Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘Sex Tape’ Review

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Four-time Golden Globe nominee Cameron Diaz is on quite a roll. “Sex Tape” is her seventh movie in a row that’s either a critical or financial bust, or both. In Jason Segel’s case, fresh-off the finale of the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”, this is a low point in his big screen career […]
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‘Planes: Fire & Rescue’ Review

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Last August, Disney’s non-Pixar animated “Cars” spin-off “Planes”, originally set for a Direct-to-DVD release, opened in theaters in the middle of a crowded animation summer. A $200 million worldwide box office total was good enough for The Mouse House to push full steam ahead on a sequel. Now, less than a year later, in likely […]
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‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ Review

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2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” rebooted the classic franchise with a new origin story. While not as action-packed as expected (more of a sci-fi drama until the final 30 minutes), it was still one of the most successful movies of the summer. Now, three years later, “Dawn of the Planet of the […]
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‘Life Itself’ Review

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Along with dozens of others, I was inspired to become a film critic by Roger Ebert. One day, back in 2005, I saw an episode of “Ebert and Roeper” and was amazed that someone could actually give their straight-forward and honest opinions about movies on a TV show. Almost instantly, I knew that was what […]
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‘Boyhood’ Review

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Director Richard Linklater’s films, including “The School of Rock”, “Bernie”, “A Scanner Darkly” and the “Before” trilogy, have satisfied audiences with their attention to authentic human situations and emotional truths. His latest, “Boyhood”, is an ambitious project shot over 12 years (with a budget of $2.4 million, or just $200,000/year), with the same narrative and […]
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‘Earth to Echo’ Review

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Watching “Earth to Echo” is easily one of the most miserable experiences I’ve had at a movie theater in some time. Obvious comparisons have been made for months, since the original, overly-dramatic trailer was released, to 1982’s all-time classic “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial”. After seeing “Echo” (or as I call it, “E.T.E.”), mentioning this in […]
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‘Tammy’ Review

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Melissa McCarthy received a surprise Oscar nomination for her over-the-top comedic performance in 2011’s “Bridesmaids”. Since then, her status as one of Hollywood’s top funny ladies has been taken quite seriously, with roles in hits such as “Identity Thief” and “The Heat”, as well as her starring role on the CBS sitcom “Mike & Molly”. […]
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‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ Review

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Director Michael Bay, best known for his big-budget explosion extravaganzas, and more recently, for storming-off a convention stage because his teleprompter wasn’t working, is rebooting his most famous franchise. “Transformers: Age of Extinction” is the fourth installment in the Hasbro toy robot series, though this title would have been more appropriate to describe the series […]
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‘Obvious Child’ Review

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“Obvious Child” is an indie romantic comedy first showcased at this year’s South by Southwest and Sundance Film Festivals. Jenny Slate, who spent a season (’09-’10) on “Saturday Night Live”, stars in this adaptation of a short film she and director Gillian Robespierre made back in 2009. The plot of “Obvious Child” is very straightforward. […]
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‘Jersey Boys’ Review

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Clint Eastwood, one of the most-respected actors and directors of his generation, has been in front of and behind the camera for some of the most influential movies of the last half-century. Now he takes centerstage by adding a Broadway musical adaptation to his incredible resume. While not as sensational as the Great White Way […]
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