Here’s something to do this weekend that people in McComb haven’t been able to in a long time: See a movie in a local theater — an Oscar winner produced by a McComb native at that.
As part of McComb’s sesquicentennial celebration, The Palace Theater is hosting a screening of “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” on Friday for area school children and on Saturday for the general public. Show times are noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Admission is free.
Shreveport, La.-based Moonbot Studios, founded by McComb native Lampton Enochs, along with fellow film producers William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, created the short film in 2011.
It won the Oscar for best animated short in 2012.
The movie is inspired by “Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books,” and is “a story about people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor,” according to Moonbot.
The story is about a writer named Morris Lessmore who goes to a library after a storm destroys his city, which resembles New Orleans, and finds books that come to life, flying around the room and playing the piano.
Nashville’s J Edwards performs Thursday night at the Palace Theater in McComb.
On Thursday night, the Palace is hosting the country music stylings of Nashville’s J Edwards.
Palace manager Stuart Whatley said he saw Edwards perform about a year ago and stayed in touch with his drummer, who handles Edwards’ booking.
“About a month ago, I called him out of the blue,” Whatley said, adding that he managed to book Edwards’ Thursday night show, which is book-ended with tour stops that include a festival in Louisiana and dates along the Gulf Coast.
“We’re really pushing after bands on week nights in transit, en route,” Whatley said.
The show starts at 7 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $10.
