and/or the Beatles enough to watch “Murder without a Trial” is unlikely to learn much beyond the fact that the person seen hidden under a jacket in contemporary footage that purports to show Lennon’s murderer being escorted to a court hearing was actually a decoy used to prevent a revenge killing. We know Nixon and the FBI tracked Lennon years before he received his Green Card.

Those who lived through Lennon’s murder and its aftermath will be jolted back four decades via the announcement on “Monday Night Football” and archival news footage of vigils, Ringo Starr navigating a scrum to visit Yoko Ono at the Dakota and Paul McCartney’s tone-deaf comments to British media as he learned the news. But you could probably find that video elsewhere and the 90 minutes needed to take in “John Lennon: Murder without a Trial” would be much better spent listening to Lennon and/or Beatles music of your choosing rather than sitting through this creepy, not-very-revealing documentary.

Grade card: “John Lennon: Murder without a Trial” - C-

1-2-24

[kennamchugh]

"John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial" Trailer

Apple TV has come up with some compelling films of late. I am impressed with this documentary, John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial. To think a psychiatrist cannot brainwash or hypnotize someone into killing another person is not valid. This documentary covers that aspect with harden evidence. For the first time, key figures from John Lennon’s life and death — including friends, doctors and…

[movierecipe]

Trailer of Murder Without a Trial , John Lennon Series Streaming on Apple TV+ John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial trailer brings a sneak Peek into the truth behind the assassination that never went to trial. via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvTynyToBM

[cinemanerdz]

“John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial” Trailer Released

http://dlvr.it/SzRVgK