Steven Helmer Publications

Stormcloud has been at her station early this morning, guarding our house from the birds and, more importantly, squirrels that dare to visit the patio table bird feeder.  She's doing a great job. Not a single one of them has gotten in the house yet. ____________________________________________________________________ Here are some other cat photos: Just a Cat Photo Just Some Random Cat Photos Pizza Box Cat I Don't Know About that Cat

Synopsis: A giant, prehistoric ancestor of the praying mantis is released from an iceberg in the Arctic. After attacking a military-run early warning radar system, the bug flies south and attacks both New York City and Washington D. C. while military officials and scientists try to figure out a way to stop it. Who's in it?  The movie stars Craig Stevens, William Hopper , Alix Talton, Phil Harvey and Donald Randolph. Review : I like most classic monster movies, but giant bug movies are admittedly my favorite. So, since it had been nearly a decade since I last watched The Deadly Mantis , I decided to take time this morning to see it again.  My opinion of it was pretty much what I remembered it being the last time I saw it - It's a film with good things going for it but falls short of what it could be. The overall plot of the film is OK. Many movies like this have bugs that are abnormally large because of a science experiment or exposure to nuclear radiation but, in this case, ...

Synopsis: After experiencing back-to-back heartbreaks, Agatha Raisin is determined to avoid any sort of relationship with her new neighbor, Paul Chatterton. However, when Paul convinces her to investigate a reported haunted house, she readily accepts and soon finds herself falling for him - only to learn he is married. Any hopes of cutting Paul off completely is then dashed when Mrs. Witherspoon, the owner of the haunted home, dies under mysterious circumstances and Agatha finds herself involved in yet another murder investigation. Review: After taking a short break from Agatha Raisin mysteries, I checked Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House out from my local library and gave it a shot. While my opinion of the oft-heartbroken detective has remained mixed, I have enjoyed some of the more recent books more than the earlier ones. Unfortunately, this one proved to be more of a step backwards. There were things about the book I did like. For one, I was much more intrigued by Agatha's ...

I just learned today is the 32nd anniversary of us losing comedy legend John Candy (I honestly didn't realize it had been that long). He was a comedian I grew up watching and one of those actors who could steal the spotlight even in a minor role. So, to honor his memory, here are my five favorite John Candy movies. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) When someone mentions Candy, this is always the first movie that comes to mind. His Del Griffith character is funny, especially when paired up with Steve Martin 's Neal Page, but also manages to have a few surprises up his sleeve throughout the film as well. Spaceballs (1987) There are a ton of memorable characters in this Mel Brooks film, and I can't wait to see them in the long-awaited sequel, but Candy's half human/half dog character Barf is the one that arguably kicks this up a notch, whether it's from his various one-liners or the physical comedy. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) Candy isn't the star o...

My wife and I enjoyed the first season of The Traitors enough to give the second season a try and, after finishing it in record time, here are some of my thoughts: I am just not a fan of the whole reality star thing. For one, I think there is an assumption everyone watching this show watches a lot of other reality shows and I certainly don't fall in that category. As a result, it felt as though I was expected to know who the contestants were in advance.  On top of it, the fact they divided into fractions based on their show/network did kind of ruin this season for me a bit and made me question if their established friendships/working relationships also meant they were revealing their identity as a Faithful/Traitor off camera.  At minimum, there were quite a few put on the hot seat because of what they did on other shows. That felt like an unnecessary cheat, especially when one of the guesses based almost solely on that was correct. On the flip side, there were too many not on...

Synopsis: A recently disfigured ex-violinist is wanted for murder and "haunts" a Paris opera house while taking extreme measures to help a young singer he has become obsessed with. Who's in it? The movie stars Claude Rains , Susanna Foster, Edgar Barrier , Nelson Eddy and Jane Farrar. Review: I recently watched another movie that had Claude Rains in it and thought to myself "it's been ages since I watched Phantom of the Opera ." So, when I had some free time early this morning before heading into the office, I decided to give it a re-watch.  The movie is as good as I remembered. For the record, I do still prefer the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film version slightly more because Chaney's version of the Phantom was quite a bit creepier. However, this movie is a very close second. A big part of the reason for this is Rains' overall performance, creating a Phantom character that was about as unlikeable as you could make a movie villain. He murdered people,...