Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis : After learning she has new neighbors, Margaret Drysdale (Harriet E. MacGibbon) travels back to Beverly Hills to investigate. Meanwhile, the Clampetts discover the telephone. My Thoughts:  I was originally a bit surprised the show didn't introduce Mrs. Drysdale right away. However, after seeing the way, the established her both as a snob and a hypochondriac, I'm glad the series waited until the fourth episode and gave her intro the right amount of time, though it did end in a bit of a cliffhanger after she finally does meet them. For a guy who wanted Elly May ( Donna Douglas ) to dress more like a lady , Jed (Buddy Ebsen ) suddenly got ultra-conservative. That sundress was reasonably modest, even by 1960s standards I think, and she did wear a coverup for her swimsuit when she wasn't in the water. I'm not sure what Jed was expecting, Victorian-style fashion? I do kind of agree about his beauty contest objection though. I know it was part of a ruse to keep them...

Synopsis: While Jed ( Buddy Ebsen ) and his family settle in Beverly Hills, Cousin Pearl ( Bea Benaderet ) watches over his family homestead and learns about his new home from oil man John Brewster ( Frank Wilcox ). My Thoughts:  It still baffles me Milburn Drysdale ( Raymond Bailey ) didn't do any research on the Clampetts. I know he only really cares about the millions they put in his bank but, based on his comment about Jed's "mansion" back home, it appears he didn't even realize Jed was a new millionaire and not someone who came from money. Even without the research, you would think he would have figured it out. I mean, just based on the truck they were driving and their clothes alone, it shouldn't have been difficult to determine they may not quite understand the concept of modern conveniences and had his secretary, Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) give them the basics on things like running water. Which brings me back to a previous question, why does Pearl se...

Synopsis: No longer in high school, Slip Mahoney is struggling to hold onto a job, frustrating his sister, Mary, who has promised to take care of him. Not wanting to disappoint her, Slip reluctantly takes a job as a skip tracer and proves to be a natural. However, an assignment to serve a summon to auto thieves puts his life in danger and reveals information about Mary's boss, Herbert Sayers, just as she is about to travel to Mexico with him. Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey , Huntz Hall , Pamela Blake , John Eldredge and Bobby Jordan . Review: It had been a short while since I last watched a Bowery Boys movie and, after coming across Live Wires , the first film to introduce that version of Leo Gorcey and his crew, I decided to take the time to watch it. After finishing it, I have to say I liked it. While the movie was Slip (Gorcey) focused and had the rest of the Bowery Boys, even Sach (Hall) more in a supporting role, I thought the overall story was entertaining. I...

Synopsis: Bud and Lou are stranded in Egypt but see a way home if they can convince Dr. Gustav Zoomer to hire them to accompany the recently discovered mummy, Klaris, back to America. They, however, find Zoomer murdered and become the top suspects. In addition, they are hunted by both Klaris' followers and businesswoman Madame Rontru, seeking a medallion Lou found that is the key to finding a hidden treasure undead Klaris is guarding. Things become even more complicated for the duo when Lou accidentally swallows the artifact. Who's in it? The movie stars Bud Abbott , Lou Costello , Marie Windsor , Richard Deacon and Eddie Parker. Review: It had been a while since I watched Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy and while I remembered not liking it as much as their other monster-themed films, I couldn't remember the details. So, I decided to give it another try. After re-watching it, I concluded the movie is better than I remembered, though I still stand by my earlier opinio...

Synopsis : A new pharmacist, Ellie Walker ( Elinor Donahue ), comes to Mayberry to help out her uncle. She makes immediate friends with Opie ( Ron Howard ) but winds up butting heads with Andy ( Andy Griffith ) and other townspeople after she refuses to refill pills for Emma Brand ( Cheerio Meredith ) without a prescription. My Thoughts - It's interesting Elinor Donahue got her name mentioned ahead of Don Knotts in the opening sequence. Sure, it's only the third episode of the series, but Knotts' Barney Fife had been part of the show from the beginning, and it wasn't as though he wasn't already just as established as a star as she was. I never realized how much of a role the character Emma Brand had in these early episodes. She was the catalyst for the main conflict between Ellie and Andy and, in Manhunt , was taken hostage. It's sad she only had three more episodes after this one because she is such a funny, colorful character. I blame Ellie's uncle for a...

Synopsis: When an escaped criminal results in a manhunt near Mayberry, Andy ( Andy Griffith ) and Barney ( Don Knotts ) are ready to do their part. However, the state police don't want their help. Andy, not wanting to lose face in front of his son, Opie ( Ron Howard ) and the rest of the town, decides to help anyway but things only become worse when the criminal (Frank Gerstle) gets Barney's gun. My Thoughts: The first scene with Barney is a good reminder of what Don Knotts brought to this series. His excitement over the escaped criminal followed up with his inability to use the radio correctly was as funny as it can get. It's unclear if the state police never wanted Andy's help or if he convinced them not to ask for it. Capt. Barker (Ken Lynch) wasn't particularly friendly toward him when he and his crew arrived but also didn't seem as though he was going to be opposed to Andy's help until the latter became uncomfortably impressed with the use of magnetic ...

Synopsis: After striking it rich and relocating to Beverly Hills, Jed Clampett ( Buddy Ebsen ) and his family get settled in their new mansion. However, their first meeting with bank secretary Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) has them mistaken for the help. My Thoughts -  Did nobody tell Mr. Drysdale ( Raymond Bailey ) about the Clampetts? For a guy who wants to keep their millions in his bank, he does seem awfully clueless about them. This was clear in his somewhat abbreviated tour of their new mansion and him making no effort to explain concepts that would be foreign to a backwoods family, starting with a stove that doesn't use wood and the idea food can be frozen. The same with Miss Hathaway. Why wouldn't Mr. Drysdale give her some advanced warning about how they dressed and acted? It's almost as though he was trying to upset his largest bank depositor. Did anyone even bother to explain to the Clampetts they owned the whole house? The joke about a second house upstairs and con...

Synopsis: Jed Clampett ( Buddy Ebsen ) lives in a small cabin in the Ozarks with his daughter, Elly May (Donna Douglas) and his mother-in-law, "Granny" ( Irene Ryan ) when a petroleum company offers him millions of dollars for his oil-rich property.  While Jed would prefer to stay where he is, his cousin Pearl (Bea Benaderet) convinces him to relocate to California and take her son, Jethro (Max Baer, Jr.) with him. They move into a mansion and immediately have a hard time fitting in. My Thoughts - Where did the Clampetts sleep? I get they are supposed to be impoverished but, considering Jed likely built that house himself, you would think he would have included some bedrooms. My first thought is there was a room up top, but it doesn't seem tall enough for that either. This was raunchier (for the time period) than I was expecting. Sure, the reason Elly Mae's buttons kept falling off her shirt was only implied but was still surprising.  Gilligan's Island , which ca...

Synopsis: Newlyweds Webster and Jackie Frye honeymoon in an old house in the country her father has purchased for her, not knowing the house once belonged to a recently executed prisoner. Despite being less-than thrilled with the place, Webster is willing to make it work. However, both begin to have second thoughts when a coffin supposedly containing the dead prisoner's body is delivered and their house is soon filled with a group of gangsters posing as the dead man's family and lawyer while searching for his loot. To make matters worse, the coffin contains no body, and the local chief of police forces everyone to stay in the house until it is found. Who's in it? The movie stars James Dunn , Florence Rice, Sam McDaniel, Robert Dudley and Eddy Chandler. Review: I have had The Ghost and the Guest on my watch list for a couple weeks and finally decided to give the film a try this morning. Based on the description, I had moderate expectations for this comedy and, sadly, it ...

Synopsis: Sisters Kate and Maura had two different high school experiences. Kate was always the life of the party while Maura was the responsible one who made sure everyone got home safe. It was something that carried over to their adult lives, with Maura now a hardworking and responsible nurse while Kate can't hold onto a job as a nail stylist and doesn't know where her teenage daughter, Haley, is. When their parents sell their childhood home, Kate and Maura are asked to clean out their stuff and decide to throw one last party. Only, this time, they agree to reverse roles with Kate staying sober so Maura can finally have a good time. Their party soon gets out of control, however, causing significant property damage that will jeopardize the sale and, to Kate's dismay, an opportunity to restart her life by getting 50 percent of the sale value. Who's in it? The movie stars Tina Fey , Amy Poehler , Maya Rudolph , James Brolin , John Leguizamo and John Cena . Review: My...

I hadn't intended on watching Encino Man (or any other movie for that matter) yesterday morning because I had quite a few things I needed to do. However, I came across the film and, after a couple minutes, was hooked enough to re-watch it for the first time in several years. Here are some of my thoughts from that re-visit of this 1990s classic. First, this movie is a great reminder of just how Brendan Fraser became a star. He has few lines and has to rely solely on physical comedy and body language yet pulls it off perfectly. Link is funny, likeable and unpredictable, a great combination for a film like this. There is something seriously wrong when a character named Stoney ( Pauly Shore ) is the voice of reason in a friend duo. I'm not even completely sure what Dave's ( Sean Astin ) plan was because even if Link became popular, it wasn't something that was going to necessarily make him popular too by extension. If anything, having his "exchange student friend...

My wife decided to do some work in her sewing studio yesterday evening and since a trip to Noodles & Company meant I didn't need to make dinner, I found myself watching some reruns of Psych while waiting for her to get home. The show, as always, was entertaining, even though I've seen every episode multiple times and know who the killer is ahead of time. However, as I watched, I realized there were some things that were left unanswered by the series and the three (so far) movies that followed. Here are six of those unanswered questions: Why did Shawn ( James Roday Rodriguez ) pretend to be a psychic in the first place? OK, in addition to it being the whole premise of the show, the series did sort of answer this question in the pilot. What I mean by this though is, of all the explanations he could have given to avoid being arrested by Carlton Lassiter ( Timothy Omundson ), why choose that one? It seems like explaining he had a heightened sense of observation that had been h...

Synopsis: Rick Todd is a struggling artist who lives with his friend, Eugene Fullstack, an aspiring children's book writer who can't keep a job because of his obsession with comic books. Eugene is especially a fan of Bat Lady, which he later learns are written by his neighbor, Abigail Parker and inspired by her friend, Bessie. When a recently fired Abigail grows tired of the demand for violence, she recruits a willing Eugene in her efforts to speak out against the industry. What they don't know is Rick has been publishing comics based on a character from Eugene's nightmares, something that catches the attention of spies interested in a secret formula described in those stories. Who's in it? The movie stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Shirley MacLaine, Dorothy Malone and Eddie Mayehoff. Review: I have had Artists and Models in my movie library for several months but have been reluctant to watch it because I've honestly never been a bit Jerry Lewis fan. However...

Synopsis: After solving a series of murders while on a European vacation, Nick and Audrey Spitz attempt to start their own private detective agency only to have it struggle and put a strain on their marriage. When their wealthy friend, the Maharajah Vikram, invites them to his wedding on a private island, they see it as an opportunity to take a much-needed break. However, when Vik is kidnapped and his bodyguard, Lou, is murdered during the ceremony they find themselves in the middle of another investigation while also avoiding authorities because they are being framed. Who's in it? The movie stars Adam Sandler , Jennifer Aniston , Mark Strong, Mélanie Laurent and Adeel Akhtar. Review: Even though I enjoyed Murder Mystery much more than expected, I just never seemed to get around to watching Murder Mystery 2. I finally decided to correct that today and it turned out to be a good decision. The plot, first and foremost, was a solid mystery. The person who kidnapped Vik (...

After having what has become our traditional end-of-the-week drink and then grabbing Friday fish fry, my wife decided to do some work in her sewing studio, so I found a movie to watch while having my shrimp dinner. Scary Movie was on, so I ended up watching that for what has to be at least the 20th time since my wife and I watched it on our first movie date 26 years ago. Here are some of the thoughts I had: The opening scene is one of the things that make this a classic spoof.  It's a fairly accurate re-creation of the opening scene from Scream but with plenty of comedic touches that set the tone for this film, whether it's Carmen Electra winding up in her underwear and then doing sexy poses or the Jiffy Pop on the stove. The James Van Der Beek cameo just has a sadder tone to it now. The way the Dawson's Creek star finds the "wrong window" while Cindy Campbell ( Anna Faris ) makes out with her boyfriend, Bobby (John Abrahams) is still funny but also a reminder ...

Synopsis: The season finale sees Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ) and company trapped inside the comic store by the Adversary (voiced by André Sogliuzzo ). As Stuart processes the fact he may have brought about the end of the universe, Barry ( John Ross Bowie ) thinks he is going mad because he hears laughter none of the others can hear and Denise ( Lauren Lapkus ) is angry because Stuart forgot her birthday. My Thoughts:  I liked how this episode starts with answers but also a mystery. Within the first few minutes we learn, thanks to exposition from comic book fanatic Kyle (Ryan Cartwright), what the Adversary is and why it wants to stop Stuart. However, there are also a lot of other things that are left unexplained, including why Barry keeps hearing a studio audience laughing and how Denise was even able to keep track of what day it was to know it was her birthday. Speaking of Kyle , he's had several appearances on this series, but after getting much more time the past couple episodes, ...

Synopsis: After Barney ( Don Knotts ) writes Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) a ticket for making an illegal U-turn, Gomer turns the tables by conducting a "citizen's arrest" when he sees Barney do the same thing. Andy ( Andy Griffith ) attempts to diffuse the situation by writing Barney a $5 ticket he intends to pay himself, but an outraged Barney decides to take five nights in jail instead before handing in his letter of resignation. My Thoughts - It's probably sacrilegious to say it, but I just realized I don't like Gomer Pyle . To be clear, I think Jim Nabors was a national treasure so please don't confuse the two. I just can't stand his most famous character, at least when it's not in small doses. I think it's because everyone gives him a pass since he's always so good natured/simple minded even though this episode and others have proven he can also be kind of a jerk at times. And don't even get me started on the citizens of Mayberry. Look, I ...

Synopsis: Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ) and his friends are trapped inside a comic book, courtesy of an all-powerful entity, the Adversary (André Sogliuzzo). No longer in possession of the device, their only hope is to find the Flash (Andy Ridings) and convince them to use his abilities to transport them back to their universe before Mr. Freeze (Eric Allan Kramer), sent by the Adversary, kills them. My Thoughts:  I had some doubts because this could have gone a number of wrong ways , but it was well done. Having the Flash be the older, Jay Garrick, version was a nice touch as was having the team still being forced to sit through mundane tasks, like waiting for their flight at an airport and getting food poisoning while having it broadcast on the pages of the comic book. I was, however, left with questions about why. Assuming, of course, the Adversary is a main bad guy and not just universe specific, I think it would be safe to assume it knows just about everything about Stuart, especia...

Synopsis: After briefly spending time as centaurs, Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ) and company travel to another war-torn universe to retrieve the device that has the missing piece. He instead loses their device after they are put on the front lines and the four soon face a firing squad after they refuse to fight. My Thoughts -  Am I the only one who was disappointed we didn't see more of the centaur universe? I think that one had so much potential, but they don't even bother exploring it or learning about the implications that don't involve comic book superheroes being half-horse/half-man. The episode wasn't subtle about the writers' feelings about war. I don't know which I liked more, the suicidal battle plan that mostly consisted of Gary ( Tommy Walker ) and others charging into bullets with no other apparent strategy or the fact nobody really seemed to know why they were fighting the war other than the enemy having "the wrong family, wrong country and wrong g...

Synopsis: Newlyweds Horace and Millie Jason travel to New York City for a one-night honeymoon before the drafted Horace is forced to report for military service. Their romantic evening, however, is interrupted by a dead body and a group of gangsters who mistakenly believe Horace is a rival who has stolen $50,000. Who's in it? The movie stars John Beal , Wanda McKay , Warren Hymer, J. Farrell MacDonald , Tom Neal and Barbara Pepper . Review: I had One Thrilling Night in my library for some time but always found another movie to watch instead. I finally decided to pick it this morning, and it turned out to be a good choice. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd like this film. There were a lot of jokes that were dated to the point they didn't hit as well as they probably did 80 years ago and the early scenes involving the "dead" body they discover in their room only to have it disappear were getting repetitive. Once the movie got going, however, it became a lot mo...