Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: A struggling sculptor rescues a deformed mad man from the river, nurses him back to health and uses him as a model for his next work of art. However, frustrated by bad reviews, he eventually uses "The Creeper" to get revenge on the critics that have left him hungry and unable to pay his bills. Who's in it?  The movie stars Rondo Hatton, Robert Lowery , Virginia Grey , Martin Kosleck, Alan Napier and Bill Goodwin. Review: My oldest daughter and I watched House of Horrors some time ago but when I came across it again this evening, I didn't remember much about it. I gave it a chance, and it proved to be as good as I remembered. There is an award celebrating classic horror research creativity and preservation named and modeled after actor Rondo Hatton. This movie is a great example of the reasons why. His performance as the Creeper is one that stands the test of time, even nearly 80 years after this movie first was released. His character was a remorseless ki...

Synopsis: Television executive Frank Cross earned his position as president of IBC by being ambitious and ruthless. Now, two days before Christmas, he is set to make television history with a live, star-studded version of A Christmas Carol . However, his plans are soon disrupted when his deceased mentor visits him and concerned for Cross' future, arranges for the executive to meet three ghosts, putting Cross in danger of losing his job as he re-learns the spirit of Christmas. Who's in it?  The movie stars Bill Murray , Karen Allen , John Forsythe, Carol Kane and Bobcat Goldthwait. Review: I had some down time yesterday afternoon after running a bunch of errands yesterday morning and came across Scrooged on one of my movie sites. It had been a few years since I last watched the movie in its entirety, so I picked it. I wasn't disappointed with the decision. Without doing any real research, my guess is there are dozens of re-tellings of A Christmas Carol, including multiple...

Synopsis: Silent film actors Lucky Day, Dusty Bottoms and Ned Nederlander are best known for playing gunfighters known as the Three Amigos on the big screen. When they demand more money, they are instead fired by the studio but think they are catching a big break when they receive a telegram asking them to travel to a small Mexican to put on a private performance. When they arrive, however, they discover the village believes the Three Amigos are real and they have been summoned to fight a real-life gang of outlaws led by the vicious El Guapo. Who's in it? The movie stars Steve Martin , Chevy Chase , Martin Short, Alfonso Arau, Kai Wulff and Jon Lovitz. Review: My day job (AKA, how I pay my bills) requires me to use all my vacation time each year and I was home this afternoon as a result of that. I had some things planned for my free time but forgot about most of them when I came across Three Amigos! What can I say, I love this movie and re-watching it for the umpteenth time did...

Synopsis: Despite her name, Krissy Kringle is having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit. Her water heater doesn't work, her credit cards are maxed out, she just lost her job and her boyfriend of 6 years, Lance, doesn't seem interested in marrying her. To top it off, her name and the fact she lives on Candy Cane Lane results in her getting hundreds of letters meant for Santa Claus. Things begin to change for her when she accidentally receives Santa's Naughty or Nice list. However, while she initially thinks it is a blessing, Krissy's opinion soon changes when she learns about the naughty things those closest to her have done. Who's in it? The movie stars Hillarie Burton Morgan, Matt Dallas, Gabriel Tigerman, Danneel Ackles , Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross . Review: I have had Naughty or Nice in my movie library for a couple years and since my wife and I have never gotten around to watching the Hallmark film, I figured I'd give it a shot this morni...

I woke up this morning to the tragic news about director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. It's a horrible tragedy and my prayers go out to their family. I'm not the type of person who normally picks a movie based on who directed it but there are some exceptions. Rob Reiner is right up there with Mel Brooks, Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg in this regard, especially as someone who grew up in the 80s and early 90s, when he had some of his biggest hits. Here is my list of personal favorites: The Princess Bride (1987) What can I say, The Princess Bride is as perfect a movie as you're going to come across with something for just about everybody. There's action, adventure, romance, comedy, suspense, a bond between grandfather and grandson and arguably the best sword fighting scene in cinema history. Even my kids love it. Misery (1990) Not all Stephen King book adaptations are the same. Some are average films; others are horrible films. This movie is a great one. I stil...

Synopsis: The greedy Silas Barnaby wants to marry the beautiful Bo-Peep and when she rejects his proposal and instead decides to marry Tom-Tom, the Pied Piper, he threatens to evict her mother and her large family from the shoe they live in. Two boarders, Stannie and Ollie Dum offer to help by getting money from the toymaker they work for. However, their incompetence results in the pair being fired while other attempts to save the day end in disaster. The movie also goes by the title March of the Wooden Soldiers . Who's in it? The movie stars Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charlotte Henry , Felix Knight, Virginia Karns and Henry Brandon . Review: As I search for new (and old) movies to watch, I am sometimes amazed with some of the inaccurate film descriptions that are out there. It's honestly as though the people who wrote them didn't bother watching the movie. In the case of Babes in Toyland , for example, the photo showed the 1986 Drew Barrymore movie, the description was ...