Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ Review

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“Snow White & the Huntsman” was one of the pleasant surprises of 2012. It twisted-up a classic fairy tale with a smart script and a killer Evil Queen in Charlize Theron. She’s back, along with Chris Hemsworth, for this “Huntsman” spin-off. As Emily Blunt, who plays the Ice Queen Elsa – I mean Freya – […]
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‘Hardcore Henry’ Review

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“Hardcore Henry” has a unique hook: this relentless, incredibly violent, sci-fi action extravaganza was shot almost entirely with GoPro cameras, and told completely from the first-person perspective of Henry – a half-man, half-machine. Much like “Mad Max: Fury Road”, “Hardcore Henry” relies heavily on wild, zany chaos and incredible stunts. And while I wasn’t a […]
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‘In the Heart of the Sea’ Review

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“In the Heart of the Sea” is NOT director Ron Howard’s cinematic version of Moby-Dick with an updated title. It is, instead, the much less captivating story behind the story of one of the most cherished literary works of all-time. Moby-Dick may be required reading, but “In the Heart of the Sea” is absolutely not […]
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‘Anomalisa’ Review

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“Anomalisa” is a rare R-rated animated feature. Directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson have crafted an adult story using puppets and stop-motion animation techniques. Many have embraced “Anomalisa” for being bold and unique. It’s true that F-bombs, sex scenes and graphic nudity aren’t regular features in Pixar or DreamWorks Animation movies (for good reason). However, […]
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‘Our Brand Is Crisis’ Review

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In 2009, Warner Bros. scored a touchdown with Sandra Bullock, the actress earning an Oscar for “The Blind Side”. Four years later, they soared together again, Bullock snagging a nomination for her work in “Gravity”. Can this team go three for three with the political dramedy “Our Brand Is Crisis”? Well, early results are not […]
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‘A Walk in the Woods’ Review

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“A Walk in the Woods” is about two older gentlemen who decide to hike the Appalachian Trail. It certainly couldn’t have been a walk in the park for 79-year-old Robert Redford and 75-year-old Nick Nolte to make this film. And, unfortunately, it’s a bit of a struggle to watch as well. This is a true […]
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‘No Escape’ Review

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“No Escape” sounds like the title of a direct-to-DVD (or, these days, direct-to-VOD) movie. But The Weinstein Company thought they could make a little bit of money at the end of an action-packed Summer by releasing it in theaters. But there’s “no escaping” the fact that this thriller belongs in a discount bin at Walmart […]
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‘Ant-Man’ Review

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“Ant-Man” is the 12th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise that began with 2008’s “Iron Man”. And out of those dozen films, grossing billions of dollars at the box office, “Ant-Man” is, in my mind, without question, the weakest. Paul Rudd (from “Anchorman”) and director Peyton Reed (whose previous film was “Yes Man”) are […]
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‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ Review

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“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is the film adaptation of the popular YA novel. The movie won both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Clearly, those voting groups were made up of die-hard indie lovers who easily embrace quirky. However, when you look at “Me and […]
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‘The Divergent Series: Insurgent’ Review

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“Divergent”, released exactly a year ago, was based on the first installment of a popular tween/teen book series about a female heroine in a post-apocalyptic world. Similarities were immediately made to “The Hunger Games”, with “Divergent” having copycat concepts and lackluster big screen results in comparison. Interestingly, Lionsgate, which recently bought Summit Entertainment, is now […]
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