Steven Helmer Publications

 I love vampire movies and while most of my favorites were made before I was born, two of them were from my 1980s childhood, Fright Night (1985) and The Lost Boys (1987). Today, for reasons I can’t even begin to explain, I asked myself “which is the better of the two?” So, I decided to do an analysis based on five categories:   Category 1 – The cast. I think the thing that stands out for me most when I think of The Lost Boys is the list of actors that could be considered who’s who of the 80s and 90s. There are the “two Coreys” Corey Haim and Corey Feldman . Joining them are Kiefer Sutherland and Alex Winter with Jason Patric and Dianne Wiest having significant roles. Fright Night also has some recognizable names, like Chris Sarandon , Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale . However, as far as star power goes, I think they are simply outnumbered. Winner: The Lost Boys Category 2 – The main protagonist. While I get why people loved Haim (rest in peace) and I ...

Synopsis: During Labor Day weekend in 1959, four 12-year-old boys lie to their parents and begin a trek to see the dead body of a missing boy. Along the way, the four friends discuss their feelings, face their fears and find their lives occasionally at risk, including from a group of bullies who are also looking for the body. Who's in it? The movie stars River Phoenix , Wil Wheaton , Jerry O'Connell , Corey Feldman and Kiefer Sutherland. Review: It had been ages since I last watched Stand by Me , to the point the only things I could even recall about the film were the train bridge scene and the scene with the leeches. I came across the film on one of our movie channels yesterday and since my wife and I had some free time, we ended up re-watching it. Overall, the film was surprisingly better than I remembered. This isn't your typical movie based off a Stephen King book. It's not a horror movie. There isn't any sort of weird twist. It's just a very simple comin...

Synopsis: When Friday the 13th actress Deborah Voorhees is murdered, her granddaughter, Kelsie, is left traumatized. Years later, other stars from the franchise are murdered, possibly by the same killer, Kelsie realizes she and her grandmother's best friend, Dee Wallace, are the primary targets. Who's in it? The movie stars Hayley Greenbauer , Dee Wallace , Kane Hodder , Judie Aronson and Corey Feldman . Review: I came across this film on Parmount Plus a while ago and added it to my list because it looked somewhat interesting. My wife and I finally watched it tonight and it proved to be a big disappointment. This is one of those films that has an intriguing premise but poor execution. There is a lot happening in the film and quite a few stars and those things, along with some questionable editing, make it difficult to keep up with who is who. I mean, I know they are all actors and actresses that starred in the horror movie franchise, but other than Hodder and Feldman, I ho...

Synopsis: In the 1980s, child stars Corey Feldman and Corey Haim quickly rise to be among some of the most famous actors in Hollywood and become close friends in the process. However, when they aren't filming movies, their careers and lives are on the verge of a downward spiral from partying, drugs and child molesters. Who's in it? The movie stars Elijah Marcano , Justin Ellings , Scott Bosely , Casey Leach , Paula Lindberg and Patrick Muldoon . Review: My wife recorded this made-for-TV movie when it aired earlier this week, mostly because she was a fan of the two Coreys when she was younger. I had some doubts about the film (let's just say I'm not as big of a fan as she is) but ended up watching it with her last night. While not great by any means, I did have to admit the movie was better than I was expecting. The fact Feldman (Marcano and Bosely) and his Hollywood soulmate Haim (Ellings and Leach) had issues with drugs is pretty much common knowledge at...

Synopsis: Following his defeat at Higgins Haven, Jason Voorhees is transported to the county morgue. However, the supposedly dead killer makes a miraculous recovery and starts a brand new killing spree. Who's in it? The movie stars Judie Aronson , Peter Barton , Crispin Glover , Corey Feldman and Ted White . Review: One of our movie channels is showing several of the Friday the 13th films and my wife and I decided to take advantage of that and catch up on the movies we either don't remember or never saw before. This includes this 1984 installment, which we watched last night. So far, the movie series is proving to be a bit better than I remembered and, up until last night, we had enjoyed watching the films. However, as it turns out, this film actually turned out to be an exception to that. One of the reasons why I like the slasher movie genre in general is the films really aren't that hard to screw up. Basically, all you really need is a menacing bad guy, so...