Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis:  After a nuclear war wipes out 92 percent of the world's population and decreases the birth rate, mankind is forced to build robots to help supplement the workforce. Over time, the robots become more sophisticated and human-like, to the point the Order of the Flesh and Blood becomes fearful of a robotic takeover. What they don't know is the robots have already secretly developed an upgrade that allows them to produce exact replicas of deceased humans. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Don Megowan ,  Erica Elliott ,  Don Doolittle ,  David Cross  and  Frances McCann. Review:  I came across this movie while making dinner last night and thought it looked interesting enough to add to my library. I had an opportunity to watch it this morning and it turned out to be a halfway decent science fiction thriller. I think the thing that really stood out for me when it came to this film was the uniqueness of the plot. The idea of robots with the ab...

Synopsis:  Scientist Alex Marsh is experimenting with a nerve gas that has both hypnotic and paralytic effects when a lab accident results in him being exposed to a liquified version of the chemical. The exposure results in his skin being deformed and instant death to anyone who has physical contact with him. Who's in it?  The movie stars  John Agar ,  Paula Raymond ,  Stephen Dunne ,  Roy Gordon  and  Joe Besser . Review:  I came across this movie yesterday evening and, since it was only an hour in length, decided to watch it this morning before heading to the office. Overall, it wound up being what I was expecting it to be, a low-budget horror film that wasn't particuarly memorable. To be fair, the plot itself wasn't too bad. Alex Marsh (Agar) was somewhat likable even though he was a bit of a workaholic and, at minimum, his heart was in the right place (he was creating the gas because he believed it would prevent people from being killed i...

Synopsis:  After successfully landing a robotic surveyor on Mars, a NASA scientist ,Dr. Dave Fielding, travels to California to spend time with his long-neglected wife and children. Shortly after arriving, he and his family begin to experience strange occurrences involving doppelgangers, which he believes might be related to his Mars mission. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Kent Taylor ,  Marie Windsor ,  William Mims ,  Betty Beall  and  Gregg Shank. Review:  I came across this movie a couple days ago and decided to add it to my watch list. Since I had some free time this evening, I decided to check it out and, after watching it, my opinion was a bit mixed. I am going to start out by saying, as far as alien invasion movies go, this one is a bit on the dull side. Other than one incident involving the daughter's boyfriend ( Lowell Brown ), there really isn't a whole lot of action. The bulk of the movie consists of Dave (Taylor) and his wife (Wi...

Synopsis:  A year after Colton West and his team saved Los Angeles from lavalantulas, a new batch of them begin to hatch around Florida. West doesn't want to get involved this time but, when he learns his step daughter is trapped in Fort Lauderdale, chooses to rescue her. This time, the lavalantulas have different abilities and their queen is considerably larger than the one in Los Angeles. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Steve Guttenberg ,  Michael Winslow ,  Michele Weaver ,  Jimmy Bellinger  and  RJ Walker . Review:  My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by the movie   Lavalantula   a couple weeks ago and made sure to add the sequel to our library. We finally had a chance to watch it yesterday evening and, while it wasn't anywhere near as good as the original, it still had its moments. As I said before, the original was definitely better, primarily because this movie felt a little more predictable, even with the lava-spewing spi...

Synopsis:  Atomic testing and disposal of radioactive material into the ocean results in a dormant dinosaur being brought back to life. As the creature threatens London, scientists realize using the military to stop it could result in radioactive material being spread all over the country. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Gene Evans ,  Andre Morell ,  Leigh Madison ,  John Turner  and  Jack MacGowran. Review:  I have had heard about this movie but had not had a chance to actually watch it until this morning, when I was waiting for the rest of the family to get out of bed. While I thought it was an OK monster movie, I also didn't think there was anything particularly special about it. The film largely follows the same format most 1950s giant monster movies use - scientists predict some sort of atomic catastrophe, a short time later there are reports of a prehistoric monster then, about three-quarters through the movie, the monster finally makes ...

Synopsis:  An alien ( Alan Tudyk ) crashes on Earth and assumes the identity of a doctor he kills outside a small town in Colorado. He intends to remain secluded until he can find his spacecraft and the doomsday weapon it contains. However, when the town's only other doctor is murdered, he is forced to interact with the residents. Adding to his woes is a young boy who can see through his disguise and knows his secret. Review:  When my wife and I first saw previews for this show, I wasn't really sure what to think about it. It looked somewhat interesting but, at the same time, was one of those shows that might not live up to its potential. We are now three episodes into the series and it has become one of our favorites. One of the things that got me hooked was the uniqueness of the series. Uniqueness is something that is always going to score points with me and, while this isn't the first series to feature an alien posing as a human, it certainly is the first one I remember ...

Synopsis:  After one of his hunting buddies is stung to death by giant wasps, a professional football player discovers a farm with giant chickens. He learns the farmer has been feeding the chickens a mysterious substance that bubbles up from the ground. Unfortunately, it isn't just the chickens eating it and, eventually, the island becomes infested with giant rats and other deadly creatures. Who's in it?  The movie stars  Marjoe Gortner ,  Pamela Franklin ,  Ralph Meeker ,  Ida Lupino  and  John McLiam. Review:  I came across this film a couple days ago and, being reminded of similar films I've enjoyed, like  Night of the Lepus  and  The Killer Shrews ,  I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, this film turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I think the thing this movie proves is giant animals aren't enough to make a movie worth watching. One of the biggest problems with it is the human characters weren't all that ...