Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis:  While driving her taxi cab, Patty Mitchell nearly hits an injured man who claims to have amnesia. She volunteers to help him figure out who he is and what happened to him but, as they investigate, all clues seem to point to him being involved in a murder. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Tom Conway ,  Ann Rutherford ,  Richard Lane ,  Jane Greer  and  Jean Brooks. Review:  I've been working on a handful of things today but found an hour to sit down and watch this mystery. At first, I wasn't really sure what to think about it but, as the movie progressed, I found I liked it. Overall, I have to say this is an intriguing mystery. The stranger getting into the back of the cab (Conway) has no memory of who he is, where he is or what he was doing a couple hours earlier and, as details about the murder are revealed, even he believes he might be the one who committed it. And, every time it seems like they discover a clue or witness that clea...

For reasons that are too complicated to explain, I find myself thinking about  The Andy Griffith Show   today and, more specifically, Andy Taylor's love life early on in the series. Prior to meeting school teacher Helen Crump ( Aneta Corsaut ), the woman he would eventually marry, Andy had a revolving door full of women. Specifically, he had three serious relationships, Ellie Walker ( Elinor Donahue ), Mary Simpson ( Julie Adams ) and Peggy McMillan ( Joanna Moore ). The interesting thing about each of these girlfriends is, not only did the relationships not last, the characters were never seen or spoken about again. This, in my mind, raises a question - was Andy Taylor ( Andy Griffith ) a serial killer? I know, on the surface, that might not seem like a legitimate question. After all, Mayberry's sheriff wouldn't even carry a gun. But many serial killers turned out to be people who were handsome and charming, so the idea of Andy having a darker side shouldn't be dismiss...

Synopsis:  A talented makeup artist with a knack for making movie monsters is fired by a pair of executives who believe monster movies are on their way out. Angry at their decision and unwilling to go without a fight, he and his assistant hypnotize a pair of teenaged actors and convince them to kill the executives while dressed as a werewolf and Frankenstein's monster. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Robert H. Harris ,  Gary Conway ,  Gary Clarke ,  Paul Brinegar  and  Morris Ankrum. Review:  I was scrolling through movie options while waiting for my daughter to take her driving lesson and, after reading the description for this one, added it to my library. I wound up watching it yesterday evening and found I really enjoyed it. I think the thing I enjoyed most about this movie was how it gradually revealed the depths of Pete Dumond's (Harris) insanity. At first, his violent actions and the way he carried them out seemed like an almost logical ...

Synopsis:  While taking her students on a field trip to a New York City aquarium, teacher Hildegarde Withers ends up helping police investigate the murder of a wealthy stockbroker who is found dead in the penguin pool after getting into a physical confrontation with his wife's ex-boyfriend. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Edna May Oliver ,  Robert Armstrong ,  James Gleason ,  Mae Clarke  and  Donald Cook. Review:  After watching  Murder on the Blackboard  earlier this week, I found I enjoyed watching Miss Withers (Oliver) so much, I wanted to see the movie that preceded it. I was fortunately able to add it to my library and watch it last night. As was the case with the other movie, I found I enjoyed watching Miss Withers piece together the clues in this mystery. She had such a good combination of brains and comedic wit, it was just fun watching her. I especially love how she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, whether it was criticism ...

  I just sat down 5 minutes ago. How is it already two hours later? This day isn’t long enough as it is Without my clock becoming some sort of traitor. Forget about that three-course meal I had planned. The one that would have at least seemed like I had a plan of attack Rather than just relying on the three staples Ramen noodles, frozen pizza and instant mac. Image by  Markus Winkler  from  Pixabay   It’s not like my pantry and freezer aren’t full Or I don’t have an assortment of dinner treats. It’s just with work, school and sports, it’s hard to find time to plan. And, let’s face it, it takes quite a bit of time to thaw out meat. Sure, I want my kids to eat healthy. Plus, it sure would be nice to have a family meal at the same time and in the same room. Sometimes, it seems like the last time that happened, Was when the kids were still in the womb. I guess there’s no real use in complaining. I should be happy I am at least able to...

Synopsis:  When a teacher, Hildegarde Withers, discovers the dead body of one of her colleagues, she summons her friend, Inspector Oscar Piper, to help find the killer only to be the one who discovers the hidden message in the victim's musical clue. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Edna May Oliver ,  James Gleason ,  Bruce Cabot ,  Gertrude Michael  and  Tully Marshall . Review:  I was in the mood for a murder mystery while waiting to go into work this morning. After searching through a list of options the night before, I came across this film and, thinking it sounded interesting, decided to check it out. As it turns out, I enjoyed every minute of it. Being a father of two daughters, I have come to appreciate classic films that have strong female leads in them and this one, made pre-Hays Code, had a good one in Hildegarde Withers (Oliver). I loved how she asked for police assistance and then proceeded to find all the key clues while still letti...

  It’s no wonder people spend hours, even days, Wishing they were still kids. Back when doing homework was the only real worry, And there were people to lend a hand with everything they did. I’m not going to say adulthood completely sucks, Because I’m sure that’s an exaggeration. I’m just saying, when it comes to being grown up, There are plenty of unfilled expectations. “Being an adult will be fun,” they said. “Think of all the things you can do without asking permission.” They forgot to mention many of those permissible things Also lack any real inspiration. Partying is cut short because of a long day at work. A hot romance quickly cools because of the stress of bills. I used to be as healthy as horse. Now a slight chill has me under a blanket feeling a bit ill. Image by  congerdesign  from  Pixabay   A “fun” night consists of being on the couch Looking for something on TV that isn’t a rerun. And, as soon as my eyes start to c...

  This was another one of my purchases when I stopped at the grocery store last night. I was in the mood for some string cheese as a work snack and, since I didn't want to raid my wife's supply, figured I would try this brand. I did have some concerns about this product when I purchased it ($5.99), mostly in regards to how salty it was. I have had other string cheeses that were way too salty for me and didn't know if this particular brand would fall into that category or not. As it turns out, however, it was a decent purchase. Yes, the cheese does have a bit of a salty flavor to it, as I think I would normally expect to be the case. However, unlike the other brands I've tried, it wasn't anything that was overpowering. In other words, I could taste the salt, but I could also still taste the cheese flavor. In fact, as far as string cheese goes, I thought this was a good product overall. The sticks are larger than some other brands, making them a more-filling snack, an...

  I first noticed this item at one of our local grocery stores a couple months ago, near the dairy section. It looked interesting but I always found an excuse not to give them a try. However, I was waiting for someone to pick out a gallon of milk yesterday evening (something that apparently required some serious thought on their behalf) and, since these were only 79 cents, I picked up a couple packs of them. I decided to try the Wisconsin Cheddar variety as a snack last night and, as much as I wanted to like this item, I found I really didn't. I will admit, it is an intriguing idea and the whole "low carb" thing would be appealing to several people I know. It's just I didn't enjoy the flavor as much as I thought I would. I could taste the Wisconsin cheddar, as promised, but the snacks left a dry aftertaste in my mouth, leaving me feeling more thirsty than satisfied. To be fair, this might have just been a matter of personal preference. Cheddar cheese tends to have...

Synopsis:  When a series of ancient volcanoes erupt in the Santa Monica Mountains, a hoard of giant, lava-spewing spiders are released and begin to terrorize Los Angeles. It's up to washed-up action movie star, Colton West, to save the day. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Steve Guttenberg ,  Nia Peeples ,  Patrick Renna ,  Noah Hunt  and  Michael Winslow. Review:  I came across this movie on  YouTube TV  a couple days ago and, while I thought it sounded a bit dumb, I was also intrigued enough to add it to my library. I wound up selecting it last night and, while my expectations were admittedly lowered, this film more than exceeded them. The thing I found I liked about this movie is it didn't take itself too seriously but, at the same time, also pretended it wasn't a comedy. The end result was a film that was funny/quirky but also managed to be an entertaining action film featuring what looked to be an unstoppable army of fire breathi...

  I decided to make sloppy Joes for dinner tonight and, while at the grocery store, figured baked beans would be a nice complement. I happened to notice these beans on the same shelf and, while they were about 60 cents higher in price ($1.99), I ended up picking them up instead. Overall, I have to say I was happy with the purchase. The beans had a good flavor to them, there was enough spice in it to give them a kick but not too spicy. They paired nicely with the sloppy Joes as a result. I am actually interested in purchasing these beans again the next time I make chili. I think they would add a little something extra to it that normal pinto beans/kidney beans don't. However, regardless of how that works out, I would purchase these as a side dish for future dinners too. If you haven't tried them, I'd recommend doing so.

I'm not much of a tea drinker. I don't hate it but I just don't enjoy it enough to drink it on a regular basis. However, I have been making a serious effort to reduce weight and, as part of that, have cut out soda while I am at the office. This has proven to be a bit more difficult than expected because water tends to get boring after a while. So, as a result of this, I decided to pick up a box of Bigelow Pomegranate Green Tea when I was at Wal-mart. Mostly because of what I said above, I was reluctant to give this a try and only ended up making a cup this morning because I needed to warm up after being out in the cold/snowy weather outside. I was surprised by how much I liked it. Usually, when I have tea, I end up adding a bunch of sugar to sweeten it (defeating the purpose of getting tea in the first place). I didn't need to do that with this particular tea. The pomegranate made it sweet enough to drink without adding extra to it. As a result, I did enjoy sipping it t...

Synopsis: Banker Hubert Kingery is killed at his hunting lodge shortly after telling his fellow bank officers he suspects one of them of embezzling $500,000. Police rule his death a suicide, partly because he was found in a locked room. However, his daughter, Gwen, doesn't believe it and hires private detective Lance O'Leary to investigate. Who's in it? The movie stars Dick Purcell , Ann Sheridan , Anne Nagel , William Hopper and Elspeth Dudgeon. Review:  I came across this movie on YouTube TV last night and added it to my library to watch this morning, while waking up enough to go out and clear the snow that fell while I was asleep. I like a good "locked room" mystery, and this one proved to be entertaining. I think the thing that I enjoyed most about this mystery was the large number of suspects who happened to be with the victim when he died and the way they all managed to act suspiciously around O'Leary (Purcell). Also, while the $500,000 seemed like the...

I'll admit it, I was pretty darn angry following the Green Bay Packers loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday. This year really felt like the year the Packers would return to the Super Bowl and, instead, their season is done thanks, in part, to a controversial pass interference penalty and even more controversial coaching decision. I've calmed down now, and after some reflection, want to share some of my thoughts. 1. The pass interference penalty made Matt LaFleur's coaching decision seem worse than it was. I'm not saying it was a great decision. I mean, he had the league's top red zone offense and this year's (likely) league MVP on the Buccaneers' 8 yard line. But, without the pass interference, the Buccaneers would have punted with more than a minute on the clock and with Green Bay still having one time out. In that scenario, the field goal would have had Aaron Rodgers and company in a position to win the game with a quick score. Still, even with that ...

Synopsis : Corrupt political boss, Paul Madvig, falls for the beautiful Janet Henry and decides to back her father, Ralph, as candidate for governor, putting him at odds with a local gangster. When Ralph's son, Taylor, is found murdered, Paul becomes the primary suspect and it is up to his right-hand man, Ed Beaumont to clear his name. Who's in it? The movie stars Brian Donlevy , Veronica Lake , Alan Ladd , Bonita Granville and Richard Denning. Review: Still licking my wounds following the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday, I decided to stay up a bit later and watch a movie. This film looked interesting, so I gave it a shot and, overall, didn't think it was too bad of a choice. This ended up being an intriguing mystery that proved to be less predictable than expected. The victim, Taylor (Denning) was family black sheep with multiple people with motive to kill him and Paul (Donlevy) easily made it to the top of that list because of his react...

What was up with the Green Bay Packers abandoning the run and short passing game when there was more than 8 minutes left on the clock? They had plenty of time to take advantage of Tom Brady's interceptions but, rather than go with plays that would get the ball out of Aaron Rodgers' hand quickly, they had him holding onto the ball, looking for a homerun shot, despite a game-long inability to protect the quarterback.  The field goal call was questionable, don't get me wrong, and so was the decision to throw an interference flag when they had ignored grabbing from both teams all game. However, I feel Coach Matt LaFleur, wasted two opportunities on Brady interceptions, and that is equally as disappointing.

Synopsis:  Something isn't quite right in the small town of Centerville. The sun is setting much later than it normally does, domestic pets and livestock are acting strangely and, most importantly, the dead are rising from their graves. Who's in it? The movie stars Bill Murray , Adam Driver , Selena Gomez , Tom Waits and Steve Buscemi. Review:  I don't remember putting this particular movie in my Netflix DVD queue and, as a result, was a bit surprised to see it arrive a few weeks ago. Since it was a longer film, it took my wife and I some time to watch it. We finally did that last night and it turned out to be better than expected. I think the thing I liked best about this movie was the various residents in Centerville. This includes a police officer (Driver) who seems to realize they are in a movie, a funeral home director ( Maya Delmont ) who is both strange and a sword expert, a racist farmer (Buscemi) and a hermit (Waits) who serves as a narrator. It was fun watching t...

Synopsis: When Perry Mason receives a phone call and cash retainer from an unknown woman, he must figure out who his client is and why she needs his services. He ultimately winds up defending Myrtle Fargo, who is accused of murdering her husband. She both denies being the one who called Mason and being behind her husband's death but there is an unshakeable witness that refutes Myrtle's alibi. Review: Since I continued to have the house to myself this afternoon, I was finally able to finish this Perry Mason novel while waiting for my family to get home from shopping. When I first started reading this book I wasn't really sure if I would like it. However, it turned out to be a fairly decent mystery. I think the thing that made this mystery so intriguing was the fact his client was obviously avoiding telling him everything that happened the day her husband was murdered. That, along with the witness testimony, made her look guilty enough for Mason himself to believe she did, ...

Synopsis: Atomic bomb testing awakens a 400-foot dinosaur-like monster that quickly makes its way to Japan and attacks Tokyo. Who's in it? The movie stars Raymond Burr , Takashi Shimura , Momoko Kochi , Akira Takarada and Akihiko Hirata . Review: I had the house to myself today, while my wife and daughters went out shopping. I found myself with some free time as a result and came across this movie. It's not the first time I have seen this film. However, it had been a long time since I have watched any Godzilla movie and I wound up taking advantage of the opportunity to do so. After watching it, my opinion of it remains the same as it did the last time, the film has some good things going for it, but also some things that aren't so great. First of all, and this is just my opinion, the original Godzilla films remain the best. Sure, the newer CGI versions of this movie can get away with a bit more, but I've always felt the giant lizard always had a bit more personality w...

Synopsis: Strapped for cash and taking care of a sick brother who needs a bone marrow transfusion, Iris agrees to attend a dinner party thrown by a wealthy philanthropist in the hopes he will give her money and move her brother to the top of the donor list. What she doesn’t know, however, is she and seven other guests must first compete in a sadistic version of the game Would You Rather until only one person is left alive. You can read my review here: Movie Review: Would You Rather (2012) (wizzley.com)

Stormy seems to like it here. She's best friends with our other cat, Echo, and is spoiled rotten by everyone. She's starting to test her boundaries a bit, but fortunately seems to understand the word "no."

Synopsis: When a judge ( Josh Stamberg ) throws out a rape trial for his own political gain, Dominick Carisi ( Peter Scanavino ) asks the SVU crew to help him find evidence of the judge's own past misdeeds. He puts his own career on the line when he tries to prosecute the judge for rape using both a current victim and past victims that have no collaborating evidence. You can read my review here: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Episode Review: The Long Arm of the Witness (wizzley.com)

Synopsis : After going on an extended assignment following his wife's murder, Texas Ranger Cordell Walker ( Jared Padalecki ) returns to Austin and attempts to reconnect with his children while working with a new partner. However, suspicions about his wife's death still haunt him and his return proves to be more difficult than he expected. You can read my review here:  Review of Walker Pilot Episode (wizzley.com)

Jared Padalecki is the most Canadian-sounding Texan I've heard but I'm not hating the show yet. I just think the CW could have capitalized on Supernatural  by focusing on Mary Winchester's early years. A mom who changes diapers by day and secretly hunts monsters at night would have been unique and interesting. This, no matter how hard it tries, won't be anything other than a reboot living in the shadow of the original.

Product Description: Frozen breakfast pizza from the Luige's brand offering eggs, cheese, ham, peppers and a garlic sauce on a fresh dough crust. I purchased this product from one of our local grocery stores this past weekend for $6.99 and prepared it using our pizza oven as a Sunday morning breakfast option for my wife and me. You can read my review here: Review of Luige's Western Omelette Pizza (wizzley.com)

Description: Chocolate Fudge Brownie dessert from the Michelina's frozen food brand. The dessert was available in one of our local grocery store's freezer sections for $1 and is prepared in the microwave. I purchased this product yesterday afternoon and prepared it for my family to try after dinner last night. You can read my review here: Review of Michelina's Chocolate Fudge Brownie (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: Unable to let go of the past, Sabrina has been looking forward to planning her 10-year class reunion since she graduated. When her preferred venue goes out of business the day before, she settles for holding it at the soon-to-be-demolished high school. Things go off without a hitch, with one exception, the giant monster warthog that is killing her classmates. You can read my review here: Movie Review: Killer High (2018) (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: After her brother, a suspected serial killer, is found dead, Claire takes custody of her young niece, Madison. Madison, however, has a dark secret. She has powerful psychic powers and has the ability to conjure the Sandman, a murderous creature from her nightmares that will harm anyone who threatens her. You can read my review here: Movie Review: The Sandman (2017) (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: While using a canoe to survey George Alder's estate (for a civil case), Perry Mason rescues Dorothy Fenner as she attempts to swim away from the estate with a guard dog on her heels. She claims she went to the house to retrieve a letter that proves Alder is guilty of murder. However, when she is accused of stealing jewelry, Mason is forced to defend her and, when Alder is later murdered, Mason isn't completely convinced his client is innocent. You can read my review here: Book Review: The Case of the Negligent Nymph (1949) (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: Sam, the lead counselor and owner of a summer camp calls up his friend, Chuck, and tells her a murderer is on the loose and has killed a lot of the other counselors. As Chuck has him walk her through the evening's events, she realizes Sam is the one who has been killing people while under the influence of a cursed mask. You can read my review here: Movie Review: You Might Be the Killer (2018) (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: After a false test score nearly ended in her being executed as part of "the Thinning," Laina joins Governor Redding's staff in an effort to gather information subvert his presidential campaign. Meanwhile, Blake and other students believed to have been executed as part of the Thinning are still alive and are secretly being used as slave labor to manufacture Assuru Global products. You can read my review here: Movie Review: The Thinning: New World Order (2018) (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: To combat climate change and other problems associated with over population, the United Nations requires all nations to reduce their populations by 5 percent. In the United States, this is determined via a standardized test given every year from 1st grade through graduation. Only, as a pair of Texas students learn, not everyone is given an equal chance to pass. You can read my review here:  Movie Review: The Thinning (2016) (wizzley.com)

Product Description: Countertop kitchen tool that slices vegetables, fruits and cheese using removable stainless steel blades that are turned with a hand crank. I found this device at one of our local department stores a few weeks ago for about $15 and purchased it as a "family" Christmas gift this past holiday season. You can read my review here: Review of the NutriSlicer Vegetable & Fruit Slicer (wizzley.com)

Synopsis:  When her best friend, Debbie, dies of an apparent suicide, Laine Morris has a hard time accepting it and convinces both her sister and a group of her friends to attempt to contact Debbie using Debbie's Ouija board. The board works. However, instead of contacting Debbie, they inadvertently awaken an evil presence that killed her. You can read my review here: Movie Review: Ouija (2014) (wizzley.com)