Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: When Scotland Yard learns Anne Verinder's fiancé, Franklin Blake, is returning to England with a priceless and infamous Indian gemstone, Inspector Cuff becomes concerned it will be stolen. His fears are realized when the moonstone goes missing during the night, stolen out from under Anne's pillow while she slept. With no signs of forced entry, Cuff can only assume the thief was one of the people in the house, many with clear motives, His only clue to breaking the case comes from Anne's father, Sir John Verinder, who is bedridden and delirious from pneumonia. Who's in it? The movie stars David Manners , Phyllis Barry , Gustav von Seyffertitz, Charles Irwin and  Elspeth Dudgeon . Review: I've gotten away from my routine of watching a movie every morning before heading into the office and decided to try to fix that today. I didn't have any particular movie in mind this morning, so I picked the first one that looked somewhat interesting, The Moonstone. ...

 Here are my thoughts from today's Green Bay Packers' 45-27 win at the New England Patriots: That was a great quick start by the Packers. They capitalized on the early interception by Xavier McKinney and then made it look easy as they moved downfield on that second drive then eventually went up 17-0. Loved to see that because it set the right tone and gave them a buffer for later in the game, when the Patriots made some big plays of their own. So, what do we think of Matthew Golden now? I remember a lot of "fans" calling him a bust after his rookie year but he's quickly growing into a top receiver. That second scoring drive was all him. We can't forget about Christian Watson either. I thought for sure, with a broken rib, he'd have a limited impact in this game but that wasn't the case, making just as much of an impact as Golden throughout. And Savion Williams makes three. There doesn't seem to be anything Williams can't do, whether it is run...

I am having a bit of a lazy Sunday today. I did some random chores and started some chili in the crockpot but I'm mostly just waiting for the Packers to play later this afternoon. While doing that, I went through my camera roll and pulled a few I haven't bothered to edit before. Here are some of them: _____________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (8/19/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (8/20/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (7/23/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (7/6/2026)

Synopsis: Coping with her mother's illness, a pile of doctor bills and a recent job loss, Sistine reluctantly joins her friend, Hannah, on an alligator riverboat tour in Louisiana. Their tour guide, Rodrigo, takes them off the normal route in search of the swamp's largest known gator and the two friends, long with the boat's other passengers are soon stranded after being attacked by something none of them expected to see, a hippopotamus, leaving them fighting for their lives against the creature. Who's in it? The movie stars Madison Davenport , Tracey Bonner, Olivia Bernstone, Samantha Coughlan and River Codack. Review: When I came across Hungr y a few days ago, the description both made me roll my eyes a bit and yet intrigued me just enough to add it to my watch list. I convinced my wife to watch it with me last night and the film more than exceeded expectations. The idea of a hippo occupying the swamp in Louisiana seemed farfetched, but the movie does an OK job maki...

My youngest daughter is beginning to love horror movies and asked us to pick out something scary, so I went with the Final Destination films. This included Final Destination 2.  Here are my thoughts after I re-watched it for the first time in several years. What was the point of the leaking transmission fluid?  I mean, I know this series is known for its fake outs, but that puddle on Kimberly's (A. J. Coleman) driveway had zero impact on the plot. I thought that was a complete waste because the film could have had a clever callback to it by having one of the protagonists, believing they had escaped death, slip on it late in the film. The crash scene in this movie is iconic and lord knows, I move to the other lane whenever I get behind any truck hauling something like that log truck was. However, I suspect it wouldn't have been anywhere near as deadly had the drivers had brakes that worked and weren't (presumably based on the explosions) all choosing to haul dynamite. I can...

Synopsis : After learning she has new neighbors, Margaret Drysdale (Harriet E. MacGibbon) travels back to Beverly Hills to investigate. Meanwhile, the Clampetts discover the telephone. My Thoughts:  I was originally a bit surprised the show didn't introduce Mrs. Drysdale right away. However, after seeing the way, the established her both as a snob and a hypochondriac, I'm glad the series waited until the fourth episode and gave her intro the right amount of time, though it did end in a bit of a cliffhanger after she finally does meet them. For a guy who wanted Elly May ( Donna Douglas ) to dress more like a lady , Jed (Buddy Ebsen ) suddenly got ultra-conservative. That sundress was reasonably modest, even by 1960s standards I think, and she did wear a coverup for her swimsuit when she wasn't in the water. I'm not sure what Jed was expecting, Victorian-style fashion? I do kind of agree about his beauty contest objection though. I know it was part of a ruse to keep them...

Synopsis: In 1886, Herman W. Mudgett, under the alias Dr. Henry Howard Holmes or H. H. Holmes, moved to Chicago and after running a successful pharmacy business, built his "castle" on the corner of 63rd and Wallace Street. With the help of secret rooms, trap doors and a gas-fired furnace, he used his building to become the city's most notorious serial killer. This graphic novel tells his story. Review: I had to attend an event last night for my day job that both proved to be a bust and meant I didn't get home until much later than normal. I wanted something to read to settle myself down before bed and, since my wife recently finished reading it, gave The Beast of Chicago a try. I picked this book up at our library for her because I knew it would interest her. After reading it myself, I would describe it as an interesting and informative book. My wife and I both agreed the book likely left out some details, but it manages to give a good overview of H. H. Holmes'...

Synopsis: While Jed ( Buddy Ebsen ) and his family settle in Beverly Hills, Cousin Pearl ( Bea Benaderet ) watches over his family homestead and learns about his new home from oil man John Brewster ( Frank Wilcox ). My Thoughts:  It still baffles me Milburn Drysdale ( Raymond Bailey ) didn't do any research on the Clampetts. I know he only really cares about the millions they put in his bank but, based on his comment about Jed's "mansion" back home, it appears he didn't even realize Jed was a new millionaire and not someone who came from money. Even without the research, you would think he would have figured it out. I mean, just based on the truck they were driving and their clothes alone, it shouldn't have been difficult to determine they may not quite understand the concept of modern conveniences and had his secretary, Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) give them the basics on things like running water. Which brings me back to a previous question, why does Pearl se...

Synopsis: Milicent Patrick lived a full life in Hollywood. She worked in the animation department for Walt Disney, spent some time working as a model and, most famously, helped design the Gill Man costume for Creature from the Black Lagoon . However, because of her gender, most of her accomplishments, including that last one, have been erased from history and/or claimed by men. In this non-fiction biography, the author chases down Milicent's lost legacy and helps her reclaim credit for her work. Review: I love classic monster movies, but I am almost equally a fan of the history surrounding a lot of those classic films. So, when I learned about The Lady from the Black Lagoon, I decided to request a copy from my library and give it a read. I was not disappointed. Truth-be-told, I never heard the name Milicent Patrick before reading this book but, as it turns out, there is good reason for that - as much as she accomplished in her time in Hollywood, including one of the most iconic m...

Synopsis: No longer in high school, Slip Mahoney is struggling to hold onto a job, frustrating his sister, Mary, who has promised to take care of him. Not wanting to disappoint her, Slip reluctantly takes a job as a skip tracer and proves to be a natural. However, an assignment to serve a summon to auto thieves puts his life in danger and reveals information about Mary's boss, Herbert Sayers, just as she is about to travel to Mexico with him. Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey , Huntz Hall , Pamela Blake , John Eldredge and Bobby Jordan . Review: It had been a short while since I last watched a Bowery Boys movie and, after coming across Live Wires , the first film to introduce that version of Leo Gorcey and his crew, I decided to take the time to watch it. After finishing it, I have to say I liked it. While the movie was Slip (Gorcey) focused and had the rest of the Bowery Boys, even Sach (Hall) more in a supporting role, I thought the overall story was entertaining. I...

Synopsis: Bud and Lou are stranded in Egypt but see a way home if they can convince Dr. Gustav Zoomer to hire them to accompany the recently discovered mummy, Klaris, back to America. They, however, find Zoomer murdered and become the top suspects. In addition, they are hunted by both Klaris' followers and businesswoman Madame Rontru, seeking a medallion Lou found that is the key to finding a hidden treasure undead Klaris is guarding. Things become even more complicated for the duo when Lou accidentally swallows the artifact. Who's in it? The movie stars Bud Abbott , Lou Costello , Marie Windsor , Richard Deacon and Eddie Parker. Review: It had been a while since I watched Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy and while I remembered not liking it as much as their other monster-themed films, I couldn't remember the details. So, I decided to give it another try. After re-watching it, I concluded the movie is better than I remembered, though I still stand by my earlier opinio...

  My wife and I made a much-needed Costco run yesterday morning, and it didn't take long for us to be above the budget I had hoped we'd be able to stick to. Despite this, as we were walking through one of the freezer aisles, I spotted a box of Red's Meat Lovers Breakfast Burritos and, figuring it would be a good breakfast option for when I'm at my office, I picked them up. I gave the burritos a try this morning and thought they were worth the $14.99 I spent on the box of them. One of my biggest problems with store bought breakfast burritos is, more often than not, they don't have much in them. That was not the case with these. I had two of them for breakfast and only had maybe one bite that was just the outer wrapping with no meat or eggs in it. This both added flavor and made the burritos much more filling. I also thought the burritos had a good taste to them. The sausage was well-seasoned, giving it a bit of a kick without being too spicy while the cheese sauce al...

My oldest daughter and I handed out packets of hot cocoa to trick-or-treaters in shifts yesterday evening and, while she was taking her turn, I decided to move one of my trail cameras back to the backyard. I retrieved it this morning and learned it picked up quite a bit of activity back there. Here are some of the photos: ____________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my other trail camera photos: Trail Camera Photos (9/26/2026-9/27/2026) Trail Camera Photos (10/11/2026-10/12/2026) Trail Camera Photos (7/23/2026-7/24/2026) Trail Camera Photos (7/25/2026-7/26/2026)

I didn't see much on my walk today. I heard lots of movement but the things making the noise kept out of camera view. The lone exception was this blue heron, which I spotted on a fallen tree resting in a pond. It must have been hunting something because it ignored me as I got the photo. ____________________________________________________________________ Here are some other heron photos: A Couple Heron Photos (10/7/2026) Some Heron Photos Heron Photo Heron With Breakfast

Here are my thoughts from the Green Bay Packers' 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers: That was a great defensive effort. I'll forgive the late Carolina touchdown that made it a one-score game because it was a short week and fatigue was likely a factor. The defense is missing key players, but you wouldn't know it, getting six sacks and an interception against Bryce Young and holding the Panthers to just a field goal after three turnovers by the offense and special teams. The best part is they are only going to get better when Micah Parsons returns. That offensive line though. To be fair, I thought they did an OK job on pass plays, giving Jordan Love time to find receivers downfield and not allowing a sack. That makes their inability to block on run plays even more maddening. Josh Jacobs was giving it everything he had and only averaged 1.9 yards per carry. Injuries are obviously an issue there, but I'm not convinced that is the only problem. That Savion Williams run is ...

The drive to the factory was quiet, as had been the case for more than a year as mass unemployment and localized economic blight forced businesses to shutter and caused homes to be foreclosed upon and left vacant. The boarded-up windows and for sale signs would be a depressing sight for Greg if he didn’t view it as the cost of progress. It was nearly the third anniversary of his decision to copy other factories in the area and replace his human workforce with AI-powered androids. It was a massive financial investment, but Greg did not regret it.  The integration had been almost effortless. The androids were easier to train than most of his human employees had been. Just show them the task once and they would mimic it. With repetition, the androids learned and after the second or third upgrade, were even proactively making changes to make their work more efficient. It didn't take long for his android workers to surpass the productivity of a human workforce twice the size. Greg had g...

I put my trail camera out in front of my house on Tuesday and completely forgot about it until yesterday evening, when I decided to bring it in to make sure the batteries didn't get run down by having it so close to a popular bird feeder. The batteries do seem to be OK but there was quite a bit of activity in the time I had it out. Here are some of the more than 300 photos that were taken: ________________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous trail camera photos:  Trail Camera Photos (7/23/2026-7/24/2026) Trail Camera Photos (7/25/2026-7/26/2026) Trail Camera Photos (8/23/2026) Trail Camera Photos (11/10/2024-11/12/2024)

It was a bit cool out today, but I figured it is only a matter of time before the temps become much colder so, since the sun was out, I did get a walk in at lunch. Unfortunately, I didn't have too much luck photography wise. Most of the critters I saw were keeping their distance, making it hard to get a good photo even with the zoom lens on max. And I don't know what's up with those ducks. The second they spot me, they fly off, even if they are on the other side of the pond. I did, however, spot this squirrel as I was walking back to my car and managed to snap a photo of it before it too decided to go into hiding. _____________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Frog Photo A Couple Heron Photos (10/7/2026) Hiding Ducks Muskrat Photos

Synopsis: After famed explorer Quentin Mitchell goes missing on an expedition in South America, his wife, Louise, hires private detectives Jack Packard and Doc Long because she believes her stepdaughter Janet and Janet's boyfriend Rex Kennedy plan to kill her. Meanwhile, Janet and Rex believe Louise murdered her husband with the help of Quentin's partner, Arthur Logan. Things take a deadly turn when an assailant with a blowgun kills Louise's butler and the family dog, who always barks at strangers, remains quiet, raising the possibility of Quentin still being alive. The answer may come from a mysterious shrunken head discovered as cargo on a crashed plane. Who's in it? The movie stars Jim Bannon, Michael Duane, Barton Yarborough, Anita Louise , Mona Barrie, Frank Wilcox and Paul E. Burns. Review: I had planned on watching a different movie this morning but as I was looking for it, I came across The Devil's Mask and was intrigued enough by the description to give...

Synopsis: After being stranded on the island for 15 years, Gilligan finds a metal disc the Professor uses to fix their barometer just in time to predict a storm severe enough to cause a tsunami. They survive the storm by lashing their huts together as a boat and wind up at sea, where they are finally rescued. However, they find their return to society difficult, plus Gilligan is stalked by two Soviet spies seeking to retrieve their disc. Who's in it? The movie stars Bob Denver , Russell Johnson , Alan Hale Jr. , Jim Backus , Natalie Schafer , Dawn Wells and Judith Baldwin. Review: It had been decades since I last watched Rescue from Gilligan's Island, and I didn't remember a whole lot about the movie other than a few bits and pieces. So, when I came across the film this morning, I decided to take the time to watch it again. Overall, I would describe it as a film that was a good reunion movie but also far from perfect. I thought the overall premise about them being rescu...