Steven Helmer Publications

Along with classic movies, I am a big fan of (some) classic television shows and there are few more classic than Gilligan's Island . I never miss an opportunity to watch a rerun and there isn't an episode of that series, which went off the air eight years before I was born, I haven't seen at least a dozen times. One thing that has always bothered me about the show, however, is the perception the title character, Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) is the reason the castaways went three seasons and a movie without being rescued. While this is true some (most) of the time, the other castaways made their share of mistakes as well, unjustly not receiving their share of the blame. Here are some examples. Gilligan wasn't the one who sunk the raft with gold ( The Big Gold Strike ). OK, maybe Gilligan deserves part of the blame for discovering the gold mine in the first place. However, when the Professor ( Russell Johnson ) said no added weight in the recently repaired raft, even he didn...

Synopsis: When a meteorite crashes in rural Wisconsin, it opens a door to another dimension. Soon after, local residents are terrorized by giant, man-eating spiders. Their only hope is closing the dimensional door to prevent even more monsters from escaping. Who's in it? The movie stars Steve Brodie , Barbara Hale, Alan Hale, Jr ., Robert Easton, Diane Lee Hart and Kevin Brodie. Review: It had been a long while since I last watched The Giant Spider Invasion so, when I came across it on Amazon Prime and realized it too was celebrating its 50th birthday, I made sure to add it to my list. My wife and I watched it today and it was about as I remembered it. The special effects were about what you would expect to see from a movie in this genre made in the 1970s. While there were some very creepy moments involving the smaller spiders (and a few gross ones too), the giant ones were a bit on the ridiculous side. However, the movie's dialog, especially from the sheriff (Hale, Jr.) ma...

Synopsis : When a savings and loan is robbed by men who seem to know the bank a little too well, Lt. Sam Wagner figures out a mild-mannered bank teller, Leon Poole, was an inside man and he, along with other police officers, corner Poole in his apartment. Believing he is alone; they enter a shootout with Poole and Wagner accidentally kill's Poole's wife. Two years later, Poole escapes prison and seeks to get revenge by murdering Wagner's wife. Who's in it? The movie stars Joseph Cotten , Wendall Corey , Rhonda Fleming , John Beradino and Alan Hale, Jr. Review: I came across this movie a couple days ago and, thinking it sounded interesting, added it to my library. I had a chance to watch it earlier today and it turned out to be a good choice. There were a couple things about this movie I liked in particular. One of the main ones as the antagonist, Poole (Corey). He was a character that was insane enough to make his scenes unpredictable and intense but also mild-manner...

Synopsis: When a crate full of moldable plastic washes up on the island, the castaways come up with a variety of uses for the substance, including fixing Gilligan's ( Bob Denver ) teeth. What they don't know is the clay becomes explosive once it hardens. My Thoughts : That scientist ( Kirk Duncan ) sure was nonchalant when holding that explosive ash tray. If I knew it could blow up the entire room if dropped, I'd definitely make sure I had two hands on it and certainly wouldn't risk handing it to someone I just met. In fact, the whole idea seems a bit impractical when you think about it. It would be different if you needed a heat source or some sort of detonator to set it off. Something that can explode just because you drop it seems like it would result in a lot of accidental secret agent deaths. Wow, the Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) sure is a snob all of a sudden. I am, of course, basing this on his complaint about Gilligan finding a crate full of clothes "reje...

Synopsis: When an experimental robot lands on the island, the castaways try to program it to help with their rescue. However, when they are unable to get it to help even with simple chores, rescuing them seems to be even beyond its reach. My Thoughts: The Skipper ( Alan Hale, Jr. ) not believing in a lucky rabbit's foot seems a bit out of character. He has to be one of the most superstitious characters in television history but still draws the line at Gilligan's ( Bob Denver ) good luck charm? This is the same guy who quickly blamed thefts from the supply hut on voodoo. The Skipper and Professor ( Russell Johnson ) seriously did not see that robot standing there? Gilligan couldn't have walked away more than a few dozen feet in a straight line before bumping into it. I think a pair of castaways need to get their eyes checked. Gilligan at least had an excuse; his nose was buried in comic book. The Air Force sure gave up on searching for their missing robot awfully quick. ...