Entertainment
R-Rated 90s Sci-Fi Thriller Is Trash Can Predator Versus The Scooby-Doo Gang
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Writing for this site, I’ve covered countless RoboCop and Mad Max ripoffs because they’re just so fun to watch, no matter how good or bad they may be. I’m going to have to start adding more Predator-style films into the mix after watching 1996’s Star Hunter, which plays out like Surviving the Game or Judgment Night, but with an antagonist doing his best Predator impersonation while wearing trash can armour, while it’s up to the Scooby-Doo gang to take him down once and for all.
Star Hunter has plenty of action but no choreography behind it. It’s total amateur hour, but I love it because everybody leans into the camp without ever taking anything too seriously. It hits all of the Most Dangerous Game tropes you’re familiar with, but it’s also about a bunch of teenagers fighting off some seemingly invulnerable celestial assassin who likes to kill for fun.
Let’s Keep This Simple
Star Hunter is about a group of high school football players and cheerleaders whose bus breaks down after the big game. They’re stranded in the bad part of town and need to make a phone call for roadside assistance, which leads them to an eccentric blind man named Reicher. He lives by himself in a luxury apartment and is more than accommodating to his unexpected guests, which immediately makes them suspicious because there’s barely any furniture, but the back wall is covered from floor to ceiling with weapons.
As it turns out, Reicher works closely with an escaped space robot convict named Star Hunter, and together they make a game out of hunting humans for sport as they move from planet to planet. The kids learn this the hard way when they discover a trophy room in Reicher’s apartment filled with severed human heads. Reicher gives everybody a one-hour head start before the hunt begins, and it doesn’t look good for the teenagers.
What the teenagers don’t know at this point in Star Hunter is that space officers known as trackers are also trying to stop Star Hunter and Reicher. When the token pothead starts acting even stranger than usual, it’s heavily implied that he’s possessed by a tracker, and it becomes his destiny to ensure everybody’s safety before they all get wiped out by the killing machine hunting them down.
A Total B-Production That Will Win You Over
Star Hunter leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to action choreography and special effects. Star Hunter is supposed to be some iteration of Predator, but it’s clearly just a guy in a suit.
Listen, I know how movies are made, and that Predator is also a guy in a suit, but this really looks like a guy in a suit. He walks around like a guy in a suit. He shoots guns like a guy in a suit. And he is 1000 percent, without a shadow of a doubt, a guy in a suit. It’s fine to know this as a movie watcher because most monsters are just guys in suits, but in my mind, and within this fiction, it’s just a guy in a suit, which really doesn’t do Star Hunter any favors.
What really saves this film, and inspired me to review it, is how much fun it has despite the fact that the antagonist is just a guy in a (really bad) Predator suit. It’s straight-up Scooby-Doo, and I mean that as a compliment. There’s no dog in this movie, but every single person looks like they’re about to say “jinkies” whenever something bad happens, but only after they all peer through a doorway in tandem, with the shortest person at the bottom and the tallest person on top.
While there’s no clear instance of everybody running in place before darting out of frame and leaving nothing but a cloud of dust behind, Star Hunter has some serious Mystery Gang energy that makes it way more fun than it has any right to be.
If you’re into action thrillers like Surviving the Game, but also find yourself craving low-budget sci-fi schlock and awe, Star Hunter, which is currently streaming on Tubi for free, should be your next watch. Don’t take this one too seriously, and you’ll have an absolute blast (pew, pew!) with it.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like to make food from scratch.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A way to make butter.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter C.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
CHURN
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle 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? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
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 Wordle.
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.
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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
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
Salt water.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
BRINE
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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.
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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:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
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Visit BBC iPlayer or ITVX
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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:
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Servers in 105 countries including the UK
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
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Fast connection speeds free from throttling
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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.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 19, 2026
Rain threatens rematch between Yankees, Dodgers
