Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After having an argument with her boyfriend, a Scotland Yard detective, Alice White leaves the restaurant with an artist, Mr. Crewe, and agrees to come up to his studio/apartment. Crewe attempts to rape Alice, forcing her to stab him in self-defense. Her boyfriend, Frank, discovers her glove at the scene and chooses to protect her. However, they are soon blackmailed by Tracy, a man who claims to have witnessed the murder. Who's in it? This Alfred Hitchcock directed movie stars Anny Ondra , John Longden , Donald Calthrop , Cyril Ritchard and Sara Allgood . Review: After watching a documentary about the making of Blackmail yesterday morning, I decided I wanted to watch it as soon as I had an opportunity. As it turns out, it was available on Amazon Prime, and I was able to watch it earlier today. I wasn't disappointed. The premise of the movie is a good one. Alice (Ondra) is a victim more than anything and was only trying to avoid being raped. If it weren't for ...

Synopsis: In 1929, legendary director Alfred Hitchcock released the film Blackmail , both as a silent film and a "talkie." While it wasn't his first movie, many believe the film is the first one to show his visionary style. This documentary both discusses the making of Blackmail and compares the movie to Hitchcock's later and better-known classics. Review: I had a list of movies to choose from this morning but picked Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail because it was the one with the shortest runtime and I needed to shovel snow before heading into the office. Overall, it turned out to be a good choice. I've seen a large number of Hitchcock films but not all of them and Blackmail remains one of the films that is still on that "must watch" list. The movie made me want to watch it even more. The "making of" portion of the film was intriguing. At the time Hitchcock made the movie, Talkies were still relatively new, and the film industry ...

Synopsis: When her lover, Sam, tells her he can't marry her until he's out of debt, Marion Crane decides to steal a $40,000 cash deposit that was entrusted to her by her employer and drive to California to be with her boyfriend. Feeling stressed and guilty after an encounter with a police officer and accidentally getting off the highway because of the rain, Marion checks into the Bates Motel and has a run-in with its mother-obsessed manager, Norman. Who's in it?  The movie stars Janet Leigh , Anthony Perkins , Vera Miles , John Gavin and Martin Balsam . Review: I came across this movie last night while my wife was taking a shower and, since it had been a while since I had an opportunity to watch it in its entirety, decided to do so. Even though I have seen this Alfred Hitchcock classic at least a dozen times, it still manages to impress me. Even though this movie is now roughly 63 years old, it still sets a standard when it comes to slasher movies. And that has very litt...

Synopsis: While traveling home by train, a successful amateur tennis player and aspiring politician shares a drink with a man he just met and is offered an opportunity to have his adulterous wife murdered in exchange for killing the other man's father. He chooses not to go along with the plan but, the stranger murders his wife anyway and threatens to frame him if he doesn't follow through with his end of the deal. You can read my review here:  https://wizzley.com/movie-review-strangers-on-a-train-1951/

Synopsis: A battle between a merchant marine ship and German U-boat results in both ships being sunk in the middle of the ocean. The merchant marine survivors take refuge on a single lifeboat but are short on food and water and don't know when they will be rescued. When they also rescue the captain of the U-boat that sunk them, it adds additional tension, especially when the captain may be the only person who can lead them to safety. Who's in it? The Alfred Hitchcock -directed movie stars Tallulah Bankhead , William Bendix , Canada Lee , Mary Anderson and Walter Slezak. Review: I came across this film on one of our movie channels this morning and, thinking it sounded somewhat interesting, I gave it some consideration. When I saw it was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, that sealed the deal. After watching it, I have to say I enjoyed it. Even if this movie had simply been about a group of survivors trapped on a small lifeboat, the good mix of characters would have made ...