Steven Helmer Publications

  While looking for Christmas presents for the family, I took the time to do some research on some board games, so we could try to spend some more quality time together before my oldest daughter goes off to college next fall. This particular game (which is more of a card game than board game) looked somewhat interesting so I wound up ordering it as a present for the family. We had an opportunity to play it last night and it turned out to be worth every penny. The games concept is a fairly simple one. You and your friends are at an inn, drinking and gambling. If your character gets drunk to the point they pass out or if they run out of gold, you lose. And, of course, your "friends" can help you out by spiking your drinks, stealing your gold, cheating at cards, etc. We found it entertaining because of the laughs we ended up having while playing it. At first, I wasn't sure how complicated this game would be because the instructions were a little hard to follow. Once we start...

Synopsis: Mirabel, a Columbian teenager, is the only person in her family that doesn't possess a magical gift, making her somewhat of an outcast. When their magical family home begins showing cracks and some of her family members begin losing their powers, Mirabel is blamed. However, she might be the only person who can save the day. Who's in it? The animated movie uses voices from Stephanie Beatriz , Maria Cecilia Botero , John Leguizamo , Jessica Darrow and Wilmer Valderrama . Review: My oldest daughter saw this at the movie theater with a friend and liked it so much, she insisted on watching it with us when it came to Disney Plus. After seeing it, I don't know if I would say it was my favorite Disney movie but will admit the film was better than I was expecting. I think the thing I liked most about this film is it wasn't as predictable as many other animated movies are. Part of this was the mystery about why Mirabel (Beatriz) was the one person who didn't hav...

Synopsis: A bus full of college students gets lost in the desert and breaks down in an abandoned Old West town. While searching for a phone and debating how to get home, the students discover the town is haunted by a murderous ghost and his gang. Who's in it? The movie stars Jessica Rose , Randy Wayne , Gil Gerard , Billy Drago and Annabelle Wallis. Review: Christmas was over so my wife looked for a horror film for us to watch last night. After scrolling through a couple choices, she settled on this one. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as we were hoping it would be. The overall premise of this movie wasn't a terrible one though, admittedly, it did feel like a ripoff of other films we've seen. A film that takes place in the middle of nowhere with no easy escape and villains that can't be killed (because they are already dead) had a lot of potential. The problem was the movie really never achieves that potential. I think the biggest problem with the movie is the...

Synopsis: Several years after his older brother, Billy, went on a killing spree, a now-adult Ricky tells a psychiatrist about his life immediately after the violence and how he eventually became a killer as well. Who's in it? The movie stars Eric Freeman , James Newman , Elizabeth Kaitan , Jean Miller and Corrine Gelfan. Review: Since it was Christmas, my wife and I wanted to watch a holiday movie. However, none of the many Hallmark movies we had in our library seemed appealing so we decided to watch this holiday-themed horror movie sequel instead. After seeing it, we both regretted not picking out a Hallmark film after all. The best way to describe this movie is to imagine watching the first film a second time and calling the second viewing a sequel because that's basically what this movie did. More than half of the film was a replay of the first movie, re-showing each murder in order. By the time Ricky (Freeman) reached the point he was becoming a serial killer too, I had...

Synopsis: Low-budget horror movie producer Lawrence Woolsey comes to Key West during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis and uses both the heightened tensions and a bunch of gimmicks to make his film, Mant , a lot scarier. However, not everything goes as planned, leading to lives being put in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars John Goodman , Cathy Moriarty , Simon Fenton , Omri Katz , Lisa Jakub and Kellie Martin . Review: I had some free time yesterday afternoon while my daughter finished up her homework and, after coming across this movie, decided to watch it. At first, I didn't think it would be a film I would enjoy and figured, at best, it would be background noise while I did something else. However, the movie was actually somewhat surprising. There are a couple things I found I really liked about this film. One of the main ones was the movie-inside-a-movie, Mant. The funny thing is, had that been a real film from the 1960s, I probably would have found the time to...

Synopsis: Inspired by her parents' love story and needing a change of scenery after her fiancee broke off their wedding plans, Seattle native Angela de Luca now lives in Rome, where she works as a tour guide. After losing her job a few days before Christmas, Angela is fortunate enough to run into Oliver Martin, a businessman looking to acquire an Italian ceramics company but with no knowledge of the city or Italian traditions. He hires Angela to be his personal tour guide and even helps her with starting her own business but, as their partnership becomes more romantic, Angela wonders how they would make it work once Oliver goes back to the United States. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Sam Page , Franco Nero , Holly Hayes and Bryan Bounds . Review: Since my wife and I have watched multiple other Lacey Chabert Christmas movies this month, we decided to continue that trend by watching this film last night. It ended up being a good choice. At first, I wasn't ...

Synopsis: Former ballerina Natalia Haddad has started a new career working as a choreographer at her hometown's professional dance company but is growing frustrated by her ideas not being heard and the lack of interest in making her the lead choreographer for the upcoming production of The Nutcracker. When Natalia meets a local dancer, Vivi Serrano, she is inspired to help Vivi by infusing traditonal ballet with the woman's Latin background. However, her side project may end up costing Natalia her job. Who's in it? The movie stars Jamie Gray Harder , Laura Rosguer , Jesmille Darbouze , Rachel DeBenedet and Nicolas Dromard . Review: While picking out our next Christmas movie this past weekend, I wound up choosing this film mostly because it sounded a bit different than the other movies we had been watching. There were times when I had some doubts, at least early on in the film, but it turned out to be an enjoyable movie. One of the things I really liked about this film wa...

Synopsis: A successful but clueless movie star, Megan Valentine, learns her accountant has stolen all her money and her relationship with her boyfriend is a sham. Upset, she crashes her car and, walking away while getting drunk on a bottle of wine, passes out in front of an Army recruiting center. Taking advantage of her vulnerable state, the recruiter convinces her to enlist and she immediately discovers basic training is nothing like he told her it would be. Who's in it? The movie stars Jessica Simpson , Vivica A. Fox , Steve Guttenberg , Aimee Garcia and Olesya Rulin . Review: I had seen this film on one of my movie channels but didn't think it looked interesting. However, I came across it again a couple days ago while waiting for my daughter to finish her homework and, since there was nothing else on TV, just left it on. After seeing the movie, my first impression was confirmed. I don't necessarily think it was a terrible movie, at least it wasn't as bad as it c...

Synopsis: Years after her college sweetheart broke up with her on Christmas Eve, Marie still refuses to even have a Christmas tree in her apartment. Hoping to change that, her mom begins sending her Christmas ornaments with a special meaning and, as if by magic, Marie's life begins to change for the better, including meeting her handsome neighbor for the first time. However, when the publishing firm she works for assigns her to help her ex-boyfriend write a book, her newly-found holiday spirit begins to fade. Who's in it? The movie stars Jessica Lowndes , Brendan Penny , Farah Merani , Stephen Huszar and Tim Matheson. Review: When my wife and I were looking for another Hallmark Christmas movie to watch last night, I wound up picking this one out because it sounded somewhat unique. As it turns out, it was probably one of the most predictable movies we've watched this holiday season but it still ended up being enjoyable. My oldest daughter and I were joking about playing ...

Synopsis: After being forced to close her Los Angeles boutique, aspiring fashion designer Kristin Parson decides to move back to her hometown in Ohio with her daugher, Emily. Emily is unhappy with the relocation and even sends Santa a letter asking him for a way to move back to Los Angeles. However, when one of Kristin ex-classmates, now a music teacher, steps in, he changes their lives for the better. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Fina Strazza , Brennan Elliott , Kathy Najimy and Mariah Carey. Review: Due to some parenting responsibilities, my wife and I weren't able to watch a holiday movie on Wednesday and, because of that, were quick to find one to watch yesterday evening in an effort to make up for that. I've had this one in the library for a while and, thinking it sounded somewhat interesting, picked it out. It ended up being a good choice. The thing that surprised me most about this film is it wasn't as predictable as I was expecting it to be. A ...

Synopsis: While driving her Jaguar to an upcoming race, a young woman is taken hostage by a truck driver accused of murder. With the police blocking every highway, the fugitive decides to enter her car in a race that ends on the other side of the Mexican border. Who's in it? The movie stars John Ireland , Dorothy Malone , Bruce Carlisle , Iris Adrian and Marshall Bradford. Review: I was looking for a movie to watch before heading to the office this morning and ended up picking this one simply because it had a shorter run-time. I wasn't really expecting too much from it but, as it turns out, it ended up being a surprisingly entertaining movie. I think the thing I liked best about this movie was how unpredictable the fugitive, Frank (Ireland), was throughout the film. Every time he seemed to be softening up toward his hostage, Connie (Malone), something would set him off. Between that and the overall stress of trying to avoid the authorities, it was very easy to believe he wo...

Synopsis: Holly's gift for lying has made her successful in the advertising business and has her on the fast track to becoming a partner at her company. However, it has also hurt her relationship with her sister, Rose, and niece, Anna, plus is a major turn-off for Drew, the guy she has genuine feelings for. When Anna's Christmas wish to Santa results in Holly no longer being able to bend the truth, she is surprised when her life seems to change for the better but ultimately finds herself facing both the potential loss of her job and Drew. Who's in it? The movie stars Alicia Witt , George Stults , Brigid Brannagh , Mia Bagley and Maxwell Caulfield. Review: My wife and I wound up picking out this movie last night simply because the title summarized what we are currently feeling about the upcoming holiday. Overall, it ended up being a watchable movie with some laughs but, at the same time, fell a little flat, at least in my opinion. I thought Alicia Witt did an excellent j...

Synopsis: Shortly after pledging $250,000 to Nancy Drew's school, the wealthy Mary Eldredge goes missing. Everyone thinks the elderly Eldredge simply changed her mind or didn't really intend to donate the money except for Nancy, who believes something sinister has happened to the woman. She feels her suspicions are confirmed when a local doctor is kidnapped and forced to treat an elderly woman but her attempts to locate the woman could potentially put Nancy's life in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Bonita Granville , John Litel , James Stephenson , Frankie Thomas and Helena Phillips Evans . Review: I was under the impression I had seen this movie before, especially since I know I saw the other three Nancy Drew films starring Bonita Granville. However, as I watched it this morning, I realized that probably wasn't the case after all and, after finally seeing it (or seeing it again after not remembering it), I have to say I am glad I took the time to watch it...

Synopsis: After spending most of his life in an orphanage after watching his parents get murdered on Christmas Eve by a man dressed as Santa, 18-year-old Billy is given a job at a local toy store. When the store owner has Billy dress up as a replacement store Santa, his childhood trauma causes Billy to snap and go on a killing spree. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Brian Wilson , Toni Nero , Lilyan Chauvin , Gilmer McCormick and Britt Leach . Review: After spending the past few days watching Hallmark Christmas movies , my wife and I decided to change things up a bit and watch a holiday-themed horror movie instead. It had been a long time since I watched this film and, mostly because I didn't remember much about it, I put it on. Overall, I thought it was a good choice. Like most movies from this genre made in the 80s, the film does take a while to get started. However, in this particular case, the extended backstory is somewhat needed, both to show the trauma he experien...

Synopsis: When her supervisor takes credit for her idea, talented but shy Sara Thomas tells the Santa at her company Christmas party she wished she had the courage to speak up for herself. Santa grants her wish for 48 hours and it results in Sara being invited to Seattle by her boss, Peter Williams, to make a sales pitch to a difficult client. While there, she encourages Peter to reconnect with his estranged father. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Paul Greene , Andrea Brooks , Colleen Wheeler and Kendall Cross . Review: After mostly spending the day at home because of crappy weather outside, my wife and I settled down to watch another Christmas movie this evening. This one sounded interesting and, as I've mentioned before, we both are big fans of Lacey Chabert (at least in holiday movies), so we wound up picking it. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to expectations. I think the biggest problem with this movie is it attempts to do too much. There's Sara'...

Synopsis: Firefighter Zachary has a good life. He is liked by his peers, people think of him as a hero, he has a successful side business flipping homes and he dates models. He also has no interest in a long-term relationship. At least until he adopts a stray cat and meets a veterinary student, Marilee. Who's in it? The movie stars Brandon Routh , Kimberley Sustad , Chelsea Hobbs , Stephanie Bennett and Sean Tyson . Review: Even though I wasn't a big fan of this movie's sequel,  The Nine Kittens of Christmas , there were some elements in that movie that made me interested in at least giving this film a chance. Even then, I had some serious doubts about it. As it turns out, however, we ended up enjoying it more than expected. I think the thing I liked best about this film was the way Zachary's (Routh) relationship with Marilee (Sustad) develops. Even though there was some physical attraction for the both of them from the time they meet in the cat food aisle, the movi...

Synopsis : When an American criminal offers to help a group of political refugees escape Cuba with some of the country's gold, he intends to kill them while at sea and pin the blame on a fictional sea monster. Little does he know, there is an actual sea monster stalking the boat. Who's in it? The movie stars Antony Carbone , Betsy Jones-Moreland , Robert Towne , Beach Dickerson and Robert Bean . Review: I ended up watching this movie a couple nights ago while sitting in my car and waiting for my daughter to get done with her skating lesson. Since it looked like it was low-budget, I wasn't really expecting much from it but, as it turns out, it was much worse than I thought it would be. There are a couple things, other than a ridiculously fake monster, that really hurt this movie in my opinion. One of them is the movie is just too "busy." In other words, the filmmakers tried to cram an awful lot of stuff into a relatively short runtime - a spy, a shipwreck, and e...

Synopsis: A few weeks before her dream of having a Christmas wedding becomes a reality, Avery's fiance chooses his career over her, forcing her to break things off with him. While trying to get a refund on the couple's ballroom dance lessons she paid for, the dance studio owner, Roman, convinces her to take the classes by herself instead. As she makes progress on the dance floor, her self confidence improves and she begins to have romantic feelings for Roman. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Will Kemp , Katrina Reynolds , Jeremy Guilbaut and Julia Harnett. Review: This film was added to our movie library yesterday morning. At first, I was going to save it for another day but, after some consideration, my wife and I wound up watching it last night. On the surface, there are a lot of things about this movie that I would normally dislike while watching a film. This includes the movie being somewhat predictable, both with Avery's ( Chabert ) relationship with...

Synopsis : Already feeling blue about turning 30 without following through on her dream to see the world, Leah knows her Christmas Eve birthday will largely be forgotten because her brother's wedding is on the same day. When lost luggage and a last-second change of venue requires the entire family to pitch in to make the wedding happen, Leah gives up on even celebrating her birthday. However, a long-time family friend goes out of his way to make sure that doesn't happen. Who's in it? The movie stars Emily Osment , Casey Deidrick , Patch May , Mike Dopud and Frances Leigh. Review: After seeing this movie advertised multiple times, my wife and I added it to our library. Last night, we had a choice between this film and another Lacey Chabert Christmas movie and, deciding to change things up, went with the former. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be the right choice. There are movies that end up being dull because they are very predictable and there are movies that end u...

Synopsis: Emily Taylor, a seamstress and aspiring fashion designer from Philadelphia, is excited to celebrate her first Christmas with Leo, her boyfriend for nearly a year. When Leo reveals he is really a prince of the small country of Cordinia, Emily readily agrees to attend Cordinia's annual Christmas ball with him. However, while she quickly wins over the castle staff, the townspeople and even some of the royals, Leo's mother, Queen Isadora, makes it clear she wants Emily to have nothing to do with her son. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Stephen Hagan , Jane Seymour , Katherine Flynn and Simon Dutton . Review:   As I have mentioned countless times before, I absolutely cannot stand predictable movies. And, there is nothing more predictable than a fish-out-of-water movie like this one. So, even though I agreed to watch it with my wife last night, I had some serious doubts about it. As it turns out, I ended up enjoying it a lot more than expected. To be hon...

Synopsis: Once a talented and aspiring photographer, Noelle has been content working in human resources for a large department store since her boyfriend broke up with her three years earlier. As she helps the store plan a charity gala for the local fire department, Noelle is visited by her guardian angel, Charlie, who both shows Noelle what would have happened had she seized previous opportunities to change her life and seems determined to fix Noelle up with the firefighter that is helping with the gala plans. Who's in it? The movie stars Candace Cameron Bure , Luke Macfarlane , Jean Smart , Tenika Davis and Vanessa Matsui . Review: My wife and I ended up picking out this movie to watch solely because we thought the title sounded somewhat unique. I did, however, have some doubts about the movie, mostly because the description made it sound like yet another modernized version of A Christmas Carol. Fortunately, as it turns out, this was actually a halfway decent film. To be hones...

Synopsis: A divorced mother, Maggie, is planning on spending Christmas alone when she accidentally injures a visiting architect, Lucas, with a Christmas tree. Feeling guilty, Maggie allows Lucas to stay in her guest house and, to keep him from feeling sorry for himself, convinces him to help out at a youth center on the local military base. Who's in it? The movie stars Ashley Williams, Niall Matter , Lisa MacFadden , Brendon Zub and Kayden Magnuson . Review: My wife added this movie to our library last weekend and, since I picked the last couple films, chose this one to watch last night. While it was an OK film, it wasn't one of my favorites. I think my biggest problem with this movie was, while it was cute, it was also kind of dull, at least compared to the other holiday films we've watched this year. While Maggie (Williams) and Lucas (Matter) made an OK couple, the movie doesn't give them a whole lot of challenges to keep things interesting. In fact, everything kin...

Synopsis: While collecting donations for charity, Miss Jane Marple witnesses a wealth recluse's death. She believes he was murdered but the police don't agree, at least until his sister is also murdered. Believing one of the man's heirs is the killer, Marple takes a holiday at the Gallop Hotel so she can spy on the family. Who's in it? The movie stars Margaret Rutherford , Stringer Davis , Robert Morley , Flora Robson and Charles "Bud" Tingwell. Review: After seeing three of the four  Miss Marple films starring Margaret Rutherford, I was finally able to get this one in my library. Since I had yesterday afternoon off, I took the time to watch it and thought it was worth the wait. One of the things I liked about this movie was the number of potential suspects. I was able to take a fairly accurate guess about who the killer was but there were other possibilities and, since they all had both motive and opportunity, I wasn't completely sure who would be th...

Synopsis: Hanna Dunbar has a successful career as a broadcast journalist and was just offered her dream job in New York but a friend request from her college boyfriend, Ben, has her wondering what might have been if, instead of taking a prestigious internship several years earlier, she had chosen to stay with him. She gets the opportunity to find out after a "Christmas wish" results in her waking up in an alternate universe where she is married to Ben and is a stay-at-home mom. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Tyron Leitso , Milli Wilkinson , Audrey Smallman and Brittney Wilson. Review: My wife and I continued our holiday movie marathon with this film yesterday evening. At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from it, but it turned out to be a great movie. There were a couple things I really liked about this movie. One of the main ones, as has been the case with other films we've seen this holiday season, was Lacey Chabert 's performance as Hanna....

Synopsis: Instead of working for her father, Darcy chose to move to New York and start her own investment business. Returning home for Christmas for the first time in two years, Darcy helps her mother organize a fundraiser for the local youth center and learns the project will require her to work with a former classmate/debate team rival who now owns a restaurant and will be catering the event. As she tries to navigate all the obstacles that continue to make holding the charity event more difficult, she also learns her business partners, unhappy with her desire to help smaller clients, are trying to force her to sell her share of the company. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Brendan Penny, Sherry Miller , Art Hindle and Anna Hardwick. Review: I had dinner (spaghetti) by the time my wife got home from work and, after a couple brief interruptions, we settled down with our plates and this movie. Overall, we were happy with our choice. My wife and I are in full agreemen...

Synopsis: Twenty years after a chance encounter in an elevator led to Ethan discovering the love of his life, Joyce, the married father of two adopted teenagers has grown frustrated with his dead-end job and never having enough money. After telling a train station Santa he wished he had taken a different elevator 20 years earlier, Ethan falls asleep at the train station and wakes up in an alternate universe where he is wealthy, but also single and childless. He then learns he has until Christmas to figure out how to get back to his normal life or he will both be stuck in his new life and forget his previous life completely. Who's in it? The movie stars James Denton , Terri Hatcher , Marilu Henner , Rod Wilson and John B. Lowe. Review: I came across this movie over the weekend and, since I didn't have time to watch it at the time, added it to my library to watch later. My wife and I did that last night and, overall, thought it was an enjoyable holiday film. OK, full disclosu...

Synopsis: After spending her full life in the North Pole helping her father, Santa, run his toy workshop, Annie is given the opportunity to take a sabbatical to randomly-chosen Los Angeles. She has until Christmas to decide if she wants to remain in California or return to the North Pole and eventually take over when her father retires. However, one of Santa's elves, who has aspirations to be the next Santa, tries to put the odds in his favor by paying an actor to steal Annie's heart. Who's in it? The movie stars Maria Thayer , Sam Page , Ryan Bittle , Vivica A. Fox and Nay Nay Kirby . Review: I came across this movie yesterday morning and added it to my library. Since we had a little time before bed last night, my wife and I wound up watching it and ended up enjoying it a lot more than expected. There are a couple things that really stood out for me when watching this film. One of them had to be Annie (Thayer) herself. She was such a likable character and, while she ha...

Synopsis: After establishing a successful veterinary practice with her boyfriend in Miami, Marilee flies home to Oregon for the first time in five years so she can spend Christmas with her sister's family. However, when her boyfriend finds a reason not to travel with her, leading to their breakup, she starts the holiday on a sour note. Fortunately, she finds a distraction by helping her former boyfriend, Zachary, find homes for nine kittens abandoned at the firehouse. The movie is also known as Nine Lives of the Holidays. Who's in it? The movie stars Brandon Routh , Kimberley Sustad , Gregory Harrison , Stephanie Bennett and Linden McMillan . Review: My wife came across this movie over the weekend and added it to our library. I knew it was a sequel to another film we had not seen yet but, since it had kittens and we were both in the need for some cuteness last night, we ended up watching it. The kittens, as expected, were adorable. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie reall...