Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After inventing a telescope that lets him see deep enough into space to see the distant past and a meteorite crashing in Africa long before human life, Dr. Janos Rukh leads an expedition to find the meteorite and after doing so, harvest an element dubbed Radium X. Rukh correctly believes Radium X can be used to heal people, but his exposure causes him to become infected and kill anything he touches. He is able to get his condition under control with the help of his colleague, Dr. Felix Benet. However, his obsession grows to the point his wife, Diana, leaves him for another man, and he grows even more isolated. When he learns Benet and another colleague, Sir Francis Stevens, have used his research for their own gain, he fakes his death and seeks revenge. Who's in it? The movie stars Boris Karloff , Bela Lugosi , Frances Drake , Frank Lawton and Walter Kingsford. Review: I started watching The Invisible Ray a couple years ago but got interrupted after the first 15 minu...

Synopsis: In 2020, after colonizing the moon, mankind has its eyes set on exploring more of the solar system and launches a 3-ship mission to the planet Venus. After one ship is destroyed enroute and a landing party loses communication, another crew is sent to the planet's surface on a rescue mission. There they encounter dangerous prehistoric creatures. Who's in it? The movie stars Basil Rathbone , Faith Domergue, John Bix, Georgi Zhzhyonov and Gennadi Vernov. Review: As I was scrolling through movies last night in search of something to watch this morning, I couldn't decide between a comedy, mystery or science fiction and ended up picking the last category at my wife's suggestion. I chose Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet and, after watching it, regret not choosing another genre. Let's start out by saying this movie, which was originally filmed in the Soviet Union then edited and dubbed in an attempt to hide that fact, was clearly filmed in the Soviet Union and...

Synopsis: A team of scientists are working on a device that will allow them to view through time. They underestimate the device's capabilities and instead of just viewing the future they are soon trapped in the year 2071 on an Earth that has been destroyed by nuclear war and where the few hundred remaining humans hide from mutants while building a spaceship so they can leave. Unable to travel with the future humans because of the lack of supplies, the scientists attempt to rebuild their time portal before the mutants break through the defenses. Who's in it? The movie stars Preston Foster , Philip Carey, Merry Anders , Joan Woodbury and John Hoyt. Review: I had noticed The Time Travelers on one of my movie channels but since I have seen very few time travel films that were good, I wasn't sure if it would be something I would enjoy. I finally decided to give it a try this morning and, while it didn't quite change my opinion of this sub-genre, it was a pleasant surpri...

Synopsis: Rocky Jones and the rest of his Space Ranger team attempt to rescue the inhabitants of the planet Ophecius before it collides with a roaming "gypsy" moon. However, the planet's ruler, Cleolanta, doesn't trust outsiders and she may prevent the evacuation from happening as a result. Who's in it? The movie stars Richard Crane , Scotty Beckett, John Banner , Patsy Parsons and Maurice Cass. Review: I came across Crash of Moons about a week ago and, while the description left me wondering if it was worth my time, I decided to add it to my list anyway. After watching it this morning, I realized it was a film that I should have just passed by. My understanding, after doing a bit of research afterwards, is this wasn't a movie in the traditional sense and, instead, was three episodes from a 1954 television series that were combined to make a feature-length film. After reading that, things started making a bit more sense, but it didn't help my opinion. ...

Synopsis: A 1957 spaceflight is thrown off course and its crew are rendered unconscious. When the spacecraft crash lands, the crewmembers discover they have managed to reach a fast enough velocity to break the time barrier, and they are on Earth 551 years in the future, where nuclear war has left the surface inhabited by mutants and the remaining humans are hiding underground. Who's in it? The movie stars Hugh Marlowe , Nancy Gates , Rod Taylor , Lisa Montell and Nelson Leigh . Review: After spending the weekend watching several movies I've seen a dozen times before, I scrolled through my movie library and picked out one that has been there for some time, World Without End . It was my first time seeing this science fiction classic and, for the most part, I thought it was a good choice. To be honest, I was expecting the film to be a bit more action filled. Instead, there was quite a bit of action to start, as the astronaut crew discovered where they were and had to fend off ...

Synopsis: In the year 2001, world peace has been achieved, and mankind has begun exploring the galaxy. This includes an international team of astronauts arriving at the seventh planet, Uranus. Expecting to find a frozen wasteland, they instead land in a forested area that looks a lot like home. They soon realize the planet is inhabited by an alien creature capable of bringing their memories, fantasies and fears to life. Who's in it? The movie stars John Agar , Carl Ottosen , Greta Thyssen ,  Louis Miehe-Renard and  Ann Smyrner. Review: I came across Journey to the Seventh Planet while unsuccessfully looking for another movie. While I'm always a bit skeptical of science fiction films from this era, the plot did sound interesting, so I added it to my library and watched it this morning. As it turns out, it wasn't too bad. Obviously, the idea of there being world peace and humans exploring the galaxy by 2001 was both wishful thinking and does date the movie a bit as a res...

Synopsis: Trans-Coast Airways Flight 60 is enroute from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. with a team of scientists that have the combined knowledge to create a super weapon. While approaching a storm, the plane begins to ascend on its own, reaching a height that should be impossible for it to reach and causing all on board to pass out from the lack of oxygen. When the three scientists wake up, they find they have been placed in a state of suspended time so they can face a jury from the future for their role in destroying the world. Who's in it? The movie stars Craig Hill , Paula Raymond , Dayton Lummis , Meg Wyllie and Harvey Stephens. Review: After watching a pair of classic teen movies the past couple of days, I decided to change things up this morning and go with something different. I settled on Flight That Disappeared and wasn't disappointed.  The movie is fairly basic, introduce the main characters, have the plane begin flying itself and then place the three scientists...