Entertainment
The Most Unfairly Overlooked Vampire Movie Never Says The Word "Vampire"
By Matthew Flynn
| Published
Near Dark, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is a unique blend of neo-Western and horror genres. The plot traces the life of Caleb Colton, a small-town young man, who gets entwined with a family of nomadic American vampires. The film stars Adrian Pasdar as the protagonist Caleb, with Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenette Goldstein in the supporting roles.
Originally, Kathryn Bigelow had intended to make a pure Western movie with Near Dark. However, she found garnering financial backing too challenging. Unfazed, she decided to embed the elements of the popular vampire genre into the Western setting.
This ambitious undertaking of blending the genres led to a revisionist interpretation and brought about the resurgence of American vampire films in the 1980s.
Near Dark first graced the silver screen at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 1987 before being officially released on October 2, 1987, across 262 theaters. Despite its innovative take on the vampire genre, the movie failed to make a significant impact at the box office initially. Nevertheless, it won the favor of critics and eventually cultivated a dedicated cult following over the years.
The narrative of Near Dark is centered around Caleb, who encounters Mae, an enigmatic drifter. After she bites him on the neck, he finds himself turning into a vampire and is subsequently taken into the fold of her roving vampire crew. Caleb grapples with his new form, particularly his aversion to kill for sustenance, which estranges him from his new family.
Renowned for her unique storytelling style and visual flair, Kathryn Bigelow made her directorial debut with Near Dark. After, Bigelow continued to create groundbreaking films across a broad spectrum of genres, from war drama The Hurt Locker, which saw her become the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director, to the thrilling action in Point Break and the gripping drama of Zero Dark Thirty.
Bigelow was married to director James Cameron from 1989 to 1991 and knew him prior to her work on Near Dark. Their connection could explain the carryover from Cameron’s Aliens to Near Dark. Three actors from Cameron’s film, Paxton, Goldstein and Henriksen, also appear in Near Dark.
The film received a generally positive response from critics, who appreciated the amalgamation of the Western, biker, and vampire movie elements in Near Dark. But no one saw it.
Near Dark was made on a modest budget of around $5 million, but despite strong reviews and a now-cult reputation, it struggled commercially, earning only about $3.4 million at the domestic box office. When released in 1987, the film faced stiff competition and marketing challenges, especially as audiences gravitated toward more traditional vampire fare like The Lost Boys, which hit theaters that year with a flashier, youth-oriented appeal. Yet, its status as a cult classic grew over time.
In 2006, plans for a remake of Near Dark made headlines but were later abandoned due to its conceptual resemblance to Twilight. The shelved project was to be a collaboration between Rogue Pictures and Platinum Dunes, with Samuel Bayer set to direct.
Near Dark stands as a testament to the compelling blend of Western and vampire genres. Despite its initial box office performance, the film continues to captivate audiences and critics alike with its unique charm.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small change
The words are related to changes.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
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NYT Strands word list for April 19
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There I Fixed It
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Adjust
-
Modify
-
Alter
-
Improve
-
Tweak
-
Refine
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and 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 Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
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:
To rise.
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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 T.
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…
STAND
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 April 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
The edge.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
BRINK
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
Moody.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
POUTY
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
America’s bird.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
EAGLE
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A platform.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
FORUM
Final Hurdle hint
Cheapskate.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MISER
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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