Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: The wealthy but unwell Silas Wayne summons both his heirs and two police officers to his den with the intention of having one of his family members arrested. He is somehow stabbed in front of all the witnesses, leaving behind an un-signed will. Everyone in the room is a suspect and Detective-Sergeant Mitchell must figure out who committed the murder and how. He has help from an ambitious female reporter, 'Nosey' Toodles. The movie is also known as The Wayne Murder Case . Who's in it? The movie stars Regis Toomey , June Clyde , Lucille La Verne , Dwight Frye and Fred "Snowflake" Toones. Review: I came across this movie a couple weeks ago and, despite not much information from the description, added it to my library for when I wanted to watch a movie and didn't have a lot of extra time (the film is only about an hour in length). I honestly didn't expect too much from the film, but it ended up being a halfway decent murder mystery. I think the t...

Synopsis: In 1898, three years after discovering the tomb of Princess Ananka in Egypt and bringing her mummified corpse and artifacts to the British Museum, archaeologist John Banning, along with his father and uncle, are hunted down by Kharis, a 4000-year-old mummy tasked with protecting Ananka.  Who's in it? The movie stars Peter Cushing , Christopher Lee , Yvonne Furneaux , Eddie Byrne and George Pastell. Review: My wife and daughters were out shopping most of the day yesterday so, after finishing some tasks I wanted to do, I killed some time watching movies. I came across this film and, having never seen it, decided to give it a chance. While I didn't like it as much as the 1999 Brendan Fraser version (still my favorite), this one still ended up being fairly decent. I think the thing I liked most about this movie was just how bad-ass Kharis (Lee) was. Unlike some other versions of this story (including the 1932 Boris Karloff version ), this movie's mummy was somewh...

My wife and I are currently binge-watching the show The Big Bang Theory (first time for her, second time for me) and, as we watch/re-watch the episodes, we find ourselves comparing the series to another favorite, Friends .  While I do think the former has a slight edge overall, partly because the material isn't as dated as the 90s sitcom now is, there were also some things Friends  did better, making me want to attempt some comparisons. After some thought, I decided to start with the shows' couples. For simplicity purposes, I am focusing solely on the primary pairings. In the case of Big Bang Theory , it would be the seven starring characters, and, with Friends , I am using the show's couples at the end of the series.   Ross and Rachel ( Friends ) versus Leonard and Penny ( Big Bang Theory ) At first glance, there are a lot of similarities between these two couples. Both Ross and Leonard had crushes on their future romantic partners long before the romantic interest was ...

Synopsis: Still angry and traumatized by the "soul survivor" escape rooms she survived; Zoey Davis convinces fellow survivor Ben Miller to travel with her to New York in search of proof so people will stop thinking she's crazy and the mysterious Minos Corporation will be held accountable. However, her and Ben soon learn it is all a trap and they are once-again forced to escape a series of deadly rooms, this time with help from other former "champions." Who's in it? The movie stars Taylor Russell , Logan Miller , Deborah Ann Woll , Holland Roden and Indya Moore . Review: I added this movie to my library a few days ago but was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to watch it. This is mostly the result of me not being a huge fan of the first movie , both because it seemed a bit farfetched and because it relied heavily on characters who made bad decisions despite having a lot of time to figure things out. However, the movie was just short enough to be ...

Synopsis: Bank teller Vince Grayson has a nightmare about killing another man in a mirrored room and wakes up with blood on his hand. Later, while returning from a picnic with his sister and her husband, a police detective, Vince discovers both the house and room from his dream are real and a murder had been committed. Who's in it? The movie stars DeForest Kelley , Paul Kelly , Kay Scott , Ann Doran and Robert Emmett Keane. Review: I came across this movie a few days ago and, thinking the plot sounded interesting, ended up adding it to my library. Since it was a relatively short film, I was able to watch it this morning before heading into the office. After seeing it, I found I liked some things but wound up being disappointed overall. I'll start with the positives from this movie. The main one is the mystery surrounding Vince (Kelley) and what happened to him at that house. It becomes immediately clear his nightmare was much more than a dream, especially since he was even ...

Synopsis: Walter Stackhouse, an architect in 1960s New York, is unhappily married to the beautiful but mentally ill Clara. He becomes obsessed with an unsolved murder at a bus stop he believes was carried out by the victim's husband, Marty Kimmel, and, when Clara takes a bus to see her mother, follows her much in the same way he theorizes Kimmel would have done. However, when he arrives at the bus station, Clara is nowhere to be found and, when detectives later find her body, Walter becomes a murder suspect. Who's in it? The movie stars Patrick Wilson , Jessica Biel , Haley Bennett , Eddie Marsan and Vincent Kartheiser. Review: I've had this movie in my library for several weeks but avoided watching it mostly because I figured my wife wouldn't enjoy it as much as I would. I finally had an opportunity to watch it last night, after she went to bed early with the flu. The movie wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be, but I did find I enjoyed it for the most pa...

  Synopsis: After being shot multiple times and suffering a stroke during surgery, Santa Barbara Police Chief Carlton Lassiter is forced to recover in a hospital with no memory of why he was doing prior to being ambushed. When he suspects something is a bit off about the hospital, he asks Shawn and Gus to help him by secretly investigating but they don't know if Carlton, who is also seeing the "ghost" of his father, is just imagining things. Who's in it? The movie stars James Roday Rodriguez , Dule Hill , Timothy Omundson , Maggie Lawson and Kirsten Nelson . Review: Even though part of me wanted to watch this movie when it first came out a couple years ago, I wound up putting it off, mostly because I didn't enjoy the first movie as much as I was hoping to. However,  I had some free time yesterday afternoon and couldn't find much else to watch so I finally decided to put it on. After seeing the movie, I can honestly say I enjoyed it more than the first film...

Synopsis: After his father is slain in an ambush in retaliation for standing up to the new Sheriff of Nottingham, a young man takes refuge in Sherwood Forest and becomes the outlaw Robin Hood. Recruiting other persecuted men, he forms a small army and uses it to stand up to the sheriff and Prince John while waiting for the return of King Richard. Who's in it? The movie stars Richard Todd , Joan Rice , Peter Finch , Hurbert Gregg and Martita Hunt. Review: My wife is self quarantining after being exposed to COVID at work and, as a result of that, I wound up keeping myself occupied by watching this movie on Disney Plus. I've seen multiple movie versions of the Robin Hood legend and, unfortunately, this wasn't one of my favorites. There were a couple things about this movie I found I wasn't a huge fan of, especially when compared to other similar films, like the Adventures of Robin Hood. One of the main ones is I feel like the movie spent way too much time focusing on t...

Synopsis: Hoping to boost recruitment by putting on a musical revue, the all-female Mar Brynn Horticulture School decides to offer scholarships to 12 beauty pageant winners and, to advertise the effort, pokes fun at a Quincton College fraternity. Seeking revenge by causing a scandal, the fraternity president, Bob Sheppard wins one of the scholarships posing as a woman. However, the plan quickly begins to fall apart when he falls in love with one of the students, Virginia. Who's in it? The movie stars Frances Langford , Johnny Downs , Marjorie Woodworth , Esther Dale and Alan Hale, Jr. Review: I came across this movie some time ago on Epix and was undecided about whether to watch it or not. Ultimately, I remembered I enjoyed similar films, like The Cowboy Quarterback , and decided to take the time to watch it. After finally seeing it, I find myself somewhat disappointed with the way this movie wasted its potential. Sometimes a movie can have a really good premise and ruin it by ...

Synopsis: Down-on-his-luck architect Edward Shaw is introduced to the flirtatious Doris Hillman, who offers him $500,000 to partner with her in a real estate business. Drawn in by both the money and the possibility of a romantic tryst with the married Doris, Shaw accepts. However, when Doris' husband, Gus, who is bankrolling the business, insists on Shaw taking out a $175,000 life insurance policy, the architect begins to suspect he is a victim of fraud, and his life is in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Angela Lansbury , Keith Andes , Douglass Dumbrille , Claudia Barrett and Jane Darwell . Review: I came across this film on Epix early this morning and, while I thought the plot sounded a bit predictable, I decided to give the movie a chance. After watching it, I do have to say the movie did exceed my expectations and I wound up enjoying it. I think the thing I liked best about this movie was the way it set up the main plot gradually and in a way that made it difficult t...

Synopsis: The daughter of a British prison governor returns from an American finishing school with plans to live with her father on the prison grounds. The attractive young woman, Angela, is promiscuous and immediately begins to tease the inmates and guards and continues to do so even after one of the inmates attempts to rape her. Who's in it? The movie stars Alexandra Hay , Sandor Eles , Harry Baird , Neil Hallett and Tracy Reed . Review: I came across this film on Epix some time ago and debated whether or not I wanted to take the time to watch it. Even though I correctly suspected it would turn out to be a 1970s sexploitation film, the plot sounded somewhat interesting and, ultimately, I decided to give it a chance. As it turns out, the movie did exceed my expectations. As I was kind of expecting when I started watching it, this is the type of movie that might have been somewhat scandalous when it first came out in the 1970s but, by today's standards, would be considered ...

Synopsis: After surviving two separate attempts on her life, Sidney Prescott has chosen to relocate to a secluded property and assume a completely new identity. However, when another Ghostface killer begins to kill cast members on the set of Stab 3 (based on her life), she is eventually forced to rejoin her friends Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers in Hollywood. Who's in it? The movie stars Neve Campbell , Courteney Cox , David Arquette , Patrick Dempsey , J enny McCarthy and Scott Foley . Review: While waiting to see the newest Scream movie in the theater this past weekend, I realized, while I could remember most of the installments from this franchise, I was drawing a blank about what happened in this particular sequel. Fortunately, it happened to be available on one of our movie channels, giving me an opportunity to re-watch it. After seeing it again, I now realize why I couldn't remember it. It's actually a somewhat forgettable film. I had a couple problems with this ...

Synopsis: In the 19th century, American Elizabeth Blackwell, frustrated with the lack of adequate medical attention for women, decided to become a doctor herself. Her uphill battle to be the first woman to earn a medical license later inspired Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex-Blake to do the same in the United Kingdom. This non-fiction book details their struggles and successes. Review: I came across this book at our local library a couple weeks ago and, while it normally wasn't a topic I would find interesting, I was intrigued enough by the description to at least give the book a chance. After finishing it yesterday afternoon, I can honestly say I am glad I took the time to check it out. I think the best way to describe this book is it does a great job of giving the reader a glimpse of the early days of the women's rights movements in America and the United Kingdom by focusing on three women who challenged the male-dominated medical field. The narrow focus made it e...

Synopsis: Twenty-five years after Billy Loomis and Stu Macher committed a series of murders in Woodsboro, a copycat Ghostface emerges and begins attacking people who were related to the original crime. This includes Billy Loomis' illegitimate daughter, Sam, who convinces a retired Dewey Riley to help figure out who is behind it. Who's in it? The movie stars Melissa Barrera , David Arquette , Courteney Cox , Neve Campbell and Jenna Ortega. Review: As I've mentioned multiple times before, I am very selective about movies I pay to see at the theater. Basically, I have to think the film will be worth the $30+ for my wife and I to attend. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, it immediately became one of those films, not necessarily because I thought it would be better on the big screen as much as I didn't want to wait longer than I needed to see it. The first Scream film remains one of my favorite slasher movies and, when my wife and I started watching this movie...

Synopsis : After learning her husband, John, is having an affair with one of his students, a real estate agent, Jessica, decides not to divorce him and, instead, insists they take a vacation to Louisiana with their 14-year-old daughter, Anna, and stay in a remote mansion she has been assigned to sell. On their first day there, they meet Isaac and his grandfather, who offer to prepare dinner for them. Jessica and John accept but quickly learn the pair aren't what they seem and their lives may be in danger. Who's in it?   The movie stars Angela Sarafyan , Paul Schneider , Lia McHugh , Jacob Lofland and Doug Van Liew. Review: I came across this movie a few weeks ago and, while I never officially added it to my library, kept it in the back of my mind as a possibility if we couldn't find anything else to watch. I finally decided to watch it with my wife last night and the film ended up exceeding my expectations. I think the thing I like best about this movie is the mystery sur...

Synopsis: Joseph Reynolds secretly owns the boarding house he rents a room from while conducting mysterious business with his partner, Ram Singh. and carrying out an affair both with the mistress of the house and the maid. When he is found brutally stabbed in his room, all the house's tenants become murder suspects. You can read my review here:  Movie Review: Shadows on the Stairs (1941) (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: As American forces advance in Italy during World War II, a demolition unit is given the task of figuring out how the Germans are getting tanks across a river. They eventually enlist the help of an Italian boy who is grieving the loss of his parents and knows the location of a secret underwater bridge. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Barron , Maggie Lawrence , Donato Farretta , Wally Campo and Anthony Rich . Review: I wasn't really in the mood for a war movie but wanted something I could watch in a short amount of time after the rest of the family went to bed last night and this particular film met that criteria. After seeing it, my opinion of it was mixed at best. Overall, I liked the premise of this movie. The demolition squad was given a task it wasn't trained to do and, even if they were, it was a mission that seemed to be pretty much impossible given the fact they had to obtain information with the German Army blocking their way. And, the twist of havin...

Synopsis: A pair of thieves break into a mansion, seeking to steal valuable artwork hanging on the wall. However, things don't go as planned when 11-year-old Casey, who watched the thieves kill her babysitter, manages to elude them. Meanwhile, a bartender, Rose, gives a pair of wealthy art dealers a ride home but has an ulterior motive. Who's in it? The movie stars Bella Thorne , Alyvia Alyn Lind , Skyler Samuels , Mircea Monroe and Austin Nichols . Review: I came across this film a couple weeks ago and, thinking it looked interesting, added it to my movie library. My wife and I ended up watching it last night and, unfortunately, it turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. I usually try to give a movie credit for at least trying to be somewhat unique and throw in a surprise twist and this film did attempt to do that. However, the overall execution of the surprise twist was poor, making the movie's ending much more confusing than entertaining. In fact, it took sever...

Synopsis: Willow Ufgood, a struggling Nelwyn farmer and wannabe sorcerer, discovers a Daikini baby in the river near his farm. The baby is the center of a prophecy foretelling an evil queen's downfall and, when the queen sends her killer dogs to his village in search of the child, Willow is given the task of returning the baby to her own people. However, he ultimately joins forces with an outcast swordsman to help defeat the queen. Who's in it? The movie stars Warwick Davis , Val Kilmer , Joanne Whalley , Jean Marsh and Billy Barty . Review: My wife and youngest daughter were at a high school basketball game yesterday evening so I convinced my oldest daughter to watch a movie with me. This was one of my favorite films growing up and I figured she would enjoy it too so I picked it out. Even though I remembered enjoying this movie when I was a teenager, it had been about 20 years since I last saw it and, because of that, I was a little worried it wouldn't be as good as I r...

Synopsis : A high school teacher takes a group of detention students to his ex-girlfriend's family farm, which is the center of a local legend involving a killer scarecrow. When the students arrive, they discover the legend is no only real, the scarecrow has been released from captivity and has started a killing spree. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Robin Dunne , Brittney Wilson , Carlo Marks and Julia Maxwell. Review: My wife and I had some time to watch a movie last night. I was in the mood for a horror film and this one was recently added to our library, so I wound up picking it. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this film when I found it and ultimately only added it to our library because my wife and I are both Lacey Chabert fans. After seeing it, my opinion of the movie was mixed. I thought the film had some good things going for it. For one, I absolutely loved the scarecrow. Not only did it have the ability to strike from a varie...

Synopsis: This non-fiction book tells the history of knights, their impact on medieval times, and their eventual replacement by firearms. The book provides both a general overview and shares stories about individual knights. Review : I was in the mood for something from the non-fiction section of our local library a few days ago and, after looking at countless other options, wound up picking out this one mostly because it sounded somewhat interesting. It turns out the book wasn't quite what I was expecting (from the description on the cover, I thought it would be more of a biography) but I still found it to be an entertaining read. Alan Baker does a decent job of providing a basic overview of knights and their impact throughout history. He starts with a lot of the basics, including a chapters about the equipment the knights used and how the concept of chivalry came about and was applied. At the same time, he mixes in some first-hand historical accounts relating to specific knights...