Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: For 1,000 years, Santa Claus, the spawn of Satan, has been cursed to deliver presents to children around the world. Now that the 1,000 years is up, he is free to return to his murderous ways and takes his wrath out on a small town in Canada. It's up to teenager Nicholas Yuleson to stop him. Who's in it? The movie stars Bill Goldberg, Douglas Smith, Emilie de Raven, Dave Thomas and Fran Drescher. Review: My wife and I were having a slow start to our Christmas Eve and as we were scrolling through channels, came across Santa's Slay . I had lowered expectations about this movie, but it ended up being surprisingly good. I think the thing I liked best about this film is it found just the right amount of balance to be a decent horror/comedy. The film clearly wasn't taking itself seriously and keeping things entertaining but the filmmakers knew to stop before it reached a point it was too goofy. It actually reminded me a lot of a 1980s horror film even though it wa...

One of my favorite things about this time of year is being able to watch, or rewatch, holiday movies. They are inspiring, have some great stories and in the case of Christmas-themed horror movies, often have some memorable villains. And let's face it, without a good villain (even when that villain also happens to be the protagonist), Christmas movies often fall flat. Something I've noticed with holiday movies though is there are often villains that go unnoticed or at least unrecognized for their efforts. Here are five of my examples: Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi, Die Hard (1988) -  To start, yes, I consider Die Hard a Christmas movie. All the arguments to the contrary could also be used to describe plenty of other recognized Christmas films and therefore are invalid in my book.  While Hans Gruber ( Alan Rickman ) is obviously the main villain in this film, Takagi (James Shigeta) deserves recognition as well because what kind of employer holds a company party on Christmas Eve? Th...

Synopsis: Chicago divorce attorney Lucy's hard work has paid off with a Christmas Eve promotion to partner at her law firm. It has, however, come at the expense of her relationship with her family, her best friend, Nadine, and the guy she was once in love with, Matt. When she bumps into Matt at a cafe, it brings back old feelings and soon after, she is transported back to 1999 by a magical rideshare driver. At first, Lucy thinks it is an opportunity to correct the mistakes she made when she was 19 but she soon learns if she makes any changes, it will drastically alter her future and cost her the promotion. Who's in it? The movie stars Eva Bourne, Chandler Massey , Katherine Barrell, Alex Hook and Jenny Raven. Review: I've had A '90s Christmas in my movie library for about a year and as I was looking for a movie to watch, I decided to finally give the Hallmark movie a try. Overall, I think I can safely say it was better than I expected. I don't say this about a l...

Synopsis: Isabel takes her job as an inspector for Santa's naughty-or-nice list seriously and is in line for a promotion. However, when doing a re-evaluation of Charlie, an 11-year-old girl on the naughty list, she falls for Charlie's widowed father, Jason, and breaks a number of rules by dating him. As she puts her job in jeopardy, Isabel realizes there is a lot of gray area between naughty and nice and begins to question the overall system. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Andrew W. Walker , Cadence Compton, Steve Bacic and Louriza Tronco. Review: My wife and I still haven't found much time to do our annual Hallmark Christmas movie watching but since we were both home at a reasonable hour this evening, I convinced her to at least watch Lacey Chabert's latest film, She's Making a List . Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the magical film we were hoping for. One common complaint I have with films is many get ruined by trying to do too much. This ...

Synopsis: After losing his job, Chris Carver becomes determined to win an annual Christmas decorating contest and its $100,000 prize. His search for additional decorations leads him to a Christmas shop located under a freeway and to the elf running the place, Pepper. Chris purchases a tree based on the song "12 Days of Christmas" but doesn't read the fine print on the receipt. Soon after, the various gifts from the song become real, wreaking havoc on Chris and his family. He then learns he must retrieve the golden rings by 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve or he will be turned into a glass Christmas figurine. Who's in it? The movie stars Eddie Murphy , Jillian Bell, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Alan Grier and Madison Thomas. Review: As someone who is Gen X, I still prefer the 1980s/early 90s Eddie Murphy to the family-friendly movie version today. However, when I came across Candy Cane Lane , I was intrigued enough by the plot to give him and the movie a try. After watching it ...

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: 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...

Synopsis: As Christmas approaches and a radio station deejay plays holiday music, a group of documentary students are terrorized at a haunted boarding school, a child is replaced by a changeling, a family is stalked by Krampus and Santa is forced to hunt and kill his elves after they are turned into zombies. Who's in it?  The movie stars William Shatner , George Buza, Amy Forsyth , Michelle Nolden and Rob Archer. Review: I came across A Christmas Horror Story on Netflix several years ago and remembered enjoying it. So, when I had an opportunity to watch it again, I decided to do so. It was as good as I recalled. The movie isn't as quite as scary as I would prefer, mostly because the monsters do look a bit fake. However, even without the scares, it's still an entertaining film. One thing that intrigued me was the way the four, completely separate, stories were happening at the same time without any apparent connection other than the deejay (Shatner) playing the music. It m...

Synopsis: A bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, sees Christmas as nothing more than a "humbug" and makes sure everyone around him knows that. However, the ghost of his former business partner arranges for the three Christmas spirits to visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve and force him to see why he is wrong. Who's in it? The movie stars George C. Scott, Frank Finlay , Angela Pleasence, David Warner and Edward Woodward. Review: It is way too cold outside today, cold enough to leave me a bit breathless just walking from my car to the grocery store. So, since the Green Bay Packers had a later game and I had the house to myself, I decided to re-watch this version of A Christmas Carol .  I've seen quite a few versions of this film, but this one is easily at the top of my list of favorites. I think part of the reason for this is Scott (despite not having a strong British accent) was very convincing as Ebenezer Scrooge. He had a strong presence in the film that was both believable ...

Synopsis: Rich miser Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas and his fellow man. On the night of Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his dead business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns Scrooge of three spirits that will visit him during the night in an attempt to convince him to change his ways before it is too late. Who's in it? The movie stars Albert Finney , Alec Guinness , Kenneth More and Edith Evans. Review: I wasn’t really planning on watching any Christmas movies yesterday afternoon. However, I couldn’t find anything good on TV and, since it had been a long while since I saw Scrooge , I decided to give it a chance. For the most part, I didn't regret that decision. In all honesty, as a musical, this movie does lack a little something. The songs just weren’t that catchy and made the movie drag on a bit more than I normally prefer. In fact, I don’t think they added a whole lot to the film in general and it probably would have been slightly better had the writers just ...

My wife was in her sewing studio yesterday evening, working on Christmas gifts, and while I had some time while waiting for her, I ended up re-watching It's a Wonderful Life for the first time in a few years. As I did and was reminded of some things I had forgotten about the film and a couple I hadn't noticed before. Mr. Potter ( Lionel Barrymore ) is a character that still sticks in my crawl. This movie could be considered a perfect film in a lot of ways but, at least in my opinion, falls a bit short because Potter doesn't get any sort of comeuppance for stealing money, doesn't have a redeeming change of heart and, despite anything, remains a respected member (albeit not very well liked) member of the community. Yes, you could make the argument it doesn't matter because this is George Bailey's (James Stewart) story. I disagree though. In fact, George was kind of an ass at times too. Sure, he made sacrifices, stayed in Bedford Falls running the family business...

Synopsis: Noelle has wanted a puppy since she was a little girl and now that she has a place with her boyfriend, Todd, she decides to adopt Buster. However, Todd's reaction to the puppy is the opposite of what she expected, and she soon finds herself single and homeless a few days before Christmas. To make matters worse, she's also in danger of losing her job as a feature writer when her article about keys to a happy marriage seems to be falling through. With nowhere else to go for the holidays, she accepts an invitation from her co-worker Liam to join him on his family's Christmas tree farm, a happy experience that is dampened by the revelation Liam's grandfather is likely going to be forced to sell to a developer. Who's in it? The movie stars Cindy Busby, Greyston Holt, Christopher Russell , Allison Price and Derek McGrath. Review: I was scrolling through my library, looking for a movie to watch this morning and realized my wife and I are REALLY far behind on o...

Synopsis: Bernard, a low-ranking stable elf, strives to be one of Santa's inventor elves. However, when his latest invention causes a power outage, revealing the location of the North Pole, an unscrupulous heir to a delivery company takes Santa Claus hostage and demands to know how he is able to deliver presents around the world in just one day. Bernard, hoping to save Santa, uses the sleigh to travel back in time in an effort to correct his Christmas-altering mistake. Who's in it?  The animated film uses voices from Tim Curry , Ashley Tisdale, Martin Freeman, Tim Conway and Joan Collins. Review: I am still trying to get into the Christmas spirit with the holiday a couple weeks away and once again decided to watch a Christmas movie for my morning movie. It had been more than a decade since I last saw Saving Santa with my kids, so I gave it a try. It was as entertaining as I remembered. One of my biggest concerns about this film and animated films in general is it would turn ...

Synopsis: Maddie, a newspaper reporter in Norfolk, is getting a bit burned out with her job and reluctantly accepts an invitation to join her Navy pilot sister and their mom on an aircraft carrier's annual holiday Tiger Cruise. After hearing the ship's captain tell a story about how he met his wife on a similar cruise, Maddie is inspired to write a story about a similar event and, with the help of the captain's son, Billy, locates a journal in the ship's archives from 1965 that may be just what she's looking for. The only problem is the journal doesn't say if the love story between a pilot, Sam, and a USO dancer, Dorothy, has a happy ending. Who's in it? The movie stars Jen Lilley, Trevor Donovan, Barbara Niven , Stefanie Butler and Brett Rice. Review: For a variety of reasons I won't get into, my wife and I have had a hard time getting into the holiday spirit this year and are behind on our traditional Hallmark Christmas movie watching. So, when I wa...

Synopsis: Years after their Guantanamo Bay incident, Harold and Kumar have gone their separate ways. When a package for Harold is accidentally delivered to Kumar's apartment, he does the right thing and drops it off at his former best friend's house and the pair accidentally burn down a Christmas tree given to Harold by his Christmas-tree-obsessed father-in-law. They go out in search of a replacement and end up on a new adventure as a result. Who's in it?  The movie stars Kal Penn , John Cho , Danny Trejo , Danneel Ackles and Eddie Kaye Thomas. You can read my review here:  Movie Review: A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) ______________________________________________________________________ Here are some reviews of other movies from 2011: Movie Review: The Rite (2011) Movie Review: Beneath the Darkness (2011) Movie Review: The Three Musketeers (2011) Movie Review: Mean Girls 2 (2011)

Synopsis: Ernest P. Worrell loses his job as a taxi driver after giving Santa Claus a free ride. However, he doesn't have time to fret over it because he has a much more important job, helping Santa convince a former children's show star to take over as his replacement. Things become more complicated when a teenage runaway steals Santa's bag of toys on Christmas Eve. Who's in it?  The movie stars Jim Varney, Douglas Seale, Oliver Clark, Noelle Parker and Billie Bird . You can read my review here:  Movie Review: Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) ______________________________________________________________________ Here are some reviews of other Christmas movies: Movie Review: A Christmas Melody (2015) Movie Review: A Christmas Carol (1938) Movie Review: A Kiss Before Christmas (2021) Movie Review: In Merry Measure (2022)

Synopsis: Even though his 8-year-old daughter, Noel, loves spending time with him, truck driver Larry Phillips is fearful her wealthy new stepdad, Victor, will eventually steal her away. Hoping the perfect Christmas gift will prevent that from happening, Larry reads Noel's letter to Santa and is determined to buy her the Harrison Bear she wants. However, Victor, who doesn't like the idea of coming in second to Larry, finds out about his plan and hires a henchman, Welling, to buy out all the bears first. Who's in it? The movie stars Larry the Cable Guy , Brian Stepanek, Eric Breker, Kennedi Clements and Lauren K. Robek. Review: I had completely forgotten someone made a sequel to the 1996 movie Jingle All the Way until my wife and I came across Jingle All the Way 2 yesterday afternoon. I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from this movie when we first started watching it and, as it turns out, those lowered expectations were justified. I'm not going to say this i...

Synopsis: Sarah used to spend the holidays with her grandmother, Mia, who was known for her Kismet cookies, a family recipe of magical cookies that would make you dream about the person you should be with if you put them under your pillow on Christmas Eve. However, after Sarah tried the magic for herself and dreamt about her long-time crush, Travis, only to find out he was getting married the next day, she tore up the recipe and her grandmother never baked them again. Years later, Sarah has a hit book loosely based on the Kismet cookie legend and is struggling to finish a sequel when a contest results in her returning to her grandmother's hometown and reconnecting with a now-divorced Travis and his daughter, Jasmine. Not long after, she begins to wonder if the cookies really were magical. Who's in it? The movie stars Sarah Ramos , Carlo Marks , Marilu Henner , Rubi Tupper and Zahf Paroo . Review: We've had A Kismet Christmas in our library for some time now, but it wasn...

Synopsis: With her daughter looking at a faraway college, Emily, a lawyer and married mother of two, is desperate to have a perfect Christmas with her family even though their clashing schedules make it seem impossible. When she comes across a Christmas star in a box of ornaments, Emily wishes for a Christmas like the one on the popular holiday movie series, Sugarplum . To her surprise, the wish brings Sugarplum herself into the real world. While Sugarplum's enthusiasm, magic and book of holiday rules seems to quickly turn the holiday around for Emily, including getting her entered in a national home decoration competition, she and Sugarplum soon learn the magic doesn't work quite the same in the real world, putting a happy Christmas in even more jeopardy. Who's in it? The movie stars Maggie Lawson , Janel Parrish , Kyra Leroux , Brendon Zub and Avan Stewart. Review: I had some doubts about this film when I first came across an advertisement for it on the Hallmark Chann...

Synopsis: Clay Vanstone dreams of running his branch of a technology company the same way his dad used to, including holding an annual holiday party. His sister, Carol, the acting CEO, has other plans, however, including cancelling the party and laying off 40 percent of his employees. The only chance he has of turning things around is landing a large client by inviting the client to the party being held against Carol's wishes. The epic party, however, quickly gets out of hand. Who's in it? The movie stars Jason Bateman , Olivia Munn , Jennifer Aniston , T. J. Miller and Courtney B. Vance. Review: I had another movie in mind for last night but wasn't able to find it right away, so I decided on Office Christmas Party instead. This is a movie that has been out for several years, but I had never seen it before. After watching it, I can honestly say I didn't regret the decision. At first, I wondered if a movie that was solely about a holiday bash would get old fast. Howev...