Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Forced to commit acts of violence to repay the millions he owes the Russian mob, Hutch Mansell decides he needs a break and goes on vacation with his family to Plummerville, Wisconsin, a tourist trap he visited as a kid, resulting in one of his few happy memories. However, an altercation at an arcade on his first night there quickly escalates, putting Hutch at odds with the local police and then the crime boss they work for. Who's in it? The movie stars Bob Odenkirk , Connie Nielsen , Christopher Lloyd , John Ortiz, Sharon Stone and Colin Hanks. Review: My wife and I watched Nobody a few days ago and enjoyed it enough to want to see the sequel. So, with nothing better to do yesterday evening, thanks mostly to the ungodly heat and humidity outside, we settled down on the couch and watched Nobody 2 . After seeing it, I think I liked the original a bit more but also think this is one of the few sequels that manages to recapture at least some of the magic. I think the thi...

Synopsis: After years of working as an "auditor" and killing people on behalf of multiple government agencies, Hutch Mansell has retired and is attempting to live an ordinary life as an accountant, husband and father. However, a home break-in sets off a series of events that awakens his violent side, and Hutch finds himself in a feud with a Russian mobster that increasingly grows more violent. Who's in it? The movie stars Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielson , Christopher Lloyd and Colin Salmon. Review: When my wife and I recently came across Nobody 2 , we realized we never saw the first film and made sure to add it to our library so we could correct that. We finally watched Nobody last night and both enjoyed it. I think the thing I found I liked most about this film was how there was a good mix of comedy, but I could still describe it as an action thriller. That isn't always a combination that works in films like this. Some end up becoming too goofy...

Synopsis: Hoping to add a little spice to their marriage, Dave and Emma Brackett take a break from their kids, check into a fancy Manhattan hotel and, using made-up names, pretend to be strangers meeting at the hotel bar. However, what Dave doesn't know is Emma is secretly an international assassin with a bounty on her head, something that throws their romantic evening and marriage into jeopardy when she is recognized by another assassin and his attempted blackmail ends in his death and her being exposed. Who's in it? The movie stars Kaley Cuoco ,  David Oyelowo , Bill Nighy ,  Connie Nielsen and  Rudi Dharmalingam. Review: It was way too cold out for my wife and I to have our own date night last night, so I figured "why not at least watch a movie about one." At first, I expected this to be a movie that was similar to other comedies like Date Night and Game Night . As it turns out, it was nothing like those and wound up being surprisingly entertaining as a result...

Synopsis: After learning her movie director husband has been having an affair with his much-younger leading lady and got her pregnant, a British actress travels to the Caribbean to spend time with her cousin and escape the paparazzi. As she recovers from the shock of his betrayal, she finds romance with a chef. Who's in it? The movie stars  Malin Akerman ,  Connie Nielsen ,  Philip Winchester ,  Jack Donnelly and  William Nadylam . Review: I added this movie to my library mostly because my wife and I are familiar with Philip Winchester from his time on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Unfortunately, when we watched the film this evening, we were very disappointed with it. There are a lot of films out there that try to mimic what you would expect to see in a Hallmark movie. Some are OK but others aren't so great. This was one of the latter. One of the biggest problems with this film, in my opinion, is it needed to pick a lane. By that, I mean it either n...

Synopsis: District Attorney Lauren Monroe has always had a contentious relationship with her wealthy father, especially since she chose to prosecute is rich friends rather than defend them. That's why she wasn't surprised when she only received $1 million for an inheritance while her younger brother received $20 million. However, her father also left her a surprise secret inheritance - a stranger locked up in a bunker who knows all sorts of secrets about her family. Who's in it? The movie stars Lily Collins , Simon Pegg , Connie Nielsen , Chace Crawford and Patrick Warburton. Review: My wife and I had some time to watch a movie while still digesting Thanksgiving dinner. I came across this one earlier in the morning and, thinking it sounded interesting, gave it a try. It turned out to be a decent film. I think the thing I liked most about this movie was just how difficult Lauren's (Collins) position was. It was obvious she wanted to do the right thing but was also co...

Synopsis: As America edges closer to victory in its war with Japan, a group of Army Rangers embark on a dangerous mission to liberate 500 soldiers that have been held as prisoners of war for the past three years. Not only are they outnumbered, one wrong move could result in the prisoners being executed before they can be saved. Who's in it? The movie stars Benjamin Bratt , James Franco , Robert Mammone , Max Martini and Connie Nielsen . Review: I intended on watching this movie over the course of a few days, while I was walking on the treadmill a lunch. However, my wife was busy with a sewing project last night and, since she wasn't in the room with me, I figured I would finish it. Overall, I enjoyed this film. While I did feel some of the characters (especially from the Japanese side) were a bit one dimensional and did question just how historically accurate the film was, I thought it wound up being an entertaining movie. The film did a great job describing the obs...