Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: The Doctor ( Ncuti Gatwa ) and Ruby's ( Millie Gibson ) first adventure together takes them to a "baby factory" in space. The factory, which was designed to repopulate planets after a catastrophic event, has been abandoned by and is instead run by talking children in strollers while a "Nan-E" ( Golda Rosheuvel ) cares for them in secret. In addition to the ship slowly running out of oxygen, the babies are terrorized by a mysterious monster, living in the lower decks. To the Doctor's surprise, the monster, which the babies refer to as the Bogeyman, even scares him. Review: After watching The Church on Ruby Road and deciding the Christmas episode likely wasn't giving a fair representation of what to expect from the Fifteenth Doctor, my wife and I decided to watch the next episode, Space Babies , to give him one more chance. This proved to be a somewhat weird episode but one I thought was both unique and entertaining. The thing I liked about th...

Synopsis: After being abandoned on the steps of a church as a newborn and later adopted by her foster mother, Ruby Sunday ( Millie Gibson ) is ready to celebrate her 19th birthday on Christmas Eve as well as her foster mother, Carla's ( Michelle Greenidge ) 33rd foster child, an infant that also was born on Christmas Eve. However, those celebrations are interrupted when the baby is abducted by goblins. As she is chasing after them, she receives help from a stranger ( Ncuti Gatwa ) calling himself "the Doctor." Review: After watching the three Doctor Who specials leading up to the Fifteenth Doctor being introduced, my wife and I decided to watch The Church on Ruby Road to learn a bit more about the Gatwa-played character. After watching it, we still hadn't formed an opinion about the new Doctor. However, we both agreed we weren't huge fans of the episode. Christmas episodes from this series are always a little goofy, especially when new characters are being int...

Synopsis: The Doctor ( David Tennant ) and Donna Noble ( Catherine Tate ) arrive back on Earth and discover everyone seems to be going crazy. With help from UNIT, they learn the human race is being driven insane by a subliminal noise known as "the Giggle." Further investigation reveals long-time Doctor nemesis, the Toymaker ( Neil Patrick Harris ) is behind it. Unfortunately, after thousands of years traveling time and space without a break, the Doctor might be too exhausted to win. Review: My wife and I still had some time before bed last night after watching the Doctor Who episode Wild Blue Yonder and decided to watch The Giggle as well, knowing it was the last one (at least for now) with David Tennant. After watching it, my opinion was honestly a bit mixed. While I didn't necessarily hate the episode, it also wasn't among my favorites either. The Toymaker is one of the oldest Doctor Who villains, dating all the way back to when the show was still relatively n...

Synopsis: After Donna Noble ( Catherine Tate ) spills coffee on the TARDIS control panel, she and the Doctor ( David Tennant ) are sent spiraling out of control across time and space before coming to a stop onboard a spaceship at the far edge of the universe. While waiting for the TARDIS to make repairs, it suddenly leaves them stranded in what the Doctor believes to be a built-in flight response to danger despite the mysterious ship they discovered seeming to be abandoned. They soon learn they aren't alone, however, when a pair of aliens appear and try to duplicate their form so they can be the ones to leave when the TARDIS returns. Review: After re-discovering this series on Disney Plus earlier this week and watching The Star Beast a couple days ago, my wife and I decided to see the next installment in the Doctor/Donna adventure, Wild Blue Yonder . The episode more than exceeded our expectations. As I mentioned before, Donna remains my favorite Doctor companion, and this episo...

  This is something I whipped up in my kitchen a couple evenings ago. I remembered I had leftover kielbasa in my fridge and since I didn't want it to go to waste, decided to slice it up and use it in a skillet casserole. In addition to the kielbasa, my concoction included fresh green and red bell peppers, fresh mushrooms and fresh zucchini. I also added two types of pasta, rotini and tortellini, then cooked the whole thing in pasta sauce. It was a simple one-skillet meal that took me about 30 minutes to make (including chopping the vegetables and kielbasa) and cost about $20 for all the ingredients. There were also enough leftovers for my wife and I to have it for lunch the next day. It was also a big enough hit for me to put it on my list of meals to make again.

Synopsis: After regenerating into a form almost identical to one he once had, the Doctor ( David Tennant ) returns to London and inadvertently crosses paths with his former companion, Donna Noble ( Catherine Tate ), who still does not remember him after having her memory erased to keep her exposure to Time Lord knowledge from killing her. The Doctor's attempts to keep his friend safe are soon put in jeopardy when an alien craft crashes in London and an alien refugee, Meep ( Cecily Fay ), is discovered by Donna's daughter, Rose ( Yasmin Finney ), putting them all in danger as another group of aliens known as the Wrarth continue to hunt Meep down. Review: My wife and I used to watch Doctor Who together on a regular basis after the series was rebooted in 2005. However, we both started to lose interest around Doctor 12 ( Peter Capaldi ) and just stopped watching it about midway through Doctor 13 ( Jodie Whittaker ). To clarify, the latter had less to do with the actor playing th...

Synopsis: Trudy Morton lives with her uncle Carter, a scientist who is trying to cure all diseases in the laboratory he has set up in his house. What Trudy doesn't know is Carter's assistant, Oliver Frank, is really Oliver Frankenstein, the grandson of the original Dr. Frankenstein. Determined to build on his family's legacy, Oliver first secretly experiments on Trudy, using a special chemical to temporarily turn her into a monster, before bringing his own terrifying creation to life. Who's in it? The movie stars Sandra Knight , John Ashley , Donald Murphy , Sally Todd , Felix Locher and Wolfe Barzell . Review: I decided I was in the mood for a classic monster movie this morning and remembered I had Frankenstein's Daughter in my library. At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie but after watching it, I have to say it was worth the time. I think the thing that really surprised me about this film was it is surprisingly creepy. The monster makeup...

Synopsis: While solving a mystery in Gotham City, the Mystery Incorporated gang discovers they are being tested by Batman to see if they are good enough to be part of his Mystery Analysts team, alongside Martian Manhunter, Detective Chimp, Question, Black Canary and Plastic Man. During their first case, they encounter the Crimson Cloak, a mysterious villain that seems to be connected to one of Batman’s first cases, which was the only time he allowed an innocent person to die. Soon after, Mystery Inc. is framed for breaking into Gotham Chemical Storage and, with Batman’s assistance, they become fugitives while trying to help him solve the case. Who’s in it? The animated movie uses voices from Frank Welker , Grey Griffin , Matthew Lillard , Diedrich Bader and Tom Kenny . Review: I wanted to change things up a bit this morning and since my daughters never seem to have time to watch cartoons with me, I decided to watch Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold this morning. I...

Synopsis: After their father, an airline pilot, disappears, twin brothers Hal and Bill are raised by their mother. While going through their father's stuff, the twins come across a toy drum-playing monkey. Even though it seems to be broken, Hal decides to keep it and soon realizes the toy comes with a terrible curse, whenever it plays the drums, someone dies. Twenty-five years later, believing the monkey is safely imprisoned in a well but still traumatized, Hal is estranged from his brother and only sees his son, Petey, once per year. During that annual visitation, he learns Petey's stepdad is going to attempt to take away his custody rights, but that problem soon becomes secondary to learning the monkey has begun killing again. Who's in it? The movie stars Theo James , Colin O'Brien , Tatiana Maslany , Sarah Levy and Elijah Wood . Review: I hadn't planned on going to the movies last night as part of date night with my wife. However, she didn't seem to be in...

Synopsis : High Schoolers Stacey and Emma are new to a suburban neighborhood in California. While Stacey, the older of the two, easily makes friends, Emma needs some convincing just to talk to Evan, the boy next door. Soon after one of their classmates comes down sick from a mysterious illness involving a parasite, their community is put on lockdown, preventing their parents from getting home and forcing the two to survive on their own as the CDC forcibly removes others who are infected. Things go from bad to worse when Stacey, who was exposed at a party, becomes infected as well. Who's in it? The movie stars Sofia Black-D'Elia , Lio Tipton , Travis Tope , Michael Kelly and Colson Baker. Review: I let my wife pick out a movie last night while I was making dinner, asking her for either an action film or horror movie. By the time I sat down, she had picked out the film Viral. At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from it because I didn't recognize any of the actors. Ho...

Synopsis: After leaving the Army, Lucas Doolin goes to work for his father, running illegal moonshine to various distribution points in the southern United States. It’s already dangerous work, with the United States Treasury Department looking to break up the operation and arrest him. However, Lucas also has another enemy, gangster Carl Kogan, who seeks to gain control of the independent producers, even if it means through violence. Who’s in it? The movie stars Robert Mitchum , Gene Barry , Jacques Aubuchon , Keely Smith and Sandra Knight . Review: I had intended on watching another movie this morning but wasn’t able to locate it in my library right away and since I only had a limited amount of time, chose Thunder Road instead. This is a film I had heard about but never took the time to watch until now. After seeing it, I can honestly say I understand why it is considered a classic. I think the thing I enjoyed most about this film was how it didn’t attempt to glorify the moonsh...

Synopsis: While his wife and kids are on vacation, Professor Richard Wanley spends a late evening at a men’s club with his friends. While walking home, he stops outside a store window to study the painting of an attractive woman. As he is doing this, the model, Alice Reed, walks up to him and after a brief conversation, invites him back to her place to see some of her other modeling work. While enjoying some drinks on her couch, Alice’s lover, financier Claude Mazard, shows up and attacks Richard, forcing the professor to kill the other man in self-defense. Worried both about being charged with murder and the scandal that would follow even without charges, Richard convinces Alice to hide Claude’s body. Only, his careful plan isn’t as careful as he thought. Who’s in it? The movie stars Edward G. Robinson , Joan Bennett , Raymond Massey , Dan Duryea and Edmund Breon . Review: The Woman in the Window was on ScreenPix’s “movies to watch before you die” list and after reading the des...

I’ve mentioned in the past how my wife and I will occasionally spend our date night performing karaoke. And, not to brag, I have occasionally ended a song (usually Poison’s “Every Rose Has its Thorn”) to thunderous applause from the drunk people at the bar. However, even on those good nights, I have never once been under the delusion I could sell out a stadium like Bon Jovi or Taylor Swift. In fact, I am convinced it would be very similar to Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency – an embarrassing failure. OK, I am going to take the high road a bit and say, while I’ve never been a personal fan of Musk, I do respect the success he has had in the private sector, making him the wealthiest person in the world by a large margin. In fact, I’ll take the even higher road and pay President Donald Trump a similar compliment as far as his business successes are concerned. Here’s the thing with that though. Much like how karaoke doesn’t guarantee a singing career, success in t...

  Synopsis: After a series of successful tests with dummies, the Air Research and Development Command is ready to use human test subjects for its new downward ejection seat, designed to allow bombardiers to escape from high altitudes. Major Paul Peterson has been called back to active service and is in line to test the ejection seat. However, when the first test results in the volunteer suffering a broken neck, Paul, who has a wife and son, is reluctant to go through with his duty. Who’s in it? The movie stars John Payne , Karen Steele , Paul Kelly , Richard Eyer and Eddie Firestone . Review: I’ve had Bailout at 43,000 in my library for a few weeks but every time I was going to watch it, came across something else I wanted to watch more. I finally got around to seeing the movie this morning and while I started out having some doubts about it, it turned out to be a decent choice. This is a different type of war movie. There are no gun battles and not a whole lot of action ov...

Synopsis: After years of being a bachelor, Det. Mike Lowrey finally gets married, only to have his wedding nearly ruined by his partner, Det. Marcus Burnett, having a heart attack. Burnett survives but soon after leaving the hospital, the pair learn their former mentor, Captain Howard, is being accused of working for the drug cartels. Not wanting their deceased captain's name to be tarnished, Mike and Marcus conduct their own investigation, with the help of Mike's criminal son, Armando, and soon find themselves being framed both as accomplices and murderers. Who's in it? The movie stars Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Vanessa Hudgens , Jacob Scipio and Ioan Gruffudd. Review: After binge-watching the first three movies in the series on Monday, my wife and I decided to finish things up with Bad Boys: Ride or Die last night. As is the case with most movies with multiple sequels, this installment showed signs of the series needing to come to an end. However, that didn't...

Synopsis: When noted French chemist Maurice Gaston LeBeau goes missing while working on a top-secret rocket fuel, Sach's resemblance to the scientist makes him the perfect choice as a double/decoy to drive the real scientist out of hiding. While it seems to be the perfect opportunity for a Paris vacation with Slip and Louie, Sach soon learns his life is in danger from spies. Who's in it? The movie stars Huntz Hall , Leo Gorcey , Bernard Gorcey , Veola Vonn and Steven Geray . Review: I ended up watching Paris Playboys this morning for the same reason I pick many of my early-morning films, the shorter runtime. My experience with Bowery Boys films has been a bit hit or miss, though I have found just enough gems to keep giving them a try. Unfortunately, this one fit better in the "miss" category. Ironically, while my biggest complaint about Bowery Boys films usually is the result of too much going on, this film was much more on the opposite side with not much substan...

Synopsis: After risking his life countless times with the Miami Police Department and becoming a new grandfather, Det. Marcus Burnett is ready to retire but his long-time partner and friend, Det. Mike Lowrey tries to convince him otherwise. When Lowery is shot by an unknown assailant and nearly dies, Burnett calls it quits. Lowrey, however, motivated by anger after six months of rehabilitation, insists on being involved with the investigation. Marcus, who made a promise to God to avoid violence in exchange for Lowrey surviving his wounds, wants to remain retired but is soon drawn into the investigation as well. Who's in it? The movie stars Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Vanessa Hudgens , Alexander Ludwig and Jacob Scipio . Review: I have been a bit reluctant to watch Bad Boys for Life because nostalgia-motivated sequels don't usually pan out. However, thanks to the dangerously cold temperatures outside yesterday, my wife and I had time to re-watch the first two Bad Boys m...

Synopsis: FBI agent Neville Flynn is escorting Sean Jones from Hawaii to Los Angeles so Jones, who witnessed a federal prosecutor's murder, can testify against crime lord Eddie Kim. Flynn takes every precaution, including commandeering the entire first-class section of the Boing 747 they are flying to Los Angeles in. However, Kim is one step ahead of them and has arranged for a crate of venomous snakes, made more aggressive by a pheromone, to be released on the plane mid-flight. Who's in it? The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson , Rachel Blanchard , Nathan Phillips , Julianna Margulies and Kenan Thompson . Review: My wife and I have discussed watching Snakes on a Plane dozens of times since it was released 19 years ago but for multiple reasons, we just never seemed to find the time to do it (even after seeing a movie that spoofed this movie). We finally were able to do that last night, and I can honestly say this film did not disappoint. I will start out by saying the premise i...

Synopsis: When real estate agent Summer Elswick is found murdered inside a house she was showing, Detective Tom Nichols is assigned to investigate the case and discovers a wide range of suspects that include her ex-husband and area drug dealers. However, as he investigates further, he discovers there is a whole lot more going on in the rural Maine town he and his wife, Judy, recently began calling home. Who's in it? The movie stars Benicio Del Toro , Justin Timberlake , Alicia Silverstone , Eric Bogosian and Frances Fisher . Review: With the winter weather limiting what we were able to do this weekend, my wife and I watched multiple movies. Some we enjoyed. Others, like Reptile , weren't as good as we expected them to be. As is the case with many movies in this genre, the premise wasn't terrible, but the execution needed a bit of work, at least in my opinion. Simply put, for a movie about a murder investigation that potentially includes a community-wide conspiracy, it wa...

Synopsis: After a mission to recover an industrial control systems device from a group of terrorists goes wrong and their cover is exposed, CIA agents Matt and Emily, who are expecting a baby together, decide to let people think they died in a plane crash and go off the grid. Fifteen years later, they are married and living a quiet life in the suburbs with two kids, Alice and Leo. However, an incident involving their rebellious 14-year-old daughter results in their identities being exposed, putting their family in danger as multiple groups, believing they still have the ICS device in their possession, seek to take it from them. Who's in it? The movie stars Jamie Foxx , Cameron Diaz , McKenna Roberts , Rylan Jackson and Glenn Close. Review: The snow this weekend kept my wife and I home for most of the day yesterday and as a result of that, we wound up watching movies together. The first one, which she picked out, was dull to the point I stopped paying attention and couldn't ...

Synopsis: After having an argument with her boyfriend, a Scotland Yard detective, Alice White leaves the restaurant with an artist, Mr. Crewe, and agrees to come up to his studio/apartment. Crewe attempts to rape Alice, forcing her to stab him in self-defense. Her boyfriend, Frank, discovers her glove at the scene and chooses to protect her. However, they are soon blackmailed by Tracy, a man who claims to have witnessed the murder. Who's in it? This Alfred Hitchcock directed movie stars Anny Ondra , John Longden , Donald Calthrop , Cyril Ritchard and Sara Allgood . Review: After watching a documentary about the making of Blackmail yesterday morning, I decided I wanted to watch it as soon as I had an opportunity. As it turns out, it was available on Amazon Prime, and I was able to watch it earlier today. I wasn't disappointed. The premise of the movie is a good one. Alice (Ondra) is a victim more than anything and was only trying to avoid being raped. If it weren't for ...

Synopsis: Ever since he first met James Bland, Sergeant Hamish Macbeth knew there was more to the American than he let on. So, when Bland joins the Lochdubh police force, officially as part of an exchange program but in reality, to get Macbeth's help tracking down a spy ring, he isn't surprised but also a bit reluctant. Unfortunately, the new mission also comes at a time when Lochdubh is being terrorized by a burglar and puts his fledgling relationship with Claire on the ropes. Review: I came across Death of a Spy while returning some books to our library over the weekend and since I didn't have anything else immediately on my reading list, decided to check it out. I haven't been a big fan of the Hamish Macbeth books published since M. C. Beaton's death but was willing to give this one a fair chance. In the end, my opinion of it, like the others, was mixed. The whole James Bland/spy ring thing is something I've never been able to get on board with. My biggest...

In what isn't much of a surprise, the New York Jets are going to be parting ways with former Green Bay Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers after two disappointing seasons. The narrative is now going to focus on his NFL future. Will he retire? Will another NFL franchise give him an opportunity despite some of the off-the-field baggage that comes with him? I, however, am going to throw one more conversation into that narrative - the United Football League. Before you ask, no I'm not drunk or on drugs and I didn't recently hit my head. I'll also be the first to admit the scenario I mentioned is the ultimate longshot, to the point I'm not sure Vegas would even put odds on it. However, as ridiculous as it sounds, this is something that potentially makes sense for both sides. I'll start with Rodgers. At 41, he is at best, a transitional quarterback for an NFL franchise. He has made plenty of money so it's unlikely he'll sign with a rebuilding team just fo...

I am an opinionated guy. I've been on this planet for nearly 50 years, raised two daughters and have been a member of the workforce since I was a teenager. I think I have the right to be. However, today I am taking a vow to keep my opinions to myself, at least when it comes to politics and social media. Image courtesy of Pixabay This actually isn't the first time I've taken this vow. I did it once before, several years ago, but recently began breaking that vow. It didn't take me long to remember why I made it in the first place. First, when it comes to politics, nobody cares about my opinion or anyone else's. They just want to hear their opinion being parroted by someone else.  The thing with that is as an independent, I can appreciate both sides to every argument. I may not agree with one side but can still see where they are coming from. Unfortunately, that balanced view is clearly unwanted in such a divided country. The victim culture is prevalent for both libera...