Entertainment
Angelina Jolie's Sexiest R-Rated Thriller Is A Violent, Wicked Romance
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
What do you get when you pair Angelina Jolie with one of the sexiest leading men in Hollywood? Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Brad Pitt, but that’s not her sexiest movie. Gone in 60 Seconds with Nicolas Cage is another good guess. The answer is 2001’s Original Sin with Antonio Banderas. A historical romance that would fit right in with today’s new wave of bodice rippers, this 19th-century bodice-ripper is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
Original Sin Is A Romance Novel Come To Life
Set in Cuba, Original Sin starts off as most historical romances do: Luis (Banderas), a rich landowner, wants a wife, and no one in Cuba will do. He’s been writing letters to Julia (Jolie), a young woman living in Delaware, who’s on her way to Cuba for their first face-to-face meeting. Julia looks nothing like the photos she sent, and Luis has also been lying about being a poor clerk. From the get-go, the two are madly in love with each other, even as they agree neither one is to be trusted. Luis thinks it’s a bit of a jest, not knowing that “Julia” is an imposter.
They get married that day, consummate the marriage that night, and the next morning. “Julia” soon gets access to all of Luis wealth as a sign of his trust as her plan comes to fruition. Until Detective Downs (Thomas Jane) arrives on the island, and now the early scene of “Julia” narrating the story to a priest from inside a prison cell starts to make sense. Thankfully, that’s only the start of Original Sin’s twisted love story.
The Best Historical Romance Of The 2000’s
There’s a reason romance is the most popular genre in every bookstore. Original Sin is 25 years old but the story it tells is timeless. Attractive people doing bad things to each other is the bedrock of Hollywood. Erotic thrillers, historical romance, those films have mainly migrated to streamers with most of the sex scenes stripped out. Original Sin is from long before that trend started, and yet, both Banderas and Jolie look stunning in their period garb both in and out of the bedroom. Unlike other thrillers, this book adaptation, based on the 1947 Cornell Woolrich novel, Waltz into Darkness, remembered to make the story and characters as appealing as the stars themselves.
The problem with Original Sin is that everyone is playing their roles with all the subtly of a soap opera, which led critics and viewers at the time to rip it apart with negative reviews. Critics went after the dialogue and the plot for being unbelievable, likely because they hadn’t opened up a romance novel in decades. A bodice ripper, an erotic thriller, a historical romance, Original Sin is all three of them, and fans of all of those want the type of wild fantasy romance that lets them get swept up and carried away.
Original Sin isn’t the best movie for either Antonio Banderas or Angelina Jolie. Those are Mask of Zorro and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, respectively, but among their thrillers, it’s untouched. Every single campy trope you’d want is found in its under two-hour runtime. There’s nothing wrong with turning off your brain and enjoying gorgeous stars acting out a telenovela against the beautiful backdrop of 19th-century Cuba, and thanks to Tubi, it’s a free experience.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on August 2
The Moon is still in its waning gibbous phase following the Full Moon. Here’s what you can see on its surface tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, Aug. 2, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Gibbous phase, with 87% of its surface visible.
You don’t need to have lots of visual equipment to see features on the Moon’s surface. In fact, with just your naked eye you can spot the Oceanus Procellarum, Kepler Crater, and Mare Vaporum tonight. However, visual aids do make the experience more advanced, so if you have a pair of binoculars, this will help you see the Alphonsus Crater, Mare Humorum, and the Mare Frigoris. Pull out your telescope (if you have one) to see see all clearer, plus the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Rima Ariadaeus, and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon goes through a complete cycle of eight phases roughly every 29.5 days. As it travels around Earth, the angle between the Sun, Earth and Moon constantly changes, meaning we see different amounts of the Moon’s sunlit side. This is what causes the familiar progression from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the cycle repeats.
The eight phases are:
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New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, walk away with an extra $200 — how to claim this free offer
TL;DR: Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (256GB, unlocked) for $1,199.99 at Amazon and a free $200 gift card bundled in — no trade-in required.
Samsung didn’t ease into its Unpacked event — phones, watches, and smartglasses were all unveiled in one go, which means there’s a lot to sort through if you’re trying to find the one deal that’s actually worth your money.
And here’s one worth grabbing: Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 with a free $200 gift card — no trade-in, no discount code, just the phone at $1,199.99 with a $200 gift card to use later.
The whole point of a flip phone is the cover screen, and Samsung’s built around that here — FlexWindow lets you handle a range of AI tasks without opening the phone, so quick checks don’t require unfolding it. When you’re shooting photos, you can go hands-free for creative angles, or hold it steady and rely on Super Steady Video to keep the footage smooth.
The Flip 8 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same chip powering the Fold8, which means gaming and multitasking should hold up even on this smaller form factor.
Battery life is built to last through a full day, and when it runs low, Super Fast Charging gets you back up quickly. If you’re switching from an iPhone, Samsung’s made that transfer easier, too — your photos, contacts, alarms, and passwords come with you, and your messages stay encrypted the whole way.
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The gift card isn’t an instant perk, though — Samsung sends an email once it’s ready to claim, and that only happens after the phone ships. The offer ends Aug. 6, so the earlier you pre-order, the safer you are before that window shuts.
Grab the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 before Aug. 6, and the $200 gift card is on its way to you.
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Samsung
Samsung Unpacked
Entertainment
Owalas Back-to-School Sale is live — 20% off bottles, bags, accessories, and more
SAVE 20%: From Aug. 2-8, Owala’s Back-to-School Sale takes 20% off sitewide, including bottles, bags, and accessories.
20% off bottles, bags, and accessories until Aug. 8
Owala’s Back-to-School Sale isn’t just about the bottles you already own — the whole lineup is included, so it’s worth looking beyond the FreeSip.
The sale covers everything from hydration essentials like water bottles and tumblers to insulated bags, totes, and crossbodies, plus accessories like lids, straws, and other add-ons. The original FreeSip is still the bestseller for a reason, and the FreeSip Sway is a solid pick if you want something more cupholder-friendly for the car. If coffee’s more your thing, the SmoothSip Slider is built specifically for hot drinks on the go.
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And if you need something bigger than a bottle, the Sun-Day Tote is a collapsible bag that packs flat yet holds a lot, making it easy to toss in a backpack or bag during the actual back-to-school rush. They’ve also got a few small essentials — a Bottle Boot, cleaning accessories, stickers, and matching pet bowls.
With 20% off sitewide, this is a good time to stock up across categories rather than just grabbing one bottle — especially if you’ve got a household that goes through water bottles, lunch bags, or travel mugs regularly.
Shop Owala’s Back-to-School Sale until Aug. 8 — stock is bound to run out.
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