Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: While on a flight to Amsterdam, a drug-related misunderstanding results in friends Harold and Kumar being arrested as terrorists and sent to the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. They manage to escape after only an hour and find a ride back to the United States. However, now fugitives from the law, their only hope is traveling from Florida to Texas to get help from the influential Colton, the man who is about to marry Kumar's ex-girlfriend, Vanessa. Who's in it? The movie stars Kal Penn , John Cho , Rob Corddry , Danneel Ackles , Missi Pyle and Beverly D'Angelo . Review: My wife decided to run some errands yesterday evening, while waiting for our daughter to get done with work. While she was gone, I ended up watching the last few minutes of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and, since this movie came on right after that one, wound up watching it as well.  My wife insists we've seen this movie before, and I have no reason to doubt her. However, I could...

Synopsis: Twenty years after he retired as a black ops agent, Staley witnesses his wife's murder. When the police refuse to arrest one of the killers, calling him an unreliable witness, he and his former partner, Dennis, seek to get justice themselves and discover a conspiracy that goes all the way up to the governor. Who's in it? The movie stars John Travolta , Christopher Meloni , Amanda Schull , Sam Trammell and Asante Jones . Review: I came across this film a few weeks ago and added it to my streaming library. I wanted a movie to watch yesterday evening and, since it looked interesting, my wife and I gave it a try. Overall, it was a good choice. I think the thing I liked best about this movie is how it managed to keep things simple. Too many action movies make their plots overly complicated and are forced to spend too much time on exposition instead of actual action. This movie, in comparison, had just enough downtime between the action to fill the viewer in on the basi...

Synopsis:  During a medical exam following a car accident, doctors determine a 4th-grader ( Jennette McCurdy ) has been sexually molested. She eventually gives SVU detectives a name and other victims come forward, but evidence emerges pointing to false accusations being made. Review: It's extremely cold outside today so I find myself sitting on the couch watching re-runs of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit with my wife. This one came on a little while ago and impacted me a lot more than expected. On the surface, there isn't really much about this episode that sets it apart from others in the series. However, Jennette McCurdy's performance really stands out. Her fear of naming the man who abused her seemed very real and I couldn't help but feel heartbroken as they tried to navigate through that fear to get the truth. I thought the episode had a nice surprise twist involving the man she does eventually accuse ( Daniel Hugh Kelly ), especially since the case, at least...

Synopsis: A pair of brothers and their female companions are traveling to a deserted beach resort in an effort to wait out a viral plague that has wiped out most of humanity. When they have car problems, they agree to travel with a stranger named Frank, who is trying to get his infected daughter to a hospital. The partnership quickly leads to tension as hard decisions need to be made. Who's in it? The movie stars Chris Pine , Lou Taylor Pucci , Piper Perabo , Emily VanCamp and Christopher Meloni . Review: I came across this movie on Netflix a couple weeks ago and, quite honestly, wasn't really all that interested in watching it. I recognized Chris Pine and Piper Perabo but the description reminded me a bit too much of the low-budget zombie movies we've been disappointed by in the past. However, I was in the mood for a movie last night and, not finding anything that both looked interesting and fit in the allotted amount of time we had to watch it, decided to giv...

Synopsis: After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Emily Middleton can't find anyone to go on a non-refundable trip to Ecuador with her and ends up inviting her reluctant and very conservative mother, Linda, to go with her. Not heeding her mother's advice, Emily hangs out with a man she met at the bar and both women end up kidnapped and held for ransom. Who's in it? The movie stars Amy Schumer , Goldie Hawn , Wanda Sykes , Joan Cusack and Tom Bateman. Review: My wife is not an Amy Schumer fan and I had yet to see Goldie Hawn in a role I really liked. So, when we ended up watching this movie last night, neither of us had high expectations for it. In fact, the only reason I had this film was it came free with the pizza we ordered a few nights ago. However, after watching it last night, I have to admit it surprised me. I'm not going to tell you it's the best comedy I've ever seen because it isn't. In fact, there are a few scenes in the movie that rea...