Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: The device transports Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ) to a mental hospital where his psychiatrist, Amy Fowler ( Mayim Bialik ) works to convince him the alternate universes were just inside his head. He is cured and returned to Denise ( Lauren Lapkus ) and their two kids. However, while he seems to have a happy life, there are clues warning him it isn't real. My Thoughts: This was, by far, the weirdest episode yet but I liked it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love a good mystery, and this episode had multiple. There was the mystery about where he was, the mystery about who was trying to warn him and the mystery about why his friends seemed to be accepting their perfect reality without question. The last one is never given an answer, other than maybe Stuart is immune because of his connection with the device. The episode seemed to be setting up a larger storyline. The universe inside another universe twist was an intriguing one. It might just be a one-of...

As someone who loves classic movies and classic television, it shouldn't be a surprise to learn I've seen every episode of Gilligan's Island at least a couple dozen times and the made-for-TV movies based on the series at least a half dozen. While I will stop short of saying I can recite the episodes word-from-word, I can recall most details from those episodes without seeing them. Anyone who knows the show also knows it was cancelled after just three seasons and less than 100 episodes, forcing it to rely on the movies, which were made more than a decade later, to bring closure. That may or may not be the reason the series/movies left quite a few unanswered questions. Here are five that have always nagged at me: Was Ginger ( Tina Louise ) psychic? I am asking this question based solely on the episode "Ship Ahoax" which features Ginger pretending to be a psychic at the Professor's ( Russell Johnson ) request to fend off island madness only to have her prediction...

Synopsis: In the late 19th century, a teenaged Jack Curry went to work promoting boxing matches which, at the time, were illegal in most states. Ambitious and always looking for a way to make money, he began promoting professional wrestling matches on the side, not knowing he would be one of the main reasons it would eventually grow into a mainstream sport.  This non-fiction book tells Curry's story and how he, other promoters and the wrestling stars they groomed grew what once had been a carnival attraction into a sport that packed arenas with thousands of fans and the various obstacles, including themselves, that nearly caused professional wrestling to fail. Review:  As I've said before, other than on occasions when I can find absolutely nothing else on TV, I stopped watching professional wrestling around the time it started being referred to as "sports entertainment." In fact, I couldn't even name ten active professional wrestlers without looking them up. I ha...

Synopsis: After growing tired of the constant sexual harassment from her boss, Karen Walker quits her job at a cat food factory and tries out for the Avengers roller derby team. She earns a spot and because of her showmanship, quickly becomes the star. However, her quick rise and independent attitude don't sit well with her veteran teammates, and she soon finds herself losing some of the spotlight to a newly signed skater. Who's in it? The movie stars Claudia Jennings, Betty Anne Rees, Roberta Collins, Louis Quinn and Alan Vint. Review: I started watching another movie this morning but, while I didn't necessarily hate it and do still want to watch it, just didn't feel it. So, I turned it off and looked for another film and finally decided to watch The Unholy Rollers, which I had saved for some time. The film proved to be better than expected, though also not quite what I thought it would be. I'll start out by saying, for a movie about the roller derby, there is a ...

Synopsis: While eating a steak at a diner, bubble gum vendor Eddie Boyle rescues Patricia Smith from behind a stuck restroom door. They begin dating and she eventually agrees to marry him. However, Pat is still in love with Max, the surgeon she was in a relationship with until he agreed to an arranged marriage to an affluent woman to please his parents and provide financial backing for his practice. Things come to a head when Pat is seriously injured, and Eddie is forced to ask Max to perform the life-saving surgery. Who's in it? The movie stars Jack Oakie, Shirley Grey , Leon Ames , George Cooper and Alexander Carr. Review: I overslept by about 10 minutes this morning and, while there was still time to watch a movie, I had to settle for one that was shorter than my first choice. Uptown New York has been on my radar for a couple weeks, so I decided to give it a try. Overall, I think it was a good choice. I think the thing that surprised me most about this movie was the love tria...

Synopsis:  Malik and Imani Jeffries move into a house in the affluent Atlanta community of Harvey Hill only to discover their neighbor and homeowner's association president, Karen Drexler is a racist who despises Black people. At first, they attempt to ignore her but soon find themselves terrorized by their neighbor and her police officer brother, Michael Wind. Who's in it? The movie stars Taryn Manning , Cory Hardrict, Jasmine Burke, Roger Dorman and Gregory Alan Williams. Review: I had some errands to run yesterday afternoon and, when I got back home, my wife (recovering from her photoshoot) had found the film Karen on Amazon Prime. She had seen previews for it and thought it looked interesting so, in between making chili for dinner, I watched it with her. Overall, I found the movie exceeded expectations but also fell a bit short. I did like the overall premise of the film, mostly because it was believable. Malik (Hardrict) and his wife (Burke) were decent people who thoug...