Retro Randomness. Born in 1981!

Since we're celebrating 1981 this week, let's look at who was born that year! Happy 39th birthday to all of 'em and if YOU were born in '81 say so in the comments. Look at these lovelies you share it with!

The Oscar Winners
In chronological order... 
• Jennifer Hudson (Best Supporting Actress, Dreamgirls)
• Natalie Portman (Best Actress, Black Swan)
• Ryan Bingham (Best Original Song, Crazy Heart)...

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Review: The Other Lamb

by Chris Feil

Fueled by a fevered intensity, Małgorzata Szumowska's The Other Lamb follows the stoic Selah (Raffey Cassidy) as she comes of age in a cult hidden within the American mountainside. Her fellow believers are all women, suggestively separated by uniforms of blue and red, and under the charms of the faux-Jesus man they refer to only as Shepherd (Michiel Huisman). Selah was born into the flock without experience of the outside world or any of its modernity, instead knowing a normalcy of blood ritual and ominous polygamy.

But as the arrival of puberty brings the threat of becoming one of the Shepherd’s many wives, Selah experiences visions that enlighten her to the sinister nature that belies her deceptively peaceful existence, setting into motion her rebellion...

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Streaming Roulette, August: Serenity, Red Sea Diving Resort, and two major 1981 classics

As is our practice we've selected a handful of titles and frozen the films at utterly random moments without cheating (whatever comes up comes up!). It's our way of previewing new titles streaming each month. So what should you queue up for AUGUST 2019 ?(★ means we recommend catching them.) Please do let us know if you're dying to discuss any of the films and maybe we'll write about one or two of 'em  You rarely tell us but we'll try if you do.

[COUGHING]

Jackie Brown (1997) ★  on Netflix
Is De Niro coughing to distract you from Once Upon a Time ...  in Hollywood for a minute? He's got a new trailer out and that would like a little attention, too. On the couch is Bridget Fonda giving what is easily one of her top two performances (the other one is in a little seen 80s movie called Scandal). We should probably see this particular Quentin Tarantino flick again. Beyond Fonda's perpetually baked surfer girl I don't personally remember much about it except for that  Rashomon inspired scene in the mall, and Pam Grier and Robert Forster being a fine match in the two central roles.

[HEAVY BREATHING]

Body Heat (1981) ★  on HBO
Nice wedding ring shot. That ain't her husband...

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Showbiz History: Dutch Men, Dark Knights, and Queen Bitches

We need escapism now more than ever so on this July 18th let's looks back into history for easier things to think about then the here and now.

Verhoeven on the set of "Showgirls"

10 random things that happened on this day in showbiz history...

1938 Infamous Dutch auteur Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) born on this day. Elle, his most recent feature, might be hard to top as late career provocations go but the 80 year-old master will certainly try with his next, Benedetta, a 17th century lesbian nuns drama starring Charlotte Rampling. The film is due in 2019.

1967 Mark Vincent Sinclair born in New York City. He later becomes Vin Diesel... 

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LifeRide Celebrities Are ♥️

While there are surely terrible things about being famous one of the things that is not terrible at all (unless you're just a negative person who can always find a dark cloud) is that fame gives you such massive platform to do good in the world. With a built in audience charitable appearances, fundraising ability, and fighting for pet causes are all so much easier!

Actor Gilles Marini, riding for charity. Photo Credit: Travis Shinn

Currently there are a bunch of celebrities doing the multi-city Kiehl's LifeRide for AmfAR, The Foundations for AIDS Research (which started August 3rd and runs through August 14th, ending in Philadelphia) including actors Jay Ellis (The Game), JR Bourne and Ian Bohen (Teen Wolf), Kurt Yaeger (new series Quarry), Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls), and three... uh... longtime personal favorites of mine:  Gilles Marini (Sex & The City), Teddy Sears (Masters of Sex, The Flash, Dollhouse) and Michiel Huisman (Black Book, Wild, Game of Thrones). More photos after the jump...

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