Entertainment
The R-Rated 90s Sci-Fi Made To Teach Hollywood A Lesson
By Jonathan Klotz & Joshua Tyler | Published
Tim Burton’s Batman lit the box office on fire in 1989, setting off a rush by studios to push out the next big superhero film. Unlike the early 2000s superhero rush, those earlier studio executives went back to the pulp heroes of the 1930s.
Dick Tracy, The Shadow, and The Phantom hit theaters, bringing classic radio serials and comic books to life. In parallel with producing The Shadow, Universal Studios also launched a more straightforward approach to the problem of trying to duplicate Batman’s success by making their own, modern-day superhero franchise, just like Batman.
To do it, they hired a man who’d established himself as an up-and-coming genius in the horror space. Sam Raimi was the right man for the job, but he was too far ahead of his time. His big superhero success wouldn’t come until 12 years after the release of his Universal film.
Sam Raimi Makes His Own Superhero After Being Denied By Hollywood
Sam Raimi was coming off Evil Dead 2, still considered by many to be his best movie, and Hollywood studios were starting to take notice of the offbeat filmmaker. Sadly, Universal Pictures, the rights holders to The Shadow, passed on Raimi helming their Alec Baldwin pulp hero film.
Dejected, Raimi instead wrote a screenplay around a character called Darkman, a superhero he created in a short story years earlier. With that, he captured Universal’s attention.
Played by Liam Neeson, Darkman begins life as Dr. Peyton Westlake, a scientist working on synthetic skin who becomes disfigured when his lab is ransacked by thugs looking for proof their boss is engaged in white-collar crime.
Westlake is left horribly burned, but an experimental surgery gives him superhuman strength, which he puts to use alongside the synthetic skin that lets him disguise himself as anyone, so long as he stays out of the light, to dismantle the criminal network. On the surface, it’s a standard superhero revenge story, but Sam Raimi puts focus on Westlake’s changing emotional state as he embraces life as a monster, turning his back on his girlfriend Julie after she expresses her love for him.
Darkman is equal parts pulp heroic fisticuffs and gothic tragedy, but it proved Sam Raimi knows what makes a superhero movie work. Unfortunately, it didn’t give Universal what they wanted.
Darkman’s Sequels Get Dumped In The Bargain Bin
Darkman is one of those movies people like to retroactively call a success because it didn’t lose money. That’s a very low bar. Universal didn’t make Darkman to turn a modest profit; they made it to create a franchise that could ride the post-Batman superhero wave.
On that front, it absolutely failed. A true success gets sequels that people actually see in theaters. Darkman got dumped into the straight-to-video bin with a recast lead, which is Hollywood code for “we’re embarrassed but not quite done squeezing the IP.”
The warning signs were there immediately. Yes, Darkman opened at number one, but it did so with numbers that were already disappointing in a market recalibrated by Tim Burton. This was 1990, when studios were hunting the next pop-culture monster, not celebrating “pretty good.”
Darkman didn’t dominate the summer conversation, didn’t generate a cultural footprint, and didn’t turn Liam Neeson into a genre icon. Instead, it quietly exited theaters while Batman knockoffs and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ate its lunch.
Why Darkman Failed
Part of what makes Darkman a great movie is also what made it a tough sell for audiences. Darkman isn’t weird enough to be a cult midnight classic, and it isn’t clean enough to be a four-quadrant hit.
It’s grotesque, mean, occasionally brilliant, and completely unsellable to kids, who were the actual money engine of Batman and early-’90s genre filmmaking. You can’t build an empire on a hero whose face melts, whose rage is chemically induced, and whose romance ends in a parking lot goodbye.
Darkman was quickly forgotten by the mainstream in the early 90s, overshadowed even by inferior box office failures like The Shadow, and is rarely talked about now outside of hardcore Raimi fan circles.
That happened not because it’s bad, but because it missed the moment it was built for. It arrived just early enough to look experimental, and just late enough to feel overshadowed. Universal wanted its own Batman. What they got was a cult favorite, a director calling card for Sam Raimi, and a franchise that limped off to VHS hell.
Sam Raimi Proves Everyone Wrong With Spider-Man
Sam Raimi would, of course, go on to direct one of the most influential superhero movies of all time, 12 years later, when he made Spider-Man. Drawing on his experience with Darkman, Raimi wanted to approach the story of Peter Parker from a different angle, opting to bring in Green Goblin as the villain and embrace the loose father/son dynamic between the two.
Amazingly, you can catch a brief glimpse of Darkman in Spider-Man during Peter’s dream sequence right after he’s been bitten.
If you’re looking for the true origin of modern superhero movies, that’s where it all started. With a genius filmmaker being denied the job he wanted, and then making it happen his way, anyway.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 1, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you believe in coincidences.
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 coincidence.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter F.
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…
FLUKE
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
How to watch Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free on ICC.TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 T20 World Cup action this weekend is absolutely electric. A lot of fans will be tuning into the huge clash between India and West Indies later today, but for an exciting warm up, Zimbabwe face off against South Africa.
Zimbabwe did well to make this stage of the competition, but they’ve lost both their games in the second group stage. South Africa have looked formidable, and will want to continue their run of wins before the semi finals. Expect an action-packed contest between two talented sides.
If you want to watch Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Zimbabwe vs. South Africa?
Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup starts at 4:30 a.m. ET on March 1. This game takes place at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium.
How to watch Zimbabwe vs. South Africa for free
Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup is available to live stream for free on ICC.TV.
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This free live stream on ICC.TV is only available in select regions (see full list of territories here), but anyone can live stream the T20 Cricket World Cup for free with a VPN. These helpful tools can hide your IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in a location with free access. This simple process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can live stream on ICC.TV from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like 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 a location with access
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Visit ICC.TV
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Watch the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch every game from the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for ICC.TV?
ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ICC.TV, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries
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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 always secure
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Fast connection speeds
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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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).
Watch the 2026 T20 World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for March 1, 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.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
Mixed metals.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
ALLOY
Hurdle Word 2 hint
A popular board game.
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Hurdle Word 2 Answer
CHESS
Hurdle Word 3 hint
The edge of the beach.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
COAST
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Milk-based.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
DAIRY
Final Hurdle hint
A Spanish character.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
TILDE
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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