Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘Her’ Review

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Director Spike Jonze is known for his visually vivid films with quirky stories, including “Being John Malkovich”, “Adaptation”, and the dark, big screen version of the children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are”. In his latest, the futuristic romantic drama “Her”, Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore, a successful greeting cards writer who’s just getting over a divorce. […]
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‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ Review

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Back in 2007 director Martin Scorsese captured an Oscar for “The Departed”, a film that many thought did not deserve Best Picture honors, which it also won. For me, Scorsese departed from first-class moviemaking with 2011’s “Hugo”, which surprisingly, got some awards consideration. The 71 year old is back with “The Wolf of Wall Street”, […]
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‘August: Osage County’ Review

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Meryl Streep is a three-time Oscar winner, who has given mesmerizing performances in such films as “The Devil Wears Prada”, “Julie & Julia”, “The Iron Lady” and many more. And while she is fantastic as wife and mother Violet Wilson in the big-screen version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “August: Osage County”, this has to be the most discombobulated movie […]
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‘American Hustle’ Review

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One year after director David O. Russell was able to earn all four of his “Silver Linings Playbook” stars Oscar nominations in their respective categories (the first time that had been done in 30 years), he did it again with the extraordinary ensemble of “American Hustle”, which is a smart, chic, sophisticated con-caper that’s hugely entertaining. A movie about […]
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‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Review

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Joel & Ethan Coen are known for their off-beat and ambitious films which often mix comedy and crime, and feature colorful characters. “Raising Arizona”, “Fargo”, and “The Big Lebowski” certainly fall into that category. The Coens have also gotten gritty, beginning with 1984’s “Blood Simple” and highlighted by 2007’s Oscar-winning “No Country For Old Men” […]
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‘Out of the Furnace’ Review

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“Out of the Furnace” is an unconventional, gritty drama from director Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”). Christian Bale is very good as Russell, a steel mill worker in rural Braddock, Pennsylvania whose brother Rodney (played by Casey Affleck) is about to serve his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. A fatal DWI accident sends Russell to […]
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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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’12 Years a Slave’ Review

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“12 Years a Slave” earned strong critical praise at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. It’s no surprise director Steve McQueen’s latest drama won 3 Oscars, including Best Picture of the Year, and deservedly so. This is a heartbreaking, moving and inspiring film that needs to be seen. Based […]
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‘Dallas Buyers Club’ Review

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Up until a few years ago, Matthew McConaughey was best known for starring in a series of bland, predictable romantic comedies. But thanks to critically acclaimed work in “The Lincoln Lawyer”, “Killer Joe”, “Bernie”, “Mud”, and even last year’s “Magic Mike”, McConaughey is establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s top dramatic actors. And, with the […]
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‘Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa’ Review

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In “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”, star Johnny Knoxville doesn’t attempt daredevil stunts with his buds as he did on the TV show and in previous film installments (including 2010’s highly-successful “Jackass 3D”). Instead, Knoxville is “Bad Grandpa” – 86 year-old Irving Zisman. There’s a ridiculous and irrelevant plot, involving Irving having to take his 8-year-old […]
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