Contributor: Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

The Reader

Kate Winslet mixes sex and war in this adaptation of Bernard Schlink’s celebrated, indecent novel.

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“Mr. Know It All”

The first single from Kelly Clarkson’s fifth album sports a different sound … and the same spunky, self-confident zest the American Idol winner has built her career upon.

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“Lonely Boy”

Indie-minded rockers The Black Keys give us another fuzzed-out, low-fi salute to not finding the love of your life.

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“Good Feeling”

From the album Only One Rida (Part 2), “Good Feeling” celebrates living it up in the lap of luxury as rap royalty.

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“Domino “

Jet black hair? Crazy costumes? Suggestive lyrics? Earworm beats courtesy of Max Martin and Dr. Luke? Must be the new Katy Perry single. Actually, it’s from up-and-coming British starlet Jessie J.

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When Grandma Gets Inked

Once upon a time, back in the stone age, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, everyone knew tattoos were bad. Tattoos were what bikers and other on-the-fringe, not-mainstream folks got. Getting inked wasn’t, simply put, something nice, “normal” …

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The Greatest Game Ever Played

A talented young Yank tees off against an aging British pro in a golf drama based on a true story that lives up to its lofty title.

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“Feel So Close”

Calvin Harris is better known for the collaborations he’s had with artists such as Rihanna. His first big solo hit in the U.S. majors in earnest, restrained romanticism.

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Do You Trust This Woman?

Listen up, corporate America: 89-year-old Betty White is your best bet if you’re trolling for a celebrity endorser. That’s according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that asked 2,012 Americans about whether they would trust a company more or less if its pro …

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Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

The fourth entry in the Spy Kids franchise won’t stink up your living room quite as much as it did theaters. And along the way it reminds us how important it is to make the most of the time we’re given—especially when it comes to our families.

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“She Will”

Drake joins Lil Wayne on this dirty ditty about the crude, carnal and caustic joys of being an upper-echelon rapper.

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Flicka

A headstrong teen girl adopts a headstrong mustang—against the wishes of her headstrong father in this latest adaptation of Mary O’Hara’s beloved children’s story.

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Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

Here’s a paragraph I didn’t write, but I certainly could have: I see a lot of movies for my job, and at almost every R-rated offering, I see someone trot in holding the hand of a toddler, or I hear that child’s telltale wail after the violence begins. …

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The Help

A best-selling novel-turned-movie about the deeply compelling lives of black maids in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement makes us think about what it was like then … and about the right way to live in the midst of such a daily struggle.

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“Headlines”

Is Canadian rapper Drake really the G.O.A.T., like he says he is? Or should we pull all the periods out of that acronym?

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