Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: High school senior Cal has a deceased dad, a mom he rarely sees and is constantly bullied at school by members of the football team, especially the star quarterback, Vic. The only things he has going for him as he waits until graduation and the opportunity to escape via college are his new girlfriend, Cecily, and the stray dog he adopted, Runt. When his confrontations with Vic lead to both Cecily and Runt becoming victims, it triggers a downward and violent spiral Cal may not be able to recover from. Who's in it? The movie stars Cameron Boyce, Jason Patric , Aramis Knight, Gabrielle Haugh , Cyrus Arnold , Charlie Gillespie and Brianna Hildebrand . Review: My wife decided to pick out last night's movie and ultimately settled on Runt , which was a film she saw a clip from some time ago and added to our library. I don't think the movie turned out to be what she was expecting it to be. It turned out to be, however, an intriguing albeit depressing drama. What helpe...

  My wife and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary this weekend and decided to change things up a bit by having an overnight trip out of town. As luck would have it, there was a Michael Jackson tribute concert at Ho-Chunk Gaming and Resort in Baraboo, WI so we decided to go there. We've been here before, but the last time was when they were still going through a major remodel. Unfortunately, our most recent stay wasn't as enjoyable as we were hoping. To start, for the record, yes, we did gamble at the casino and did not do very well on the slot machines. However, we also went to the casino fully expecting that as a possibility and because of that, kept to a very strict limit on what we were willing to lose. So, as far as that is concerned, it wasn't a positive nor a negative as far as my overall opinion is concerned. I'll start out with the good. The concert, which featured tribute artist Barry Dean, was better than expected. The sound quality probably could have b...

Synopsis: American newspaperman John Lawrence travels to a remote village in Scotland where Professor Elliott and his assistant, Dr. Mears, are using a telescope to study the newly discovered Planet X. When the professor's daughter, Enid, discovers an alien from the planet has landed in the moors, the men attempt to communicate with the creature. However, it instead uses a ray to take of control Prof. Elliott, Mears, Enid and several villagers and forces them to help it prepare for an invasion. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Clarke , Margaret Field, Raymond Bond, William Schallert and David Ormont. Review: I've had The Man from Planet X in my movie library for some time now but, every time I planned on watching it, I always ended up picking a different movie instead. I finally changed that this morning. Overall, I thought it was an entertaining film despite falling short in some areas. As far as the premise is concerned, I thought it was a good one. This was mostly...

Synopsis: The evil scientist Dr. Who has discovered a large deposit of Element X at the North Pole and his excavation is being financed by a rogue nation that is looking to use the element as part of its plan for world domination. When his robot replica of King Kong fails to function correctly because of the element's radiation, he instead captures the real King Kong and enslaves him. Who's in it?  The movie stars Rhodes Reason , Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Hideyo Amamoto and Akira Takarada. Review: I've been a classic Japanese monster movie fan since I was a kid and do occasionally find time to re-watch some of my favorites. This included this morning, when I came across King Kong Escapes . It had been a while since I last saw the film and didn't remember a whole lot about it, but it ended up being a good choice. And that isn't just because of the main villain's name (which sounds like the title character from Doctor Who ). One thing I liked about this movie was ...

Synopsis: With more than 1 million sunken ships, including some that are thousands of years old, the ocean floors can arguably be considered the largest museum in the world. The author makes a case for this as he discusses the various shipwrecks, including some he's visited in person, while also discussing the reasons those ships sunk in the first place. Review: I was at our local library a couple weeks ago and as is my habit, I stopped by the new book section on my way to the front desk to pick up the books I had on hold. The Great Museum of the Sea caught my eye mostly because of my recent visit to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and I decided to check it out. Overall, I have to say it was a good choice. I think the thing I liked most about this book is how the author didn't just discuss shipwrecks and instead put those shipwrecks in the context of human history. This includes plenty of examples of how human greed resulted in lost ships and lives, including quite a few that...

Synopsis: After barely surviving a brutal attack by three masked strangers that left her boyfriend, Ryan, dead, Maya wakes up in a hospital. With the local sheriff brushing off her story and the hospital staff reluctant to answer her questions, Maya, with the help of her friends, arranges to be transported to another hospital further away. However, the assailants, learning she is alive, strike first, forcing her to flee into the woods wearing just a hospital gown and with no idea if there is anyone she can trust. Who's in it? The movie stars  Madelaine Petsch , Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Brooke Lena Johnson and Richard Brake. Review: My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by The Strangers: Chapter 1 this weekend so, after spending the day digging out from a blizzard and too tired to do much else as a result, we ended up watching The Strangers: Chapter 2 yesterday evening. Overall, I will say I was happy with that choice. I'm not going to lie; there were plenty of times w...