Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘The Disaster Artist’ Review

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When I first heard that James Franco was making a movie about the making of what some say is the best worst movie of all-time, I decided I wanted to see Franco’s “The Disaster Artist” without first checking-out 2003’s cult classic “The Room”. That turned-out to be a smart decision. Having no emotional ties to […]
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‘Molly’s Game’ Review

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“Molly’s Game” marks the directorial debut of “The West Wing” creator and “The Social Network” writer Aaron Sorkin. He also penned the screenplay. And just to make sure you know that “Molly’s Game” is an Aaron Sorkin movie, the opening scene features incredibly fast editing and rapid-fire narration from the title character, played by Jessica […]
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‘Downsizing’ Review

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When I first learned about “Downsizing”, I was surprised that Alexander Payne was attached to direct. His two previous films, “The Descendants” and “Nebraska”, were so grounded in real life events. A sci-fi fantasy about a guy who becomes really, really small seemed like a major departure for Payne. Because of the premise and marketing, […]
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‘A Bad Moms Christmas’ Review

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Last summer’s “Bad Moms” was a surprise box office hit, complete with some clever dialogue, a couple of memorable cameos (Wanda Sykes and Martha Stewart), and a terrific, showcase performance from Mila Kunis. STX quickly greenlit a “Bad Moms” sequel, but also ordered a “Bad Dads” spinoff…which they just as quickly cancelled. The studio probably […]
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‘LBJ’ Review

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Director Rob Reiner’s “LBJ”, starring Woody Harrelson, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in Sept. 2016. That was just a few months after HBO aired its highly-acclaimed film “All the Way”, with Bryan Cranston as President Johnson and a few months before “Jackie”, the Jacqueline Kennedy biopic hit theaters. If yet another movie […]
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‘Call Me by Your Name’ Review

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“Call Me by Your Name” is based on the 2007 novel by Andre Aciman. At the post-screening Q&A I recently attended, Aciman said that while writing the book, “I had no idea where it was going, and I didn’t want it to stop.” While watching the film, I had a good idea where things were […]
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‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Review

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Last year it was “Moonlight”. In 2015 it was “Mad Max: Fury Road”. It seems that every awards season I’m in the minority when it comes to one or two highly-praised contenders. Heading into “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” I never thought it would be this year’s submission to the category. A talented, all-star cast. […]
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‘In the Fade’ Review

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“In the Fade” is Germany’s entry in this year’s Academy Awards Foreign-Language category. But as we’ve seen recently, that isn’t the only category in play for foreign-language submissions. Isabelle Huppert was nominated for Best Actress last year for “Elle”, and “Amour” was a Best Picture nominee in 2013. Diane Kruger (“National Treasure”, “Inglourious Basterds”) finally […]
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‘Lady Bird’ Review

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“Lady Bird” marks the directorial debut of actress Greta Gerwig. She also wrote the screenplay. And no, this is not a biopic of former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson, but rather an offbeat, coming-of-age comedy that, in the wrong hands, could’ve been quite ordinary. Instead, Gerwig’s smart writing, simple but effective direction, and talented ensemble, […]
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‘Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool’ Review

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Actress Gloria Grahame won an Academy Award for her performance in 1952’s “The Bad and the Beautiful”. She also had roles in numerous other Hollywood classics, including “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Oklahoma!” and “The Greatest Show on Earth”. Grahame was married four times, but it’s a late-in-life romance (post-divorce No. 4) that’s the focus of […]
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