Steven Helmer Publications

The film Die Hard is a staple in my house. I think I put the movie on at least once per month, though by this point it has mostly just been as background noise with me only paying attention during the highlights. However, I put it on again last night and with nothing to distract me, did wind up paying attention to the whole film (or at least most of it). As I did, one thought popped into my head. Who was the inside man working with Hans Gruber ( Alan Rickman ) and his gang of terrorists? While the movie doesn't explicitly state there is someone withing the Nakatomi Corporation that is working with Gruber and his men, the evidence is there if you pay attention. First, the security in Nakatomi Plaza is atrocious, to the point it seems almost by design.  There is a lone security guard who doesn't check identification and a computerized directory that lists the names of everyone in the building. John McClane ( Bruce Willis ) was obviously the good guy in the film but could have ju...

Synopsis: After his brother dies from a gold addiction, Jack Spade is determined to stop the man responsible, Mr. Big. Unable to do it alone, he enlists help from a former crime fighter, John Slade, and his friends to take down Big's gold distribution. Things take a sinister turn, however, when Spade's sister-in-law and former girlfriend is taken hostage by Big's gang. Who's in it? The movie stars Keenan Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans , Kim Wayans, Bernie Casey, Isaac Hayes and Jim Brown . Review: I took a night off from watching my daughter's community theater musical (my wife went with one of her friends so there was still someone in the audience). While at home in a quiet house, I decided to put on a movie and, because I noticed it was available, that ended up being I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.  I had seen this movie, which is a spoof of 70s exploitation films, before. However, it had been a long while and because of that, I wasn't sure if it would turn out t...

Synopsis : A young couple is killed in a car accident and ends up haunting their house. When an eccentric family buys the property and begins making changes they don't approve of, the couple tries to scare them away. When the family is, instead, thrilled to be living in a haunted house, they consider hiring a maverick ghost to help them, despite being warned not to. Who's in it? The movie stars Michael Keaton , Alec Baldwin , Geena Davis , Winona Ryder , Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones . Review : I came across this movie last night while waiting for the kids to finish their desserts and get ready for bed. Since my wife was busy with a project, I ended up watching it. It had been a long while since I had watched this film in its entirety and, other than bits and pieces, I didn't remember too much about it. After seeing it again, I can honestly say I enjoyed it. There are a couple things, in particular, I like about this movie. The first is I love how this...

Synopsis : A small town is terrorized by clown-like aliens with cotton-candy-shooting guns and a hunger for human blood. Who's in it? The movie stars Suzanne Snyder , John Allen Nelson , John Vernon , Royal Dano , Grant Cramer , Michael S. Siegel and Peter Licassi . Review: This is a movie my wife and I have watched together on more than one occasion. However, when I came across the film on one of our movie channels a couple days ago, I couldn't resist recording it and watching it again. We finished the movie, again, last night and, overall, I was happy with my decision to see it one more time. To tell you the truth, I didn't realize this movie was nearly 30 years old. Since my wife and I discovered it only relatively recently, I thought it was a much-more-recent (albeit low budget) movie. Now that the movie's age has sunk in, I can only appreciate it more. The best way to describe this film is, it isn't really scary or funny. It's just very bizarr...

Synopsis : Years after causing her abusive and alcoholic father's death, a telekinetic teenager returns to Crystal Lake with her mom and her psychiatrist, Dr. Crews, who is secretly trying to exploit her gift. When her powers grow stronger, she accidentally releases Jason Voorhees (still chained to the bottom of the lake) and he immediately starts another killing spree. Who's in it? The movie stars Lar Park-Lincoln , Terry Kiser , Kane Hodder , Susan Blu and Kevin Spirtas. Review : Even though I recorded this film when I came across it on one of our movie channels a few days ago, I wasn't really sure if I was going to end up watching it. However, the 6th installment of this movie franchise wasn't too terrible (and was an improvement over the two that preceded it). So, as a result of that, I gave this installment a try too. Unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. I think the biggest problem with this film is the same one I see with a lot of sequel...