Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Department store president Robert "Bob" Kraft reluctantly continues his family tradition and accepts the voluntary chairman of the board position at the local cemetery. When a pair of newlyweds stop by to reserve a pair of lots, Kraft inadvertently places black pins on the cemetery map, indicating the graves are already filled, and the couple soon dies. Future experiments with the pins produce similar results, causing Bob to go mad when he realizes he has the power of life and death, but nobody believes him. Who's in it? The movie stars Richard Boone , Theodore Bikel , Peggy Maurer , Howard Smith and Herbert Anderson . Review: I came across I Bury the Living last night and thought the description made it sound intriguing enough to give it a try this morning. After watching it, I am going to say it was an entertaining classic thriller. I think the thing I liked most about this movie was the mystery surrounding Bob (Boone) and his role at the cemetery. Since t...

  Where the f*ck is my phone? Seriously, I'm walking around my house like some senile old geezer. Cussing under my breath as I check and recheck everywhere. I am beginning to wonder if maybe I left it in the freezer. I swear I'm not that old. So, why do I feel like I have as much memory as an IBM Commodore PC-5. As I keep looking for that damned phone, I even am beginning to wonder how am I still even alive. Image courtesy of Pixabay This is quite ridiculous. I'm on the young side of 50. It's not like I'm ready to be a senior home resident. Of course, the way this country is going lately, This also means I might just wake up to find I've been elected president. Maybe it's a sign I should just leave it where it is. Stop being so dependent on technology and instead focus on activities that will get my brain toned. Oh, who am I kidding. Where the f*ck is that phone. ________________________________ If you liked this poem, here are some others: In the Way (A Poe...

Synopsis: The wealthy John Preston moves to a small town and, mostly because of his money, is embraced by the community. Before long, he is even engaged to marry Sally Sandford. However, Preston has a secret. He keeps dreaming he is someone else who has done some bad things and the local physician, Dr. Walton, suspects Preston's dreams may be suppressed memories. Who's in it? The movie stars Christopher Lee , Betta St. John , Alexander Knox , Sandra Dorne and John Stuart. Review: I haven't seen a whole lot of classic Christopher Lee movies that didn't involve a vampire or some other monster so when I came across Alias John Preston on ScreenPix, I decided to give it a try. Overall, I would describe it as an OK choice. The overall plot was intriguing. From the start, there just felt like something was a bit off about Preston (Lee), to the point I wondered if maybe the town's residents were just a little too trusting. However, there was nothing to indicate he was ...

It's way too early to plant anything outside but I figured there was no harm in picking up some packets of seeds and bag of potting soil so I could get a start on things.  I am doing something a bit different this year. Instead of throwing them in the recycle bin, I've been saving my Mega Buddy drink cups from Kwik Trip and put the seedling pots inside of them. I am hoping they'll both keep the water from getting all over the place and serve as mini greenhouses if I cover the tops. I have cherry tomatoes and spinach to start. I might add some other vegetables later, once I have more cups.

  One of our local grocery stores has had Chef Boyardee skillet meals in their freezer section for several weeks and while I've been tempted to buy them on more than one occasion, I usually passed because of the $11.79 price (I can buy the ingredients and make them from scratch cheaper). However, I wasn't really in the mood to do a whole lot of cooking last night, so I finally decided to give the Chicken Alfredo dinner a try. Overall, I have to say this exceeded my expectations. I think my youngest daughter described this best when she said it wasn't as good as homemade or from a restaurant but was considerably better than a normal frozen dinner version. While I personally would have liked to see this have a little more to it, such as maybe some broccoli to go with the pasta and chicken, it had a decent flavor all four of us enjoyed. Preparing the meal was easy as well. You just empty the contents (including four sauce packets) into a pan, add some water and cook until it i...

Synopsis: Expectant father, Danny, moves into the house of wealthy widow Mrs. Bramson so he can be closer to his pregnant girlfriend, Dora. Danny is friendly and charming and quickly wins over the house's other occupant, Olivia, Mrs. Bramson's daughter, leading to a love triangle. However, what none of the women know is Danny is an axe murderer who is keeping a head in a hatbox. Who's in it? The movie stars Albert Finney , Susan Hampshire , Mona Washbourne , Sheila Hancock and Michael Medwin . Review: I have had Night Must Fall in my library for a couple of weeks and after failing to decide on an alternative this morning, finally watched it. It was an intriguing film but ultimately left me with mixed feelings. Albert Finney's performance as Danny is the thing that really stands out about this film. He pulls off the role perfectly, believably charming to the point you can understand why all three women in the house are practically swooning over him but when the time ...

Synopsis: Five years after being exiled from his hometown of Rock Valley for killing Carl Avery's sons, Case Britton returns to warn the sheriff about a gang of outlaws looking to steal $75,000 from a stagecoach. The sheriff believes Britton and arranges for the money to be kept in the town's bank instead. However, with many of the townspeople still unable to trust the gunman, Britton's offer to help is refused and he is instead locked up in the jail. Meanwhile, Britton's fiancée, Della, believes he should just walk away and not put his life in any more danger, despite Britton believing Avery both killed his brother and is the one who the outlaws are working for. Who's in it? The movie stars Jim Davis , Lyn Thomas , Ted de Corsia , Barton MacLane and Harry Carey, Jr. Review: It's been a while since I last watched a classic western and since Noose for a Gunman looked somewhat interesting, I decided to give it a try this morning. While nothing I would describ...

Synopsis: Despite warnings from Stephen Falken, the creator of the War Operation Plan Response artificial intelligence that nearly caused World War III, the United States government has moved forward with another AI program known as RIPLEY, which is designed to find terrorists. High school student and computer genius Will Farmer accidentally draws RIPLEY's attention when he steals money from a neighbor to play an online gambling game based on terrorist attacks as a way to earn money for a school trip to Canada. The program overreacts to that and other data and flags Will as a terrorist, forcing him to flee authorities with his girlfriend, Annie, as soon as their plane lands. Who's in it? The movie stars Matt Lanter , Amanda Walsh , Gary Reineke , Maxim Roy and Chuck Shamata. Review: Even though WarGames is one of my favorite movies, I was admittedly unaware of the sequel, WarGames: The Dead Code , until I came across it on ScreenPix a couple days ago. Even though I had dou...

Synopsis: Decades after leaving his family's off-the-grid farm in Oregon, Blake Lovell receives notice his father has been declared dead after going missing some time earlier. Needing to clean out his father's house and seeing it as an opportunity to reconnect with his wife, Charlotte, and for Charlotte to reconnect with their daughter, Ginger, he travels to Oregon with the intention of spending the summer there. However, as they near the farm, they are attacked by a wolf-like creature that walks on two legs. They manage to make it to the farmhouse and lock themselves inside, but the creature continues to try to get in and Blake, who was scratched in the attack, grows sick and begins to change. Who's in it? The movie stars Christopher Abbott , Julia Garner , Matilda Firth , Sam Jaeger and Ben Prendergast. Review: It had been some time since my wife and I last had a date night, so despite the cold, we decided to have one last night. My first plan was to go out for karaok...

Synopsis: Following World War II, a group of six ex-German soldiers are given the task of defusing unexploded bombs around Berlin. The pay and rations are good but the odds of being killed are high, so the group makes a pact to place half their wages in a pool as an additional financial reward for anyone who survives three months. Tensions soon begin to grow as their team quickly shrinks from exploding bombs and other hazards. Who's in it? The movie stars Jack Palance , Jeff Chandler , Martine Carol , Dave Willock and Robert Cornthwaite. Review: As often happens, I was scrolling through my library for one movie this morning only to be reminded about another one and choose that instead. In this particular case it ended up being Ten Seconds to Hell . I didn't regret calling the audible. I think the thing that impressed me most about this movie is the roller coaster of emotions it takes you on over the course of 94 minutes. There's action, suspense, drama and romance all se...

Synopsis: This documentary follows a team of researchers as they take a submarine thousands of feet under the ocean floor to search for a "living fossil" believed to live in or near underwater volcanoes. The movie also discusses the other sea creatures that thrive in an area that wouldn't normally be expected to sustain life. Who's in it? The film is narrated by Ed Harris . Review: My wife and I discovered Volcanoes of the Deep Sea while I was scrolling through movies available on ScreenPix (which I recently added). She's had an interest in documentaries recently and we needed something to watch while having dinner, so I gave it a try. While not quite what we were expecting, it ended up being an informative film.  I think I can safely say I know about as much about volcanoes as the average person and when we started watching this, I figured it would feature a whole lot of explosions and lava (despite the fact I should have known better considering the film take...

Synopsis: Joyce Martin starts classes at a new school and the 16-year-old soon meets Connie, a troubled girl who leads a female gang known as the Hellcats. Joyce cautiously accepts Connie's offer to join the gang and despite being asked to steal, drink and get bad grades, as well as warnings from her new boyfriend, Mike, finds a connection with the club because she feels neglected at home. The girls' loyalties are tested however when they attend a party, Connie falls down the stairs and dies, leaving the emotionally unstable and paranoid Dolly as the club's new leader. Who's in it? The movie stars Yvonne Lime , Brett Halsey , Jana Lund , Susanne Sidney and Rhoda Williams. Review: I had intended on watching another movie this morning but accidentally clicked on High School Hellcats instead and since I have a limited amount of movie watching time, decided to just leave that movie on. Overall, it proved to be a reasonably happy accident.  My first thought when I began ...

Synopsis: An excavation of Pompeii unearths a chest full of jewelry and a well-preserved but faceless Quintillus Aurelius, a Roman slave and gladiator who claimed to be the son of an Etruscan god. When people begin to die near the body, a team of scientists deduces Quintillus Aurelius is still somehow alive after 2,000 years. Soon after, the faceless creature takes an interest in artist Tina Enright, a descendant of the woman he fell in love with when he was still human. Who's in it? The movie stars Richard Anderson , Elaine Edwards , Adele Mara , Gar Moore and Bob Bryant. Review: I came across Curse of the Faceless Man on ScreenPix last night and decided to save it for this morning, mostly because the 67-minute runtime fit the limited amount of time I had before needing to leave for the office. Due in part to that shorter runtime, I had lowered expectations for this film, which seemed like it would be yet another rip-off of The Mummy . However, I ended up enjoying it a lot mo...

Synopsis: A case of mistaken identity leads to Terence "Slip" Mahoney believing he has inherited a seaside manor when it is in fact another Terence Mahoney who was the heir. He and the rest of the Bowery Boys visit the estate and discover a diamond smuggling operation being run out of it.  Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey , Huntz Hall , Martin Kosleck , Amelita Ward and Paul Harvey . Review: While I'll stop short of calling myself a fan, Leo Gorcey and the Bowery Boys have grown on me just enough to be willing to give their movies a chance when I come across one, including this morning. They are still a bit hit or miss for me though, and Smuggler's Cove falls a bit into that latter category. The overall plot of this movie isn't terrible and there are a few funny moments that made me laugh. For one, I enjoyed watching Slip (Gorcey) walking through the house and pricing out the various items at a fraction of what they were worth. It was the kind of c...

Synopsis: As he prepares to be executed for murder, Nick Ross confesses to a group of witnesses and claims to have been working for a benefactor. However, before he can give that man's name, he is killed by a poisoned dart. District Attorney Roger Phillips immediately locks down the room and, after searching the witnesses, arrests the elderly Lanning, who knew Ross from when he was a boy. The arrest is merely a ruse to give Phillips an opportunity to figure out who the real murderer is with help from his news reporter girlfriend, Geri Reynolds. Who's in it? The movie stars Ricardo Cortez , Joan Woodbury , George Pembroke , Pat Gleason and Iris Adrian. Review: It was very cold out this morning and while trying to get the motivation to face the frigid temps and go to the office, I found a movie to watch on Amazon Prime. I Killed That Man sounded like an interesting locked room mystery, so I gave it a try and wasn't disappointed. There were a couple things I really liked ab...

Synopsis: This non-fiction(?) book discusses a popular political conspiracy that suggests the United States government began poisoning birds in the late 1950s so they could be replaced with sophisticated bird-shaped drones designed to spy on the American public. As a result of this, all birds are now robots. Review: I am still waiting for some books on my library hold list and since it's going to be very cold the next couple of days, went in search of something else to read in the meantime. I came across Birds Aren't Real and since I am always open to listening to a conspiracy theory, checked it out. According to my Generation Z daughter, this is a conspiracy theory I shouldn't take too seriously, and it's mostly just being spread around the internet as a joke. However, after getting through the book with relative ease, I'm going to say it was a surprisingly intriguing concept. OK, just so we're clear, I'm not hopping on the fake bird bandwagon. I'm a...

Synopsis: An early morning thunderstorm wakes up David MacLean in time to see a flying saucer hovering above a sandpit behind his house. He wakes his father, who goes to investigate but returns with a strange scar on the back of his neck and not acting like himself. Soon after, David's mother, the girl next door and members of the police department are soon acting strangely as well. At first, nobody believes David but with the help of a local astronomer, Dr. Stuart Nelson and health department physician Dr. Pat Blake, the military is soon summoned and fighting with the Martians that are hiding under the sand. Who's in it? The movie stars Jimmy Hunt , Helena Carter , Arthur Franz , Leif Erickson and Hillary Brooke. Review: I have had Invaders from Mars in my library for several weeks and finally decided to take the time to watch it this morning, while my cat was on my lap, and I wasn't getting off the couch anytime soon. While I had some doubts about it, it turned out to ...

Synopsis: Long-time friends Aberforth Willard Allard and C.S. Duffy, or as they preferred to be called, Abe and Duff, are a pair of average-looking, socially awkward geniuses who run a barely surviving private investigation service and often solve cases (without credit) for the Chicago Police Department in a matter of minutes. They are offered $50,000 with the promise of another $50,000 by former CIA operative Mindy Jefferson, who has been searching for a long-lost twin brother, now feels her life is in danger as a result and wants the pair to continue her investigation if she were to go missing or in hiding. Abe and Duffy accept the case and soon find themselves embroiled in a 35-year-long coverup involving a United States Senator that could get them both killed. Review: I came across another book by Sean Patrick Little a few weeks ago that looked interesting but since it was part of the larger Abe & Duff Mystery series, I decided I should first read the first book in the series...

Earlier this week, Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur announced long-time assistant coach Tom Clements is retiring after serving as quarterbacks coach for Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. Clements' history of success developing passers will leave a void on the roster. Fortunately for Green Bay, they may already have his replacement. After first being brought to Green Bay in 2006 under former coach Mike McCarthy, Clements only spent 3 years away from the team, from 2017 through 2021, which included time with the Arizona Cardinals and some years when he didn't coach at all The guy who filled three years of that gap was Getsy and he built a resume that justifies bringing him back. Currently a Packers' consultant after recently being fired by the Las Vegas Raiders, Getsy's attempts at being an offensive coordinator/play caller both with the Raiders and Chicago Bears were arguably a disappointment. However, it was his time as Packers' quarterback coach...

  I went to the grocery store last night looking for something simple for dinner. I had other things on my agenda yesterday evening and didn't want anything that would take long to make. As I entered the meat section, I decided on ring bologna and wound up buying the Kewaskum brand. My decision to purchase this particular brand came down to size. At first, the $7.99 price seemed a bit high, especially since I figured I would need to purchase two of them if I wanted leftovers for lunch. However, when I looked at other brands, I found the price was comparable to those and the bologna from this brand was quite a bit larger, giving me more for my money. As far as quality goes, I had no complaints. I thought the ring bologna had a good flavor to it, plenty of garlic without it being overpowering and was, at minimum, as good as better-known brands. My wife and daughters said they thought the skin was a bit on the tough side. I, however, did not think it was any tougher than I would norma...

Synopsis: In January 1945, a group of 513 prisoners of war were being held in Japanese camps in the Philippines, enduring torture and death as World War II was on the verge of being won by the Allies. Determined to free them, the United States partook in a dangerous mission, sending 121 men behind enemy lines. This book gives an intimate account of the mission, those who were assigned to it and the men they were sent to rescue. Review: I received Ghost Soldiers as one of my Christmas presents from my wife and saved it for a couple weeks before taking the time to read it. I finally finished it this morning and came away both impressed and a bit inspired. As I tell my kids whenever they try to tell me "history is boring," there is a significant difference between reading a vague summary of an event and reading a book that tells the story from a more personalized point of view. This was a great example of that. One thing that stood out for me right away was the early narrativ...

I needed a moment to regroup following the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last night, ending their season and, as is often the case in situations like that, I found some familiarity by watching reruns of The Big Bang Theory .  As I was doing that, I realized I have now seen every episode at least a half dozen times, despite not even watching the series until a couple years ago, when it was already off the air.  That reflection resulted in me being reminded of some storylines throughout the series that were one-offs without any real resolution. Even to this day, with the added benefit of the Young Sheldon spinoff clearing up a few questions (while creating a few more), these three storylines, which were major plot points for one episode each, remain unresolved. Who Received Tenure? The season 6 episode, "The Tenure Turbulence", put Leonard ( Johnny Galecki ), Sheldon ( Jim Parsons ), Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and Howard (Simon Helberg) in direct competition ...

 Here are my thoughts from today's 22-10 Green Bay Packers ' playoff loss at the Philadelphia Eagles . This game felt like a broken record. Slow start on offense, game changing errors and a lack of discipline at key moments put the Packers behind early and derailed any opportunity to mount a comeback. It's the same formula that led to their six losses during the regular season and, in this case, made their postseason run short and sweet. The defense put in a valiant effort. As was mentioned in commentary, it felt as though the Packers should have been much further behind at the half than they were, but the defense held the Eagles to just 10 points despite everything going wrong on offense. They even finally found their pass rush, though it was too little, too late. One of the biggest game changers was losing Elgton Jenkins early. Green Bay had a lot of injuries in this game, but the loss of Jenkins arguably had the biggest impact as the backups struggled against the leag...

Even though it was unclear what the weather was going to do last night, I decided to put the trail cameras out while the temps were still reasonably warm (at least for Wisconsin in January). It paid off and I ended up with some critter videos. Here is a selection of them:

Synopsis: Mina, an American living in Ireland and working at a pet shop, is given the task of transporting a parrot to a zoo in Belfast. On the way there, her car breaks down in a forest and she encounters a group of three living in a bunker. Accepting shelter, she learns they are being watched through a two-way mirror by a supernatural entity that will kill them if they try to escape. Who's in it? The movie stars Dakota Fanning , Georgina Campbell ,  Olwen Fouéré , Oliver Finnegan and John Lynch . Review: After my wife spent most of the afternoon attempting to sew and outfit and failing due to mechanical issues with her Serger, I decided to help take her mind off it by finding a movie to watch while we had dinner. I had quite a few doubts about The Watchers but decided to give it a try anyway.  My biggest concern about this movie was it would end up being extremely slow-paced and dull as a result. As it turns out, while the pacing was as I expected it to be, the film sti...

  About a year ago, after a series of mechanical issues made me decide to get a different car, I took out a lease on a 2024 Chevy Trax. Now that I've had nearly 12 months to test it out, driving to the store and as far as the Mississippi Gulf Coast , I think I can accurately give my opinion of this vehicle. I'll start with the positives of this car. One of the main things is I am very impressed with the gas mileage. The car, at least in appearance, is larger than the Chevy Cruze I replaced it with but gets just as many miles to the gallon. Part of the reason for this is the three-cylinder engine, which I was admittedly skeptical about, but doesn't seem to have any impact as far as horsepower is concerned. No issues at all getting it up to 70 mph. Unlike the Cruze, this car does have quite a bit of leg room in it, enough for my daughters (15 and 20) to sit in the back seat without complaining about being cramped. The cargo space is a bit lacking, at least compared to what I ...