Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After superhuman David Dunn, now known as the Overseer, tracks down Kevin Wendall Crumb, aka the Horde, and frees the teenagers Crumb has kidnapped, the two men battle it out but are soon both captured by a team led by Dr. Ellie Staple, who institutionalizes the men in the same facility currently holding supervillain Elijah Price, who now calls himself Mr. Glass. Dr. Staple tells the men their powers aren't real and instead are the result of delusions created by a brain condition she believes she can surgically correct. Glass, however, suspects they are being lied to and works out an escape plan that will also expose the truth. Who's in it? The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson , James McAvoy , Bruce Willis , Anya Taylor-Joy and Sarah Paulson. Review: My wife and I planned on watching Glass last summer, after first watching Unbreakable and Split . However, the movie wasn't available on any of our streaming services or at our library and I wasn't sure I'd...

Synopsis: Wisconsin dental supply salesman Andy Fiddler is in Detroit for a convention. When he sits down at a diner with a copy of the USA Today, he is mistaken for ATF Agent Derrick Vann, who is trying to set up a sting, catch a gang of gun dealers who killed his partner and prove he isn't a dirty cop. Since the gun dealers now believe Fiddler is the wannabe buyer, Vann forces him to help with the operation. However, between Fiddler's resistance and his inability to stay quiet, it doesn't take long for Vann to realize it might be a mistake. Who's in it? The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson , Eugene Levy , Miguel Ferrer , Susie Essman and Luke Goss. Review: I ended up deciding to watch The Man with my wife yesterday evening mostly out of curiosity. The Jackson/Levy pairing seemed just unusual enough to at least give it a try. However, at the same time, I had lowered expectations because while Jackson can carry a film, I've found Levy's comedy tends to be bette...

Synopsis: Security guard David Dunn is the lone survivor when a passenger train derails. Even more amazing is the fact he escaped without a scratch, baffling investigators. Soon after, Dunn is approached by Elijah Price, an art gallery owner stricken with a disease that makes his bones brittle. Price believes Dunn may have superpowers like those in the comic books. Dunn is unconvinced, until he realizes he has never been injured or sick and is able to bench press an unbelievable amount of weight. Who's in it? The movie stars Bruce Willis , Samuel L. Jackson , Robin Wright , Spencer Treat Clark and Charlayne Woodard . Review: My wife had never seen Unbreakable  and, since she is also interested in watching the sequels (which I haven't seen) we ended up picking it out for our movie night. It had been a long time since I last saw this movie and I couldn't remember much about it as a result. After seeing it again, I thought it was an OK film. This is a different kind of sup...

Synopsis: FBI agent Neville Flynn is escorting Sean Jones from Hawaii to Los Angeles so Jones, who witnessed a federal prosecutor's murder, can testify against crime lord Eddie Kim. Flynn takes every precaution, including commandeering the entire first-class section of the Boing 747 they are flying to Los Angeles in. However, Kim is one step ahead of them and has arranged for a crate of venomous snakes, made more aggressive by a pheromone, to be released on the plane mid-flight. Who's in it? The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson , Rachel Blanchard , Nathan Phillips , Julianna Margulies and Kenan Thompson . Review: My wife and I have discussed watching Snakes on a Plane dozens of times since it was released 19 years ago but for multiple reasons, we just never seemed to find the time to do it (even after seeing a movie that spoofed this movie). We finally were able to do that last night, and I can honestly say this film did not disappoint. I will start out by saying the premise i...

Synopsis: John Clayton, formerly known to the world as Tarzan after being raised by apes in the African jungle, now lives in Britain with his wife, Jane, claiming his birthright as Earl of Greystone. He is content remaining in Britain but is convinced to return to his former home when he learns King Leopold II of Belgium may be enslaving the people living in the Congo Basin while he searches for diamonds. His return, which is made with Jane accompanying him, puts his life in danger as Leopold's envoy, Léon Rom, intends to capture Clayton and trade him to a tribal chief seeking revenge for the death of his son. Who's in it? The movie stars  Alexander Skarsgård , Margot Robbie , Samuel L. Jackson , Christoph Waltz and  Osy Ikhile . Review: I've known about this movie for a while but have never been fully invested in the idea of watching it. However, my wife and I recently finished binge watching the series True Blood and since she's now an Alexander Skarsgård fan as a...

Synopsis: A year after abandoning his wife and son to fulfill a dream of becoming a graphic novelist, Clay Riddell is in Boston hoping to return to them. However, shortly after his own phone battery goes dead, a strange signal goes over the cell towers and everyone on their phone is turned into a mindless and rabid killer. With the whole world going crazy as a result, Clay enlists the help of train conductor and Vietnam veteran Thomas McCourt to help him travel home and find his family. Who's in it? The movie stars John Cusack , Samuel L. Jackson , Isabelle Fuhrman , Owen Teague and Stacy Keach . Review: I added this movie to my library some time ago and my wife and I decided to give it a try last night because we were intrigued by what was essentially a zombie movie based on a book by Stephen King. After watching it, our opinion of it was mixed. Zombie films tend to be a dime a dozen and I always give points to those that add some sort of uniqueness. That was the case with thi...

Synopsis: Years after the Jigsaw Killer murders were solved; a copycat killer emerges with some new deadly "games." This time, however, the killer seems to be specifically targeting members of the police department. Detective Zeke Banks is assigned to lead the investigation, but things get personal when his rookie partner is murdered, and his father appears to be the primary suspect. Who's in it? The movie stars Chris Rock , Samuel L. Jackson , Marisol Nichols , Max Minghella and Ali Johnson. Review: My wife is a big fan of the Saw movies (I am OK with them but am not as big of a fan) so, when I came across this film, which is based on the Saw franchise, I added it to our library. And, when we finally had time to watch a movie yesterday evening, this is the one I picked out. To be honest, I started out somewhat skeptical of this film. Typically, when a movie is based on a more popular film/franchise but also isn't a sequel, that leaves the door open for some wea...

Synopsis: Still grieving the loss of his daughter, a once-promising author now travels around the country, staying in supposedly haunted hotels and writing about his experiences. When an anonymous post card warns him about room 1408 at a luxury hotel in New York, he decides to spend the night there, despite the room's long history of dying guests and the hotel manager's attempts to convince him otherwise. Who's in it? The movie stars John Cusack , Samuel L. Jackson , Tony Shalhoub , Mary McCormack and Kate Walsh . Synopsis: My wife and I came across this movie about a week ago but, not having time to watch it, decided to save it for another day. We wound up doing that last night and I have to say I was very impressed with it. I will confess, when we started watching this movie, I did have some doubts about it. I've seen plenty of haunted room/haunted house films over the years and they tend to follow the same predictable format. This one, however, really su...

Synopsis: As the Vietnam War comes to a close, a monster hunter convinces a U.S. Senator to back an expedition to a newly-discovered island. Escorted by a US helicopter squad and guided by a former member of the British Special Air Service, his team of scientists penetrates the perpetual storm that hides the island only to find their lives in danger from a giant ape and the reptilian creatures it is at war with. You can read my review here: https://wizzley.com/movie-review-kong-skull-island-2017/