Contributor: Bob Hoose

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

This cruel and quite usual Call of Duty is selling big, despite the fact (or is it because of the fact?) that it’s a Cold War battler with a heart as dark as its name.

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Too Common Problems

I saw an article on usatoday.com splashing the news that Disney teen star Demi Lovato left her tour with the Jonas Brothers to check herself into a treatment center so she could “deal with emotional and physical issues.” The report went on to repeat st …

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Kinectimals

Controller-free, fun little games that revolve around purring tiger cubs. There’s absolutely nothing here to growl about.

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Bloga Bloga Bieber Gaga

Yep. We have another tidbit of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber news for your impassioned consumption. Drum roll please. Wait for it … Lady Gaga has officially beaten mop-top Justin Bieber and become the first artist to rack up over 1 billion views on YouTu …

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Sunshine Cleaning

Disenchanted with her role as a maid, Amy Adams gets into a life of crime … scene cleanup in this indie-style film from the producers of ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’

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Fable III

The “shape your future” game of heroes and villains is back with a revolutionary shift. It asks, “Will you become a beloved monarch or a despised despot?”

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“We R Who We R”

Glitter-drenched party girl Ke$ha debuted at the top of the charts with her latest synth heavy hit, yet another ode to—what else?—living life fast and hard.

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Paranormal Activity 2

Given the preternatural success of 2009’s Paranormal Activity, even a pseudo-psychic could have predicted that a similarly suspenseful sequel would be ready in time for this year’s Halloween horror season.

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Hit Me With Your Best Shock

Forty years ago, author Alvin Toffler looked at his world and made some striking societal forecasts about the future in a book called Future Shock. Toffler believed that technology and science would develop at such an accelerated pace that many people …

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Fallout: New Vegas

Another Fallout game shoves casinos, cathouses and high-tech calamity into a post-apocalyptic Wild West setting for a big, bloody, cactus-dotted showdown.

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Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water’s Edge

Nancy is investigating bumps in the night at a Japanese inn. And to do it she’s tackling all sorts of Japanese number games. So which part of that equation is scarier?

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Hamlet 2

High school drama departments around the country are abandoning ‘Oklahoma!’ in favor of staging the likes of ‘Rent’ or ‘Urinetown.’ This movie takes that trend to the comic extreme.

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Alvin and the Chipmunks

Alvin and the gang are back from pop culture oblivion to make Dave’s live-action life a bit more nutty—and stinky.

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Hollywood’s Parents. New and Improved?

I recently saw a doublex.com article titled “The Era of Great Parents in Teen Movies is Upon Us” in which author Laruen Bans examines a number of parental roles in past teen movies. She points out that, for years, teen comedy parents have been portraye …

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Just Dance 2

Our game critic hates dance games. But this one woke up his long-dormant sense of rhythm. Did it also rouse his ire over inappropriate tunes?

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