Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After a serial killer both murders and cannibalizes another victim in New York City, police suspect the culprit is one of the scientists at a medical academy. They agree to allow the head of the academy, Dr. Jerry Xavier, an opportunity to apprehend the killer himself and he decides to run a series of psychological tests, both on himself and his colleagues. Meanwhile, reporter Lee Taylor is nosing around the academy, hoping both to get a scoop and for romance with Dr. Xavier's daughter, Joanne. Who's in it? The movie stars Lionel Atwill , Lee Tracy , Fay Wray , Preston Foster and Leila Bennett . Review: I've had Doctor X saved to my library for several weeks and started watching it some time ago only to be interrupted and not get back around to it. I finally had a chance to see the full movie this morning and, overall, it was a good, if imperfect, film. This is the type of movie that makes me watch pre-code films whenever I get a chance. You don't see too...

Synopsis: A series of mysterious deaths in the village of  Kleinschloss cause the village leaders to suspect a vampire. Soon after, suspicions fall on an eccentric man by the name of Hermann Gleib because of his obsession with bats. However, the answer may not be as simple as that. Who's in it? The movie stars Lionel Atwill , Fay Wray , Dwight Frye , Melvyn Douglas and George E. Stone . Review: I picked out The Vampire Bat as my movie this morning for a pair of reasons. One of them was the number of recognizable Hollywood actors that starred in it, especially Hollywood's first scream queen, Wray and a horror movie icon, Frye. The other was the movie's description made it sound like a combination of my two favorite genres, horror and mystery. I think it ended up being a great choice. I think the thing I liked best about this film was the mystery surrounding the deaths. Everyone in the village seemed to be quick to believe it was the work of a vampire, likely one in the ...