Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After witnessing the effects of nuclear weapons while in the military, Captain John Ramsey has spent years preparing for nuclear war and those preparations help him and his daughter, Joanna survive when it breaks out and destroys the rest of the world. When others arrive at his door, John wants to turn them away, but Joanna insists on giving them shelter despite a limited food supply. It doesn't take long for them to face challenges, both from within and from the meat-eating mutated survivors that are running out of fresh game and will soon hunt them. Who's in it? The movie stars Neil Fletcher, Paul Petersen, Quinn O'Hara , Charla Doherty and Hugh Feagin. Review: I had wanted to watch a murder mystery this morning but, unable to find one that looked interesting and running out of time, I instead chose In the Year 2889 , which had been on my watch list for several weeks. I wasn't completely sure what to expect from it, but it turned out to be an OK choice. T...

Synopsis: Up-and-coming stock car driver Dave Owens travels from California to South Carolina and establishes himself by beating the local hero, Leander Fox, for the first time. The wealthy and beautiful Martha Bryan tricks Dave into smuggling moonshine for her and while he doesn't want to make a career of it, is forced to do so by two revenuers who will send him to prison if he doesn't gather information for them. When he is run off the road during one of his runs, Dave suspects Leander as being the person behind it, adding to their racing rivalry, even as Leander offers to partner with him to find the culprit. Who's in it? The movie stars Frankie Avalon , Fabian, Annette Funicello, Chill Wills , Julie Parrish and Harvey Lembeck . Review: I've had Fireball 500 in my library for a while and finally decided to watch it this morning. It wasn't quite what I was expecting based on who starred in it but that was something that actually worked in its favor. The movie ...

Synopsis: After her son is killed in a racing accident, Lenora Spence hires struggling attorney Preston Morgan to visit her estranged daughter-in-law, Sabena, in Acapulco with an offer of $500,000 to give up custody of her son to the wealthy heiress. Even though success would mean a life-changing commission, Preston is relieved when Sabena refuses and the pair even begin a romantic relationship. However, Sabena's twin sister, Dara, and her husband are desperate for money and scheme to murder Sabena so Dara can take her place. Who's in it? The movie stars Craig Hill , Marcia Henderson, Robert Lowery , Irene Tedow, Dayton Lummis and David Renard. Review: I had other movies in my library, but when I came across Deadly Duo last night, I decided to add it to the top of my list and wound up watching it this morning. It proved to be a solid movie that wasn't anywhere near as predictable as I feared it would be. Marcia Henderson does an excellent job in her dual role as both Sab...

Synopsis: After amassing a fortune in the carnival business via less-than-honest means, Hiram Stokeley has died and learns he has just 24 hours to commit a good deed if he wants to regain his youth, get into Heaven and spend eternity with his long-dead girlfriend, Cecily. With Cecily's help, he tries to fulfill that requirement by preventing his attorney, Reginald Ripper, from stealing his heirs' inheritance. Who's in it? The movie stars Susan Hart, Boris Karloff , Basil Rathbone , Tommy Kirk, Nancy Sinatra and Quinn O'Hara . Review: I came across The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini about a month or so ago and added it to my library because it sounded somewhat interesting and because there were a lot of recognizable names I wouldn't normally expect to see in a musical comedy. I finally got around to watching it this morning and, my opinion of it was mixed. The film has an interesting premise, and I especially liked how there was a slight mystery surrounding why St...

Synopsis: Harry Baldwin takes his wife Ann and two teenagers, Rick and Karen, on a camping trip in Sierra, Nevada. While on they are on the road, nuclear war breaks out, wiping out their home in Los Angeles as well as other major cities and quickly throwing the world into chaos. Determined to keep his family safe, Harry drives them as far from civilization as possible and they take up residence in a cave. However, he soon learns even hiding in the deep wilderness isn't enough to protect them from danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Ray Milland , Jean Hagan , Frankie Avalon , Mary Mitchel and Joan Freeman. Review: I overslept a bit this morning and realizing I couldn't remember the movie I had planned on watching, randomly selected one from my library. This ended up being Panic in Year Zero! I've seen plenty of end-of-the-world movies and some are much better than others. This is one I would describe as one of those better ones. One of the things I liked most about t...

Synopsis: Elderly and unliked goat farmer, Pete Jenkins, performs a Satanic ritual right before he dies and later returns as a younger version of himself, posing as his nephew, Nick Richards. Soon after, a dog attack leaves a local gas station owner, David Simpson, seriously disfigured and that is followed by a pair of mysterious deaths. Meanwhile, Richards seems to be endearing himself to Simpson's fiancée, Nell Lucas. Who's in it? The movie stars Ed Nelson , Jean Allison, Richard Crane , Edgar Buchanon and Spencer Carlisle. Review: I had woken up this morning intending to watch the 1927 silent film version of The Cat and the Canary.  However, it turned out to be a poor-quality copy, and I decided to call an audible after a few minutes. I had come across Devil's Partner a couple days ago, thought it looked interesting and decided to give it a try. It turned out to be an OK choice but not quite as good as I was hoping it would be. I think the best way to describe this fi...

Synopsis: On the eve of convicted murderer Frank Pierce's execution, grocer Sam Morgan, feeling guilty about the testimony he gave at Pierce's trial, ends up at Cady's Lodge near the state prison so he can talk to the warden. He is unable to stop the execution, and his guilt only intensifies when another man confesses to the crime too late. Broken and angry, the once honest Sam helps Pierce's widow, Ellie, who is also staying at the lodge, find $160,000 Pierce stole from a bank and eventually falls in love with her. However, while they are waiting for the money to be forwarded from a post office box to the lodge, the real Mrs. Pierce shows up and soon after, Sam is told a detective from New York has also checked in. Who's in it? The movie stars James Brown , Merry Anders , Henry Corden, Roy Barcroft and Peggy Stewart. Review: As has happened many times before, I ended up coming across When the Clock Strikes while scrolling through my movie library in search of ...

Synopsis: Impoverished Jack Coley works as a cat burglar to pay his rent and steals some jewelry and a briefcase from Nan Baker's apartment. What he doesn't know is Nan is an unwitting mule for an espionage ring her boyfriend, Alan, is involved with and the briefcase contained important stolen papers he threw out, putting both his and Nan's lives in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Jack Hogan, June Kenney , John Baer, Gregg Palmer and Billie Bird . Review: I had planned on watching another movie this morning but since Stormcloud decided to join me by curling up on my lap, I instead looked for a movie that had a cat theme to it. The Cat Burglar was the first one I could find in a reasonable amount of time, so I gave it a try. It turned out to be a good choice. This is one of those movies that revolves around someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time and, in the case of Jack (Hogan), it was about as wrong as he could get with the notebook he winds up with...

Synopsis: The evil scientist Dr. Who has discovered a large deposit of Element X at the North Pole and his excavation is being financed by a rogue nation that is looking to use the element as part of its plan for world domination. When his robot replica of King Kong fails to function correctly because of the element's radiation, he instead captures the real King Kong and enslaves him. Who's in it?  The movie stars Rhodes Reason , Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Hideyo Amamoto and Akira Takarada. Review: I've been a classic Japanese monster movie fan since I was a kid and do occasionally find time to re-watch some of my favorites. This included this morning, when I came across King Kong Escapes . It had been a while since I last saw the film and didn't remember a whole lot about it, but it ended up being a good choice. And that isn't just because of the main villain's name (which sounds like the title character from Doctor Who ). One thing I liked about this movie was ...

Synopsis: The bored wife of a successful theater critic decides to write her own play. She is able to get it produced but a drunken, negative review written by her husband threatens both the show's success and their marriage. Who's in it? The movie stars  Bob Hope , Lucille Ball , Marilyn Maxwell , Jim Backus and Rip Torn . Review: I am taking a bit of a lazy day today and, while my wife and youngest daughter were attending a play at our local high school, I ended up searching for a movie to watch. It had been a while since I last saw Critic's Choice and since it was available, I decided to give it a re-watch. My opinion of it was basically the same one I had the first time I watched it, it was OK but not as good as I had expected. I'll start out by saying the film's premise was a good one, mostly because it created a no-win scenario for the critic, Parker Ballentine (Hope). It was clear he didn't want to review his wife, Angela's (Ball) play because, base...

Synopsis: A pair of newlyweds, Gerald and Marianne, are driving through Bavaria when their car runs out of gas. They find lodging in a small village and accept an invitation to a costume ball held by a local, Dr. Ravna, not knowing he is the leader of a vampire cult. When Marianne is kidnapped by Ravna during the party, Gerald tries to rescue her but finds the villagers unwilling to help. Who's in it? The movie stars Clifford Evans, Noel Willman, Edward de Souza, Jennifer Daniel and Jacquie Wallace. Review: I was reasonably confident I had seen The Kiss of the Vampire before. However, it was a long time ago and as has often been the case as I've gotten older, I didn't remember anything about it. So, I decided to give it a try. I'm always a bit pessimistic when it comes to vampire movies from the 60s and 70s. While there are some good ones, many (most) tend to be too predictable, too corny or not much better than a soft-core porn film. I am happy to say this is one o...

Synopsis: In danger of losing their funding because of a skeptical benefactor, a team of scientists work to prove they can use lasers to see into the past and, eventually, into the future. Instead, a time warp sends their entire lab 5,000 years into the future, when Earth has been destroyed by war and mankind is on the verge of wiping itself out. They attempt to return to their own time so they can try to warn people before it is too late but their journey encounters complications that send them too far into the past. The film also goes by the title Time Warp . Who's in it? The movie stars Scott Brady , Anthony Eisley , Gigi Perreau , Abraham Sofaer and Tracy Olsen. Review: I came across Journey to the Center of Time on Amazon Prime last night and, while I am always a bit skeptical of time travel movies, it sounded interesting enough to give it a try. I ended up watching it this morning and it ended up being what I expected. Not necessarily in a good way. The premise of the mov...

Synopsis: Shortly after her blind and wealthy husband is killed in an explosion, a woman starts seeing him in her dreams. When her dreams become more realistic, she begins to suspect both her deceased husband and a mysterious lover really are visiting her and enlists her husband's attorney to help her figure out the truth. Who's in it?  The movie stars Robert Taylor , Barbara Stanwyck , Judi Meredith, Hayden Rorke and Rochelle Hudson. Review: Everyone was still in bed this morning and it was too early/too cold so shovel snow so I decided to use my alone time to watch a movie. I recently came across The Night Walker again and since I didn't remember much about it, decided to give it another try. It turned out to be a good choice. Even though this movie is classified in the horror/thriller, I disagreed and wouldn't put it in that category The somewhat bizarre wedding scene was a little creepy, but the movie never reached a point where it was overly intense or even suspen...

Synopsis: A wealthy woman is murdered by her husband and servants before burying her in the woods. As her killers search for her will, they discover an unexpected obstacle, her pet cat, Tabitha, a feline that is now is seeking revenge after witnessing the brutal slaying. This leads to a confrontation as the villains try to capture and kill Tabitha before she kills them or drives them insane. Who's in it? The film stars Andre Morell , Barbara Shelley , William Lucas, Conrad Phillips, Vanda Godsell and Bunkie. Review: My youngest daughter was at theater rehearsal, my wife was taking her adult ballet class, and my other daughter was doing homework, leaving me alone in the living room last night with just my cat, Stormcloud. Since she was there to watch it with me and it is almost Halloween, I decided to re-watch Shadow of a Cat . This is a movie that surprised me when I first watched it a few years ago. From the description, it seemed like a movie that could get extremely stupid v...

Synopsis: When stage magician John Harley "Duke" Duquesne dies, he leaves his entire estate to his estranged daughter, Cassie. The bequeathment comes with a condition though, Cassie must stay in his house for seven nights, so she can be a witness when he carries through with his promise to return from the dead. Cassie, along with her new friend, Val (who is secretly an undercover reporter), discover Duquesne's house is both full of artifacts from his shows and set up like a funhouse, with a variety of hidden scares. As a result, when strange things begin to occur at night, she doesn't know if they are just a trick or supernatural. Who's in it? The movie stars Connie Stevens, Dean Jones, Cesar Romero, Parley Baer , John Hoyt and Virginia Gregg. Review: I came across Two on a Guillotine last night and, while it was longer than I usually prefer for a morning movie, the plot sounded intriguing enough for me to add it to my library and give it a try. It proved to ...

Synopsis: The crew of a World War II American submarine are given orders to transport an underwater demolition team to Bikini Atoll so they can destroy a sunken American sub before the Japanese are able to salvage its advanced radar system. The already dangerous mission becomes even more complicated when they discover a Japanese fleet has already located the sub and started salvage operations. Who's in it? The movie stars Tab Hunter, Frankie Avalon , Jim Backus , Scott Brady and Eva Six. Review: I came across Operation Bikini a few days ago and wasn't completely sure I wanted to give the war movie a try until I saw it starred Jim Backus. I figured I hadn't seen him in too many pre- Gilligan's Island films, so I gave it a try. Overall, it proved to be a good choice. I think one thing I found I really liked about this movie was the way it focused on the psychological effects of war as much as the patriotism and action. The trip to Bikini Atoll was as intriguing as t...

Synopsis: In 2020, after colonizing the moon, mankind has its eyes set on exploring more of the solar system and launches a 3-ship mission to the planet Venus. After one ship is destroyed enroute and a landing party loses communication, another crew is sent to the planet's surface on a rescue mission. There they encounter dangerous prehistoric creatures. Who's in it? The movie stars Basil Rathbone , Faith Domergue, John Bix, Georgi Zhzhyonov and Gennadi Vernov. Review: As I was scrolling through movies last night in search of something to watch this morning, I couldn't decide between a comedy, mystery or science fiction and ended up picking the last category at my wife's suggestion. I chose Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet and, after watching it, regret not choosing another genre. Let's start out by saying this movie, which was originally filmed in the Soviet Union then edited and dubbed in an attempt to hide that fact, was clearly filmed in the Soviet Union and...

Synopsis: When her blind husband begins receiving phone calls from his dead mother and she herself begins to see apparitions, Vivia Mandore enlists help from architect and paranormal investigator Nelson Orion. At first, Orion is skeptical and thinks it's a hoax, possibly to scare Henry Mandore into selling his estate. However, after witnessing supernatural events and realizing they are centered around Vivia, he begins to believe they are connected to an unsolved murder. Who's in it? The movie stars Martin Landau , Diane Baker, Judith Anderson , Tom Simcox and Priscilla Morrill. Review: I came across The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre a couple weeks ago and thought it looked interesting enough to add to my library. I decided to watch it this morning, and it turned out to be both entertaining and surprising. My first expectation of this movie is the ghost would turn out to be nothing more than an elaborate and cruel hoax. The phone calls from the tomb could have been placed by anyo...

Synopsis: A team of scientists are working on a device that will allow them to view through time. They underestimate the device's capabilities and instead of just viewing the future they are soon trapped in the year 2071 on an Earth that has been destroyed by nuclear war and where the few hundred remaining humans hide from mutants while building a spaceship so they can leave. Unable to travel with the future humans because of the lack of supplies, the scientists attempt to rebuild their time portal before the mutants break through the defenses. Who's in it? The movie stars Preston Foster , Philip Carey, Merry Anders , Joan Woodbury and John Hoyt. Review: I had noticed The Time Travelers on one of my movie channels but since I have seen very few time travel films that were good, I wasn't sure if it would be something I would enjoy. I finally decided to give it a try this morning and, while it didn't quite change my opinion of this sub-genre, it was a pleasant surpri...

Synopsis: Eight years after witnessing a rape and testifying against Max Cady, attorney Sam Bowden is visited by the man he helped send to prison and he and his family are soon stalked by the ex-con. Since Cady is both careful to avoid breaking any laws and has an attorney of his own representing him, the local police are powerless to do anything. This forces Sam to test the limits of the law himself in an effort to protect his wife and daughter. Who's in it? The movie stars Gregory Peck , Robert Mitchum , Polly Bergen , Lori Martin and Telly Savalas . Review: I came across and added Cape Fear to my library a few weeks ago. I had seen the 1991 remake a long time ago but never had an opportunity to watch the original and finally changed that this morning. I was not disappointed. This is what I would describe as a clever psychological thriller. Cady (Mitchum) is established as the ultimate movie villain, absolutely ruthless and possibly insane but also extremely intelligent. The ...