Entertainment
The 1980s Comedy Flop Turned Cult Classic That Never Gets Old, Stream Right Now
By Robert Scucci
| Published
At the height of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s first wave of popularity, he made the decision to pivot to filmmaking and pen the screenplay for UHF. Known for subverting viewer expectations with his parody music videos, Weird Al made a wholehearted attempt to do the same thing with his feature film debut, and the end result is exactly what you’d expect. The final product is a movie that’s as insane as Weird Al’s hair and one that’s now celebrated as a cult classic despite the lukewarm reception it received upon its release.
It’s Exactly What You Expect
At first glance, UHF is your classic underdog story centered on Weird Al’s George Newman. Following the usual beats, George is a slacker with a penchant for daydreaming that causes him to lose focus and, with that, his many short-lived jobs. Everything changes for George when his uncle Harvey (Stanley Brock) wins ownership of Channel 62 in a poker game and gives George full creative control.
On a diet consisting primarily of Twinkies, hot dogs, and Easy Cheese, George immediately gets to work with experimental programming in an attempt to save the UHF network from bankruptcy. After the initial failure of Uncle Nutzy’s Clubhouse, which comes off as a cross between Pee-wee’s Playhouse if it were hosted by Mr. Noodles from Sesame Street while high on bath salts, George is ready to drown his sorrows in a blueberry daiquiri and give up on his dreams.
However, when the show becomes an unexpected hit after George hires recently-fired Channel 8 Janitor Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards) to take his place, Channel 62 becomes the highest-rated channel in the region.
In order to be a true underdog story, UHF needs a villain which comes in the form of Channel 8 CEO RJ Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy). RJ decides to buy the channel from Harvey, who signs over the rights because he owes a considerable amount of money to his bookie. George decides that he’s not going to go out without a fight and continues to offer his newfound audience more of the ridiculous programming that made the network an overnight success in the first place.
A Box Office Flop Turned Cult Classic
Through its predictable narrative construct, UHF sets itself apart from its contemporaries because it’s clearly from the warped mind of Weird Al, who offers what can only be described as multiple levels of visual assault. Not only is the main narrative loaded with slap-stick humor, but the programming found on Channel 62 plays out like a Weird Al music video but with a Hollywood budget. Thanks to Weird Al’s innate instinct to lampoon anything and everything, we bear witness to a solid Indiana Jones parody sequence, as well as a surreal movie trailer suggesting that Mahatma Gandhi is a blockbuster action hero in this universe.
For its willingness to never take itself seriously, UHF‘s inherent ridiculousness garnered a 64 percent critical score against an audience score of 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The biggest criticism that UHF received upon its release is that it plays out like a number of disjointed skits instead of an entirely cohesive story. But it’s worth noting that there is a satisfying yet predictable resolution to the premise.
Commercially speaking, UHF only earned $6.1 million at the box office against its reported production budget of $5 million. Since UHF failed to be a commercial success, it was not widely distributed for home viewing and quickly went out of print. While out of print, audiences made it clear that there was a demand for the film, and circulating VHS copies ended up selling for over $100 for those who were eager to get their hands on it.
By 2002, MGM gave UHF a wide DVD release, and it quickly became a best-seller. These days, UHF is celebrated as a cult classic and a must-see for anybody who is willing to let their guard down and let Weird Al do his thing. And thanks to streaming platforms like Tubi, you can watch UHF for free today.
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.
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).
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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.
Hurdle hints and answers for July 19, 2026
Tarik Skubal, Tigers eye series win against Angels
