Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After killing one of the three masked assailants who killed her boyfriend, Maya remains on the run while her sister, Debbie, arrives with armed reinforcements in search of her. Eventually, Maya learns the Scarecrow no longer wants her dead and instead wants to recruit her. Who's in it? The movie stars Madelaine Petsch , Gabriel Basso , Richard Brake , Ema Horvath and Krystal Ellsworth. Review: Movie sequels are a tricky thing. While they are rarely as good as the original, many do at least still manage to carry on the story and still be entertaining. However, there is a limitation to that and, in the case of The Strangers: Chapter 3 , the franchise reached it. When my wife and I decided to watch this movie last night, my hope was it would bring a dramatic conclusion to Maya's (Petsch) story, especially since she inflicted her first kill and the remaining masked killers had a reason to step up their game. Instead, it ended up being a mix of dull and predictable. On...

Synopsis: After a sweatshop scandal severely damages Runway's credibility and puts the magazine at risk of losing advertisers, Miranda Priestly's boss, Irv Ravitz, forces her to hire Andy Sachs, now an award-winning but unemployed newspaper reporter, as the magazine's features editor. Miranda is less than receptive to the idea, especially when Andy's well-written articles fail to draw an online audience. Then, when things seem to finally be turning around, Irv's sudden death puts the magazine's ownership and future into question. Who's in it? The movie stars Meryl Streep , Anne Hathaway , Stanley Tucci , Emily Blunt and Lucy Liu . Review: I think I've mentioned my wife's favorite movie is The Devil Wears Prada . So, when she heard there was going to be a sequel, she circled the date on her calendar. Since I am a great husband, I also made note of it and bought us tickets for opening night last night. I entered the theater with quite a few doubts ...

Synopsis: Twenty-five years after being defeated by a now-deceased Tory Redding, the Leprechaun is reborn. As he seeks out his gold, he discovers the North Dakota farm he once terrorized now belongs to an eco-conscious sorority and one of the sorority members is Tory's daughter, Lila, who believed her mother's stories about the Leprechaun were just the ravings of someone who was mentally ill. Who's in it? The movie stars Linden Porco, Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, Sai Bennett and Emilie Reid. Review: My wife and I decided to spend another Saturday night at home and, instead of going out, ordered a pizza, took a break from binge-watching The Traitors and found a movie to watch. After some consideration, I picked Leprechaun Returns . I made this choice with some reluctance. While we both liked Leprechaun , most of the sequels were just terrible and I had some serious doubts about yet another film that didn't even star Warwick Davis as the title character. However, thi...

Synopsis: Four years after escaping and killing the Grabber, a 17-year-old Finn is struggling to feel normal again. Meanwhile, his sister, Gwen begins having dreams about their mom, three murdered boys and a campground at Alpine Lake. After convincing a reluctant Finn to go with her under the pretense of being counselors in training, the brother and sister, along with Gwen's boyfriend, Ernesto, soon find themselves snowed in by a blizzard and targeted by the Grabber's spirit, who is seeking revenge on Finn by targeting Gwen through her dreams. Who's in it? The movie stars Ethan Hawke , Mason Thames , Madeleine McGraw , Arianna Rivas and Jeremy Davies. Review: It's cold and snowy outside so my wife and I decided to just spend the day at home. After re-watching The Black Phone this afternoon, we made ourselves comfortable on the couch to watch Black Phone 2. I've said this before and I'll say it again, not every movie needs a sequel. This is a good example of ...

Synopsis: Years after dinosaurs repopulate the planet, the climate proves to be incompatible in most regions and they die out except for a few isolated regions near the equator that have been declared off limits to humans. Needing dinosaur DNA for a heart disease drug his pharmaceutical company wants to produce, executive Martin Krebs hires a covert extraction expert, Zora Bennett and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis to lead a team to collect DNA from three giant dinosaur species. Their already difficult and highly illegal task becomes even more complicated when they rescue a family from their overturned boat and then end up shipwrecked themselves. Who's in it? The movie stars Scarlett Johannson , Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Luna Blaise. Review: While my wife and I are both fans of the Jurassic Park franchise, our disappointment over Jurassic World Dominion was a bit reason why we didn't pay to see Jurassic World Rebirth at the theater (I didn...

Synopsis:  Charley Brewster travels with his friends to Romania to study European artwork as part of a college class. Shortly after arriving, however, he discovers his professor is really infamous vampire Elizabeth Bathory. By the time he convinces his friends he isn’t crazy, it’s already too late and it is up to him to rescue his girlfriend with the help of a reality show vampire hunter. Who's in it?  The movie stars Will Payne, Jaime Murray, Sean Power, Sacha Parkinson and Chris Waller. Review: I had to wait even later than usual for my daughter to get done with theater rehearsal so, in an effort to stay awake, I decided to re-watch Fright Night 2 . The film, much like the first time I watched it, proved to be a surprisingly good choice. The title of the movie is deceptive. Instead of a sequel, as the number 2 would suggest, it is in fact a remake of the 1985 movie set in a different location. When I realized this the first time I watched it, I had some serious doubts. How...

Synopsis: Stefani Reyes is plagued by a recurring nightmare featuring her estranged grandmother, Iris, dying in a horrific restaurant accident in the 1960s. With her lack of sleep landing her on academic probation, Stefani returns home and, despite fierce opposition from her family, locates Iris hidden away in a fortress-like home. Iris reveals Stefani's dream is identical to a vision she had at the restaurant that led to her saving lives. However, Death has been following since, killing both the people who should have died in the accident and the offspring that should never have been born. When Iris is killed soon after, Stefani realizes she, her brother, mom, uncle and cousins are next. Who's in it? The movie stars Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon, Anna Lore and Tony Todd . Review: Our daughters are attending a community theater musical this afternoon so my wife and I, after enjoying Chinese for lunch, decided to give Final Destination: Blo...

Synopsis: After using excessive force while thwarting a bank robbery, Police Squad detective Frank Drebin, Jr. is taken off the robbery investigation and instead assigned to a fatal car accident. At first, Drebin believes the driver, Simon Davenport, committed suicide. However, after meeting Simon's sister, Beth, Drebin continues the investigation and discovers a link to the robbery. As he starts making progress in the case, he is framed for murder by tech billionaire Richard Cane, who plans to "reboot" the world by using a device to revert the human race (except for a select few) back to a primitive state. Who's in it? The movie stars Liam Neeson , Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston and CCH Pounder. Review: When I first learned they were going to reboot The Naked Gun , I was honestly skeptical. This was mostly because the original movie (or at least the television show that inspired it) was literally made for actor Leslie Nielsen and Liam Neeson, des...

Synopsis: After successfully taking down the Russian mafia's operations in Boston, Robert McCall works as a Lyft driver while secretly using his fighting skills and government connections to help people in need. Things turn personal for Bob when his long-time friend, Susan Plummer, is murdered in Belgium and he realizes someone is targeting former employees of the agency he used to work for. Who's in it? The movie stars Denzel Washington , Pedro Pascal , Ashton Sanders , Orson Bean and Bill Pullman. Review: After being pleasantly surprised by The Equalizer a couple nights ago, my wife and I decided to watch The Equalizer 2 last night. While it turned out to be an OK movie it was, like many sequels, a big step down from the original. I'll start out with the good. The action scenes are pretty intense and fun to watch while, at times, also being filmed in a way that adds a little extra anxiety (I mean that last part in a good way). There are also plenty of times when Bob...

Synopsis: Decades after avoiding a forced wedding to the demonic Betelgeuse, Lydia Deetz is a widowed mother of a teenager and famous host of a paranormal talk show. When she learns her father, Charles, has been killed in a shark attack, she, her stepmother, Delia, and her teenage daughter, Astrid, return to her former home in Winter River, Connecticut for the funeral and Lydia soon discovers Betelgeuse is still around and still seeking to marry her, this time to escape the soul-sucking ghost of his first wife, Delores. Who's in it? The movie stars Winona Ryder , Michael Keaton , Jenna Ortega , Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe . Review: When I first learned they were going to release a sequel to Beetlejuice 36 years after it first came out, I had a lot of doubts about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and decided I wasn't going to risk my money watching it at the theater. My wife and I finally got around to watching it tonight, now that it is available on Netflix and, while I ...

Synopsis: After years of being a bachelor, Det. Mike Lowrey finally gets married, only to have his wedding nearly ruined by his partner, Det. Marcus Burnett, having a heart attack. Burnett survives but soon after leaving the hospital, the pair learn their former mentor, Captain Howard, is being accused of working for the drug cartels. Not wanting their deceased captain's name to be tarnished, Mike and Marcus conduct their own investigation, with the help of Mike's criminal son, Armando, and soon find themselves being framed both as accomplices and murderers. Who's in it? The movie stars Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Vanessa Hudgens , Jacob Scipio and Ioan Gruffudd. Review: After binge-watching the first three movies in the series on Monday, my wife and I decided to finish things up with Bad Boys: Ride or Die last night. As is the case with most movies with multiple sequels, this installment showed signs of the series needing to come to an end. However, that didn't...

Synopsis: After risking his life countless times with the Miami Police Department and becoming a new grandfather, Det. Marcus Burnett is ready to retire but his long-time partner and friend, Det. Mike Lowrey tries to convince him otherwise. When Lowery is shot by an unknown assailant and nearly dies, Burnett calls it quits. Lowrey, however, motivated by anger after six months of rehabilitation, insists on being involved with the investigation. Marcus, who made a promise to God to avoid violence in exchange for Lowrey surviving his wounds, wants to remain retired but is soon drawn into the investigation as well. Who's in it? The movie stars Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Vanessa Hudgens , Alexander Ludwig and Jacob Scipio . Review: I have been a bit reluctant to watch Bad Boys for Life because nostalgia-motivated sequels don't usually pan out. However, thanks to the dangerously cold temperatures outside yesterday, my wife and I had time to re-watch the first two Bad Boys m...

Synopsis: Roughly 30 years after visiting the United States to find a wife, Akeem's father dies, making him king of the African nation of Zamunda. Akeem has three daughters but no male heir, making him a target for assassination from the militaristic country of Nexdoria. His lone hope is returning to Queens to retrieve the illegitimate son, Lavelle, he recently learned about and give Lavelle a crash course on how to be both a prince and the next in line for the throne. Who's in it? The movie stars Eddie Murphy , Arsenio Hall , Jermaine Fowler , Shari Headley and Leslie Jones. Review: After re-watching Coming to America this weekend and being reminded about how great of a movie that was, I remembered there was a recent sequel to the film and decided to watch Coming 2 America for the first time. Unfortunately, as is often the case with unnecessary cash-grab sequels, it just didn't live up to the original. The movie was basically a "what happened to Akeem (Murphy)...

Synopsis: Despite warnings from Stephen Falken, the creator of the War Operation Plan Response artificial intelligence that nearly caused World War III, the United States government has moved forward with another AI program known as RIPLEY, which is designed to find terrorists. High school student and computer genius Will Farmer accidentally draws RIPLEY's attention when he steals money from a neighbor to play an online gambling game based on terrorist attacks as a way to earn money for a school trip to Canada. The program overreacts to that and other data and flags Will as a terrorist, forcing him to flee authorities with his girlfriend, Annie, as soon as their plane lands. Who's in it? The movie stars Matt Lanter , Amanda Walsh , Gary Reineke , Maxim Roy and Chuck Shamata. Review: Even though WarGames is one of my favorite movies, I was admittedly unaware of the sequel, WarGames: The Dead Code , until I came across it on ScreenPix a couple days ago. Even though I had dou...

Synopsis: After losing her mother when she was very young, Jo Mitchell has moved around with her father, race car engine builder, her whole life and after attending many different schools, has a set of rules against making friends and getting involved in "girl drama." This includes her latest school, North Shore High School, which is ruled by "the Plastics" and their leader, Mandi Weatherly. However, when she learns her father can't afford tuition to her preferred college, Jo accepts payment from Sidney Hanover to befriend his unpopular daughter, Abby, one of Mandi's preferred victims. This brings Jo in direct conflict with the Plastics while, at the same time, improves her popularity and encourages her to break even more rules. Who's in it? The movie stars Meaghan Martin , Maiara Walsh , Claire Holt , Nicole Gale Anderson and Jennifer Stone . Review: My youngest daughter attended her first prom this weekend. She had fun, but it was an exhausting Sat...

Synopsis: After her successful adventure saving Lord Tewkesbury from assassination, Sherlock Holmes' sister, Enola, starts her own detective agency specializing in finding missing people only to learn people weren't interested in hiring a woman, especially since her brother was given sole credit for her only case. As she is about to give up, Enola is hired by an orphan in search of her missing older "sister," who worked in a match factory and theater. The case becomes more complex than Enola anticipated, seeming to be related to a case her brother is working on and ultimately getting her arrested for murder. Who's in it? The movie stars Millie Bobby Brown , Henry Cavill , Louis Partridge , Helena Bonham Carter and David Thewlis . Review: I enjoyed Enola Holmes more than expected when I watched it last year and, while I did have some doubts about the sequel, decided it was worth taking the time to watch it. I was able to do that yesterday evening and this morn...

Synopsis: Feeling out of place and unwanted as one of Bonnie's toys, Woody struggles to find a role in his new child's life. As a result, when Bonnie is afraid to go to kindergarten, Woody sneaks along for the ride and winds up being the guardian for her new favorite plaything, Forky. This ultimately results in him going on a road trip with Bonnie and her parents, reuniting with an old friend and facing off with an antique doll that wants to steal his voice box. Who's in it? The animated movie uses voices from Tom Hanks , Tim Allen , Annie Potts , Christina Hendricks and Tony Hale . Review: My youngest daughter's school was showing this film at its movie night last night and, since none of us were really interested in watching it while sitting on a gymnasium floor, my wife decided to just rent it from Red Box and have a family movie night at home instead. I wasn't a huge fan of Toy Story 3 , which I thought was a little dark (especially when the toys ne...

Synopsis : Paraplegic Nina and her mother receive a mysterious package containing a "Good Guy" doll with no information about who sent it to them or why. Later that night, her mother dies as the result of an apparent suicide and, when her sister arrives with her family for the funeral, she gives the doll to her 6-year-old niece. However, before too long, Nina begins to suspect the doll, Chucky, may not be what he appears to be. Who's in it? The movie stars Fiona Dourif , Danielle Bisutti , Brennan Elliott , Maitland McConnell , Summer H. Howell and Brad Dourif . Review: Even though I liked the first two Child's Play movies, I'm not a huge fan of the later sequels and, as a result of that, wasn't overly interested in seeing this film. However, my wife and I wanted to watch a movie together last night and, since this happened to be on Netflix, I decided to give it a try. As it turns out, it was actually a surprisingly good movie. While not quite as ...