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.

Fast Five

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are back for more automotive mayhem … with Dwayne Johnson in hot pursuit. That can only mean one thing: “More ‘splosions! More ‘splosions!”

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“Till the World Ends”

Britney Spears joins forces with two other pop divas, Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj, to remix one of her Femme Fatale tunes. The result is less than the sum of its parts. (Or maybe it’s more.)

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African Cats

For the third year in a row, Disneynature is serving up a sumptuous wildlife documentary in recognition of Earth Day. This time around: fur and fangs and feline family bonds.

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Does Pop Music Make Us Happy or Sad? Yes.

In the R-rated romantic comedy High Fidelity, record store owner Rob Gordon (played by John Cusack) ponders this chicken-and-egg conundrum: What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, …

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“Judas”

Without even trying, Lady Gaga just naturally ruffles feathers. “Judas” is what happens when she does try.

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Light Me Up

Insisting that neither Jesus nor rock ‘n’ roll can help her now, Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen decides to stop searching for salvation and instead stew in her own debauched deeds.

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Wasting Light

Dave Grohl and Co.’s return to the Foos’ grinding garage-grunge roots … and deliver yet another dose of lyrics that are mostly cloaked in inscrutable melancholy.

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A Prayer for Howard and Chelsea

Occasionally here at Plugged In, we’ll take some heat for being too hard on entertainers and pop culture. And I think I understand why: It’s because we spend a lot of time looking at and thinking about the influential folks in our society whose ideas, …

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Hop

What happens when the young rabbit who’s supposed to be the new Easter Bunny decides he’d rather go to Hollywood to be a drummer than deliver chocolate and eggs to the world’s children?

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Femme Fatale

Britney Spears continues her musical journey from girl to woman to carnal automaton who is now, more than ever, only interested in one thing.

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Crysis 2

The makers of this sci-fi shooter sequel aimed to create something they call “catastrophically beautiful.” They’ve definitely succeeded on the first part. But what about the second?

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I Remember Me

Given all she’s been through since competing on American Idol in 2004—winning an Oscar and a Grammy, enduring the murder of three family members—it’s hard to believe this R&B diva’s latest effort is only her second album.

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F.A.M.E.

You’d think Mr. Brown would be on his best behavior these days. But you’d think wrong. He’s dead set on once again convincing the world that he’s a “bad man.” Um, Is that Justin Bieber’s voice we hear on Track 8?

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“Give Me Everything”

Pitbull teams up with Ne-Yo and Nayer to offer some sensual suggestions about how to spend the night if you don’t think you need to bother with tomorrow.

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Tragedy and Culture, Godzilla and God

Amid the wall-to-wall coverage of the tragic events in Japan this week, I stumbled across an intriguing article and photo essay on the website for Foreign Policy magazine. And that article, it turns out, prompted a whole series of reflections for me ab …

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