Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘The Big Short’ Review

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When thinking about “The Big Short” during the drive home after attending a screening, I came to the realization that I didn’t hate this movie, but I had a difficult time coming-up with things I truly liked about it. Adapted from “Moneyball” author Michael Lewis’ 2010 best-seller, “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine”, this […]
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‘Macbeth’ Review

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“Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s most famous dramas. This latest film adaptation of the 400-year-old play is not updated or modernized in any way. It’s bare-bones Bard, complete with the dialogue directly from William’s pen and what all of Shakespeare’s tragedies are packed with: lots and lots of death. ‘Tis one of the grimmer pictures […]
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‘The Lady in the Van’ Review

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Dame Maggie Smith is approaching her 81st birthday, but age isn’t slowing her down one bit. The veteran actress is in the midst of an impressive renaissance. She’s been the quintessential player in the PBS drama “Downton Abbey” and has given great performances in both “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its even better 2015 […]
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‘Truth’ Review

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“Truth” is based on the real-life 2004 events surrounding a “60 Minutes” investigative report put together by veteran show producer Mary Mapes (played by Cate Blanchett), legendary CBS News anchor Dan Rather (Robert Redford), and their team, involving then President George W. Bush’s military service. On-record interviews and copies of documents obtained by Mapes revealed […]
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‘The Martian’ Review

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Matt Damon plays an astronaut stuck on Mars in director Ridley Scott’s “The Martian”. But unlike another recent space saga – 2013’s Oscar-winning “Gravity” – “The Martian” doesn’t have enough dramatic pull to last its entire 2 hours and 20 minutes. This “Martian” is not named Marvin, but rather Mark. On the 18th day of […]
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‘The Visit’ Review

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“The Visit” is the latest effort from “The Sixth Sense” director M. Night Shyamalan. His last several movies, including “The Last Airbender” and “After Earth” were both critical and box office flops. “The Visit” is being advertised as a traditional modern horror movie…with some touches of comedy. And it’s actually a pretty good film – […]
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‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ Review

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“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” is the fifth installment in a 20-year-old film franchise. Last time, for 2011’s “Ghost Protocol”, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise risked his life (and pure sanity) by climbing the tallest building in the world. In the opening scene of “Rogue Nation”, he hangs onto an airplane for dear life. And, yes, […]
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‘Trainwreck’ Review

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The first half an hour of director Judd Apatow’s latest comedy, “Trainwreck”, lives-up to its title. Emmy nominated Comedy Central star Amy Schumer plays Amy – a writer for a NYC men’s magazine. She’s into heavy drinking, partying and hooking-up with lots of men, with no relationship commitments. This section of the film is made […]
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‘Dope’ Review

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The indie drama “Dope” was one of the darlings of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Open Road, best known for distributing the animated comedy “The Nut Job” and the excellent Jake Ghyllenhaal thriller “Nightcrawler”, won the multi-studio bidding war. Writer/director Rick Famuyiwa (“Our Family Wedding”) collaborated with the powerhouse production team of Pharrell Williams, Sean […]
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‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Review

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Marvel’s superhero sequel “Avengers: Age of Ultron” kicks-off the Summer 2015 Movie Season. And while it’s sure to break box office records, this follow-up to 2012’s original is more grim and less entertaining on practically every level. “Age of Ultron” begins promisingly with a solid action scene. Returning director Joss Whedon stages the mighty heroes […]
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