Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: A small Utah resort town is rocked when a guest, Marsha Morgan, is found murdered at a pool party. As the sheriff conducts his investigation, more people are murdered, leaving him with plenty of questions and even more suspects. Who's in it? The movie stars Lex Barker , Anne Bancroft , John Dehner , Ron Randell and Marie Windsor. Review: I came across The Girl in Black Stockings on Amazon Prime a couple nights ago and since it's been a while since I've watched a classic murder mystery, I flagged it and finally had a chance to watch it this morning. At first, I thought it was going to be a simple-to-solve (aka boring) mystery. Instead, it wound up being an entertaining film with a lot of surprises. The thing I liked most about this movie is there wasn't any clear suspect. There were multiple people connected to the original victim, Morgan, but they either had alibis, zero motive or, in the case of the lodge owner, Edmund Parry (Randell), confined to a whee...

Synopsis: While being transported to his execution, convicted serial killer Jack Frost is involved in an accident with a truck hauling an experimental chemical that causes his genetic material to become fused with the surrounding snow. Believed to have been killed, he returns as a snowman and begins a new killing spree while trying to get revenge on a smalltown sheriff, Sam, for arresting him. Who's in it? The movie stars Scott MacDonald , Christopher Allport , Stephen Mendel , Eileen Seeley and Shannon Elizabeth . Review: I was surprised to learn my wife had never seen Jack Frost and, since it had been several years since I last saw it, I decided to rectify that last night. After re-watching the movie, I can honestly say it was exactly as I remembered it. Even though it is a low-budget, straight-to-DVD film, the movie does have quite a bit going for it. For one, the practical effects aren't all that terrible for a movie that was made nearly 30 years ago. The filmmakers di...

Synopsis: Sarah used to spend the holidays with her grandmother, Mia, who was known for her Kismet cookies, a family recipe of magical cookies that would make you dream about the person you should be with if you put them under your pillow on Christmas Eve. However, after Sarah tried the magic for herself and dreamt about her long-time crush, Travis, only to find out he was getting married the next day, she tore up the recipe and her grandmother never baked them again. Years later, Sarah has a hit book loosely based on the Kismet cookie legend and is struggling to finish a sequel when a contest results in her returning to her grandmother's hometown and reconnecting with a now-divorced Travis and his daughter, Jasmine. Not long after, she begins to wonder if the cookies really were magical. Who's in it? The movie stars Sarah Ramos , Carlo Marks , Marilu Henner , Rubi Tupper and Zahf Paroo . Review: We've had A Kismet Christmas in our library for some time now, but it wasn...

  Image courtesy of Pixabay I fought back tears When I saw the news today. So many young lives taken At a place where they should have been safe to learn and play. We elect leaders Who claim to be "pro-life." Yet, they choose to do very little When the danger our kids face is so real and so rife. How do we expect our kids to feel safe When living long enough to become an adult is no longer a given? When they live in a country That seems to be fighting a war against children. We shield ourselves behind the Second Amendment. Using it as an excuse for doing nothing. "It's what our Founding Fathers would have wanted," we lie to ourselves. Even though they, themselves, probably would have done something. We'll ban books and set gender restrictions on sports All to "protect" those young ones. Anything to keep them "safe,"  Just as long as nobody is touching our guns. We say we are great nation, But the reality is, our future is uncertain. That...

My thoughts from last night's 30-13 Green Bay Packers ' win at the Seattle Seahawks : The Packers exorcised some of their Seattle demons. Green Bay has had some infamous defeats against Seattle, whether it was the Fail Mary game or the fake punt disaster that cost them a trip to the Super Bowl. Most of the current roster wasn't around the last time they lost in Seattle and the reboot seems to be working. This game was mostly about Green Bay's defense. Despite injuries in the secondary and losing linebacker Quay Walker, the defense ended the game with seven sacks and two interceptions. Just as important, that unit kept Seattle from ever getting into the game, even when the offense fizzled out a bit in the second half. Once key pieces, like cornerback Jaire Alexander, return, it theoretically could even be better. Jordan Love is growing as a passer. It's sometimes easy to forget he only has 30 career starts and probably hasn't peaked yet. However, the growth is...

  Image Courtesy of Pixabay She sat at her kitchen table Trying not to cry. Her 3-year-old daughter would see her sad And she didn’t want to try to explain why. The pile of bills in front of her keeps growing. Her credits cards are already at their max. A single mom’s income doesn’t go very far nowadays. Against her, the deck is stacked. She feels she could do so much better And give her daughter the life she deserves. But, she’s already working two jobs And yet every penny still needs to be conserved. As her tears continued to well up And her frustration filled the air She put her head down on the table Before putting her hands together in prayer. “Lord, please remove this anchor. The one that is pulling me down. I can no longer keep my head above the water. And I’m afraid I’m going to drown. God, please remove this anchor. The one that seems to be tied to every limb. I don’t need to be able to fly. I just need to be able to swim.” He sat in his one-room economy apartment Counting...