Entertainment
Billy Zane’s Forgotten, R-Rated 90 Sci-Fi Thriller Is Blade Runner Meets Inception
By Robert Scucci
| Published
There’s nothing quite like a solid neo-noir sci-fi mind-bender, and 1990’s Megaville is the most Inception thing I’ve ever seen in my life. And I’ve seen Inception! Megaville wins some extra points, though, because it’s Billy Zane’s first lead role. That’s right, before he blew up with The Phantom and Titanic, he was all about that Blade Runner-style dystopian sci-fi grit, taking on an increasingly complicated mission that requires him to live between two worlds: the Hemisphere and the titular Megaville.
Megaville tells a story about assumed identities, a tyrannical government that has outlawed the media, and the resulting black market hanging in the balance as corrupt officials do as they please, all in the name of controlling the masses. It’s delivered through classic neo-noir beats in the context of a sci-fi film. It’s Billy Zane at his most frenetic and hungry, and he commits to the bit like a total pro.
The Hemisphere Vs Megaville
Megaville starts out in the Hemisphere, where media is outlawed and the government rules with an iron fist. Raymond Palinov (Billy Zane) is the captain of the Media Police, but here’s the problem: he’s addicted to the media he’s supposed to be confiscating, which clearly doesn’t go over well with his higher-ups who run the CKS, the Hemisphere’s governing body. To make matters worse, Raymond keeps “losing control” in the form of full-body seizures, complete with hallucinations, that only continue to escalate.
Despite his personal and professional issues, Raymond is summoned by CKS Director Mr. Duprell (Daniel J. Travanti) to handle a classified mission in Megaville involving a new consumer product known as Dream-A-Life (DAL), a virtual reality headset that allows users to live whatever kind of life they want but can’t attain in the physical world. The Hemisphere has made such devices legal, but thanks to a mysterious man named Mr. Newman (J.C. Quinn), they’re fair game over in Megaville, which is where Raymond will be put to use.
Raymond bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Newman’s only known contact in the Hemisphere, Jensen, and is put under by Dr. Vogel (Stefan Gierasch) under the guise of having his head problems fixed. Instead, Dr. Vogel implants Jensen’s memories into his skull, allowing him to navigate Megaville, find Jensen’s lover, Christine (Kristen Cloke), and piece together exactly where he needs to be to track down Mr. Newman. The implant also makes him incredibly unstable, which may have been the plan all along.
From this point forward, it’s unclear who Raymond is supposed to trust. He’s still his own person, but sometimes finds himself thinking like Jensen, and other times finds himself spazzing out as if his brain is being remotely accessed by the folks back in the Hemisphere. Raymond gets further lost in his own mind as he tries to navigate a mission that even his mother (Grace Zabriskie) encouraged him to take on. Between the voices in his head, the increasing hallucinations, and the DAL technology starting to influence his decision-making, Raymond is caught in the middle of a grand conspiracy with no clear escape route, to the point where he doesn’t even know who he is anymore.
A Gritty, Frenetic Brain Twister
By now, we’ve all seen similar plots play out, but Megaville holds its own as one of those weird sci-fi gems you may have overlooked. If you go in as a blank slate, the film has a lot going for it, even if some of its genre conventions can be found elsewhere. I can’t say with confidence that I’d feel the same way if anybody other than Billy Zane were the lead actor in this movie, however. His physicality and, at times, complete blankness hint at what’s to come in his career as he’s just starting to cut his teeth as a lead actor here. This doesn’t seem like an easy role to convincingly play, and he fully commits to the premise.
Megaville is one of those weird films that’s inherently cerebral but still easy to digest because every character archetype is familiar enough to wrap your head around. You have the evil government scientists and the conflicted agent trying to find inner peace, and along the way we learn how these shadow-government operations are handled. Despite its familiar beats, Megaville remains enthralling from start to finish because we’re allowed to focus on what’s happening in the moment instead of constantly wondering what everybody’s motives are.
This isn’t to say there aren’t surprise twists and turns along the way, but rather to illustrate how this vehicle is primed to kick it into fifth gear without leaving viewers in the dust. It’s clearly a low-budget effort with a then up-and-coming A-lister, but if anything, it serves as a solid proving ground for Billy Zane, who leans so hard into his conflicted character’s fractured mental state that he sells it better than just about anybody else who could have been cast in the role.
As of this writing, you can stream Megaville for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for June 14, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
Hotel option.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
SUITE
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Grey.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
ASHEN
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
To sit upon.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
PERCH
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A stand.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
KIOSK
Final Hurdle hint
Part of a ship.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
BILGE
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
How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has started with a number of really entertaining games. The tournament is still very much taking shape, with opening games giving fans their first impression of where everyone stands.
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador is a particularly interesting opening round game from Group E. Germany and Curacao are the other sides in this group, so Ivory Coast and Ecuador will both fancy their chances of advancing (particularly as the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the knockouts rounds).
If you want to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador?
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Lincoln Financial Field.
How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
Mashable Top Stories
BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
-
Visit BBC iPlayer
-
Watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
How to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here, and the start of this famous tournament has already delivered loads of huge moments. We’re expecting more of the same from Sweden vs. Tunisia.
These sides will battle it out with Netherlands and Japan for places in the knockout rounds. On paper, it’s a really difficult group to predict. We could see any of these four sides taking control of the group, so these opening games could prove pivotal.
If you want to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Sweden vs. Tunisia?
Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Estadio BBVA.
How to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia for free
Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
Mashable Top Stories
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
-
Visit ITVX
-
Watch Sweden vs. Tunisia for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Sweden vs. Tunisia (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
Mike Brown Is One Win Away From the Ultimate NBA Redemption Story
Ghana player, facing rape charges, denied entry to Canada
