Contributor: Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Arthur

In this remake of the 1981 comedy, Russell Brand takes on the suds-soaked role that made Dudley Moore a star. There’s a point to be made in that, somewhere.

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The Boy Next Door

If only the boy would’ve stayed next door. Then we would’ve been spared this tacky, salacious, sexual, violent movie.

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Strange Magic

Strange magic? Strange movie is more like it.

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Immortals

For a movie called Immortals, there sure are a whole lot of people dying …

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Eagle Eye

Shia LaBeouf runs for his life, then turns and fights the good fight against terrorism in this slam-bang, nonstop actioner.

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The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

Keep calm and smile at the demon, they might say. But since when does that sort of thing save the day? Especially in a sequel.

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Brothers

Tobey Maguire returns from Afghanistan to find he’s an alien in his own home. His children seem distant. His wife is getting all too chummy with his brother. And he’s carrying a secret that’s tearing his soul in two.

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Big Eyes

Walter Keane’s paintings of big-eyed children were all the rage in Mad Men-era America. But those saucer-wide eyes held a strange, sad secret.

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Selma

It’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. vs. a hard-nosed sheriff who stands amid a plantation full of prejudices in Alabama.

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The Gambler

In blackjack, the object is to reach 21 without going over. If Jim played the game like he lives his life, he’d say “hit me” at 19.

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American Sniper

Clint Eastwood turns his laser-like focus toward a real-life war hero named Chris Kyle—and the price he paid to become one.

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Star Trek

Kirk, Spock, Bones, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura go back to the future (or is it forward to the past?) as the Federation gets repainted, retooled and rebooted.

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Milk

In 1977, Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man to win a major elected office in the United States. The next year he was killed.

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The Cheetah Girls: One World

The Cheetahs show their spots in this third franchise movie from Disney Channel. There’s no sex, no drugs and no cursing. But there is an attitude problem … and an elephant-headed god named Ganesh.

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Fool’s Gold

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson join forces in this throwaway romantic comedy/adventure, once and for all proving the old adage: Not all that glitters is gold.

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