Steven Helmer Publications

  I went to the grocery store without any idea in mind about what I wanted to make for dinner. My wife was doing some stuff at her sewing studio, and we had a small bag of ravioli that I could make for the girls so I focused on finding something I could make as a late dinner for two. I ended up purchasing Rana Chicken Alfredo Lasagna because it was on sale for a little less than $12. It was my first time trying this product and I wasn't sure what to expect but after making it last night, it is a product I wouldn't mind purchasing again. As far as meal prep goes, I couldn't ask for easier. I followed the microwave instructions, and the lasagna was ready to eat less than 10 minutes later. This was ideal because, with us already eating later than usual, I wouldn't have been a fan of anything that took a long time to make or dirtied a ton of dishes. Taste-wise, this exceeded my expectations. The sauce had a good flavor and there was quite a bit of chicken. This, in turn, al...

Synopsis: On the eve of convicted murderer Frank Pierce's execution, grocer Sam Morgan, feeling guilty about the testimony he gave at Pierce's trial, ends up at Cady's Lodge near the state prison so he can talk to the warden. He is unable to stop the execution, and his guilt only intensifies when another man confesses to the crime too late. Broken and angry, the once honest Sam helps Pierce's widow, Ellie, who is also staying at the lodge, find $160,000 Pierce stole from a bank and eventually falls in love with her. However, while they are waiting for the money to be forwarded from a post office box to the lodge, the real Mrs. Pierce shows up and soon after, Sam is told a detective from New York has also checked in. Who's in it? The movie stars James Brown , Merry Anders , Henry Corden, Roy Barcroft and Peggy Stewart. Review: As has happened many times before, I ended up coming across When the Clock Strikes while scrolling through my movie library in search of ...

I once again didn't get a whole lot of photos from my trail camera last night. This time, I am certain it's because the batteries are well past the need for replacement. However, the few photos I did get were decent and, once again, were of one of our neighborhood opossums. Here they are:

Synopsis: Seeking to find the man who killed his father, attorney Lamont Granston moonlights as a vigilante known as the Shadow. After capturing a pair of would-be burglars breaking into a safe belonging to another attorney, Chester Randall, Granston is discovered by police and assumes Randall's identity to hide the reason he was there.  His lie becomes more complicated when Randall receives a call summoning him to the home of the wealthy Caleb Delthiern and the police captain, Breen, insists on going with him. Granston is then forced to extend the lie even longer when Delthiern is murdered right next to him while attempting to change his will. Despite cautionary warnings from his assistant, Henry, Granston chooses to risk detection by investigating. Who's in it? The movie stars Rod La Rocque, Agnes Anderson, Norman Ainsley, Kenneth Harlan and Cy Kendall. Review: Much like with Dick Tracy prior to watching some of the films made in the 1940s, my only knowledge of the Shadow...

I got one of my trail cameras out again last night and was disappointed when I didn't have as many photos as I usually have. I'm not sure if it was a lack of activity or if the batteries are finally getting too low for the camera to work properly (possibly a combination of both). On the plus side, the opossums are back out, and I did manage to get a couple photos of one of them.

Synopsis: When a truckload of furs is stolen from a warehouse and the security guard is killed, Dick Tracy is called in to investigate. With the help of an informant who loses his life as a result, Tracy is able to trace the crime to a gang led by a criminal who calls himself "the Claw" because of a prosthetic hook hand. However, instead of arresting the Claw, he lays out a sting to find out who the criminal is working for. Who's in it? The movie stars Ralph Byrd , Lyle Latell , Kay Christopher, Jack Lambert and Ian Keith . Review: So, as it turns out, I watched the Dick Tracy movies in the wrong order. Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome was the fourth and last movie in the series, not the third. As a result, I corrected the problem this morning by watching Dick Tracy's Dilemma . I am going to say it was a good choice for a film. To be honest, the plot of the film isn't anything overly complicated. There is at least an attempt to create a bit of a mystery surrounding t...