Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After inheriting a house with a long history of death, Jim Royce decides to turn it into a boarding house for aspiring models and actresses, creating his own personal harem. Soon after, the violence returns and guests begin to die. Who's in it? The movie stars John Wintergate, Kalassu, Lindsay Freeman, Brian Bruderlin and Selma Kora. Review: My wife and I finally had a couple hours to ourselves yesterday evening and, after getting some loaded nachos from the local bowling alley, decided to watch a horror film. It had been a while since we last watched a 1980s slasher, so I ended up picking out Boardinghouse. I should have gone with a different movie. I think the best way to describe this film is it is so bad, it was hard to tell if it was supposed to be a legitimate horror movie or a spoof. Most of the characters were comically one dimensional, especially the women, who inexplicitly answered Jim's (Wintergate) super creepy advertisement in droves (how in the world ...

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 barely surviving a brutal attack by three masked strangers that left her boyfriend, Ryan, dead, Maya wakes up in a hospital. With the local sheriff brushing off her story and the hospital staff reluctant to answer her questions, Maya, with the help of her friends, arranges to be transported to another hospital further away. However, the assailants, learning she is alive, strike first, forcing her to flee into the woods wearing just a hospital gown and with no idea if there is anyone she can trust. Who's in it? The movie stars  Madelaine Petsch , Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Brooke Lena Johnson and Richard Brake. Review: My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by The Strangers: Chapter 1 this weekend so, after spending the day digging out from a blizzard and too tired to do much else as a result, we ended up watching The Strangers: Chapter 2 yesterday evening. Overall, I will say I was happy with that choice. I'm not going to lie; there were plenty of times w...

Synopsis: While driving to a job interview in Portland, Maya and her boyfriend Ryan stop in Venus, Oregon for lunch. When their car doesn't start, Ryan is suspicious of the local mechanic, but Maya accepts an offer to rent a remote cabin for the night. This proves to be a mistake as she and Ryan soon find themselves being terrorized by a group of three masked strangers. Who's in it? The movie stars Madelaine Petsch , Froy Gutierrez, Ben Cartwright, Matus Lajcak and Olivia Kreutzova. Review: My wife and I are caught up on all the seasons of The Traitors (though we did wind up watching an episode of the UK version) so, since we were expecting bad weather last night, we ended up picking out a horror movie to watch. I wasn't completely sure what to expect from The Strangers: Chapter 1 but was familiar with Madelaine Petsch from her time on Riverdale and decided to give it a try. Overall, it turned out to be a solid slasher movie. I'll start out by saying the film is f...

Synopsis: Three years after reluctantly assisting in a fraternity prank that sent a pledge to a mental hospital, a graduating Alana Maxwell joins her classmates at a New Years Eve costume party held on a train. What she doesn't know is one of the guests has murderous intentions. Who's in it? The movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis , Ben Johnson, David Copperfield, Hart Bochner and Derek McKinnon. Review: My wife has an almost child-like obsession with trains, and we both love horror films so, when I came across Terror Train last night, I decided to add it to the top of my list and watch it right away. Unfortunately, while this movie seemed to have quite a bit of potential, it did fall a bit short in my opinion. The overall premise isn't a bad one. The train provided a great setting, both because it was a confined space and because it was moving, making it much more difficult for the intended victims to escape. The costume party was a nice added touch as well because it both mad...

Synopsis: For 1,000 years, Santa Claus, the spawn of Satan, has been cursed to deliver presents to children around the world. Now that the 1,000 years is up, he is free to return to his murderous ways and takes his wrath out on a small town in Canada. It's up to teenager Nicholas Yuleson to stop him. Who's in it? The movie stars Bill Goldberg, Douglas Smith, Emilie de Raven, Dave Thomas and Fran Drescher. Review: My wife and I were having a slow start to our Christmas Eve and as we were scrolling through channels, came across Santa's Slay . I had lowered expectations about this movie, but it ended up being surprisingly good. I think the thing I liked best about this film is it found just the right amount of balance to be a decent horror/comedy. The film clearly wasn't taking itself seriously and keeping things entertaining but the filmmakers knew to stop before it reached a point it was too goofy. It actually reminded me a lot of a 1980s horror film even though it wa...

Synopsis: A killer in a bunny costume murders anyone he encounters while his partner in crime, Joe, disposes of the bodies by turning them into jerky for his convenience store. When a group of women go hiking in the nearby woods, they become the Bunnyman and Joe’s latest targets and must find a way to escape before they are raped, tortured and killed by the pair. Who's in it? The movie stars David Scott, Joshua Lang, Marshal Hilton, Heather Daley, Kate Bowen, Stefanie Estes and Julianne Dowler. Review: One of the main reasons I am a fan of slasher movies is even the bad ones usually prove to be reasonably entertaining, even if it's in a comical way. As a result of that, when I came across The Bunnyman Massacre, I figured it would fall into that category. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This is just a terrible film, even for the genre. To be fair, this film is a sequel to the 2011 movie Bunnyman which I have not seen. I did take that into account when I watched this movie and di...

Synopsis: When crazed killer Billy Lenz escapes the mental institution on Christmas Eve, he makes a path straight for his childhood home. Unfortunately for the sorority sisters of Delta Alpha Kappa, his former house is now their sorority house. With police assistance at least two hours away because of the heavily falling snow, they are forced to find a way to survive on their own. Who's in it?  The movie stars Katie Cassidy , Michelle Trachtenburg, Lacey Chabert , Robert Mann and Andrea Martin . Review: While there have been exceptions to the rule, I've found most horror movie remakes tend to fall flat when compared to the original. There are some, however, that are still better than others and I would put Black Christmas in that very specific category of not living up to the original but still being watchable. There were a couple things I found I liked about this movie. The main one was Mann's pretty convincing performance as the lunatic Billy Lenz. He had just the righ...

Synopsis:  A 10-year-old Michael Myers is sent to a sanitarium after murdering a school bully, his older sister and her boyfriend. After Michael murders a nurse, his mother commits suicide, and he remains alone in the sanitarium for 15 years. An adult Michael then escapes and begins tracking down his baby sister, Angel, who, unbeknownst to her, was secretly adopted and is living under a new name, Laurie Strode.  Who’s in it? The movie stars Malcolm McDowell , Scout Taylor-Compton , Danielle Harris , Bill Moseley , Danny Trejo and Tyler Mane . Review : My wife and I originally saw this movie when it came out in theaters in 2007. I have since seen it a few more times and, while my overall opinion of the movie has changed a bit, I do still think it is one of the better horror movie remakes. This film does exactly what a remake should. It kept the same concept as the original, modernized it so a younger generation could relate and added enough original content to the film to mak...

Synopsis: After killing more than 200 people, Jason Voorhees is finally captured by the government and is being held in a secret research facility. He manages to escape custody and kills everyone inside the facility except for a government scientist who lures him into a cryogenic chamber before freezing him and herself. Nearly 450 years later, their frozen bodies are discovered by a team of archaeologists exploring now-abandoned Earth and are brought on board the spaceship. Soon after, Jason once again rises from the dead and goes on a killing spree. Who's in it?  The movie stars Kane Hodder , Lexa Doig, David Cronenberg, Markus Parilo and Lisa Ryder. Review: Full honesty here - while I recognize the Friday the 13th movies for their cultural significance, I am not as big of a Jason Voorhees fan as you might think. Frankly, I have always considered him to be a bit overrated (and even a little wimpy) when compared to other horror movie bad guys.  Jason X , however, is one of ...

Synopsis: After celebrating their engagement party, Danica Richards and Teddy Spencer travel with their friends Ava, Milo and Stevie to see the Fourth of July fireworks from a vantage point on a winding cliffside road overlooking the ocean. Teddy, who is drunk and high and standing in the middle of the road, accidentally causes a truck to swerve and go through the railing, killing the driver, Sam Cooper. The friends vow not to speak of their involvement but, a year later, are stalked by a killer wearing rain gear and carrying a hook. When they later learn their hometown of Southport, North Carolina was previously terrorized the same way, they seek help from the two survivors, Julie James and Ray Bronson. Who's in it? The movie stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders , Sarah Pidgeon, Freddie Prinze, Jr. , Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar . Review: While I surprisingly enjoyed the Scream reboot a few years ago, I still have some serious doubt about rebooting classic...

Synopsis: High school track star Laura Ramstead dies unexpectedly from an embolism at a track meet two months before her graduation. A short while later, Coach George Michaels is accused of pushing her too hard and loses his job. As the remaining seniors on the track team prepare to get their diplomas, they are suddenly stalked by a killer wearing a fencing uniform and carrying a stopwatch. Who's in it? The movie stars Christopher George , Patch Mackenzie , Virgil Frye , E. Danny Murphy , Vanna White and E. J. Peaker. Review: I was in the mood for an 80s slasher movie and convinced my wife to let me pick one out on Amazon Prime. Graduation Day was one of the first ones to pop up and since it was a film I had heard about but had never seen, we gave it a try. Based on the movie genre, I had lowered expectations, but the film even failed to reach that bar. The movie's premise was very basic which, for this type of movie, isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, a basic prem...

Synopsis: After a botched advertising campaign puts her marketing job in jeopardy, Ally McCabe is assigned to work with freelancer Jay Simmonds, who invites her to dinner on Valentine's Day so they can discuss next steps. When she spots her ex-boyfriend outside the restaurant, she kisses Jay and pretends he is her new love. Unfortunately for Ally, the notorious Heart Eyes Killer, wanted in multiple states for killing couples on Valentine's Day, is watching. Who's in it? The movie stars Olivia Holt , Mason Gooding , Michaela Watkins , Lauren O'Hara and Jordana Brewster . Review: My wife and I thought about seeing Heart Eyes when it was at our local cinema in February but since it was in the much older upstairs theater, with very uncomfortable chairs, we ended up watching The Monkey instead. Since this film is now available via Netflix, we finally watched it last night.  I thought it was pretty decent. There were a couple things I found I really liked about this fil...

Synopsis: Actor Paul Toombes is hosting a New Year's party in celebration of his fifth movie starring as masked serial killer Dr. Death when his new bride, Ellen, is decapitated by someone wearing Toombes' Dr. Death costume. Twelve years later, Toombes' career has been left in shambles by the murder, which many believe he committed, and a stay in a mental hospital but is being given a second chance in London thanks to his friend, Herbert Flay, who wants to bring back Dr. Death as part of a television series. Soon after arriving, however, multiple people are murdered and Toombes once again becomes a suspect. Who's in it? The movie stars Vincent Price , Peter Cushing , Robert Quarry , Adrienne Corri and Linda Hayden. Review: I've had Madhouse in my movie library since last year but never took the time to watch it until finally doing so this morning. After seeing it for the first time, I am sad to say it was a bit of a disappointment for me. I'll start out by ...

Synopsis: Thirteen years after being imprisoned in a mental institution for murdering Harriet Anderson and Ward Lamson with his hook hand while they were apparently having an affair at Lovers Lane, Ray Hennessey escapes and starts a killing spree. Ray's original victims' spouses, Sheriff Tom Anderson and Principal Penny Lamson believe he is going after their kids, Mandy and Michael. Only, there is a lot more to the story than they realize. Who's in it? The movie stars Erin J. Dean , Riley Smith , Matt Riedy , Suzanne Bouchard and Anna Faris. Review: I came across Lovers Lane a few days ago and since it had been a while since my wife and I last watched a slasher film, I added it to my library. While my expectations for a film I previously had forgotten existed weren't very high, the movie still failed to meet them. There are a couple things wrong with this film. One of the main ones is it take a long time for anything to happen and, even then, there are long gaps be...

Synopsis: Matt Cordell was a decorated New York police officer who was sent to prison for police brutality. After being beaten and stabbed in a prison shower, Cordell is believed to be deceased. However, years later, he resurfaces and begins a killing spree while searching for those who framed him for his crime. While Det. Frank McCrae has figured out who the killer is, another police officer, Jack Forrest, has already been arrested and remains his superior's favorite suspect. Who's in it? The movie stars Tom Atkins , Bruce Campbell , Laurene Landon , William Smith and Robert Z'Dar . Review: Since my daughters had a sister date and saw A Minecraft Movie twice yesterday while I was at home taking care of my sick wife, I decided to find a film to watch too. I don't know what drew me to Maniac Cop when I came across it on Amazon Prime but decided to give it a try. It ended up being pretty much what I would expect from a 1980s B-movie. The overall premise of the film ...

Synopsis: While being transported to his execution, convicted serial killer Jack Frost is involved in an accident with a truck hauling an experimental chemical that causes his genetic material to become fused with the surrounding snow. Believed to have been killed, he returns as a snowman and begins a new killing spree while trying to get revenge on a smalltown sheriff, Sam, for arresting him. Who's in it? The movie stars Scott MacDonald , Christopher Allport , Stephen Mendel , Eileen Seeley and Shannon Elizabeth . Review: I was surprised to learn my wife had never seen Jack Frost and, since it had been several years since I last saw it, I decided to rectify that last night. After re-watching the movie, I can honestly say it was exactly as I remembered it. Even though it is a low-budget, straight-to-DVD film, the movie does have quite a bit going for it. For one, the practical effects aren't all that terrible for a movie that was made nearly 30 years ago. The filmmakers di...

Synopsis: Three years after her mother, an actress, is killed in a car accident, a still mourning Max Cartwright agrees to attend a showing of her mother's most famous movie, a 1986 slasher flick called Camp Bloodbath . When a fire breaks out in the theater, Max and her friends escape but somehow end up in the movie. Unable to escape, they are forced to face the killer, Billy Murphy, while Max bonds with Nancy, the character her mom played in the movie, knowing Nancy is slated to die. Who's in it? The movie stars Taissa Farmiga , Malin Akerman ,  Adam Devine , Thomas Middleditch  and  Alexander Ludwig . Review: I came across The Final Girls on Peacock yesterday evening and ended up picking it mostly because I wasn't finding much else. I had some doubts about the film, mostly because horror/comedies are hard to pull off and most tend to flop, at least in my opinion. However, this proved to be a great pick. I think the thing I liked best about this film was how the movie...

Synopsis: Alex's friends surprise her with an early 21st birthday celebration after hours at the amusement arcade she works at. However, the celebration is soon interrupted by a spree killer that is dressed like the Mickey Mouse character, Steamboat Willie, and has the ability to teleport. Who's in it? The movie stars Simon Phillips , Sophie McIntosh , Madeline Kelman , Mackenzie Mills and  Callum Sywyk . Review: It says a lot about the human race when a beloved classic like Steamboat Willie is no longer copyrighted and the first instinct is to make a horror movie featuring Mickey Mouse. However, I was admitted intrigued when I came across The Mouse Trap on Peacock and decided to give it a try. One of the main reasons I love watching slasher movies is it is very difficult to mess them up. Even if you have some of the most annoying characters ever, as long as they are being brutally murdered, it is entertaining. This film is a great example of how to screw that up. I spent...

Synopsis: Looking to start out summer vacation from college on the right foot, Heather invites her friends to a lake house for a 1980s-themed murder mystery party. However, soon after arriving her guests become targets for a real serial killer. Who's in it? The movie stars  Ashlyn McCain , Bridget Linda Froemming ,  Will Horton ,  Scott Tepperman  and  H. Marie Review: A couple days ago, I gave my wife a choice between Cruel Summer and Monsternado   since they were right next to each other on Amazon Prime . She chose the latter, and it turned out to be an awful movie. As a result, I decided to give this one a chance to see what we missed and as it turns out, it wasn't any better. The reality is it really shouldn't be that difficult to make a decent slasher movie. It doesn't need to have a complex plot. The acting doesn't need to be Oscar worthy. All you really need is a believable scenario, a cold-blooded killer and a reasonable amount of execution. Wit...