Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After a new political party, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) takes control of the government, they announce a social experiment on Long Island that will make all crime, including murder, legal for 12 hours and offer residents financial compensation for participating. As Long Island's residents plan to hide in their homes or attend parties, the NFFA takes steps to ensure their experiment will be successful. Who's in it? The movie stars Lex Scott Davis , Joivan Wade , Y'lan Noel , Marisa Tomei and Rotimi Paul. Review: To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed when I got this movie from Netflix yesterday. I've never been a huge fan of the Purge movies and, while I did have this on my DVD list, it was way at the bottom. However, since there wasn't much on TV last night except re-runs of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , my wife and I wound up watching it. And, as it turns out, it was better than I expected it to be. I think the thing...

Synopsis: Three years after finally tracking down and killing his sister, Michael Myers is secretly living in his old house in Haddonfield. When a reality TV series decides to film in his house, he wastes little time hunting down the inhabitants. Who's in it? The movie stars Brad Loree , Busta Rhymes , Bianca Kajlich , Sean Patrick Thomas, Tyra Banks and Daisy McCrackin . Review: I was under the impression my wife and I had seen this film before. However, when we wound up picking it out on VUDU last night, I realized that was not the case. We might have seen bits and pieces of it before but neither one of us remembered actually seeing the entire film. And, as it turns out, I didn't hate this. OK, to start out, let me say this movie does have a lot wrong with it. For example, the film never properly explains how Michael (Loree) could live in his house for three years and nobody noticed. Did he really go that long without killing anyone (and why?). And, what the heck was tha...

Synopsis: On Halloween in 1968, Stella, Auggie and Chuck show their new friend, Ramon, an abandoned mansion that once belonged to one of their town's founding families, the Bellows. When Stella finds a book of hand-written stories in a secret room, she decides to bring it home with her. This, in turn, angers the spirit of Sarah Bellow's, the family's abused daughter. One-by-one, Stella's friends become endangered as Sarah adds new stories to her book. Who's in it? The movie stars Zoe Margaret Colletti , Michael Garza , Gabriel Rush , Austin Abrams and Austin Zajur . Review: While I understand the need to attract younger audiences to the movie theater, I fully believe the new PG-13 standard has ruined potentially memorable horror films. Sadly, this movie, which I mostly watched to appease my 15-year-old, is a film that falls into that category. Overall, I thought the premise of this movie was a good one. Yes, there was some familiarity with it. But, the idea of a...

Synopsis: Teenage friends Brady, Sam, Jeff and Roy (a.k.a PrankMonkey69) get a kick out of making elaborate prank calls and posting the results on the internet. When Sam begins having relationship issues with his girlfriend, Peyton, Brady decides to cheer him up by pulling off a few more pranks. However, things turn sinister when the mysterious Mr. Lee hijacks their phones and electronics Who's in it? The movie stars Gregg Sulkin , Garrett Clayton , Bella Dayne , Edward Killingback and Jack Brett Anderson . Review: My wife wanted to watch a scary movie after her virtual kickboxing class yesterday evening so, while she was showering, I went in search of one. After a while, I settled for this movie, which I found on VUDU. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really expecting to like this movie, partly because it seemed like it would be  very similar to another film I've already seen, really predictable or both. However, it turned out to be better than expected. I think the thi...

Synopsis: After having their wedding disrupted by a torch-bearing mob, Gomez and Morticia Addams move to New Jersey and make their home in an abandoned insane asylum, where they eventually raise a family. Thirteen years later, they face a new threat, a reality show host who sees the Addams home as a blight on her newly-remodeled perfect community and is willing to take extreme measures to protect her investment. Who's in it? The animated movie uses voices from Oscar Isaac , Charlize Theron , Chloe Grace Moretz , Finn Wolfhard and Bette Midler . Review: When I first saw a trailer for this movie a few months ago, I thought it looked kind of dumb. However, the 1991 movie was a pleasant surprise and its sequel wasn't as bad as I thought it would be so, ultimately, I decided to give this animated film the benefit of the doubt and add it to my Netflix DVD queue. We watched the movie as a family last night and, as it turns out, I was right the first time. This was actually kind o...

It's sunny and somewhat warm out today but also very windy. As a result of that (and because I forgot to grab my jacket), I wound up cutting my walk somewhat short. I did, however, manage to get a couple photos while out.

Synopsis: After spending most of her life living in and exploring the Peruvian jungle with her parents, Dora stumbles upon a clue that reveals the location of the lost city of Parapata, which is believed to have more gold than the rest of the world combined. However, because she nearly injured herself in the process, her parents decide to continue the exploration without her and, instead, send her to live with her cousin, Diego's, family in Los Angeles. Having never been around other teenagers, she immediately struggles to fit in and even Diego is embarrassed to be seen with her. Things take a turn for the worse when her, Diego and two of their classmates are kidnapped while on a field trip and transported back to Peru. They escape their captors with the help of a family friend but must find the lost city and her parents before the mercenaries do. Who's in it? The movie stars Isabela Merced , Jeff Wahlberg , Eva Longoria , Madeleine Madden , Eugenio Derbez and Nicholas Coombe...