Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: When Professor Richard Rinehart is murdered by a maniac, he divides his money between his daughter, Mary, his brother, John, and his servants. Sometime later, Mary's fiancé, Dr. Arthur Hornsby, who has invented a way to survive without oxygen, invites a team of scientists to bury him alive, only to have the experiment interrupted by the same maniac committing multiple murders in and around the manor. Who's in it? The movie stars George Meeker , Bela Lugosi , Wallace Ford , Sally Blane and Edwin Maxwell. Review: I came across Night of Terror on Amazon Prime yesterday evening and since it had a somewhat intriguing description and Bela Lugosi, I decided to give the film a try. It wasn't quite what I was expecting but still proved to be a reasonably decent film. While I thought the movie's slower pace prevented it from being a true horror movie, as the description claimed, I did think it proved to be a decent murder mystery. The simple explanation for the vari...

Synopsis: After the Eastside Kids convince Mr. Wilkes to provide the race entry fee for a thoroughbred, Bluenight, Muggs Mahoney uses the opportunity to pursue his dream of being a jockey. He, however, soon learns it is more difficult than he imagined and a chance to redeem himself is put at risk by a crooked bookie tries to sabotage Bluenight. Who's in it? The movie stars Bobby Jordan , Leo Gorcey , Clarence Muse , Dave O'Brien , Milton Kibbee, Joyce Bryant . Review: It had been a few weeks since I last watched an Eastside Kids/Bowery Boys movie, so I figured I'd add one to my list and after searching, chose That Gang of Mine  primarily because the idea of Muggs Mahoney (Gorcey) riding a horse seemed interesting. I watched it this morning and it proved to be an OK choice. There were a couple things I liked about this movie. One of the main ones was the journey Muggs needed to take to be a jockey. The movie acknowledged a kid from New York probably wouldn't know anyt...

  When it comes to Mountain Dew I can't start my day without one. And I can't stop myself from biting my nails Until they are gone. If it's not good for me, I apparently need to have it. So, why is it so hard for me To form a sleep habit. Image courtesy of Canva Late to bed And early to rise, Means I spend most of my days Fighting sleep-deprived eyes. It's no insomnia I don't need some sort of a tablet. I just need to find a way To form a sleep habit. Maybe I just need A little less TV at night. Cut back on the caffeine Or stop letting the news give me a daily fright. Maybe all I need  Is to improve my relationship with my bed. Tuck myself under the warm covers And attempt to form a sleep habit instead. ______________________________________________________ Here are some of my other poems: Drawing a Blank (A Poem) In the Way (A Poem) Hard Road (A Poem) Drive at Night (A Poem)

Synopsis: Despite warnings about snow-covered roads and an incoming winter storm, a bus driver, Gus, pushes forward with four passengers. The bus gets stuck and the five take refuge in a nearby remote church, where they meet a Bill, a hobo who is also sheltering inside the building. The storm continues for days, forcing the six to survive on a small supply of food Bill has with him as they strip the church of all its wood to keep a fire burning. Who's in it? The movie stars Carole Lombard , William Boyd, Owen Moore, Phillips Smalley, Diane Ellis and Billy Bevan. Review: I added  High Voltage  to my movie library a few weeks ago but completely forgot about the movie until I came across it yesterday evening. I decided to watch the movie this morning and, while I had some doubts about how entertaining it would be, it turned out to be a good choice. This isn't a movie with a whole lot of action. You aren't going to see a whole lot of fights, the lone "fell through the i...

Synopsis: Three high school girls with troubled homes decide to runaway together and go to Los Angeles. Pursued by police and going further into delinquency by stealing a car and getting jobs at a seedy dance club, they soon find their lives getting worse until a tragedy strikes. Who's in it? The movie stars Marla English , Anna Sten, Mary Ellen Kay , Gloria Castillo and John Litel. Review: When I decided to watch Runaway Daughters this morning, I figured it would end up being yet another 1950s movie that focused on the corruption of youth and teenage delinquency. However, it instead turned out to be a pleasantly decent surprise. For the most part, the movie is what I had expected, Audrey (English), Mary (Kay) and Angie (Castillo) are rebellious and as the film progresses, grow increasingly delinquent to the point their reputations and lives are ruined. From that point forward, it was easy to predict what would happen to them, though there were also some admittedly decent surpr...

Synopsis: In 1967, Alice, a widowed mother of two daughters, tries to make ends meet by holding fake spiritual "readings" in her living room. Hoping to add a little extra to her act, Alice purchases a Ouija board only to discover her youngest daughter, Doris, is seemingly able to use the board to really talk to the deceased. She decides to take advantage of this without realizing the evil she is unleashing in the process. Who's in it? The movie stars Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas and Parker Mack. Review: I came across Ouija: Origin of Evil yesterday and since I recently re-watched Ouija , I figured I'd take the time to re-watch this prequel as well. It turned out to be as good as I remembered. The main thing I liked about this movie was the mystery surrounding the presence Doris (Wilson) was talking to. Was it really her father? Was it some other spirit (and, if so, who)? Was Doris just a better scammer than her mother (Reaser)? Unlik...