Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: USS Carolina has been selected for a new firing control system that must be installed by a firm deadline if the United States Navy is to have exclusive rights to it. However, when the equipment is first misdirected then subjected to acts of sabotage, it's clear someone doesn't want it installed. Things then take a deadly turn when two people are murdered. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Taylor , Ted Healy , Jean Parker , Una Merkel and Nat Pendleton . Review: I've had Murder in the Fleet in my library for a few months and attempted to watch it on more than one occasion only to wind up picking a different movie instead. I finally took the time to see it this morning, and it turned out to be a good choice. I think the thing I liked most about this film was the fact there was no clear suspect. Due to what had to be the worst security ever, with Carolina  allowing everyone from foreign dignitaries to jilted lovers onboard (despite the top-secret nature of ...

Synopsis: Fellworth "Fell" Dolphin has had a hard life. His parents were both abusive and misery and since his father's death, he has been forced to work as a waiter to support both himself and his controlling mother. As a result, when his mother dies, he is more relieved than sad and is shocked when he learns his parents were surprisingly wealthy. To fend off his mother's relatives, Fell convinces his co-worker, Maggie, to pose as his fiancée, not knowing Maggie is secretly in love with him. They soon find their lives upended when an investigation into where his parents' money came from both re-opens a long-forgotten train robbery case and unearths a family secret. Review: I originally checked out another book from my local library but lost interest with it after the first chapter (that sometimes happens). So, since I wanted something else to read, I returned to the library in search of something from a familiar/favorite author. Originally, I was going to give ...

Synopsis: Sometime in the near future, a biochemical weapon incident has wiped out most of the planet and left the air unbreathable. Bauer and Cartwright are among the few survivors and are in charge of maintaining a makeshift facility designed to house cryogenically frozen scientists until the air outside is breathable again. They are given two hours every six months to complete their tasks before returning to their sleep chambers. However, when Cartwright's chamber catches on fire, the men realize one of them will die if they don't find an alternative. Who's in it? The movie stars Norman Reedus , Djimon Hounsou and Sandrine Holt . Review: We finally had an evening that wasn't centered around my daughter's theater rehearsals and since it was reasonably early but raining outside, my wife and I found another movie to watch. She's a big Norman Reedus fan so when I came across Air on one of our movie channels, I chose it.  Even my Norman Reedus-loving wife tho...

Synopsis: After barely scraping by with two kids and one on the way, things are finally looking up for Denver resident Sandy Patterson when he is offered an opportunity to be part of a new finance firm with five times the salary. However, that financial security is put in jeopardy when a woman in Florida steals his identity, both destroying his credit rating and getting him in legal trouble. When he learns it could take a year or more for local police to clear him, Sandy takes matters into his own hands and travels to Florida to bring the thief back to Denver so he can trick her into confessing in front of the police. Who's in it? The movie stars Jason Bateman , Melissa McCarthy , John Cho , Amanda Peet and Jon Favreau. Review: Our 15-year-old had another late theater practice last night (thank God those are almost over) so, after watching Resident Evil for the umpteenth time and realizing we still had a couple hours to kill, my wife picked out Identity Thief . I wasn't su...

Synopsis: After spending time behind a desk because of a mistake that led to a witness death, U. S. Marshal Madolyn Harris is given a second chance, this time escorting a crime boss accountant, Winston, from his hiding spot in Alaska so he can testify against his former boss in New York. However, while flying to Anchorage on a small charter plane, Madolyn learns her pilot, Daryl Booth, is really an assassin hired to make sure Winston doesn't make it to New York. Who's in it? The movie stars Michelle Dockery , Mark Wahlberg , Topher Grace , Maaz Ali and Leah Remini. Review: My 15-year-old daughter is performing in a community theater version of Guys and Dolls  this weekend and the final rehearsals have been taking until 11 p.m. Since we needed to wait up anyway last night as a result of that, my wife and I wound up finding a movie to watch and settled on Flight Risk . I didn't know anything about this movie before coming across it on Starz and wasn't sure what to exp...

Synopsis: A group of celestial beings give assistant George Fotheringay near limitless powers as part of a social experiment. At first, Fotheringay is amused with his new abilities, which include being able to make things levitate, heal injuries, teleport to far-off lands and create things from thin air. However, as his secret gets out, he soon finds himself surrounded by people trying to exploit him. Who's in it? The movie stars Roland Young , Ralph Richardson , Joan Gardner , Ernest Thesiger and Sophie Stewart . Review: I added The Man Who Could Work Miracles to my library about a week ago, mostly because I saw it was based on an H. G. Wells' story and sounded somewhat unique. I finally got around to watching it this morning and wasn't disappointed.  While described as a comedy, I think I would consider the movie more of a psychological drama. The film does a great job exploring something I think a lot of us dream about and putting it up against human nature. If one ...