(Andrew Peddington / USA / 2007 / 35mm / 114 Mins / Cert 15)
(Sat 19th – Tue 22nd / 9pm / £4/3/2ttt)

It is Mark Chapman's murder of John Lennon on the steps of New York's Dakota Building in 1980 that brought him the dubious honour of being the world's first recognised celebrity stalker, as well as the notoriety of being one of the world's most hated people. Piddington's account of the escalating obsession with the legendary pop icon has been drawn largely from the killer's own diaries which, in addition to lending the film an unnerving sense of authenticity, manages to place the film outside of the typical 'procedural' aspects of the genre. The film attempts to humanise Chapman, to understand his motives, in addition to documenting the turmoil of the period that led to this defining moment in 20th Century culture.