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.

Love Lies Bleeding 2024

Love Lies Bleeding

Creative? Sure, Love Lies Bleeding is creative. But so are many nightmares. And this is a nightmare of a film.

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dead boy detectives

Dead Boy Detectives

Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.

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Episode 231: How Entertainment Shapes Our Beliefs. Plus, Netflix’s Testament: The Story of Moses

Entertainment is important. It influences how we feel, how we think and even what we believe. And we’ll talk all about that today.

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With AI, ‘Reality Television’ May Become Even More Unreal

Netflix has its share of salacious, scandalous true-crime documentaries. But one such doc may be sparking a scandal of its own.

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Monkey Man

Ambitious and spiritual, Dev Patel’s Monkey Man is also bloody and feral.

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Movie Monday: ‘Civil War’ Holds Off ‘Abigail’

They gave it a shot. But a trio of newcomers couldn’t take down Civil War.

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Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver

The original was a mess. By comparison, ‘Rebel Moon—Part Two: The Scargiver’ is a pleasant surprise.

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A cartoon image of two parents exhausted by technology

Episode 230: Let’s Talk About Technology! Plus, a Conversation with For King & Country

In this episode, we try to offer some pragmatic help to moms and dads looking to tame their family’s technology habits.

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Dune part 2

Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two is a stunning spectacle, and better than its predecessor. But it hides problems underneath its cinematic sands.

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Movie Monday: ‘Civil War’ Wins Box-Office Battle

It wasn’t exactly a rout. But newcomer Civil War did claim the theatrical high ground and plant its flag on the box-office hilltop this weekend.

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Episode 229: Why Popular YouTubers Are Retiring. Plus, ‘Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth’

LISTEN TO THE PLUGGED IN SHOW, EPISODE 229 For a lot of folks, becoming a YouTube celebrity is something of a dream. Funny thing, though: YouTube—like most every other career—can be a lot of work. And, as reported by Kennedy Unthank, many YouTubers are …

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Kung Fu Panda 4

Kung Fu Panda 4

Kung Fu Panda 4 reminds us that change is hard. But the film also proves that sometimes, the familiar can be kind of fun.

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Origin 2023

Origin

It’s been said that the best movies are more about asking questions than answering them. Ava DuVernay’s Origin begs to differ.

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Movie Monday: ‘Godzilla x Kong’ Has Another Monster Weekend

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire climbed to the top of the box office for the second straight weekend, bashing and smashing its way to another $31.7 million in North America.

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Episode 228: How Different Entertainment Forms Influence Us. Plus, a Conversation With Rebecca St. James

This week on the Plugged In Show, we look at how different types of entertainment affect us, plus talk with Rebecca St. James.

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