Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Needing a break after one of her sources was murdered in front of her, investigative reporter Laura Blacklock accepts an invitation to join a cancer-stricken billionaire onboard a superyacht sailing to Norway as part of a one-of-a-kind cancer research fundraiser. Laura believes the trip, which includes many other wealthy elites, will allow her to restore her faith in humanity by writing a soft feel-good story. However, on the first night of the cruise, she witnesses the woman in the cabin next to hers go overboard, only to be told she was mistaken and there was nobody in Cabin 10. Then, when Laura digs further and finds evidence she didn't imagine the event, she finds her own life in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Keira Knightley , Guy Pearce, David Ajala, Lisa Loven Kongsli and Gitte Witt. Review: I've had The Woman in Cabin 10 saved to my movie library for several months because, from the description, it sounded like it would be an intriguing mystery a...

Synopsis: Passengers and crew onboard a late-night train between London and Eastborough break down in a remote forested area and soon after, the driver disappears while assessing the damage. Despite pleas from the train security guard, Joe Griffin, the passengers insist on walking rather than waiting for rescue, only to discover they are being hunted by a pack of werewolves. Who's in it? The movie stars Elliot Cowan, Rosie Day, Calvin Dean, Sam Gittins and Sean Pertwee . Review: We had a lazy day yesterday. Well, my wife did at least- I actually did a few chores. This allowed us to find time to watch some movies throughout the day and, after getting a bit bored with the films we've seen before, I convinced her to continue our train-themed horror movie weekend with Howl . Of the three train-themed horror movies we watched, this one was arguably my favorite. I think the thing I liked best about this film was, from basically the time the train stopped onward, it was a legitimat...

Synopsis: British citizen Victoria Barton travels with her older brother/guardian Johnny to Paris to see the World's Fair and the siblings check into two rooms at Hôtel de la Licorne. The next morning, Victoria wakes up and discovers both her brother and his hotel room are missing and the hotel's owners insist she arrived alone. With limited ability to speak French, she tries to find help, only to find none of the authorities will believe her without proof. Who's in it? The movie stars Jean Simmons, Dirk Bogarde, David Tomlinson, Honor Blackman and Cathleen Nesbitt. Review: I came across So Long at the Fair a couple weeks ago and thought the plot sounded intriguing enough to add to my library. I ended up watching it this morning and it proved to be an OK choice that ultimately left me wanting. The thing that intrigued me most about this movie was the somewhat complicated, albeit successful, attempt to gaslight Victoria (Simmons). It was unclear what the motive was. Whi...

Synopsis: Twenty-eight years after the Rage virus was released, the world has it contained to the British Isles, which are under quarantine with the remaining survivors cut off to from the outside world. Twelve-year-old Spike is one of those survivors and as a rite of passage, is taken into the wilderness by his father to learn how to kill the infected. When Spike learns a doctor lives in isolation among the infected, he takes his mother, stricken with an unknown illness, back into danger to try to get her help. Along the way, they end up with a newborn that was birthed by one of the infected but appears perfectly healthy. Who's in it? The movie stars Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer , Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and Chi Lewis-Parry. Review: I'm not going to lie, even after trying to give 28 Days Later another chance, I just wasn't a big fan of that film. I didn't hate it, I just thought it wasn't as good as so many other zombie-themed movies and the sequel ...

Synopsis: A British scientist, Dr. Abner Perry, and American financier David Innes build a drilling machine in Victorian times and use their "Iron Mole" to explore underneath the Earth's crust. To their surprise, they end up in an underground prehistoric land with strange, deadly beasts and a human population that is enslaved by the ape-like Sagoths, which are under the telepathic control of the Mahars, a species of pterosaurs. After being captured with the rest of the humans, David falls in love with a princess, Dia, and goes to her rescue when she is chosen as a sacrifice. Who's in it? The movie stars Peter Cushing , Doug McClure, Caroline Munro, Godfrey James and Cy Grant. Review: I came across At the Earth's Core last night, while looking for a movie to watch this morning. While it is a premise that has been done many times before (and after), I saw it started Peter Cushing and figured I'd give it a try as a result.  The movie certainly turned out to ...

Synopsis: While riding his bike home from school, Michael Darling is kidnapped by a psychopath calling himself Peter Pan, who has a history of abducting young boys and, with the help of his heroin-addicted partner, Tinkerbell, murders them so they can go to Neverland. It's up to Michael's sister, Wendy, to save the day. Who's in it? The movie stars Martin Portlock, Megan Placito, Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney and Campbell Wallace. Review: My wife and I came across Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare on Peacock a couple days ago and decided to watch it last night. The film turned out to be nothing like what I was expecting, or even like the description. As a result of that, I'm still a bit undecided about what I think about it. The idea of Peter Pan (Portlock) being both an adult and a child abductor/murderer was an intriguing one. It was a modern and realistic take on a classic story that had good mix of horror and suspense, especially since Peter was a bit unp...

Synopsis: Two hitmen working for a mysterious crime boss and a schoolteacher dying from cancer cross paths with a waitress/stripper, Annie, in a train terminal cafe. Only, Annie isn't quite as she seems. Who's in it? The movie stars Margot Robbie , Simon Pegg , Dexter Fletcher , Mike Myers and Max Irons. Synopsis: My wife and I ended up watching Terminal last night because we found it just as it was coming on and figured the bird in hand would be better than spending an hour trying to find another film we both wanted to see. I didn't know much about the movie, other than recognizing the people who starred in it. After watching it, I think the best way to describe my feelings would be to say I was a bit overwhelmed. I'll start out by saying Margot Robbie was an excellent choice as Annie. It was an intriguing role that essentially had her playing multiple characters - the understanding waitress, the sensual stripper, the cold-hearted assassin and even a surprise chara...

Synopsis: When a thick and persistent fog cancels all flights at the London Airport, bus driver Percy Lamb is given the task of transporting several passengers to Blackbushe Airport. The hapless Percy almost immediately gets lost in the fog and already unable to figure out his bearings, he learns stolen gold bullion has been stashed on his bus, along with one of the robbers. Who's in it? The movie stars Frankie Howerd , Margaret Rutherford , Belinda Lee , Petula Clark and Terence Alexander. Review: Due to a time crunch this morning, I looked for a movie that was relatively short and picked The Runaway Bus as a result. I wasn't sure what to expect from the film, other than it was a comedy. After seeing it, my opinion was mixed. because this was one of those movies that, while not terrible, would have been considerably better if filmed for a different genre.  The film had two good things going for it. First, the getting lost in the fog part added an intriguing element becaus...

Synopsis: In 1795, Catherine marries Charles Fengriffin and moves into his family estate. Almost immediately after arriving, she begins having strange encounters, including being attacked by a severed hand on her wedding night and seeing the apparition of a horribly disfigured man. She becomes convinced her life is in danger, especially after she becomes pregnant. However, her husband, who clearly knows something, won't answer her questions and anyone who tries to help her winds up dead, slowly driving her insane. Who's in it? The movie stars Stephanie Beacham , Peter Cushing , Ian Ogilvy , Geoffrey Whitehead and Sally Harrison . Review: I added And Now the Screaming Starts! to my library a couple weeks ago, mostly because it sounded intriguing. I finally got around to watching it this morning and, while it wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be, it still ended up being a halfway decent choice. From the description about a sentient severed hand, I figured this would ...

Synopsis: A World War II Royal Air Force squadron led by American Wing Commander Roy Grant is given the task of destroying a German rocket fuel plant in Norway. The plant's hidden location means the squadron can only destroy it by bombing an overhanging cliff until it collapses. Making the mission even more dangerous is the failure to destroy anti-aircraft guns beforehand, putting the No. 633 Squadron at risk of a suicide mission. Who's in it? The movie stars Cliff Robertson ,  George Chakiris , Maria Perschy , Harry Andrews and Donald Houston . Review: I ended up picking 633 Squadron this morning much in the same way I picked yesterday's film , it came first alphabetically on my library list. At first, I wasn't too sure what to think about the movie, which featured a fictional mission rather than a real-life event. However, it ended up being an OK choice. The film is what I would describe as a basic war movie. There is a firm mission and objective established earl...

Synopsis: Raven agrees to travel to England, pose as a student at a British boarding school and locate a hidden room containing the Jack-in-the-box that houses a deadly demon so she can hand it over to a collector who has agreed to pay off her father's debts before he is killed. Despite the prison-like atmosphere of the all-girl school, Raven manages to complete the first part of the task. However, before she can leave with the box, someone turns the handle and releases the demon, which immediately begins collecting six souls. Who's in it? The movie stars  Isabella Colby Browne ,  Nicholas Anscombe , Leona Clarke , Anna Blackburn and Jade Groves . Review: After watching binge watching the first four Leprechaun movies earlier this week, I was in the mood for something different and when I saw Amazon Prime had The Jack in the Box Rises , decided to pick that movie for last night. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this film because, while I liked the first two The Ja...

Synopsis: Expectant father, Danny, moves into the house of wealthy widow Mrs. Bramson so he can be closer to his pregnant girlfriend, Dora. Danny is friendly and charming and quickly wins over the house's other occupant, Olivia, Mrs. Bramson's daughter, leading to a love triangle. However, what none of the women know is Danny is an axe murderer who is keeping a head in a hatbox. Who's in it? The movie stars Albert Finney , Susan Hampshire , Mona Washbourne , Sheila Hancock and Michael Medwin . Review: I have had Night Must Fall in my library for a couple of weeks and after failing to decide on an alternative this morning, finally watched it. It was an intriguing film but ultimately left me with mixed feelings. Albert Finney's performance as Danny is the thing that really stands out about this film. He pulls off the role perfectly, believably charming to the point you can understand why all three women in the house are practically swooning over him but when the time ...

Synopsis: After being unemployed for months with little hope of finding decent employment, a group of former steel workers decide to perform as male strippers despite not having the bodies associated with that type of performance. Their rehearsals go well but as word gets out about their plan, they begin having second thoughts. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Carlyle , Tom Wilkinson , Mark Addy , Wim Snape and Paul Barber . Review: After finally watching the television special The Real Full Monty  with my wife a couple days ago, I decided it was about time for us to re-watch the movie that inspired it . As luck would have it, I already had it saved to my library, so we saw it again tonight. It is as good as I remembered it. I'll start out by saying the premise and execution of this movie are outstanding. Watching the group of men come up with a seemingly farfetched idea and making it come to fruition was both entertaining and sometimes funny. There were also quite a few...

Synopsis: After one of his patients dies in 1880, Dr. John Pierre is convicted of malpractice and sentenced to life's imprisonment in a penal colony but is instead sent to a prison for the criminally insane run by Dr. Callistratus. Callistratus puts John in charge of helping with blood transfusion experiments on inmates, something he is very uncomfortable with even before he discovers the horrifying reason for the experiments. Who's in it? The movie stars Donald Wolfit , Vincent Ball , Barbara Shelley , Victor Maddern and Andrew Faulds . Review: I had planned on watching another movie this morning but decided on Blood of the Vampire instead because it popped up on the list first. Unfortunately, this one wound up being a rare miss for me as far as movie choices are concerned. The premise of this movie isn't an awful one. In fact, the idea of putting a scientific spin on vampirism is somewhat intriguing. Callistratus (Wolfit) isn't some supernatural demon, he's a...

Synopsis: A college student, Amanda, accepts a babysitting job from a new family in town. The parents seem friendly but the mother, Helen, seems a bit elusive whenever Amanda asks questions. Once she is left alone in the house, however, Amanda discovers the truth, the man Helen lives with isn't her real husband. Instead, her real husband and the child's father, Brian, has been institutionalized, has escaped and is now trying to get inside the house. Who's in it? The movie stars Honor Blackman , Susan George , George Cole , Ian Bannen and Tara Collinson. Review: I came across Fright while scrolling through movies on Amazon Prime yesterday. While it sounded similar to plenty of other horror movies/thrillers I've seen, I figured I'd give it a try this morning since I had some extra time before needing to head into the office. While I don't think it was the best movie I've seen from this genre, it ended up being OK. The movie does a decent job building up th...

Synopsis: Given only one more month to live because of the bone cancer that has left her bedridden, the wealthy Olga Marsdale obtains an ancient Jack in the Box and makes a deal with the demon inside - the lives of six victims in exchange for healing her. Her son reluctantly helps her find victims but the new housekeeper, Amy Proctor, begins to suspect something is going on. Who's in it? The movie stars  Matt McClure , Nicola Wright , James Swanton , Mollie Hindle and  Michaela Longden .  Review: While my wife and I found a lot of things wrong with The Jack in the Box when we watched it earlier this month, we were both interested in seeing if the sequel  The Jack in the Box: Awakening would be any better. After all, the premise wasn't terrible, just the overall execution. We finally got around to doing that last night and, unfortunately, our opinion about the franchise really didn't change. I thought the plot had some good things going for it. The idea of summo...

Synopsis: Still in mourning over the murder of his fiancée, American Casey Reynolds moves to England and takes a job at a small museum. While sorting through artifacts, he discovers an old Jack in the box toy and turns the handle to make the clown pop out. What Casey doesn't know is the "Jack" in this toy is also a demon and, now that it's been released, will kill six people. Who's in it? The movie stars Ethan Taylor , Robert Strange , Lucy-Jane Quinlan , Philip Ridout and Darrie Gardner . Review: It had been a few days since my wife and I had watched a movie together and I had seen The Jack in the Box  on Amazon Prime. I didn't know a whole lot about this movie, other than it seemed to be popular enough to generate sequels, but I didn't find anything that looked better, so we gave it a try. Overall, I'd say this wasn't a terrible movie. However, it also wasn't one of the better ones we've watched. I think the biggest problem for me was...

Synopsis : A space shuttle crew encounters an alien vehicle while doing research on the passing Halley's Comet. The alien craft contains seemingly dead bat-like creatures as well as three well-preserved human-like beings. By the time the shuttle returns to Earth, all onboard are dead but the three preserved bodies remain intact and are recovered for research. Unfortunately, the aliens also happen to be vampires capable of sucking a person's lifeforce from their body and turn them into one of their own. Who's in it? The movie stars Steve Railsback , Mathilda May , Frank Finlay , Patrick Stewart and Peter Firth. Review: I had heard about the movie Lifeforce before but couldn't remember if I had ever seen it. Since we were looking for something to watch anyway and this happened to be available on Amazon Prime, my wife and I gave it a try last night. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as we hoped it would be. This movie is a great example of a good premise that gets w...

Synopsis: After traveling throughout Britain and assembling his Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur is given a quest by God to seek out the Holy Grail. He and his knights accept the challenge and encounter a series of obstacles including everything from a man-killing rabbit to a group of rude French knights guarding a castle. Who's in it?   The movie stars Graham Chapman , John Cleese , Eric Idle , Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones . You can read my review here:  Movie Review: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) (wizzley.com)

Synopsis: When Donald Wallace attends an exclusive boarding school following his father's death, he has a hard time fitting in and only stays because he has a crust on fellow student, Clemsie Lawrence. After breaking school rules by visiting a nearby fracking operation and raising concerns about the environmental damage it is doing to school grounds, Don is punished by being forced to stay on campus during the students' break and finds himself rallying the few friends he has when the subterranean monsters Slaughterhouse was built to contain escape through a sinkhole caused by the fracking. Who's in it? The movie stars Finn Cole ,  Hermione Corfield ,  Asa Butterfield , Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Review: We spent most of our day at a city-wide holiday event in Ripon yesterday and, when we got home in the evening, thought about topping the day off with a Christmas movie. However, I wasn't able to decide on one and, after scrolling through our movie channels, came acr...