Entertainment
Raunchy 90s Action Thriller With Controversial Sports Legend So Offensive It's Being Lost
By Robert Scucci
| Published
I’ve been on a constant search to find the worst movie ever made, and I think I’ve finally earned the right to take a short break after watching 1999’s Simon Sez, starring Dennis Rodman and Dane Cook. Laying at the very bottom of a pile of tomatoes that are so rotten that they’re basically liquid, Simon Sez has achieved zero percent status on the review site, as it is nearly unwatchable.
But if you have a penchant for punishment and no longer trust joy, this is the next movie that you should watch if you’re willing to rent or purchase it on demand (buyer beware).
Simon Sez’s Plot (Or Lack Thereof)
I don’t even know how to start breaking down the plot to Simon Sez because it’s nonexistent. I’m not typically one to copy/paste a film’s synopsis from IMDb, but it’s a brave new world, and I have to take this approach in order to provide some insight on how this dumpster fire was marketed to the masses.
The synopsis for Simon Sez reads as such: “Basketball superstar Dennis Rodman stars as a hip Interpol agent (Simon) attempting to defeat the deadly plans of a crazed arms dealer.”
Dane Cook As Jim Carrey As A Dinosaur
But there’s so much more (or less, depending on your outlook on life) to Simon Sez than meets the eye. Dennis Rodman is joined by a young Dane Cook doing his best (read: worst) impersonation of Jim Carrey doing impersonations of dogs and dinosaurs (complete with barking and roars) whenever he gets the chance (nearly every scene). Dane Cook’s Nick Miranda is on a mission to save a kidnapped girl who isn’t really kidnapped, and his briefcase that is supposed to have $2 million of ransom money in it is actually filled with bricks and a suspicious CD-R.
The plot to Simon Sez falls apart so quickly that you’ll spend most of your time watching the film wondering exactly what’s at stake.
Dane Cook Dialing It In
At this point in Simon Sez, we don’t know what’s on the CD-R, but we know that arms dealer, Ashton (Jerome Pradon), is the primary antagonist in this heist-gone-wrong film that makes Bill Murray’s The Man Who Knew Too Little look like Ocean’s Eleven by comparison.
If I had to weigh in, however, the real antagonist in Simon Sez is Dane Cook’s inability to read the room as he shoe-horns as many half-baked stand-up bits as humanly possible into every single on-screen exchange he has. It’s unreal how much topical humor is jammed into the dialogue in the form of jokes about Bill Clinton’s Oval Office escapades and how attractive he thinks Drew Barrymore is.
CyberMunks 1999
After Simon Sez’s plot unravels (about three minutes into the film), we’re introduced to Simon’s loyal but bumbling sidekicks, two “cyber-monks” and expert hackers named Micro (John Pinette) and Macro (Ricky Harris).
The cyber-monks spend most of their time joking about Micro’s weight and appetite while dancing to house music that’s clearly a part of the soundtrack but doesn’t actually exist in their reality. In other words, Micro and Macro are popping and locking to complete silence if you look at Simon Sez objectively, and it’s a form of cinematic torture that will require you to bite down on a piece of tile in order to prevent yourself from screaming and swallowing your own tongue.
Inescapably Watchable
This is the part where I try to find redeeming qualities for Simon Sez, but I don’t think I have the strength this time. While I don’t necessarily disagree with New York Times writer Lawrence Van Gelder for describing Dennis Rodman as “inescapably watchable,” his charisma simply isn’t enough to hold it all together. But like I’ve said in the past, there is inherent entertainment value in ill-fated action comedies like Simon Sez, so I’ll extend an olive branch by telling you that this is a perfect party movie.
If you want every single movie you watch for the rest of your life to be a comparatively better viewing experience, then Simon Sez comes with strong recommendation. As of this writing, the only way to view this disjointed romp is by purchasing it on-demand through YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
Entertainment
NYT Pips hints, answers for July 3, 2026
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you’re stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play Pips
If you’ve ever played dominoes, you’ll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we’ve shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don’t necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you’ll run into across the difficulty levels:
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Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
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Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
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Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
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Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
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Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Easy difficulty hints, answers for July 3 Pips
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for July 3 Pips
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed horizontally.
Mashable Top Stories
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.
Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for July 3 Pips
Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 2-0, placed horizontally.
Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed vertically.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 6-4, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
The Raunchy R-Rated 80s Teen Comedy On Streaming That Defined A Generation
By Brian Myers
| Published
The 1988 film Heathers not only helped launch the careers of three of its stars but also captured the cynicism and black humor that grew to become two of the defining characteristics of Generation X. The film’s dark subject matter is remarkably lightened with Daniel Waters’ script and director Michael Lehmann’s touches, who both worked to produce a movie that was the polar opposite of the more optimistic teen films of the John Landis/John Hughes era.
Mean Girls Before Mean Girls
Heathers follows high school student Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) who inadvertently falls into the popular girl clique at Westerburg High School. The three girls she runs with are snarky, cruel, and from wealthy families, and seem to revel in making life harder for anyone they believe is beneath their station in life. Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty) are collectively known as “The Heathers,” and serve as a group that Veronica strives to separate from.
Enter a new guy J.D. (Christian Slater), who becomes the object of Veronica’s affection. His zany behavior includes firing a gun (loaded with blanks) at bully football players, and a fascination with explosives. He and Veronica quickly bond and concoct a plan for revenge on Heather Chandler after the snobby girl has a falling out with Veronica at a party.
In true black comedy fashion, Heathers has the worst-case scenario come to life multiple times throughout its 103-minute run. J.D. and Veronica end up killing Heather Chandler, setting off a course of events that lead to insane murder plots that culminate into an explosive ending.
Heathers follows the darkest of plotlines but successfully pulls off becoming a comedy with its quirky one-liners and outrageous plot twists. The film itself is the penultimate definition of irony captured on celluloid, as each action taken by J.D. and Veronica have the most unintended consequences imaginable. Though entirely unbelievable, the writing and the characters are able to make the environment and the vibe of the film familiar and leave you wanting a bit more.
Ryder and Slater Knew The Assignment
Heathers gives a great look at Winona Ryder’s jump from little Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice) into teen comedy and drama roles that would be her mainstay in the years before her co-starring role on Stranger Things. The movie certainly made her a commodity in Hollywood and elevated her to elite status among Gen X audiences.
The same could be said for Christian Slater, who’s J.D. made it possible for the actor to be cast in offbeat comedy films Kuffs and Pump Up the Volume. He and Ryder play off one another without missing a beat and are truly one of the film’s components that shine the brightest.
Heathers proved to be well ahead of its time, but the cult status it quickly earned made filmmakers pay attention to a new subset within teen audiences who wanted so much more out of films than love stories and happy endings. Its legacy is far reaching, as Slackers, Reality Bites, and Jawbreaker would likely not have been made if not for the example set by this underappreciated 1988 film. Heathers gets 4.0/5.0-stars for its acting, hilarious screenwriting, and the overall vibe that Lehmann was able to capture with the project.
As of this writing, you can stream Heathers for free through Tubi, YouTube, Pluto TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 3, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re an old soul.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Mashable Top Stories
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Yellow: Good vibes
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Green: Old sayings
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Blue: Bad vibes
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Purple: One letter
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Positive feelings
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Green: Retro expressions of approval
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Blue: Bad things to give someone
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Purple: What things pronounced “T” might refer to
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1118 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Positive feelings: BLISS, FELICITY, HAPPINESS, WARM FUZZIES
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Retro expressions of approval: COOL BEANS, FAR OUT, GROOVY, RIGHT ON
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Bad things to give someone: COLD SHOULDER, DIRTY LOOK, HARD TIME, RUNAROUND
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What things pronounced “T” might refer to: GOLF ACCESSORY, GOSSIP, HOT DRINK, SHIRT
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
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