Steven Helmer Publications

I am still getting used to the macro setting on my new camera. It works, just in a different way than my previous camera, and there are some nuances I'm still figuring out. I did manage to practice a bit with that on my walk today though, mostly trying to capture images of dragonflies near one of the ponds. Here are some of the photos I got: ______________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my other insect photos: Just a Butterfly Picture Butterfly Photo Dragonfly Another Dragonfly Photo

Synopsis: A once-promising boxer, Davey Gordon, loses yet another fight and decides he should move back to Seattle to work on his uncle's ranch. That same night, he saves his next-door neighbor, Gloria Price, from an attempted rape by her boss, Vinnie Rappalo. The two fall in love and Gloria decides to go with Davey to Seattle. However, when they attempt to collect their final paychecks, a series of events lead to Gloria being kidnapped and Davey being accused of murdering his manager. Who's in it? The movie stars Jamie Smith, Irene Kane, Frank Silvera, Jerry Jarrett and Felice Orlandi. Review: I came across Killer's Kiss on Screenpix's 25 movies to watch before you die list last night and, while I wasn't sure if I'd be interested in watching it at first, decided to do so after seeing it was written and directed by Stanley Kubrick. I watched it this morning and, while I could clearly tell it was a Kubrick movie and understand why it made that list, my opinion...

Synopsis: In this series debut, the Manhattan Criminal Court receives a brand-new judge, Harry Stone ( Harry Anderson ). His quirky nature quickly results questions about his competence, especially when he orders an attempted murder suspect (Peggy McCay) to try to work things out with her victim/husband (Joseph V. Perry) over lunch. My Thoughts - The lack of diversity in the original cast is noticeable . I suspect one of the main reasons why the show pivoted from Sheila Gardiner (Gail Strickland) to Liz Williams (Paula Kelly) at public defender after just one episode was to address this. Though, to be fair, I think it was a good change regardless of the reason. Obviously, one 30-minute episode isn't a big sample size, especially since Harry Stone was the focus. However, I could say the same about everyone else in the courtroom and they all managed to establish their characters to some degree while Sheila was mostly just there. On that note, I need to just take a moment to pay my r...

Synopsis: A forgotten-about cistern located in the roof of Bascom Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison causes a flood and reveals the skeleton of a long-hidden body and a visiting art professor, Nora Barnes, finds herself helping with the investigation, even after her own life is threatened. Her husband, Toby Sandler, also takes an interest in the case but is more interested in finding lost architectural plans drafted by Frank Lloyd Wright. Review: I didn't plan ahead when I went to the library last week and, with nothing on hold and no books on top of my list, I wandered the stacks looking for anything that caught my eye. The Bones of Bascom Hall wound up being one of the books I checked out, primarily because it takes place in a city I frequently visit and I liked the idea of a murder mystery in a familiar setting. I finished the book this morning and would describe it as OK. I liked the mystery surrounding the discovered body because it added some challenges that were u...

Synopsis: After his gang stops another shipment of vital supplies to a remote wild west town, Malgrove believes he'll be able to buy the local ranches for pennies on the dollar and mine them for gold. However, his plan has one sudden and unexpected obstacle, a stranger, John Carruthers, who has ridden into town and is helping the local sheriff investigate. Who's in it? The movie stars John Wayne , George 'Gabby' Hayes , Eleanor Hunt, Edward Peil, Sr. and Yakima Canutt . Review: I had time to scroll through movies while waiting for my daughter to get done with work last night and ultimately decided on Blue Steel . I watched it this morning and thought it was a good choice. One of the first things I noticed about this movie is it had a bit of a silent film-feel to it. There's not a ton of dialog and a lot of the story is told through body language and a whole lot of horse riding. This works in the movie's favor, I think. The plot isn't anything overly compl...

Synopsis: When Jerry Duncan is murdered after a dinner party, the police arrest Diana Amberson, who was seen entering his room right around the time he was killed and refuses to say why she was there. Mystery writer Harry Forrest, who is in love with Diana, believes her innocence, which is later proven when another guest is killed, and helps the police find the person who is responsible and why. Who's in it? The movie stars Jameson Thomas , Florence Britton, Lillian Rich, Lew Kelly , George 'Gabby' Hayes and Edmund Burns . Review: Some late morning/early afternoon storms are brought some much-needed rain today but also meant I couldn't go for a walk at lunch. Since I was stranded indoors, I finally decided to watch The Devil Plays , which had been in my library for a few weeks.  It was an OK movie but also seemed to lack something. The mystery itself was reasonably decent. The victim (Jack Trent) doesn't get a lot of screen time, but the movie gives just enough ...