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Rock Shop Rock Shop celebrates comics, rock music, movies, gaming, horror, and pop culture nostalgia. Selling comics and music merch since 99!

Daily content, discussions, anniversaries, birthdays, collectibles, and geek culture from fans who lived it. Opened a retail store in the Mall of Georgia from 2010-2018. Providing Pop Culture news and providing product and game reviews and sharing great deals. (As an Amazon Associate, we receive commission from purchases made after clicking affiliate links)

Born August 17, 1943, Robert De Niro has spent more than five decades building one of the most legendary acting careers ...
08/17/2026

Born August 17, 1943, Robert De Niro has spent more than five decades building one of the most legendary acting careers in movie history.

From crime dramas and psychological thrillers to comedies and gangster classics, De Niro has created some of the most unforgettable characters ever put on screen.

You may know him from:

The Godfather Part II
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
Raging Bull
Once Upon a Time in America
Goodfellas
Cape Fear
Casino
Heat
Meet the Parents
The Irishman

A few fun facts:

De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II.

He later won Best Actor for Raging Bull, a role that involved one of the most famous physical transformations in movie history.

His collaborations with director Martin Scorsese have become one of the most celebrated actor-director partnerships ever, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino, and The Irishman.

For Taxi Driver, De Niro reportedly worked as a New York cab driver to prepare for the role.

And yes, the famous "You talkin' to me?" scene was largely improvised.

He also proved he could completely switch gears with comedy, especially in Analyze This and Meet the Parents.

Few actors have been equally convincing as a gangster, boxer, cab driver, psychopath, mob boss, and painfully intimidating father-in-law.

Happy Birthday, Robert De Niro.

What's your favorite De Niro movie?

Born August 17, 1960, Sean Penn has spent decades building a career full of intense performances, complicated characters...
08/17/2026

Born August 17, 1960, Sean Penn has spent decades building a career full of intense performances, complicated characters, and some truly unforgettable movies.

A lot of fans first knew him as Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, one of the most iconic teenage slackers in movie history.

But Penn quickly proved he could do a lot more than comedy.

You may know him from:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
At Close Range
Casualties of War
Carlito's Way
Dead Man Walking
The Game
Mystic River
21 Grams
Milk
Into the Wild

A few fun facts:

Penn was only in his early 20s when he played Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

His performance in Dead Man Walking earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

He later won Best Actor Oscars for Mystic River and Milk.

Penn also moved behind the camera and directed several films, including Into the Wild.

And despite all the serious dramatic roles, Spicoli remains one of the characters most people instantly associate with him.

From surf-bum comedy to some of the heaviest dramas of the past few decades, Sean Penn has had one seriously varied career.

Happy Birthday, Sean Penn.

What is your favorite Sean Penn role?

Born August 17, 1994, Taissa Farmiga has become one of the most recognizable faces in modern horror.A lot of fans first ...
08/17/2026

Born August 17, 1994, Taissa Farmiga has become one of the most recognizable faces in modern horror.

A lot of fans first discovered her through American Horror Story, where she made her debut as Violet Harmon in Murder House.

From there, she became a recurring part of the AHS universe while also building a strong career in movies.

You may know her from:

American Horror Story
The Bling Ring
The Final Girls
6 Years
The Nun
The Nun II
The Mule
The Gilded Age

A few fun facts:

Taissa is the younger sister of actress Vera Farmiga, who horror fans know very well as Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring movies.

Taissa originally had no plans to become an actress. Vera encouraged her to appear in the 2011 film Higher Ground, which helped launch her career.

She joined American Horror Story shortly afterward and quickly became a fan favorite.

Her role as Sister Irene in The Nun connected her even more directly to the Conjuring Universe, although Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren are separate characters despite the real-life sisters playing them.

The Final Girls also became a cult favorite among horror fans thanks to its mix of slasher movie parody, comedy, and surprisingly emotional storytelling.

Between American Horror Story and The Nun movies, Taissa has become firmly associated with the modern horror genre.

Happy Birthday, Taissa Farmiga.

What is your favorite Taissa Farmiga role?

Released in August 2000, The Cell is one of the strangest, most visually stunning psychological horror movies of its era...
08/17/2026

Released in August 2000, The Cell is one of the strangest, most visually stunning psychological horror movies of its era.

Jennifer Lopez stars as Catherine Deane, a psychologist working with an experimental technology that allows her to literally enter the minds of comatose patients.

When serial killer Carl Stargher, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, falls into a coma before authorities can locate his latest victim, Catherine is asked to enter his mind and find out where the woman is being held.

There's just one problem.

Stargher's mind is an absolute nightmare.

Inside, Catherine finds herself trapped in a surreal world filled with disturbing imagery, childhood trauma, torture, bizarre creatures, and a terrifying version of Stargher who rules over his own twisted kingdom.

Vince Vaughn co-stars as FBI agent Peter Novak, who eventually enters Stargher's mind himself as time runs out to find the missing victim.

A few fun facts:

The Cell was the feature-film directing debut of Tarsem Singh, who had previously become known for visually elaborate music videos and commercials.

The movie's incredible imagery was heavily influenced by paintings, photography, sculpture, fashion, and experimental art.

Several scenes were directly inspired by the work of artists including Damien Hirst and Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum.

Costume designer Eiko Ishioka created the movie's elaborate costumes. She had previously won an Academy Award for her work on Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Vincent D'Onofrio reportedly gained a significant amount of weight for the role of Carl Stargher, helping make his physical appearance even more unsettling.

The Cell received an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup.

And while reviews were mixed when it was released, the movie has developed a strong cult following over the years, especially among horror fans who appreciate just how completely insane the visual design is.

The Cell feels like Silence of the Lambs, a nightmare, and an art museum somehow got thrown into a blender.

If you've seen it, what did you think?

Underrated horror gem or just too weird?

On August 17, 1969, the Woodstock Music & Art Fair rolled into Day 3 at Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York.By this po...
08/17/2026

On August 17, 1969, the Woodstock Music & Art Fair rolled into Day 3 at Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York.

By this point, the festival had already become something far bigger, messier, and more historic than anyone expected.

Hundreds of thousands of people had packed the site, the schedule was running wildly behind, rain had turned the grounds into mud, and traffic surrounding the area was a complete disaster.

And the music kept going.

Day 3 featured an absolutely legendary run of artists, including:

Joe Cocker and The Grease Band
Country Joe and the Fish
Ten Years After
The Band
Johnny Winter
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Sha Na Na
Jimi Hendrix

Of course, because the festival was so far behind schedule, Hendrix didn't actually take the stage until the morning of August 18.

A few fun facts:

Joe Cocker's performance of "With a Little Help from My Friends" became one of the defining moments of the entire festival and later gained even more fame through the Woodstock documentary.

Ten Years After delivered a blistering performance of "I'm Going Home" that helped introduce Alvin Lee's guitar playing to a massive audience.

Woodstock was only the second public performance by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Stephen Stills famously told the crowd they were "scared sh*tless" before playing.

The Band performed at Woodstock even though their music was deeply connected to the same upstate New York region where the festival took place.

Jimi Hendrix was technically the festival's headliner, but by the time he finally performed on Monday morning, much of the enormous crowd had already gone home.

His version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" became one of the most famous guitar performances in rock history.

What started as "three days of peace and music" became one of the defining events of the entire counterculture era.

If you could go back and watch ONE Woodstock performance in person, who are you choosing?

Released in 1963, Black Sabbath is a classic Italian horror anthology directed by Mario Bava and hosted by horror legend...
08/17/2026

Released in 1963, Black Sabbath is a classic Italian horror anthology directed by Mario Bava and hosted by horror legend Boris Karloff.

The movie tells three separate tales of terror, each with a very different flavor.

The Telephone follows a woman terrorized by a series of increasingly threatening phone calls.

The Wurdulak stars Boris Karloff in a Gothic vampire story about a family facing a horrifying curse.

The Drop of Water follows a nurse who steals a ring from the co**se of a dead medium and quickly learns that robbing the dead is generally a terrible idea.

A few fun facts:

The film's original Italian title was I tre volti della paura, which translates roughly to The Three Faces of Fear.

Mario Bava was already becoming one of the most important figures in Italian horror, and Black Sabbath is a great showcase for his incredible use of color, lighting, and Gothic atmosphere.

Boris Karloff doesn't just appear in The Wurdulak. He also serves as the host who introduces the stories.

The American version of the movie was significantly altered from the original Italian release. The stories were rearranged, some material was changed, and the original score was replaced with music by Les Baxter.

And here's the connection that makes this one especially perfect for the Rock Shop:

Black Sabbath the BAND reportedly took their name from the horror movie.

Before becoming Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward were performing under the name Earth. Seeing people lining up to watch a scary movie helped inspire the idea that people might also want to hear scary music.

A horror anthology starring Boris Karloff indirectly helping give a name to one of the most important heavy metal bands ever?

That's pretty damn cool.

If you've seen Black Sabbath, which of the three stories is your favorite?

19 YEARS AGO TODAY, SUPERBAD HIT THEATERSReleased August 17, 2007, Superbad became one of the defining comedies of the 2...
08/17/2026

19 YEARS AGO TODAY, SUPERBAD HIT THEATERS

Released August 17, 2007, Superbad became one of the defining comedies of the 2000s.

The movie follows best friends Seth and Evan, played by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, as they try to make the most of one of their final nights before graduating high school.

Their plan is simple.

Get alcohol.
Go to a party.
Impress some girls.
Do not completely ruin everything.

Naturally, they completely ruin everything.

Along the way, their friend Fogell gets a fake ID with possibly the worst fake name ever created:

McLovin.

The cast includes:

Jonah Hill
Michael Cera
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Emma Stone
Bill Hader
Seth Rogen
Martha MacIsaac

A few fun facts:

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg started writing Superbad when they were teenagers, and the main characters were named after themselves.

Jonah Hill and Michael Cera had such great chemistry that much of the movie feels like you're watching two actual longtime friends arguing with each other.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse was only 17 when he played Fogell, which meant his mother had to be present during the filming of some of the movie's more adult scenes.

Superbad was also Emma Stone's feature film debut.

The movie became a huge hit and helped launch or significantly boost the careers of several members of its cast.

And of course, McLovin became one of the most instantly recognizable comedy characters of the entire decade.

Nearly two decades later, Superbad is still endlessly quotable and somehow remains painfully accurate about just how awkward being a teenager can be.

What's the funniest scene in Superbad?

Born August 17, 1962, Gilby Clarke is best known for stepping into one of the biggest rock bands in the world at exactly...
08/17/2026

Born August 17, 1962, Gilby Clarke is best known for stepping into one of the biggest rock bands in the world at exactly the moment things were getting completely insane.

Clarke joined Guns N' Roses in 1991, replacing Izzy Stradlin during the massive Use Your Illusion tour.

And that meant walking into a band already operating at full chaos.

He played with Guns N' Roses during some of their biggest shows and remained with the band through 1994.

But Gilby's career goes well beyond GNR.

You may also know him from:

Candy
Kill for Thrills
Slash's Snakepit
Rock Star: Supernova
The MC5
His solo career

A few fun facts:

Before joining Guns N' Roses, Clarke played in several Los Angeles bands and had already built a reputation as a guitarist and songwriter.

He joined GNR on very short notice after Izzy Stradlin left the band, learning a huge amount of material before heading out on one of the biggest rock tours of the era.

Clarke played on Guns N' Roses' 1993 covers album The Spaghetti Incident?

He later appeared on Slash's first Snakepit album, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere.

Gilby has also released multiple solo albums and worked as a producer with a long list of rock artists.

And if you watched Rock Star: Supernova in the mid-2000s, you probably remember him alongside Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted searching for a singer for their new supergroup.

Happy Birthday, Gilby Clarke.

What's your favorite era or project featuring Gilby?

Born August 17, 1969, Donnie Wahlberg has managed to build successful careers in music, movies, and television.A lot of ...
08/17/2026

Born August 17, 1969, Donnie Wahlberg has managed to build successful careers in music, movies, and television.

A lot of people first knew him as one of the original members of New Kids on the Block, one of the biggest pop groups of the late '80s and early '90s.

But Donnie also went on to build a very solid acting career, often taking on much darker roles than fans expected.

You may know him from:

New Kids on the Block
The Sixth Sense
Band of Brothers
Saw II
Saw III
Saw IV
Blue Bloods

A few fun facts:

Donnie was one of the first members of New Kids on the Block and played a major role in helping shape the group's early sound and image.

He is the older brother of actor Mark Wahlberg.

Horror fans may remember him as Detective Eric Matthews in the Saw franchise.

He also appeared in The Sixth Sense in a short but extremely memorable role that was very different from his pop-star image.

On television, Wahlberg became a longtime fan favorite as Danny Reagan on Blue Bloods.

And even after decades in entertainment, he has continued performing with New Kids on the Block as the group reunited for successful tours and new music.

From boy-band superstar to horror movies to police dramas, Donnie Wahlberg has had one seriously varied career.

Happy Birthday, Donnie Wahlberg.

What do you know him from first?

Born August 17, 1958, Belinda Carlisle became one of the most recognizable voices of the '80s, first with The Go-Go's an...
08/17/2026

Born August 17, 1958, Belinda Carlisle became one of the most recognizable voices of the '80s, first with The Go-Go's and then as a hugely successful solo artist.

Before the polished pop hits, Carlisle was part of the Los Angeles punk and new wave scene and helped front one of the most important all-female bands of the era.

With The Go-Go's, she sang on classics like:

Our Lips Are Sealed
We Got the Beat
Vacation
Head Over Heels

Then came the solo career.

Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Mad About You
I Get Weak
Circle in the Sand
Leave a Light On

A few fun facts:

The Go-Go's became the first all-female band to write their own songs and play their own instruments on a number one album in the U.S. with Beauty and the Beat.

Before joining The Go-Go's, Carlisle briefly played drums in the early punk band the Germs under the name Dottie Danger, although illness kept her from performing with them live.

Her solo album Heaven on Earth became a major international success and turned her into one of the defining pop voices of the late '80s.

The Go-Go's were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

And despite being remembered by many as an '80s pop star, Carlisle's roots are firmly planted in the punk scene that helped shape Los Angeles music.

Happy Birthday, Belinda Carlisle.

The Go-Go's or solo Belinda?

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