Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘Nebraska’ Review

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When I was younger, I used to go through my grandmother’s mail with her. Every once in a while we would come across one of those contest entries claiming that she could win a large cash prize, when all they really wanted was to sell magazines or get her personal, private information. Sometimes we’d play […]
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‘Philomena’ Review

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“Philomena” is based on the true story of one woman’s quest to find the son who was taken from her when she was a young, unwed mother. Dame Judi Dench, best known for her Oscar winning eight minutes in “Shakespeare in Love” and as 007’s assistant, M, in the last seven Bond movies, shines in […]
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‘Black Nativity’ Review

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“Black Nativity” is based on the popular, 50-year-old off-Broadway play written by Langston Hughes. The screen version has been modernized and energized with the help of spiritual songs by some of the music world’s brightest stars. Troubled teenager Langston (played by Jacob Latimore) lives with his mother Naima (Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson) in […]
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‘Frozen’ Review

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I can sum-up “Frozen” in just one word: Spectacular! This is Disney’s best animated musical since 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast”, which just happens to be my all-time favorite film. Less than a minute into “Frozen” it becomes clear that we’re about to experience something special, and that this production is destined for the stage. […]
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‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ Review

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2012’s blockbuster film, adapted from the blockbuster book, “The Hunger Games”, grossed over $400 million and ignited the career of star Jennifer Lawrence. Now an Oscar winner (and a nominee again this year for her performance in David O. Russell’s period crime drama “American Hustle”), Lawrence is “on fire” in Hollywood right now. And she’s […]
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‘The Wind Rises’ Review

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Director Hayao Miyazaki’s latest addition to his wonderful resume of animated films, which he claims are for children but are loved by fans of all ages, deserves to be remembered for a lot of reasons. But, sadly, “The Wind Rises”, will likely best be remembered as Miyazaki’s 11th and final film. At 72, he says […]
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‘The Book Thief’ Review

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I did not expect, in the first minute of “The Book Thief”, that I would be reminded, rather heavy-handedly, of the fact that we all are going to die. This cheerful beginning is just the first of a series of drops from the voiceover narrator, aka: “Death” throughout the film. And all of them are […]
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‘All Is Lost’ Review

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The pitch meeting for “All Is Lost” must’ve gone something like this: “Robert Redford…in a boat for 90 minutes…lost at sea…and he may have a chance to win his first acting Oscar.” And obviously it worked. This film is a floating one-man show. Redford is the only performer seen on screen for the entire movie, playing the only […]
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‘Thor: The Dark World’ Review

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“Thor: The Dark World” is the latest Marvel superhero blockbuster. However, while our main character wears a cape and fights evil-doers, and the word ‘Dark’ is in the title, this is essentially a romantic comedy. Let me re-phrase that: a BAD romantic comedy. After Anthony Hopkins’ long, unnecessary intro about the evil Dark Elves, his […]
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‘Ender’s Game’ Review

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At one point in “Ender’s Game” Harrison Ford tells young protagonist Ender (played by “Hugo”‘s Asa Butterfield), “You will be remembered as a hero.” Well, I will remember this movie, about a teenage boy recruited to lead a military force in a battle against evil aliens, as one of the biggest wastes of time at […]
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