Steven Helmer Publications

Yesterday was the climax of a seemingly endless spring election season that saw a very partisan non-partisan Wisconsin Supreme Court race and a slightly less partisan non-partisan State Superintendent race that saw overwhelming victories for liberals. However, one thing the conservatives in Wisconsin (and Washington) could brag about was the landslide victory for a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution cementing a photo ID requirement for all elections.  For clarification, Wisconsin already has been enforcing this law for years. In fact, when I voted yesterday, I both had to hand the poll volunteer my driver's license and (as further confirmation of who I was) tell them my name and address. The amendment would only make it harder to overturn that law. And for the record, I was among the minority that voted against it. I have yet to see any proof voter fraud is rampant to the point it justifies potentially denying someone their right to vote. Ironically though, while Dona...

Synopsis: When farmer Fred Morgan and his housekeeper, Sarah Watson, are murdered during a burglary, farmhand George Braden is arrested for the crime and to protect his wife, Ellen, signs a confession after 16 hours of interrogation. Doug Madison is asked to serve as Braden's defense attorney and initially declines until the pregnant Ellen convinces him of her husband's innocence. Madison remains determined to prove his client didn't commit murder, even after running out of money, having his girlfriend break up with him and Braden is convicted and sentenced to hang. Who's in it? The movie stars MacDonald Carey , Teresa Wright , Edgar Barrier , Adele Mara and Delores Moran. Review: I came across Count the Hours! a few nights ago and decided to add it to my library because I'm always game for a classic crime drama/mystery. I watched it this morning with no real expectations, but it turned out to be a great choice. There are quite a few things I liked about this m...

I woke up this morning to the sad news of actor Val Kilmer's passing at the age of 65. As a relatively unsung character actor, even I was a bit surprised when I was reminded of just how many times, he starred or co-starred in a movie I enjoyed. So, I decided it would be worth the time to list my five favorite Val Kilmer roles in his memory. Madmartigan ( Willow , 1988) -  Technically, Warwick Davis is the star of this movie, but Kilmer's Madmartigan is the reason it is one of my all-time favorite action fantasies. He brings a great blend of heroism and comedy to the film that sometimes outshine the movie's namesake. Nick Rivers ( Top Secret , 1984) - Ironically, I was just thinking to myself "it's been ages since I've seen this movie, I should take the time to watch it again." This film was Kilmer's first and his performance as the rock star turned resistance fighter is a big reason why it's a classic. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky ( Top Gun , 198...

Synopsis: Twenty years after discovering a leprechaun's gold, trapping the leprechaun with a magical medallion and stealing a golden flute, Mack Daddy O'Nasses is a successful record producer in Los Angeles. When he turns down three wannabe rappers, Postmaster P., Stray Bullet and Butch, they get revenge by stealing both the medallion and the flute, setting the leprechaun free and putting them in the crosshairs of both the evil creature and Mack Daddy while the flute's magic helps their music career. Who's in it? The movie stars Warwick Davis , Ice-T , Anthony Montgomery , Rashaan Nall and Red Grant. Review: My wife and I were both a bit tired out yesterday evening so I decided to find a movie to watch while we crashed on the couch. Despite quite a bit of hesitation after watching the previous four movies, I ended up picking Leprechaun 5: In the Hood . As it turned out, I probably should have picked a different movie. There are a lot of things wrong with this film, b...

 I wasn't sure what kind of trail camera activity I would have last night because I knew we were going to get some rain. I decided to put one out anyway, keeping it close to the house, and had a surprising number of photos this morning. Here are some of them: 4

I have wanted to get out with my camera for a couple weeks now, but the weather never seems to cooperate whenever I have time. Today wasn't any different but I decided to brave the chill, damp wind and darkened skies long enough to do a little photography, even if it was just in my yard. The photos aren't my best, I'm a little out of practice and always did struggle a bit when the light is limited. I am also experimenting a bit with black-and-white photography. No real reason other than it's a throwback to my days as a journalist (many, many years ago), when photos were taken in black-and-white 35mm and developed in a dark room. Anyway, here's the best of the bunch. Camera: Kodak AZ425