Steven Helmer Publications

As you've probably figured out by now, I am a guy who loves his movies. In fact, I'm not opposed to re-watching my favorite films dozens of times over, even if some of the material is a bit dated and the special effects are weak by today's standards. However, being a dad has changed my opinion of some movies I enjoyed when I was younger (and not a parent). While I don't necessarily hate them today, there are some things about them that I view in a different light now that I have two daughters.  Here are some great examples: Pretty Woman (1990) So, full disclosure, I've always thought Pretty Woman was a little overrated and probably wouldn't be a fan favorite if it weren't for the national treasure known as Julia Roberts . That said, once I became a dad, I have a much harder time watching this film. Part of it is the whole prostitution thing, which was probably wrong to begin with. However, looking at the movie through a dad's eyes, I also now realize Vi...

Synopsis: In a spontaneous moment, Amanda Sanford decides to rent a luxurious home near the ocean beach outside of New York City and have an impromptu weekend getaway with her husband, Clay and her two kids, Rose and Archie. Shortly after arriving, a series of strange occurrences begin to happen, ranging from an oil tanker grounding itself on the beach to their cell service no longer working. When the home's owner, G. H. shows up in the middle of the night with his daughter, Ruth, talking about a major power outage in the city, it's clear something massive is happening, though they have no way of learning exactly what that is or even if they can trust each other. Who's in it? The movie stars Julia Roberts , Ethan Hawke ,  Mahershala Ali ,  Myha'la and Kevin Bacon . Review: The first time I heard about this movie was last night, when I came across it on Netflix. To be honest, the description and the limited information from the Netflix trailers left a lot to be desir...

Synopsis: In the 1990s, Matthew Perry's star was rising by being part of the number one show on television and offers to start in multiple movies. However, he had a secret drug and alcohol addiction that threatened to derail his career, cost him various relationships and nearly killed him. This autobiography tells the story from his perspective. Review: I am a big fan of autobiographies and my wife and I are fans of the show Friends . So, when I saw Matthew Perry was publishing a book about his well-publicized drug and alcohol addiction, I made sure to add myself to the waiting list at my local library. I finally had an opportunity to read the book and it exceeded my expectations. I think the best thing I can say about this book is it did a great job debunking my preconceived notions about drug addiction. This probably shouldn't be the case, but whenever I think about drug addicts, I think of people who lie around the house all day, unable to hold a job and spending most of ...

Synopsis: While out in the forest with her friends, Smurfette encounters a mysterious Smurf and, after being captured by the wizard Gargamel, inadvertently gives him a clue that reveals the location of a lost Smurf village. Against Papa Smurf's wishes, her, Hefty, Brainy and Clumsy head into the Forbidden Forest in an effort to warn the other Smurfs. Who's in it? The animated movie uses voices from Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson , Mandy Patinkin , Danny Pudi and Julia Roberts . Review: My youngest daughter, Summer, discovered this movie in Netflix earlier this week and asked to have a family movie night. My wife and I agreed, despite not thinking we would enjoy this film. But, as it turns out, it was actually better than we were expecting. One thing, in particular, I found I liked about this movie is, unlike some other Smurfs films, this one seemed to be much more family-oriented. The plot, admittedly, was a little simple. But, unlike the other films, there weren't ...