Entertainment
Overlooked R-Rated 2000s Crime Comedy Wants You Dead, But Just For The Money
By Robert Scucci
| Published
After watching 2002’s Hard Cash, the almighty algorithm guided me to other ill-fated heist movies from the early aughts, prompting me to spend 88 minutes of my life watching 2001’s Wish You Were Dead. Similar to Hard Cash, Wish You Were Dead makes you wonder what could have been, because all the moving parts are there for a great film. The heist is fun, and there’s a clear logical progression that any crime comedy thriller fan can get behind. There’s scheming and plotting, and each character has enough personality quirks to keep you interested in the premise.
The problem with Wish You Were Dead, which, unlike Hard Cash, is actually trying to be a comedy, is that the characters’ actions don’t always line up with their surroundings. The jokes and physical comedy are there, but the humor leans too lowbrow when, in my opinion, things should have been more deadpan. Wish You Were Dead is trying to capture a Very Bad Things kind of vibe, but it should have taken a page from the Naked Gun playbook.
Is It Even True Love If There’s No Insurance Fraud?
At face value, Wish You Were Dead has a hilarious setup and some great on-screen chemistry that makes you wish it stuck the landing. We’re first introduced to Melody (Elaine Hendrix), a man-murdering hit woman who loves eating copious amounts of chocolate. Her penchant for sweets reminds me of Rutger Hauer’s Harley Stone from 1992’s Split Second, but the similarities stop there. Melody’s specialty is taking on clients with unfaithful husbands, whacking them, and then moving on to the next job.
Her next job, however, is where things become complicated.
Melody is hired by Sally (Mary Steenburgen) and Tanya Rider (Tanya Allen), a mother-and-daughter team hatching a scheme to commit fraud against a lowly insurance adjuster named Mac (Cary Elwes), who has a million-dollar life insurance policy in his name. Sally and Tanya’s plan is simple: convince Mac that Sally is pregnant with his child so he’ll make her the beneficiary of his post-mortem payout, then hire Melody to finish him off.
Matters get even more complicated when Melody decides she’s actually in love with Mac and can’t, in good conscience, kill him. Instead, they team up with Mac’s older co-worker, Bruce (Christopher Lloyd), and hatch their own plan to evade Sally and Tanya, save Mac’s life, and run off with the money. Along the way, there are run-ins with Gene Simmons from KISS, who plays an eccentric hairdresser named Vinny, along with appearances from Billy Ray Cyrus and Robert Englund portraying a sassy preacher with Tourette syndrome.
Should Work But Doesn’t
Wish You Were Dead is absolutely dripping with potential, but it never feels fully realized because it’s so disjointed. I’m having trouble explaining why it’s disjointed, because the story beats are solid, and the escalating stakes ramp up naturally. Everybody you see on screen has acting chops and knows the assignment, but something about the assignment itself doesn’t work.
I may change my mind if I ever rewatch the film, because maybe I was just in a bad mood or something when I watched it, but it simply did not make me laugh. This movie has It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia levels of scheming. Elaine Hendrix’s crazy eyes when she’s mad, shooting daggers at Christopher Lloyd, should, in theory, be funny. But for some reason, it doesn’t gel. Mac is the perfect hapless victim of circumstance, caught between a murder plot and a budding romance with the person who was hired to kill him. This is all funny stuff, but it’s too quirky to be taken seriously, even as a comedy, and too overtly campy when it should have been just a little more deadpan.
Truth be told, Wish You Were Dead confuses me enough that I want to eventually watch it again and reassess my stance. All the ingredients for a superb crime comedy are there, but as a whole, the movie feels far less than the sum of its parts.
As of this writing, you can stream Wish You Were Dead for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for July 19, 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
Rode over.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
DROVE
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Salt water.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
BRINE
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hint
Bombardment.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
BLITZ
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Fabric.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
CLOTH
Final Hurdle hint
Tunes.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MUSIC
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 Spain vs. Argentina online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final for free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered weeks of electric entertainment. We’ve had controversy, moments of ecstasy, and incredibly displays of talent from the best players in the world. And now we’re down to the final, where Spain and Argentina will battle it out for the trophy.
Argentina are defending champions, but have stuttered through the tournament, relying on late goals. Spain also struggled to hit their best form in the group stage, but they’ve built momentum through the knockout rounds, culminating in an impressive victory over favorites France in the semi-final stage.
We’re expecting a fiery battle between two teams laden with stars.
If you want to watch Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Spain vs. Argentina?
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on July 19. This fixture takes place at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Mashable Top Stories
How to watch Spain vs. Argentina for free
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX.
BBC iPlayer and ITVX are geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access these free streaming platforms 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 and ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup final for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Spain vs. Argentina for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend 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 or ITVX
-
Watch Spain vs. Argentina for free from anywhere in the world
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN
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 final without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Spain vs. Argentina before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN’s regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the Summer Tech Sweepstakes promotional period (July 11 to Aug. 11), but you do have a chance of winning an iPhone 17 Pro. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for the World Cup final?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer or 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
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. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.
Live stream Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final for free.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on July 19
Wondering what you’re looking at on the Moon’s surface? Wonder no more, with the help of NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, we’ve broken down all the features you might be looking at when you look up tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, July 19, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with 29% of its surface visible.
You won’t need any visual aids to be able to spot the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. However, if you do have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll also be able to see the Endymion Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon completes one full cycle around Earth in about 29.5 days, moving through eight different phases along the way, NASA explains. Although the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes as it travels around Earth. This changing angle of illumination is what makes the Moon appear to transform throughout the month, from a thin crescent to a half-lit Moon and eventually a fully illuminated Full Moon, before starting the cycle again.
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).
Mashable Light Speed
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.
Rain threatens rematch between Yankees, Dodgers
Andres Chaparro, Nats try to top gaudy numbers vs. skidding A's
Hurdle hints and answers for July 19, 2026
Entertainment
Overlooked R-Rated 2000s Crime Comedy Wants You Dead, But Just For The Money
By Robert Scucci
| Published
After watching 2002’s Hard Cash, the almighty algorithm guided me to other ill-fated heist movies from the early aughts, prompting me to spend 88 minutes of my life watching 2001’s Wish You Were Dead. Similar to Hard Cash, Wish You Were Dead makes you wonder what could have been, because all the moving parts are there for a great film. The heist is fun, and there’s a clear logical progression that any crime comedy thriller fan can get behind. There’s scheming and plotting, and each character has enough personality quirks to keep you interested in the premise.
The problem with Wish You Were Dead, which, unlike Hard Cash, is actually trying to be a comedy, is that the characters’ actions don’t always line up with their surroundings. The jokes and physical comedy are there, but the humor leans too lowbrow when, in my opinion, things should have been more deadpan. Wish You Were Dead is trying to capture a Very Bad Things kind of vibe, but it should have taken a page from the Naked Gun playbook.
Is It Even True Love If There’s No Insurance Fraud?
At face value, Wish You Were Dead has a hilarious setup and some great on-screen chemistry that makes you wish it stuck the landing. We’re first introduced to Melody (Elaine Hendrix), a man-murdering hit woman who loves eating copious amounts of chocolate. Her penchant for sweets reminds me of Rutger Hauer’s Harley Stone from 1992’s Split Second, but the similarities stop there. Melody’s specialty is taking on clients with unfaithful husbands, whacking them, and then moving on to the next job.
Her next job, however, is where things become complicated.
Melody is hired by Sally (Mary Steenburgen) and Tanya Rider (Tanya Allen), a mother-and-daughter team hatching a scheme to commit fraud against a lowly insurance adjuster named Mac (Cary Elwes), who has a million-dollar life insurance policy in his name. Sally and Tanya’s plan is simple: convince Mac that Sally is pregnant with his child so he’ll make her the beneficiary of his post-mortem payout, then hire Melody to finish him off.
Matters get even more complicated when Melody decides she’s actually in love with Mac and can’t, in good conscience, kill him. Instead, they team up with Mac’s older co-worker, Bruce (Christopher Lloyd), and hatch their own plan to evade Sally and Tanya, save Mac’s life, and run off with the money. Along the way, there are run-ins with Gene Simmons from KISS, who plays an eccentric hairdresser named Vinny, along with appearances from Billy Ray Cyrus and Robert Englund portraying a sassy preacher with Tourette syndrome.
Should Work But Doesn’t
Wish You Were Dead is absolutely dripping with potential, but it never feels fully realized because it’s so disjointed. I’m having trouble explaining why it’s disjointed, because the story beats are solid, and the escalating stakes ramp up naturally. Everybody you see on screen has acting chops and knows the assignment, but something about the assignment itself doesn’t work.
I may change my mind if I ever rewatch the film, because maybe I was just in a bad mood or something when I watched it, but it simply did not make me laugh. This movie has It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia levels of scheming. Elaine Hendrix’s crazy eyes when she’s mad, shooting daggers at Christopher Lloyd, should, in theory, be funny. But for some reason, it doesn’t gel. Mac is the perfect hapless victim of circumstance, caught between a murder plot and a budding romance with the person who was hired to kill him. This is all funny stuff, but it’s too quirky to be taken seriously, even as a comedy, and too overtly campy when it should have been just a little more deadpan.
Truth be told, Wish You Were Dead confuses me enough that I want to eventually watch it again and reassess my stance. All the ingredients for a superb crime comedy are there, but as a whole, the movie feels far less than the sum of its parts.
As of this writing, you can stream Wish You Were Dead for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for July 19, 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
Rode over.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
DROVE
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Salt water.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
BRINE
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hint
Bombardment.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
BLITZ
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Fabric.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
CLOTH
Final Hurdle hint
Tunes.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MUSIC
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 Spain vs. Argentina online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final for free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered weeks of electric entertainment. We’ve had controversy, moments of ecstasy, and incredibly displays of talent from the best players in the world. And now we’re down to the final, where Spain and Argentina will battle it out for the trophy.
Argentina are defending champions, but have stuttered through the tournament, relying on late goals. Spain also struggled to hit their best form in the group stage, but they’ve built momentum through the knockout rounds, culminating in an impressive victory over favorites France in the semi-final stage.
We’re expecting a fiery battle between two teams laden with stars.
If you want to watch Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Spain vs. Argentina?
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on July 19. This fixture takes place at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Mashable Top Stories
How to watch Spain vs. Argentina for free
Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX.
BBC iPlayer and ITVX are geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access these free streaming platforms 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 and ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup final for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Spain vs. Argentina for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend 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 or ITVX
-
Watch Spain vs. Argentina for free from anywhere in the world
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN
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 final without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Spain vs. Argentina before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN’s regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the Summer Tech Sweepstakes promotional period (July 11 to Aug. 11), but you do have a chance of winning an iPhone 17 Pro. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for the World Cup final?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer or 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
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. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.
Live stream Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final for free.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on July 19
Wondering what you’re looking at on the Moon’s surface? Wonder no more, with the help of NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, we’ve broken down all the features you might be looking at when you look up tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, July 19, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with 29% of its surface visible.
You won’t need any visual aids to be able to spot the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. However, if you do have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll also be able to see the Endymion Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon completes one full cycle around Earth in about 29.5 days, moving through eight different phases along the way, NASA explains. Although the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes as it travels around Earth. This changing angle of illumination is what makes the Moon appear to transform throughout the month, from a thin crescent to a half-lit Moon and eventually a fully illuminated Full Moon, before starting the cycle again.
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).
Mashable Light Speed
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.
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